Kay didn't exactly feel nostalgic about getting teleported again so soon—mostly because, just like before, he couldn't feel a thing while it happened.
Then, all at once, his senses flooded back.
"Haa… haaaa…"
He dropped to one knee, breathing out slowly as the world steadied around him. His gauntleted right hand pressed to the ground for balance, the metal crunching against something brittle.
Leaves?
Blinking away the fog in his vision, he glanced down to see a carpet of dry leaves scattered over bare soil. As his sight cleared, he finally took in his surroundings.
Towering trees rose all around, their trunks so wide he doubted three people linking arms could wrap around one. They stretched so high their canopies seemed to merge into a living ceiling. Shafts of golden sunlight spilled through gaps in the leaves, dust motes dancing lazily in the beams. The air carried the cool, earthy scent of moss and old bark.
Either OMNIX had dropped him into an entirely new world… or he'd somehow ended up in a forest on Earth that he'd never heard of. But forests back home didn't have trees like these—these were colossal, straight out of a fantasy painting or something from the Avatar films.
Thankfully, the sunlight didn't filter much through the thick canopy. Otherwise, he'd have to live like a vampire—the kind that bursts into flames without his amber-tinted glasses.
A flicker of movement caught his eye to the left. At least he wasn't alone here like in the dressing chamber.
Liam, their bald gym trainer, wore a tank set—customized for style, looking more like something out of Kingdom Come: Deliverance than standard issue. Beside him stood Mahima, the female trainer—a tall, toned woman with defined abs and long black hair—wearing a warrior set tailored for women. And there were the two freshers from his college—the same guys who'd been googling Ludus Genesis back at the gym.
He started to scan the rest of the clearing—and froze. To his right, Kay's gaze narrowed, instincts kicking in.
No other humans stood nearby.
Four orcs. At least, that's what they resembled—though nothing like the ugly, bald, hulking brutes from fantasy novels. Two had ashen skin, smooth and slate-like, while the other two bore a deep, earthy green reminiscent of the orcs from Warcraft and other fantasy worlds. Yet, regardless of color, they looked far more refined than the slobbering beasts from the other fantasy novels. A few were even—strangely—handsome.
The one closest to him stood out the most—broad-shouldered, dark hair braided back, pale—tattoo-like markings etched across sharp features, and cold green eyes that seemed to say: You're already dead, you just don't know it yet.
He wore the same Martial set as Kay but skipped the turtleneck and coat, either by choice or just not caring about the bonuses.
Soon, he noticed a commotion near the freshers—they were gawking at something, one of them was practically drooling.
Kay followed their gaze and immediately understood.
A female orc. Same ashen skin, long white hair woven into thick braids, sculpted abs, and a height nearly matching Liam's—still a head taller than Kay. She, too, wore no top, leaving her… considerable assets completely bare. And he had to admit—no human girl could match that.
Before he could decide whether to roll his eyes or look away, OMNIX's voice rang in his mind.
— ✦ —
[ Recognition Granted. You are henceforth acknowledged as a Candidate in the Aevora Ascension Protocol.]
[ Phase I — Ludus Genesis | The Game of Creation. ]
[ Commencing… ]
— ✦ —
Kay raised an eyebrow as the message echoed in his mind.
…Did he seriously just get scammed?
Aevora Ascension Protocol? Phase I — The Game of Creation?
If that was the case, why hadn't OMNIX or this so-called system just welcomed them straight into the Aevora Ascension Protocol instead of opening with "Welcome to Ludus Genesis"?
Was this some marketing trick? Dress it up like a game so more people would accept? And why Ludus Genesis anyway—a mix of Latin and Greek?
His gaze flicked toward the nearest orc. What message had they gotten? They clearly weren't from Earth, and judging by the puzzled looks on some faces, a few of them were just as clueless as he was.
Candidates—same as him.
Kay's mind wandered. He'd had this question since he was a kid learning geography—hell, probably everyone had.
Are we alone in the universe?
Well, apparently not. Was Tolkien onto something back in the 1930s? Maybe the guy wasn't just a literary genius but a full-blown reincarnator—someone who'd actually lived in a fantasy world, got reborn on Earth, and decided to write LotR as a memoir with the names changed. How else could this even be possible? Meanwhile, the scientists back on Earth were burning through their lives pointing radio dishes at empty space, still waiting for "proof" of aliens.
But the orcs standing in front of him didn't look like the ones from The Hobbit. These were more… humane. Civilized, maybe. Not as bloodthirsty as the fantasy novel versions—at least, not yet.
He knew Tolkien had drawn inspiration for orcs and elves from Norse mythology and Old English sources. If Kay could just find an elf here, he could finally confirm the truth—whether they were really the beautiful, sharp-eared beings the books promised.
