The huge scream that went up across Earth slowly died down, replaced by a scared whisper. News channels, still working even with the power problems, showed shocked reporters and confused crowds. But before anyone could really understand the first big shock, the cold, emotionless voice came back, cutting through all the fear.
"MORE DETAILS FOR AETHELGARD'S CRUCIBLE."
Aarav, still looking at his hand where the strange glowing mark had appeared, frowned. More rules? This was already too much effort. He slowly walked to his living room, where his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sharma, sat on the sofa. Their faces were pale and full of worry. His mother was holding his father's arm tightly, silent tears running down her face.
"Mom? Dad?" Aarav asked. A small bit of worry showed in his voice, which was rare for him. He usually didn't show much emotion, but even his lazy heart felt a little pang seeing them so scared.
His father, who was usually a happy, busy man, just shook his head, unable to speak. "It... it spoke inside my head, Aarav," his mother whispered, her voice shaking. "Did you hear it?"
Aarav nodded. He looked at the dead TV screen. "Yeah. Something about a game. And... destroying us." He tried to sound relaxed, but the word "destroying" tasted bad in his mouth.
"AETHELGARD'S CRUCIBLE WILL LAST ONE HUNDRED EARTH YEARS. FOR ALL PLAYERS WHO JOIN THE GAME, YOUR AGE WILL STOP WHEN YOU ENTER. WHEN YOU COME OUT, YOU WILL START AGING AGAIN FROM THAT POINT. YOUR LOVED ONES ON EARTH WILL AGE NORMALLY."
Aarav froze. His calm act broke. One hundred years? His parents... they would get old. He would stay... the same. A cold, heavy feeling spread through him, deeper than any fear for himself. His parents. They were the only reason he'd even think about getting out of bed.
Mrs. Sharma made a soft crying sound. "One hundred years? Aarav, what does that mean?"
Mr. Sharma put an arm around her. "It means they want us to play, dear. For a very long time."
"THE CRUCIBLE IS SPLIT INTO TEN DIFFERENT PARTS. EACH PART WILL LAST ABOUT TEN EARTH YEARS."
"ONE THOUSAND PLANETS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO PLAY. THESE PLANETS HAVE SHOWN THEY THINK IN A WAY THAT MAKES THEM ABLE TO HANDLE THIS FIGHT. ALL OTHER WORLDS THAT WERE MARKED FOR DESTRUCTION HAVE ALREADY BEEN DESTROYED."
A chill went down Aarav's back. Other planets already gone? That wasn't just a threat; it was a promise they had kept.
"IN EACH PART, ONE HUNDRED PLANETS WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE GAME. YOUR PLANET WILL LIVE ONLY IF IT STAYS HIGH IN THE RANKING. KEEP YOUR SPOT BY DOING SYSTEM TASKS, GLOBAL MISSIONS, AND BY TAKING OVER LANDS IN AETHELGARD'S CRUCIBLE. ALSO, GETTING RID OF ALL PLAYERS FROM RIVAL PLANETS WILL GREATLY INCREASE YOUR RANK."
Aarav scoffed. "So it's a huge, cosmic battle royale? With extra points for killing everyone from another planet? Classy." But under his sarcasm, his mind was already, unwillingly, starting to work. Get rid of other players. Take over lands. This wasn't just some silly video game. This was war.
"EACH PLANET THAT JOINS WILL SEND ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND PLAYERS TO AETHELGARD'S CRUCIBLE. YOU WILL BE MOVED THERE FOR HALF A DAY OF YOUR HOME WORLD'S TIME TO GET USED TO THE NEW PLACE AND THE POWERS YOU WILL GET. AFTER THIS FIRST VISIT, THE CRUCIBLE WILL START."
Aarav's hand, where the symbol had appeared, tingled. Powers?
"WHEN YOU ENTER AETHELGARD'S CRUCIBLE, YOU WILL GET A MAIN POWER. THIS POWER WILL BE A MIX OF DIFFERENT UNIVERSE ENERGIES, LIKE OLD MAGIC, FUTURE-TECH ABILITIES, CONTROLLING ELEMENTS, AND BODY-BUILDING TECHNIQUES. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE POWERS AND THE CRUCIBLE ITSELF WILL BE GIVEN WHEN YOU FIRST GO THERE. YOU HAVE TEN EARTH DAYS TO GET READY ON YOUR HOME WORLD BEFORE THE FIRST BIG MOVE HAPPENS."
The voice vanished again, leaving a quietness filled only with the fast breathing of scared humans. Ten days. Ten days until they were taken to a war for their planet, a game of death that would steal a hundred years of their lives.
Aarav looked at his parents. Their faces were pale, their eyes wide with fear. His mother was crying openly now, holding his father in a tight hug.
He closed his eyes. Peaceful life? Being a side character? That dream had just been destroyed faster than those other planets. A responsibility he hadn't asked for, a fight he didn't want, was being forced right onto him. But his parents... if there was even a tiny chance...
"Ten days," Aarav muttered, his voice softer than usual. A hint of something, not quite determination but a tired annoyance, crossed his face. "Alright, you space bosses. You want a show? Let's see what kind of show I can give you."