"The others await you."
Alice stepped into the bright light and was instantly teleported into a whole new world.
It was a city.
Bright, alive, and almost futuristic.
Alice saw technology she had never seen before. The city glowed with light, yet the sky above was dark. Huge buildings towered over her, loud and fast cars rushed past, and everything felt overwhelming.
"Where am I?" Alice asked herself.
A computer-like program automatically opened from her chest.
"Welcome to Neutral City, Alice. Here you will find rest, knowledge, and items to continue your journey."
The program shut down.
Alice walked along the bright city streets, not knowing where she was or what she was supposed to do next. NPCs surrounded her, offering all sorts of items.
"Hey, buy this! Five hundred Spades only! Rifle-fire gang, and get a free hand grenade!" one NPC seller shouted.
"Would you like to have a wild time of experience?" another said.
Alice was confused and didn't notice where she was going until she ran straight into someone.
"Hey, watch it, player! What are you trying to do, huh? Rob me or something?" the person snapped.
"Rob you? What? I would never do that," Alice replied quickly. "And who are you even? Do you know why I'm here, or what this place is?"
The young man looked at her carefully and realized she was completely lost.
"Oh… sorry if I came out rude," he said. "Who are you? Oh...sorry, I mean, what's your name?"
Alice hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Um… Alice. My name is Alice."
"Well, Alice, my name is Carl Johns. You can call me CJ," he said.
"I can tell you're new, so I think it's best you come with me. I know it's kinda crazy ,we just met, and we're in this weird world but I think you should come with me anyway. After all, I can't kill you due to the blockage."
"Blockage?" Alice asked.
Carl grabbed Alice's hand and led her through the city, into a hidden warehouse downtown. When they arrived, Carl pressed a button. It scanned his fingerprint, and the door opened.
Inside looked like a small, dense, dark apartment. Three other figures were sitting across from each other, playing a card game.
"Hey, CJ! Who's the chick?" one of them said.
"Just another new player I found on the streets," Carl replied.
"Oh dear, those NPC sellers must've had you surrounded," said another voice female this time. "I'm so sorry. You did well bringing her here, Carl."
"Well, I don't like people knowing our hideout," said the third person.
"It's fine," Carl said. "It's not like she'll stay here forever anyway."
"Hey, baby girl, what's your name?" said the first man. "Mine's David. This rude dude here is Ace, and the fine lady there is Miriam."
"My name is Alice… Alice Hammington," Alice said.
"Nice to meet you, Alice," Miriam replied.
"So, how much do you know, Alice?" Carl asked.
"Know about what?" Alice responded.
"The game, of course," Carl said.
"Honestly, I don't know anything."
"Well, I'd be happy to explain," David said. "Just come closer so you can hear me better."
"Okay," Alice replied.
"So first of all," David began, "we're not from the same timeline. People rarely are. For example, CJ here is from the year 2010. Ace and I are from 1960, and Miriam is from 2085."
"2085?!" Alice exclaimed. "How is that even possible?"
"Well, that's just how it is," David continued. "Everyone gets here differently, but it always starts the same way finding a strange box of cards and saying the words START GAME while holding them. That triggers teleportation."
He went on, "This is Neutral City, a place between the four game levels. We have to beat all thirteen levels of each card symbol to win the game and gain freedom hopefully for everyone."
He paused before adding, "But remember, we only have five lives. There are ways to gain more, but if you lose them all, you die for good."
"You would've known all this if you read your user manual," David said.
"Wait… what user manual?" Alice asked.
She pressed her chest, and a screen appeared. In the corner, it read: Swipe Up.
She swiped.
User Manual: 1
Weapons: 1
Super Special Abilities: 0
Vehicles: 1
Alice pressed the Weapons option. A sword appeared in her hand. The sword displayed several upgrade options.
She swiped again.
Cash Available: 300 Spades"That's your cash, Alice. Use it for upgrades and purchases. Now you already know what you need to know," Carl said.
"Thank you so much, guys, for the info," Alice replied. "But if there are other levels, shouldn't we be fighting our way up to the top instead of just sitting here?"
"Well, we can continue, but it's not easy," Miriam said. "The only player who ever made it to the Jack of Spades was Player 100, and ever since then, no one has heard from him again. The truth is… we're scared. Just like you. We may come from different timelines, but we're still new to this."
"Come on, guys. We can't sit here for all eternity," Alice said. "Think about your lives back home. The people you love. Isn't that something worth fighting for?"
Alice looked at each of them.
"Alice is right," Carl said. "We can't just sit here and do nothing. We need to at least try"
"What? Try and die?" David cut in. "I don't know about you all, but I'm okay staying here rather than dying like that Player 100 guy."
"Yeah," Ace added. "Just because a new girl gives a little speech doesn't change anything."
"Well, you can all sit here," Alice said firmly, "but I'm going to continue fighting."
Alice tapped her chest and selected the Continue option.
A glowing pathway appeared, leading toward a massive gate the entrance to Level Two of Spades.
She left the hideout and followed the arrow guiding her through the city. The farther she walked, the quieter everything became. The ground slowly turned sandy, and ahead of her lay an endless ocean.
Alice stood before the gate, ready to enter.
"Alice, wait up!"
She turned.
"You didn't think I'd just let you go alone, did you?" Carl said as he ran up to her.
"Yeah," Miriam added, catching up. "And I somehow managed to convince these guys to come with us."
"Well, I'm only coming because I'm tired of living in that dumb hideout," David muttered.
"If I die, it's on you, pretty girl," Ace said bluntly.
Alice looked at them, surprised… then smiled.
Together, the five of them stepped through the white gate, ready for the next round