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Chapter 2 - The Past

Hyun-Jae remained in the nurse's office long after the others had gone back to their regular classes and there was nothing but the quiet tick of the wall clock which filled the room, while his thoughts wandered restlessly.

He hated ending up here. Not just because it made him feel weak, but because every collapse was a reminder of why the drills existed in the first place. Why his school, once just an ordinary academy, now demanded that every student be trained like a soldier. It wasn't just here, either. Across the world, every nation had enforced similar policies, reshaping daily life into constant preparation.

However 10 years ago, things had been different. That is, until their arrival.

He had been about six then, but the memory remained sharp and he could still see his mother clutching Harin in her arms as sirens wailed through the city. He hadn't understood what was happening at the time, but the fear etched onto every adult's face had burned itself into his memory.

The sky had torn open, and from it descended two figures, beings that defied comprehension. And with their arrival came a warning.

At first, the governments called it a test but soon after, the word changed to a threat and as a result humanity had been forced to accept the truth it was no longer alone.

The world's leaders united in desperation and unleashed the full might of their weapons against the intruders. But all of it failed to make even the slightest dent.

The failure was absolute. Humanity's greatest weapons, their proudest creations, had been reduced to nothing more than sparks against an immovable wall. And when the dust cleared, the two figures stood untouched, as if the barrage had been no more than a passing breeze.

That was when the fear truly set in. Soldiers who had sworn to protect their nations lowered their weapons, leaders who had promised strength were left hollow-eyed. Humanity's morale had crumbled in an instant.

And so, with no other choice, the governments asked the beings the only question left: What do you want?

The figures turned to one another, their voices rising in a strange, alien tongue. The sound was sharp, resonant, and layered like countless voices overlapping into one. It rattled Hyun-Jae's bones even in memory. But just as suddenly, their tone shifted. Their words bent, reshaped, until they spoke in an familiar language.

"We are the Celestials," they declared, their voices carrying with unnatural weight. "Messengers from the beyond."

The two figures hovered above the trembling city, their voices weaving together as one.

"There are countless realms," they said, "worlds layered upon worlds, dimensions beyond your comprehension. Yours is but one among many."

The taller of the two raised a hand, and the clouds rippled like water disturbed by this movement. His tone was solemn, deliberate. "Pressures mount upon these realms. Balance cannot be maintained. Thus, a judgment has been decreed."

"A tournament will be held," he continued. "All realms must send forth their competitors. Whichever realm proves victorious will endure."

The shorter one chuckled under his breath, the sound so faint most humans didn't even catch it. But his smile, sly and cruel, lingered as he added, "The others… will be erased." His eyes scanned the wide-eyed mortals below, drinking in their fear as though it were wine.

Cries erupted from the crowd in terror, disbelief, denial. But the Celestials only stood there, unbothered.

"This is not a request," the taller one said, his voice like iron. "It is order."

Beside him, the other tilted his head with something almost like amusement, as if all this talk of "balance" and "judgment" were a private joke only he understood. But he offered no explanation only silence and that ever-present smirk, as if the truth was far too entertaining to share.

But they didn't vanish immediately.

The sly one let his grin spread wider as he floated a little lower, his voice carrying easily across the silence of the city. "Well then… any questions?"

It was like a dam bursting. Shouts, panicked cries, desperate pleas, questions overlapping one another until the noise became a frenzied storm. "When will it happen?" "Why us?!""Can we refuse?!""Please, spare the children!"

The taller Celestial's expression hardened. Then, a crushing wave pressed down on the crowd like the weight of a collapsing sky. Screams cut short into choking gasps. Some dropped to their knees, clutching at their throats. The chaos died instantly, silence smothering the world.

"One at a time," he said coldly, his voice echoing as though spoken by gods through stone. "And your questions… better be worth asking."

The first to speak was not a soldier or a politician, but a trembling man at the front of the crowd. His voice cracked as he forced the words out."Wh-when… when will this tournament begin?"

The Celestials exchanged a glance. Then the serious one spoke: "Ten of your years. We will return. Be ready."

A murmur rippled through the people... ten years? That was no time at all.

The next question rose, this one from a government official who somehow managed to steady his voice. "These competitors… will they be as powerful as you?"

