"Attention, everyone," The reporter's voice cut through the air on the radio. "A severe thunderstorm with extreme lightning will hit the city tonight. The meteorological department predicts, this lightning is likely to produce a high-power outage. Please, everyone, stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. Be safe... and so on." The voice fades slightly, replaced by the sound of a car horn on the road, heavy wind blowing howls with eerie ferocity outside.
On the street, people ran to their homes, and shopkeepers pulled down their shutters. The dry leaves swirling at the corner of the road, among them, a middle-aged man's hand curled over the handlebars, trying to push his repaired motorcycle against the heavy wind.
Lightning strikes in the distance, and thunder roared. The tiny raindrops flow down, a middle-aged man whispering to himself, "Oh! my babies... will she be safe at home or not?" his words slurring against the wind. Without waiting, he pulls out his phone from his pocket, dialing his wife's number. His hands shook with cold rain, his voice tight with anxiety as the phone rang. "Please, pick up... Serin," he pleaded.
The phone continues to ring, but no response.
Again, he tried without hesitation.
Finally, the call connected, "Hello? Alex, where are you, honey? It's already raining heavily, and thunder's started… why aren't you home yet?" Serin asked, her voice concerned and urgent.
Alex exhales in relief, hearing his wife's voice, "I'm on my way, I've almost reached. But I need to know, are you and the kids okay? Is everyone inside? Is everyone safe?"
"We're all safe inside," Serin confirmed, though a tremor of fear still lingered in her voice. "I told the kids to stay away from the windows. Please hurry. The storm is getting worse."
"Please, stay safe, Honey? I'm almost there." Alex gripped the phone tightly against his wet hand.
"Okay, just hurry home, love," Serin said, and the line went dead.
Alex was fully soaked by rain; his grip tightened around the handlebars as he looked toward his house street. Then, in a flash of strong lightning, a sharp thunder roar made the power lines crackle, then fizzled out across the city. The road became slippery, black, the wind pushing against him, but he doesn't stop, his eyes fixed on his house, and moves forward.
Within a few steps, another blinding flash of lightning splits the sky. This time, the thunder that followed was a massive roar that lasted five minutes, that slammed into Alex. His body shakes from the immense force of the storm. He stumbles backward, his legs weakening beneath him, as if the storm's weight is dragging him down without balance.
In that thunder roar, suddenly, a sharp pain strikes his chest. He placed his hand towards his chest in pain; he fell without balance as he slowly crawled towards the nearest street wall. His breath hitches slowly, a thin gasp escaping his lips, and he slowly pulls out his phone to dial his wife, but it slips from his grip, vanishing into the dark.
The chest pain increased, and he opened his mouth to ask for help, but only air escaped. His vision started to blur as the rain fell around him like a heavy curtain. He struggles to catch his breath, but his eyes flutter closed, and his hands still try to grab the phone.
"Please... be safe..." Alex whispered his last conscious thought. No moments, the world around him fades, his eyes slowly close, and his state becomes unconsciousness, consumed by the darkness.
-----
Now, the world around him is eerily silent. The heavy storm, massive thunder, and rain were all gone. Now the place is replaced by a dark, with a soft, fresh cold breeze rustling through the trees.
Suddenly, a low voices break through the silence. Alex groans softly as he feels a hand gently shaking his shoulder from someone. He opens his eyes slowly. "Hey, man, are you okay? Hey!" The young man's voice echoed in Alex's ears.
Alex lifts his head slightly above, bewildered, his heart races against his ribs, his breathing thin as he tries to push his confusion.
His gaze shifted slowly, and his eyes widened watching he was surrounded by an unfamiliar place, with giant, towering trees and strange faces. He notices the air feels different—cool and crisp—and the ground beneath him is soft with moss.
"Where am I?" Alex said weekly. He tried to push himself into a sitting position.
"Wait… " A young man with a tattoo on his neck stepped forward and gripped Alex's hand and helped him lean against the tree.
"Why am I here? Why... "Alex paused, his eyes scanned each person in front of him, their faces concerned but unfamiliar, only deepened his confusion. "What happened to me? I don't remember anything...!"
The group of people around him exchange looks, their expressions a mix of confusion and apprehension. "I am Adam. Just relax.... We don't know either... we're just as confused as you are." Adam assured with a gentle, strained smile, looking around at the chaos.
Then, Alex looks up at the towering trees, stars shining in the clear sky, and dark mountains around him." What is this place? And how did he end up here? And why is my mind blank? He murmured to himself. He leaned against the tree silently, placing his hand on his forehead with a headache.
After a few tense moments, a wave of anxiety settled over the group. Various group of strangers starts to spread out, carefully moving through the dense trees. They look around nervously trying to figure out what's going on and where they ended up.
No matter how far they wander in the dark, it remains the same endless forest, towering trees, and a deadly quiet that feels unsettling.
Without warning, a sharp mechanical voice cuts through the silence, vibrating from somewhere, echoing off in all directions. It sounds artificial, coded, but it's clearly audible.
Everyone looked at the above, a few of them holding nearby hands in fear, watching nervously. "Welcome, Gamers," The AI voice echoed in the mountain. "Welcome to Game Arena." As it spoke, shimmering 3D letters began to appear like glowing holograms, flickering gently. The blue-white light cast a glow on their faces, flashing in the dim.
"Huh? Game Arena...." one of them murmured.
The AI voice continued, "Registration Begins."
With a sharp sound, a grinding sound, the ground beneath them shifts as a mechanical drawer painted white with red emerges from the earth and rises automatically without any force.
Everyone instantly stepped back in confusion. They sighed, but their eyes remained on the drawer with curiosity. With a sudden beep, it automatically clicked, the drawer opened to reveal a set of cards neatly arranged on velvet cloth, perfectly lined.
"Welcome to Earth Sign Game." AI voice announced. "Pick one card. One card for each person. Rules: Do not exchange your card."
The group exchanged nervous glances, a mix of confusion and uncertainty still clouding their expressions. "What is this? "one of the ladies murmured.
"What kind of game have they been thrown into?" The murmurs started.
"We can pick any card, right?" the young man asked, watching others nervously.
"I am not going first. What if it's a trap?" the woman interrupted as she flipped her blonde hair back.
The silence stretched, but no one stepped near the drawer, frozen in fear, and just exchanged glances in doubt.
After a brief silence, "Losers," a young girl with red dyed hair murmured, confidently stepped forward and, glancing at the crowd before her, took a card, flipped her hair back, and casually took a first card from the drawer.
She turned back, arched her brows to dare. "Now, it's your turn," she challenged confidently, watching a blonde-haired woman, kissing the card to mock her back, and sauntering back to the crowd.
"You crazy bitch" the blonde-haired with pony styled woman whispered as her jaw tighten.