(Location: Kher-Neter, Eryndor)
"Run!" That was all Ben could muster.
His lungs burned as they sprinted through the crumbling walls of the corridor towards the cave's exit. As they moved, the massive stone walls were closing in on both sides and the floor cracked just beneath their feet with every step. Few meters behind them, were sounds of vicious creatures closing in.
Ben gasped as he increased his pace. He was already too tired and exhausted because they had fought off many of the creatures earlier but they somehow kept multiplying in number.
He knew when Ezra advised that they retreat and escape before they either became prey to the beasts or get trapped when the entire cave collapsed, it was the best idea ever to survive this situation.
"Look out!" Ezra grabbed Ben's arm and yanked him forward just as a blade shot out from the wall where his head had been a second ago.
"Oh my god!" Ben gasped. "That was close."
"Don't zone out B. Keep moving and don't look back!"
Ben didn't need to be told twice. They slid under a descending door together, Ben's shoulder scraping the ground as the iron gate slammed shut behind them.
Baam!
But there was no time to catch their breath because the creatures were already clawing at the door, bending the metal and even pulling themselves through. Arms first.
"You good?" Ezra pulled him up and Ben nodded with a smile of gratitude.
They ran again, turning corner after corner until they hit a dead end. Ben's heart sank into his butt. "Fuck! No! What do we d...."
He turned only to notice that Ezra was already looking up and pointing at something. "Ben, it's not over yet. We can still get out. Look!"
Ben followed his gaze slowly to the top of the wall. There was a jagged opening that would lead them safely out of the cave.
"We'll make it. Together." Ezra clapped a hand over his shoulder. Ben wanted to respond when he heard a loud sound. He flinched. Behind them, the sounds from the approaching beasts grew louder and closer.
Ezra didn't hesitate, he rubbed his hands and crouched, looking up at Ben. "Let's go, hurry!" Ben nodded and gently stepped into his palms.
Ezra launched him upward with a grunt. He stretched as much as his body let him and luckily, his fingers caught the edge of the opening and he pulled himself up halfway.
He looked down to see Ezra already climbing the wall below him, grinning despite everything, "Ez, we're gonna make it. I can't believe it!"
Ezra laughed breathlessly, "Told ya. Now pull me up. Let's get out of here quickly. I'm starving. Tabitha should be making something tasty by now."
Ben cracked and reached down to grab his hand. "Haha! Can't wait. Grab on!"
Ezra stretched his hands to reach Ben's. Slowly, their fingers were almost touching. Almost...
Then suddenly,
Shkkk!
Something grabbed Ezra from behind. It was a massive clawed hand wrapping around his waist and yanking him backwards.
"Ben!"
Ezra screamed. His eyes wide and wild as his voice cracked with terror. He was falling fast and the massive clawed hands pulled him harder despite his struggles. He stretched out, hands reaching out for Ben's.
"Be..!" He was gone.
Ben gasped. Everything was to fast to process. His friend was just here with him. They were laughing and joking together. Just now they were....just..oh my go...No!
"Ezra!" The scream tore from his lungs in a way words can never express. He was all alone.
Ezra was gone.
***
( 7 days earlier)
(Location: Earth 001)
"Ben. Ben!" Teresa walked up to his bed and smacked his head. "Ben, wake the fuck up! It's 10am and you're still sleeping in? Are you nuts?" From her voice, Ben could tell she was annoyed.
"Ow!" he protested, pulling the blanket over his head and turning to face the opposite side to avoid her gaze. "Give me five more minutes." He whined.
Teresa rolled her eyes mumbling to herself as she walked away.
When he heard no response few minutes I'll after, it was a confirmation. She was gone. Ben exhaled slowly. 'Thank goodness.'
If she had stayed longer, she would have been late for work and given his situation currently, it wasn't worth the trouble. At all. He groaned and clapped his hands over his eyes. 'Why is my life like this?'
He had drunk himself stupid last night. Why? Because he lost everything in one day. A big bet, he got fired from his job hours later for a wrong investment he swore would do extremely well. The bank withdrew all the money in his account to clear up the loan he took on his company's behalf, a step He took because he had so much belief in the success of the investment. But now he was loosing everything. He watched as his entire savings went from $100,000+ to $0. Still, it wasn't enough to cover the debt.
And of course, his relationship of five months with his girlfriend, Ciara, also ended on the same day. He had never felt more frustrated and confused in his life.
He stared blankly at the Ceiling. Tears gradually gathering in his eyes.
