Hours passed with the five of them stuck to the ceiling. Gravity held them in place like invisible chains, their muscles aching and heads pounding from the blood rushing downward.
No one spoke much.
Footsteps echoed from outside the cave.
The Local God entered.
"Ma'am! It's you!" Anthony shouted, relief flooding his voice. "Please, can you help us?"
She looked up at them and tilted her head slightly.
"Hm… I will," she said cheerfully. "But on one condition."
Everyone stiffened.
"You will become creatures and live with me forever on this planet!"
"What the hell are you saying?!" Rose yelled. "We're not staying here with you!"
"Oh?" she blinked innocently. "Then let me experiment on you instead."
She clasped her hands behind her back and smiled.
"I just want to understand how humans work. Emotions, reactions, durability… simple things. When I'm done, I'll let you go. I'll even kill the scary gravity man."
Anthony's eyes lit up. "Really? Then—"
"We can't trust her," Cosmic interrupted calmly.
Anthony looked at him, hesitation flashing across his face before turning serious. "We don't have another choice."
"Agreed," Leo said. "Out of the hundreds of possibilities in my head, this one has the highest survival rate."
Cosmic sighed. "…Fine. We'll let you experiment."
"Great!" she said enthusiastically, giving a thumbs up.
She snapped her fingers.
The crushing gravity disappeared instantly.
All five dropped to the cave floor, landing awkwardly as their bodies struggled to readjust.
"Woah…" Adrian muttered, steadying himself.
The girl smiled brightly. "So! Who wants to be my first experiment?"
Silence filled the cave.
Her smile faded into a pout. "Nobody? I thought we had an agreement."
Anthony stepped forward.
"I'll go first."
Cosmic stared at him, but Anthony didn't look back. "If something happens, at least you'll be ready."
The girl's smile returned immediately. "Alright then! Follow me."
She winked and walked out of the cave.
Anthony followed her without hesitation.
The sound of their footsteps faded into the distance.
"Should we run?" Adrian asked quietly.
Cosmic shook his head. "If she controls this planet, she'll find us instantly. We wait."
Rose crossed her arms. "…I hate this place."
The cave felt emptier without Anthony.
Meanwhile, Ren stood near the boiling ocean.
The surface bubbled violently, glowing red beneath the distorted sky.
He dropped four teleportation devices into the water without hesitation.
They melted instantly.
He activated the last one.
Light surrounded him for a brief second.
Then he vanished.
He reappeared on Earth.
And froze.
The sky was red.
Buildings were burning.
Cars exploded in the streets, and humans ran in panic as flames consumed everything around them.
Robots—machines similar to Jake—moved through the chaos, destroying everything in their path.
Ren stood still, watching.
For once, his smile didn't feel playful.
"…Lucius," he muttered softly.
A nervous smile slowly formed.
"What have you been up to?"
Before Ren could think any further, one of the robots lunged at him and slammed him into a building.
The wall shattered on impact.
Ren coughed up blood as debris rained down around him.
He tried to stand, but the robot had already appeared in front of him.
A heavy kick sent him flying again, crashing into another building across the street.
Concrete cracked.
Glass shattered.
Ren finally pushed himself upright, wiping blood from his mouth.
Five robots now surrounded him.
Through the thick smoke ahead, a figure walked forward slowly.
Calm.
Unhurried.
Lucius stepped into view.
"Long time no see," he said with a faint smile.
Meanwhile…
Anthony followed closely behind the girl, unsure of where she was leading him.
The forest grew thicker as they walked.
"What's your name?" Anthony asked cautiously.
"Hm… I haven't thought of one."
She paused mid-step.
Then she turned slightly, eyes lighting up.
"Wait, I know! You can call me Rio."
Anthony opened his mouth to ask something else, but they had already arrived.
It was an open clearing surrounded by dense plants and towering trees.
The air felt still.
"You can lay down on the grass," Rio said, humming softly to herself.
Anthony hesitated for a moment.
Then he slowly laid down.
Suddenly, a knife appeared in Rio's hands.
"I will be killing you for a little while," she said gently. "Don't worry. You won't permanently die."
"What—"
Before he could finish, she killed him.
She knelt beside his body.
Then she opened his chest and began studying it with quiet curiosity.