Atlas stood before his friends, the weight of a thousand unspoken truths pressing on his shoulders. He met their eyes—Serena's searching gaze, Alaric's tense stare, Clara's worried frown—and he began.
"This world," he said quietly, "isn't what you were told. Those people who vanished…they aren't dead. Not yet. They've been sent to realms. Each Mirage creates its own. Some are illusions, some are labyrinths of suffering, some…are just empty darkness. Time moves differently there—an hour here could be years for them."
Clara's breath caught. "Years?"
Atlas nodded.
These Universal Mirages are divided into different ranks starting from E rank which is the weakest, to D rank then C rank then B rank then A- rank then A rank then A+ rank then S ranks. After the S rank comes the Special rank and finally The Emperor. There are currently only 8 emperors who control all other ranks.
Atlas noticed his friends' eyes on him. Alaric finally blurted, "But how do you know all this? And how in the world can you use so many Powers?" Serena added, her voice shaking, "We've seen you summon water, shadows, even stop time… Atlas, what are you?" Atlas took a long breath. "When I was eight, I was taken into an Emperor's realm. Everyone thought I vanished. But a man known only as the Witness saved me. He taught me about the Mirages, about Elemental Ranks…everything. He trained me to control multiple Elements, something almost no one can do. He never told me why. And when he sent me back, I realized—no one else has ever escaped an Emperor's realm alive." The others stared, stunned. Clara whispered, "So you... you've been preparing for this your whole life." Atlas nodded once, solemn. "Yes. But even I don't know all the secrets. Or why the Witness chose me."
He moved to the window, looking out at the drifting shadows in the sky. "The Mirages weren't born. They were made—by something older than this universe. The Emperors are the first and most powerful, the ones who learned to devour entire worlds. Every other Mirage comes from them, shaped from fragments of their power. The weakest are E-rank. The strongest…well. You've seen what they can do."
Alaric tried to force a smile. "Can we maybe get, uh, the Cliff Notes? Because this is a lot."
Atlas almost managed a laugh. "Yeah. Sorry. The short version: the Mirages invade planets. They feed on fear, on suffering. But to keep things 'fair,' they wait two days before people unlock their Elements."
Serena touched his sleeve. "Elements?"
"They're power. Everyone has one. Fire, Water, Shadow…there are hundreds. They're ranked by potential—E, D, C, B, A, S, Special. Each rank has multiple forms. Most people only ever unlock the first."
Clara raised her hand, as if she were in class. "How do you know what rank you get?"
"When the two days pass, a mark appears on your skin. It shows your affinity. And then…it begins."
He turned back to face them. "The Special-rank Elements are almost never given. Time, Void, Origin…powers that can erase armies. But even the weakest Element can be used to survive."
Alaric's voice cracked. "Why do they wait? If they want us dead—"
"They don't just want to kill," Atlas said softly. "They want to watch us struggle. Some Emperors consider it…entertainment."
Serena's eyes filled with tears. "What about the people in those realms now?"
"I don't know what the Emperors do to them," Atlas admitted. "That's the truth."
He hesitated. "But the Mirages aren't the only threat. When the Emperors open gateways, other things come through. Creatures from dead universes. They don't imprison—they consume. You've already seen a few."
Clara shivered. "And there's no way to stop it?"
"There is. But not alone."
He rested his hand on the desk. "A long time ago, the Emperors fought the Demon Kings—beings just as ancient. A war that burned across a thousand worlds. At that time there were more than 100 emperors and 100 Demon kings. In the end, only two Demon Kings survived. No one knows where they are now."
Serena closed her eyes. "So…this is all happening again."
"Yes."
Alaric swallowed.
"So...which rank are you?"
Atlas didn't answer immediately.
"I don't think my rank matters. What matters is that we understand what's coming. In two days, everyone will awaken their Element. The Mirages want to send as many as possible to their realms before then. And there's worse—monsters from other worlds. They don't trap you. They just kill. If the Emperors are involved…there's no telling what they'll do to those they've captured. Even I don't know everything. Not yet."
Serena reached for his hand.
"Then…what do we do now?"
Atlas looked her in the eye, his voice steady.
"We prepare. And there's someplace I need to take you all."