Date: January 3rd, 2061
Time: 7:02 PM
Location: Earth
Everett Miracle — and yes, that was his actual government-issued name — was on his way home from school, carrying a backpack filled with exactly three things: half-written notes, shattered dreams, and a cheese sandwich he was 70% sure had gone bad.
He was 18. He was exhausted. He was not ready for the college entrance exam, and frankly, the college entrance exam was not ready for him either.
New Boston-5, one of Earth's newer megacities, buzzed around him with the cheerful menace of a dystopian vending machine. Drones zipped overhead. Holograms tried to sell him eternal youth, personality implants, and hot noodles. Life in 2061 was... a lot.
And then—
DING.
Not his glasses.
Not his phone.
Not the city-wide ad AI.
This sound rang inside his mind, like a divine email notification from the universe's HR department.
> [Global System Message]:
Population count: 10,000,000,000 reached.
Initiating Phase 2 of the Narrative.
All sentient beings, please stand by.
Everything stopped.
Birds froze mid-flight. A nearby vending bot paused, cup halfway to a customer's hand. Everett's feet stopped mid-step as time itself politely sat down for a break.
Then came the voice. Not from the sky. Not from the ground. Just... inside.
It tried multiple intros like it couldn't decide what tone it was going for:
> "Welcome, players. Phase 2 Commencement."
"Phase 2 Transition initialized."
"Phase 2 Narrative uploading…"
"Phase 2 Congratulation to Lucky Survivor. "
Everett blinked. "Is the universe buffering?"
Above him, a glowing System Interface bloomed in the sky like a giant digital lotus flower. Clean, sharp graphics. Slightly judgmental font.
Front and center was a large glowing button:
> [🎰 Click to Draw Your Starter Class! 🎰]
Below that, in tiny text:
> "Note: Draw is final. All complaints must be filed in a future life."
Everett sighed. "This is either the beginning of something incredible… or the start of a really elaborate prank."
He clicked it.
(To be revealed in Chapter 2!)
> [Quest Received: Survive the Phase 2 Narrative.]
---
Meanwhile… Around the World
White House Omega, United States of Cascadia
President Gloria Cheng stood still, coffee halfway to her mouth, eyes locked on the same glowing interface now floating over every city skyline.
"Did the UN authorize... this?"
Her AI aide pinged softly. "Madam President, your charisma stat has been auto-adjusted. You're now 'Politely Intimidating'."
She sipped her coffee and said calmly, "Get the nukes, the monks, and someone who plays video games professionally."
---
Sacred Hill, Varanasi, India
Guruji Dev Gopalan stood beneath a neem tree, his white robes fluttering.
"I told you," he said to his wide-eyed disciples. "In 2012, we expected doom. In 2026, we prepared for change. But 2061… this is the true shift."
The sky pulsed with cosmic data.
A nearby monkey screamed and fled into the forest.
Guruji smiled serenely. "Even Hanuman knows. The lila ( divine play) begins."
---
Casino District, Free Zone of Macao
Rico "Lucky" Del Toro stared at his perfect poker hand.
Four aces. He never got four aces.
Just as he was about to win big, everything froze.
And then the sky dinged.
> "Initiating Phase 2…"
Rico shouted into the ether, "NOOOO! I HAD THEM! I WAS WINNING FOR ONCE!"
---
Tokyo Megazone, Japan
Kaori Tamura, age seventeen, peeked out her window at the glowing sky interface.
"Oh no. This is an isekai."
She grabbed a sword-shaped umbrella, kicked her door open, and screamed to the heavens, "I'M READY, YOU COSMIC JERKS!"
---
Back to Everett Miracle…
He tried to click the lottery button again, hoping for a reroll. No dice. It blinked at him mockingly.
Above, the world quietly tilted on its axis.
Beyond, stars moved like pieces on a game board.
And far, far away, something that should not have been awake… opened its eyes.
!!!!