Krish clicked YES.
And then…
Nothing happened.
No explosion of light.
No teleportation.
No dramatic music in the background.
The math class continued like his choice never existed.
Mr. Sharma kept lecturing. The fan kept spinning. Chalk dust floated lazily in the air. The bell rang, students rushed out, and the school corridor filled with noise.
Krish stood there, confused, his heart still racing for no reason.
That's it? he thought. Seriously?
By the time he reached the courtyard, the strange floating window had completely vanished. No glow. No words. No confirmation panel.
Lunch break went on as usual.
Rohan complained about homework. Someone argued about cricket. A group of juniors ran past, shouting. Life flowed forward, uncaring.
Krish poked at his food, appetite gone.
"Bro, why are you so quiet today?" Rohan asked.
"Nothing," Krish replied automatically. "Just tired."
But inside, doubt began to creep in.
Maybe I really imagined it.
That idea felt… disappointing. Embarrassing, even. Like a kid who got too lost in fantasy and forgot where he was.
Of course nothing happened, his logical side whispered. Floating windows? Adventure mode? This isn't a game.
After school, he walked home through familiar streets. Rickshaws honked. Shops shouted offers. The sun dipped behind buildings, painting the sky orange.
Ordinary. Completely ordinary.
By the time he reached his room, that strange excitement from earlier had dulled into a quiet ache.
He dropped his bag, lay flat on the bed, and stared at the ceiling fan.
"So stupid," he muttered. "Getting excited over nothing."
He closed his eyes.
Just a daydream in math class, he told himself. Happens to everyone.
Minutes passed.
Then
A sound echoed through the room.
Not loud.
Not soft.
Deep.
Like a bell struck at the core of the world.
Krish's eyes snapped open.
The ceiling fan slowed… then stopped.
The light flickered.
His phone buzzed violently on the table, screen flashing though there were no notifications.
"What the—?"
Before he could finish, a voice filled the air.
It didn't come from the phone.
It didn't come from speakers.
It didn't even feel like sound.
It was everywhere.
Calm. Cold. Absolute.
> ATTENTION, ALL INHABITANTS OF THIS WORLD.
Krish's breath caught in his throat.
Outside, the city noise died instantly—as if Delhi itself had been muted. No horns. No shouting. No movement.
The voice continued.
> THIS IS A WORLD-LEVEL ANNOUNCEMENT.
His window rattled. The sky beyond it darkened unnaturally fast, blue draining into an ominous gray.
Krish slowly sat up.
"This… this isn't fake," he whispered.
The voice deepened, each word pressing down like weight.
> AN SSS-RANKED THREAT HAS BREACHED THE BOUNDARY.
A chill ran down his spine.
SSS-rank.
Even he knew what that meant from games, stories, novels.
Endgame-level danger.
Outside, screams erupted as people finally reacted. Krish rushed to the window.
The sky had cracked.
Not metaphorically.
A massive like a wound spread across the clouds. Purple black energy leaked through it, pulsing like a living thing.
From within the裂, shapes began to descend.
Too large.
Too many.
Creatures with wings of shadow. Beasts wrapped in flames. Humanoid figures clad in black armor, eyes glowing crimson.
An army.
People ran through the streets below, pointing upward, panic spreading like fire.
The voice announced, emotionless.
> INVASION CONFIRMED.
> DEMON ARMY DESIGNATION: LEGION OF THE ABYSS.
> PRIMARY THREAT CLASSIFICATION: SSS-RANKED MONSTER "MAL'THAEL, DEVOURER KING."
The widened.
Something enormous moved within it.
Krish's knees felt weak.
This is happening. This is actually happening.
His room shook as distant explosions echoed from across the city. Sirens wailed, late and useless.
Suddenly, every screen in the city phones, TVs, billboards flickered to life.
A single image appeared.
A vast throne of black stone.
And upon it sat a figure.
Tall. Broad. Inhumanly still.
Horns curved from his head like broken crowns. His armor looked grown rather than forged, veins of dark energy pulsing through it. Eyes burned with ancient intelligence.
When he spoke, the world trembled.
> "THIS WORLD HAS BEEN FOUND WANTING."
Krish's ears rang.
> "I AM MAL'THAEL. KING OF THE ABYSS."
The demon king rose from his throne.
Behind him, endless ranks of demons knelt.
> "YOUR SKY IS BROKEN. YOUR GODS ARE SILENT."
> "TODAY, YOUR STORY ENDS."
The screens went black.
Silence followed heavy, suffocating.
Then, faintly, another translucent panel appeared before Krish's eyes.
This one was different.
Urgent.
Red.
> EMERGENCY EVENT TRIGGERED
> WORLD INVASION: ACTIVE
> SURVIVAL MODE ENGAGED
Krish stared at it, heart pounding so hard it hurt.
Adventure mode.
This was what it meant.
Outside, the sky burned.
And far above the screaming city, the Demon King smiled.