The ground pulsed.
Not shook—pulsed, like the earth itself had a heartbeat.
Alex looked down. "Uh… guys—"
The pulse hit again.
FLASH.
Everything disappeared.
The air twisted.
The floor dissolved.
Their stomachs dropped as if the universe yanked them downward like a hook.
Then—
CRASH.
Alex slammed onto cracked pavement.
Zack landed on top of him.
Mia screamed mid-fall and hit a dead bush.
Liana rolled skillfully like she meant to do that.
Lily face-planted and stayed there, mumbling threats.
They scrambled up, coughing, groaning, swearing.
Then they froze.
---
They stood in front of the ruined Earth city
* Skyscrapers leaned like broken bones
* Cars rusted into skeletons
* Vines grew over cracked streets
* The sky was a permanent red-grey
* And everywhere… quiet
No wind.
No birds.
No humans.
Zack swallowed. "This… is the Wastes?"
Ciara's voice echoed behind them. She had teleported with them, arms crossed, unfazed.
"Yes," she said. "The Wastes are not a place. They are what's left of Earth beyond the barrier."
Alex blinked. "But we were just on Earth—?"
"You never left," Ciara said. " Thia is the real earth that was a different plane crafted by magic."
Liana narrowed her eyes. "meaning…?"
"Meaning everywhere the monsters claimed."
Lily dusted her clothes. "So these monsters… they're organized?"
Ciara nodded. "Very. Smart. Evolving. Capable of planning. Capable of killing. And—"
She pointed at a distant collapsed tower where strange shapes moved like shadows climbing walls.
"—capable of thinking."
Mia swallowed. "Okay. So what are we supposed to do?"
Ciara stepped closer, her expression hardening.
"Your mission is simple:
Gather intel. Observe. Learn. Do NOT engage unless necessary.
Zack raised his hand. "Define necessary."
Ciara smirked slightly. "If they're already killing you."
"Oh," Zack said. "Cool. Love that for us."
---
Why They're Really Here
Ciara took out a small metal disk. It glowed blue and hovered in front of her.
"This is your recall beacon. Once your intel is complete, I'll pull you out."
Alex frowned. "And if something goes wrong?"
Ciara didn't blink.
"It will."
Everyone stared at her.
"But your goal," she continued, "is to survive long enough to understand what the monsters want, how they communicate, and how they adapt."
Liana looked around at the ruined buildings. "So basically… spy on creatures that destroyed an entire part of Earth?"
"Yes."
"Without being seen?"
"Yes."
"And without fighting?"
Ciara shrugged. "Preferably. But you won't get that luxury."
Alex felt his relic pulse—the blade at his side flickered once, sensing danger already.
"Why us?" he asked.
Ciara turned away, scanning the dead streets.
"Because the monsters are changing. And they're changing because of you—because of Relicborn."
The wind finally blew.
Distant growling echoed across shattered buildings.
Something big.
Something hunting.
Ciara looked at them one last time.
"Stay together. Stay quiet. And no matter what—don't get noticed."
She tapped the recall beacon.
FLASH.
She vanished.
Leaving them in the Wastes.
Alone.