The sly one laughed then, a sound that prickled the skin of everyone who heard it. "As strong as us?" He tilted his head mockingly. "Oh no, little mortals. You won't be facing us. That would hardly be a tournament."

His grin sharpened. "But make no mistake they will be strong enough to make your greatest "champions" or whatever you call them look like children swinging sticks."

A shaky voice rose from the back of the crowd, cutting through the stillness."H-how… how are we supposed to survive?" the speaker asked, trembling. "If the opponents are as strong as you say... stronger than anything we've ever faced then what chance do we have? Isn't the difference too great?"

For a moment, silence reigned again. Then the serious Celestial inclined his head, his gaze sweeping over the humans as though measuring insects."We are not without… consideration," he said. His voice carried no warmth, only the weight of judgment. "We are aware of the particular weakness of your race. Adjustments will be made to account for such disparities."

A flicker of relief stirred in the crowd, though it was quickly crushed by his next words. "Do not concern yourselves with the details now. Your only tasks now are to Train, Prepare, and Survive."

The sly one drifted forward, his smirk widening, eyes glinting with amusement."But," he drawled, "if there's anyone among you who feels ready now, any brave soul willing to step forward as your champion today" He spread his arms mockingly, as though inviting volunteers to a stage. "then by all means… step up."

No one moved. The silence stretched, suffocating, broken only by the sound of a child crying somewhere in the crowd. The sly one chuckled softly, as if savoring their fear, before drifting back to his companion's side.

From the uneasy silence, another voice managed to rise, this one steadier, belonging to a general who had forced himself to stand tall."Then tell us this," he said. "How many competitors will each realm be allowed?"

The taller Celestial's eyes flickered faintly with something unreadable."For most realms," he answered, "the number is fixed. Strict quotas. But for yours…" His lips curved the faintest fraction. "It is your decision."

Confusion rippled through the crowd. "Our decision?" someone echoed.

"Yes," the Celestial said flatly. "You may send as many or as few as you wish. But know this" His gaze sharpened, cutting through the air like a blade. "Throwing your entire population into the tournament isn't recommended. The rules… do not demand such desperation."

The sly one leaned forward then, his smile twisting, enjoying the way their fear shifted into bewilderment. "Besides," he added lightly, "your world is not only yours. Should the others who dwell in this realm help you win, your 'Earth' still survives."

His words dropped like stones into still water, rippling through every mind present. The others? What others? But the sly one offered no further explanation, only that same playful grin as if the mystery itself was his little gift of cruelty.

The taller one's voice rang out once more, cutting off further questions."Your path is set. Ten years. Prepare yourselves. Survive or perish."

And with that, their forms dissolved into light, vanishing into the sky, leaving behind only terror, uncertainty, and the memory of two beings who had rewritten the fate of the world in a single conversation.

---

The memory lingered in Hyun-Jae's mind long after the nurse dismissed him for the day. He walked home beneath the fading orange sky, his bag hanging loosely at his side, the city's usual hum of life muted by his thoughts.

Others who dwell in this realm…

The Celestial's words echoed as they had so many times before, a question that had never been answered. If Earth wasn't alone in its own realm, then what else was out there watching, waiting, hidden? The thought made his chest tighten, though not entirely from fear. There was curiosity there too, buried beneath the weight of dread.

But even heavier than that was relief. As much as the drills exhausted him, as much as his failures ate away at his pride, at least the government hadn't forced anyone into the role of sacrifice. It could've been worse. The whole population could have been thrown into the slaughter like lambs. Instead, they had chosen volunteers. People who actually wanted to fight.

Hyun-Jae exhaled, shoving his hands into his pockets. He wasn't delusional and he knew there was no chance he'd be one of those volunteers. He could barely survive a day of drills, let alone stand against monsters from other worlds. But still, some small, selfish part of him was grateful. Grateful that, for now, his place in this looming nightmare was just as a spectator.

As the lights of his neighborhood came into view, Hyun-Jae raised his eyes to the darkening sky. Almost ten years had passed since that day, and the countdown was nearly over. The Celestials' return loomed closer with each sunset.

And whether he wanted to or not, he knew he couldn't keep running from it forever.

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