Soon, more system messages flashed through his mind.
— ✦ —
[ OMNIX Integration: Completed. ]
[ Commencing Aevora Ascension Protocol. ]
[ Phase I — Ludus Genesis | The Game of Creation. ]
[ Designation: Candidate. ]
[ Objective: Survive. Adapt. Evolve. ]
[ Duration: 365 Days | 00 Hours | 00 Minutes | 00 Seconds. ]
[ Phase II will commence immediately upon Phase I's conclusion. ]
[ May the worthy stand as the Cornerstone of Aevora. ]
— ✦ —
"Aevora..," Kay muttered. He had no idea what that even meant.
May the worthy stand as the cornerstone of Aevora? Was that some kind of organization? A title?
Phase 1, huh. Survive, adapt, evolve. Well, that didn't sound too bad—and there were no listed rewards or punishments for failure. Thank god it wasn't like those novels where the system tells you to fart in a classroom or die.
He was so done with that trope.
Anyway… a year. That's how long Phase 1 would last.
* * *
As Kay was still mulling over the meaning of the strange messages, a shuffle of voices cut through his thoughts.
Turning his head, Kay saw Liam, Mahima, and the two freshers now grouped together. At some point, they had gravitated toward each other without him noticing. He realized he was standing a little apart from them—probably because, back on Earth, he'd been on the terrace before the teleportation, while the others had been inside the gym.
I wonder what happened to the rest…
His gaze shifted to the orcs. The ash-skinned pair—the female and the male nearest to him—stood together, glaring daggers at two green-skinned male orcs. Neither side seemed the least bit interested in the humans.
Hmm. Is this not their first time seeing humans? Kay wondered.
Liam's low voice reached his ears. "Guys, I don't know where the f*ck we are or what the hell those are," he muttered, glancing toward the orcs.
One of the freshers—the same guy who had been drooling earlier—spoke up. "They look like orcs."
Liam frowned. "Orcs?"
"Yeah," the fresher said, "like elves or goblins… you know, fantasy races."
As Liam studied the orcs, his eyes eventually landed on Kay. Recognition lit up his face instantly. Liam knew Kay—and more importantly, his background. If a fight broke out, Liam was well aware that Kay was his best bet. Without hesitation, he strode toward him.
"Hey, Kay! Thank Jesus you're here!"
A vein twitched on Kay's forehead. F*cking idiot. What was the point of choosing an alias if the people who knew him were just going to yell out his real name anyway?
Kay didn't move away. He knew it was better to stick close to others when the stakes were high. He had no idea what the situation was—or what the orcs might do—so he stayed put.
Liam closed the last few steps between them. "Man, if we stay and work together, we'll—"
He didn't finish. He couldn't.
Kay's guard was up, yet the moment itself slipped past him; all he saw was the result. One moment, Liam's face was right there in front of him, grinning in relief like he'd just found a lifeline. The next, it was spinning away from his shoulders—eyes wide, lips parted around a ghost of a word, a red thread drifting lazily in its wake.
Time seemed to stretch, every detail etched into Kay's vision—the faint glint of spit leaving Liam's lips, the slow turn of his head mid-flight, the smear of red painting the air behind it.
The body, robbed of its head, still took one final, awkward step forward before collapsing to its knees. A warm spray of blood hit Kay's face, metallic and wet, freezing him in place.
The air seemed thick, every droplet of blood hanging like dark jewels, the sound of his own heartbeat thudding in Kay's ears.
Then—
Snap.
The world slammed back into motion—before the corpse could even topple, something sharp punched through its chest and lifted it into the air—a tail, glistening crimson.
One moment, Liam had been walking toward him like an old friend in a crowded street. The next, he was cold. Deader than death.
Silence.
"Ahh—"
A strained, awkward sound escaped Kay.
He didn't understand—but his body did. It understood exactly what needed to happen. Move before thinking.
And the best, most logical thing to do here… was run.
So he ran. Kay turned without looking back, bolting in the opposite direction from where the tail had come. His breath tore at his throat, footsteps pounding against the strange earth.
Then—
"Kyaaa!"
"Aaahhh—!"
"Sh*t! Shiiit—!!"
Screams tore through the clearing. Panic surged.
It was mayhem.
* * *
◇ Earth — The Day OMNIX Reached Out. ◇
Anna woke up early because Mommy was making a fuss about some message.
Anna didn't get any message.
She had school today. Yuck. School was boring. She wished Daddy would take her to the shop with all the teddies instead. But Daddy had gone to the gym again. He always went to the gym before work. Anna wished he'd stay home.
Mommy and Daddy argued a lot lately. Anna didn't like it.
