Kael's eyes widened, just for a fraction of a second.
"Moon… what did you do?" he asked, reaching out to test the blue window. His hand passed straight through it, meeting no resistance at all. Kael had read enough to recognize what this was supposed to be, the kind of interface you only saw in games and stories.
There was a brief silence before her reply came, tighter than usual.
"I didn't do anything. Are you… seeing this too?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. His gaze stayed fixed on the blue window, scanning every line, every word, as thoughts moved rapidly behind his calm expression.
"Charlie?" he said.
"I've got it too," Charlie replied. "Is this real?"
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly. "It's real. They used my name."
That was enough.
Charlie. Moon. Even his own Jupiter there were all aliases. Carefully chosen, carefully protected. No one knew his real name. Not even Charlie and Moon. Which meant this wasn't a hack. It wasn't a trick.
Something else was at play.
"What do we do?" Moon asked, her voice sharper now. He could almost picture her pacing. Kael's gaze shifted to the corner of the window.
20 seconds.
He moved instantly.
"Charlie, grab the emergency bag. Now."
"On it."
"Moon, take whatever liquid cash you can carry."
Without waiting, Kael turned and walked toward one of the unconscious guards. He crouched beside him, quickly unstrapping the rifle and slinging it over his shoulder before pulling the sidearm free as well.
He shrugged off the white coat and let it fall to the floor.
10 seconds.
Kael stood up, taking one slow breath as his mind aligned everything into place.
"It said twenty-five people," he said. "We're three. That leaves twenty-two unknowns."
"Got the bag," Charlie said. "Ammo, food, clothes and basics covered."
"I've got cash and extra rounds," Moon added.
Kael allowed himself a small smile.
"Good," he said. "Then when we land…let's pretend we don't know each other."
A faint pause followed and Kael could hear the hurried breathing of his colleagues.
At that exact moment, a white circle of light flared into existence beneath his feet, sharp and sudden against the cold basement floor.
Kael glanced down at it, the glow reflecting in his eyes.
"…So it's real." For a moment, he had hoped it was just an illusion, some elaborate trap designed to catch him but there was no explaining a circle of light appearing beneath his feet out of nowhere. His mind searched for answers and came up empty.
The light intensified. He tightened his grip on the gun and in the next instant, he was gone.
Leaving behind an empty corridor, unconscious guards…and a heist that would never be completed.
******
For a moment, all Kael could see was white. It was so bright that he had to shut his eyes immediately, his vision overwhelmed before he could make sense of anything. He stayed like that for a few seconds, letting the sensation pass, before slowly opening them again.
Darkness greeted him.
The air felt wrong. It was damp, heavy, and laced with a foul smell that made him instinctively cover his nose. It clung to his throat with every breath, forcing him to take it slow as his eyes began to adjust.
This wasn't the hospital.
Before he could properly take in his surroundings, the now-familiar blue window appeared in front of him.
[Planet: Earth (Codename: XXXX-69) has been successfully integrated into the Royal Dominion.]
[Based on individual achievements and contributions, select individuals have been chosen to represent their planet in the upcoming Arena.]
[Welcome, Kael Williams.]
[You have been selected as one of the Champions of Earth.]
[This round of integration includes five planets. Your performance, along with the other Champions, will determine Earth's starting rank within the Dominion.]
[Current Location: The Hollow Layer]
[Objective:]
1. Survive the Hollow Layer
2. Drink the Poison of Rebirth
[Progress: 0 / 2]
[Once both objectives are completed, you will be transferred to meet the surviving Champions of Earth.]
[Further instructions will be provided at that time.]
[Good luck.]
Kael blinked and read the messages again. And then once more.
"...Damn. This is real," he muttered under his breath.
He had already accepted it or at least, part of him had but the rest of his mind refused to settle. The scale of it, the implications, the sheer impossibility of it all… none of it fit neatly into place.
Questions came one after another. Then a distant, ominous howl cut through the darkness.
Kael stilled.
Instinct took over. His hand moved immediately toward his side, reaching for the gun he had been holding just moments ago—
Nothing.
His fingers closed around empty air.
His eyes sharpened as he looked down at himself. The weapons were gone. All of them. He was dressed in a simple blue shirt, black pants, and boots….nothing more.
"No…"
He checked quickly, efficiently, running through every pocket, visible and hidden alike. Phone. Knife. Earpiece. Tools.
All gone.
For a brief second, he just stood there shocked. Then Kael exhaled slowly, forcing himself to steady.
"Alright," he said quietly, more to himself than anything else.
His gaze lifted back to the floating window.
"So… I'm a Champion. There are Five planets. Some kind of arena. Aliens exist." A faint grin formed despite everything. "And apparently, even by alien standards, I'm impressive."
A short breath of amusement escaped him.
"Could be worse."
He crouched down, placing his hand against the ground. The surface was rough, uneven, cold beneath his fingers.
His eyes moved upward.
The passage was narrow, barely five feet across, stretching forward into darkness. From the ceiling, jagged black spikes hung down like teeth, casting uneven shadows along the walls.
"A cave…" he murmured, tilting his head slightly. "No… something built to look like one."
His expression shifted again, just slightly.
"I hope those two are alright." he thought about Charlie and Moon. "No time to dwell."
Kael rose to his feet and began moving forward, slowly, keeping closer to the right wall of the cave.