He thought quietly to himself. They was no hope of getting another job because his company was filing for theft and he'd get labeled everywhere as a scammer. Deeming him unemployable by any other company. His friends also didn't help because he lost a bet with their money.
Deep down, he knew he could just try to pick up the broken pieces of his life and start rebuilding again. As a financial advisor of five years, who has fought through thick and think, working his way to the very top only at age twenty-five, he was quite aware that every situation had a solution and all that was needed was to put one's head down and figure it out.
But not now and not here. He had ran out of options. He was too depressed too think of anything positive. Imagine losing not just your entire life in one day but the trust of everyone important in your life.
He hadn't told his sister anything before sleeping in last night. She would have been on that list too. She would be heartbroken if he told her the bad news. And that's what he feared most because she was his only family. His parents had died long ago.
"Life is cruel man," he sighed, 'Maybe this is the end of the road for me. Maybe I should just en...." mid sentence, still deep in thoughts, something suddenly appeared right above his face.
Ding!
< Finally, >
Ben flinched and sat up immediately, staring in confusion and wiping his eyes in fear. He was speechless. Before his face was an almost translucent grey screen floating mid air. He ran his hand through it and it went through effortlessly. He gasped. "What is this?"
Before he could lean forward to give it a closer look, it vanished. "Oh my God!" His heart almost dropped.
,'Is-is this....Witchcraft?' He thought, looking around and scanning the walls and ceiling of the room to ensure this was actually happening and he wasn't dreaming.
"What's going o.."
Ding!
The sound came again and the grey translucent screen appeared.
< Ben, we need your help >
Ben almost lost it.
"Y-you need my help? What the fuck does that mean and who the fuck are you?"
< Quick. We need to hurry >
< I'll explain everything, I promise >
The words sounded like something a human would write. Was this a message from Gid by any means? But before he could respond...
< There is war >
...was the last thing he saw on the screen before it disappeared again. Suddenly he felt it.
"W-waaaait!" He yelled.
His body yanked forward like someone grabbed him by the chest and pulled really hard. Ben was pulled right through his bed and for a moment, all he could see was…. nothing. Just darkness.
He couldn't see, hear or smell anything. He couldn't even see his hands or feet. He felt as if he was either floating or falling. But somehow, he was still.
"Where I'm I?" he asked. His voice strangely echoing in the void of darkness.
No response. He tried turning around to get a good view but it was all dark.
"W-what's happening? Where are you taking me!" he demanded. Finally,
Ding!
< I'm taking you to a place where your real life is about to begin >
"W-What are you talking about?"
< If you succeed and win, everything you've ever lost would be recovered by a hundred fold >
< But if you fail >
It stopped. Ben gasped.
"If I fail? If I fail, what will happen to me? What aren't you saying anything?"
Silence.
"Hey! What will happpppeeeen!" mid sentence, he was yanked again. Downwards this time. And he was falling really fast. Heavy wind screamed past his ears. He could feel his stomach and his throat hurt as he defied gravity with an unexplainable force. He tried to scream but the air was sucked right out of his lungs and it was painful. The darkness blurred around him, and then....there was light.
Slam!
He crashed hard onto solid bare ground. His back took the hit first and pain exploded up his spine. He groaned, wheezing and rolled onto his side for balance as his ribs screamed in protest.
"What the fuck," He cursed. " What the actual fuck?! Ugh!"
He pushed himself up, with his hands and knees, blinking against the sudden brightness. The light was strangely brighter than the normal Sun and it stung his eyes. He shielded them with one palm and looked around.
Everywhere was noisy. Too noisy infact. There was screaming, roaring and the sounds of metals clicking together. And then, there was a smell. Like the smell of blood, hung on the air in every direction he turned.
He looked around. He didn't know where he was exactly but it looked strangely inhuman. Like an open dome or an arena like that of gladiator. It was massive with stone walls stretching up as high as he could see. The sky itself was red, sunny and bright. And all Ben could see in this 'arena' were bodies. Some were still moving. Some were not.
"What the hell is this?" He asked, still unsure of why he was here or what he was meant to do.
< Welcome to the Annual Blood Reaping Contest >
"I'm sorry, what?!"
< You are a participant. Participants are from all the 14 tribes of Eryndor >
< Only ten can proceed into the next level out of a thousand >
< And if you die here, you die in the real world >
Ben's heart stopped. 'Contest?!' He didn't sign up for any contest. He was on his bed just this morning. He was trying to sleep off the worst day of his life and now he was here. Wherever 'here' was, and surrounding him were things that were definitely not human.
"What am I supposed to do?" he asked.
< Ben, you'll figure it out >
< Good luck >