Oh. Pee.
When she came back, the house was too quiet.
"Mom?" she called. "Mommy?"
No answer.
Anna's tummy felt weird. She looked everywhere—kitchen, bedroom, even under the table like Daddy once did when playing hide-and-seek with her. No Mommy.
She knew how to call Daddy. She knew Mommy's phone password too. The call rang and rang, but Daddy didn't pick up.
Her throat felt tight. The gym wasn't far. She'd been there before—lots of nice uncles and aunties there. Daddy would be there.
She grabbed her sandals and stepped outside. The morning air felt heavy, like it was waiting for something.
On the road, cars had bumped into each other. Horns blared.
Do these uncles not know how to drive? Anna thought.
She wished she could drive, but Daddy always said she had to be older first. Hmph. I'll show him when I grow up.
People on the street were talking a lot.
Some uncles and aunties looked at her funny, whispering about people disappearing. Like Mommy.
Anna didn't like the way their eyes followed her. She hugged herself and walked faster.
Anna soon reached the gym building. The gym Daddy went to was on the third floor, but the lower floors had weird aunties who posed and did bendy stuff. She had seen them the last time she came here with Daddy. Inside, it had smelled weird back then — like soap and metal.
She took the stairs, her small feet slapping against the tiles, and paused to catch her breath when she reached the gym's double doors. They were already open.
"Thank you, Daddy," she mumbled. Otherwise, Anna would have to use her full powers to push the heavy door.
Inside, the lights were on even though the sun was out. The place was empty.
"Daddy?" she called. "Daddyyy?"
Anna pulled out her mom's phone and tapped the green button next to Daddy's name.
A familiar ringtone echoed somewhere in the gym.
Her face brightened—Daddy! She ran toward the sound.
But her smile faded when she found his phone lying on the floor. Beside it were his clothes… and his wallet.
Inside was a picture — Mommy, Daddy, and Anna, all smiling.
Anna held the wallet tight. It was rare to see Mommy and Daddy smiling together these days.
She was still staring at it when a voice spoke behind her.
"Looking for someone, little one?"
Anna turned.
An older uncle stood in the doorway to the locker room, smiling faintly.
"Who's your dad?" he asked.
Hope flared in her chest. She told him Daddy's name.
His eyes lit up, as if he remembered.
"I know where he is. Come with me."
He held open the locker room door.
Anna hesitated. Daddy always told her not to trust strangers.
But… this uncle knew where Daddy was. If she followed him, maybe she could find Daddy faster.
The uncle kept smiling, but his eyes weren't smiling.
From outside, a sound cut through the stillness.
WEE-OOO… WEE-OOO…
Police sirens wailed outside.
Anna turned toward the floor-to-ceiling glass panels to watch the patrol cars speed past.
When she looked back, the uncle's smile was gone.
His face had turned dark.
Anna didn't understand why the uncle's face went all strange when the police uncles' cars sped by outside.
The uncle sighed. "How old are you, kid?"
Anna perked up. "Anna is six!"
She hesitated, stuffed the wallet into her little pocket, and began counting on her fingers. "One… two… three… Oh! Anna is five. Anna will be six soon! Daddy promised to take Anna to the theme park with the big wheely thing for her birthday."
The uncle nodded slowly, then glanced through the glass panels again. Across the street, one of the police uncles had stopped his car and was talking to an aunty on the sidewalk.
"Your dad already went home," the man said after a pause. "You probably missed him when you came here. He's probably waiting for you."
Anna frowned. "But Anna didn't see Daddy on the way here…"
"He said something about grabbing ice cream before leaving," the uncle added, his tone lightening. "Probably for you."
Anna's eyes lit up. "Ice cream! Yayyy!"
She spun toward the door, ready to run home, but then remembered — Daddy always said to thank people who helped her. She turned back.
The uncle was already heading back toward the women's locker room. That's when Anna noticed his other hand, now in view, holding a bunch of women's gym clothes and even some underwear.
Maybe his daughter was inside? Or… maybe he was bringing them as a gift for someone?
Anna didn't know, but it sounded important.
Anna gave a small bow. "Thank you, Uncle!" she called brightly.
Then she darted out the gym doors, sandals slapping against the floor.
* * *
Back on the terrace of the same gym, a small pile of belongings lay scattered—clothes, a pair of amber-tinted glasses, wireless earbuds, and a phone. It looked as though someone had simply stood up and left, leaving everything behind.
The glasses faced upward, as if they'd been abandoned mid-stare at the chaos unfolding across the city. Below, the world was dissolving into mayhem.
The phone's playlist had already cycled through several tracks and was now playing—
"What a Wonderful World…" by Louis Armstrong.
What a wonderful world, indeed.