It was astonishing.
Not just surprising—
unnatural.
My stats were higher than Xone's.
And he had been here for days.
I had just arrived.
Something about me… didn't fit into this world.
And that made me dangerous.
Or worse—
valuable.
I made a decision right then.
I would keep it a secret.
Until I understood what I really was.
Morning didn't come gently.
It came with urgency.
"We move in ten minutes," Kat's voice cut through the room.
No softness.
No delay.
Just survival.
We were led to the weapon section.
And for a moment—
I forgot where I was.
Rows of weapons.
Guns.
Blades.
Devices I couldn't even name.
Everything shining under cold white lights.
"Awesome…" I whispered.
It felt unreal.
Like stepping into a movie—
except this time,
death was real.
My eyes stopped at one weapon.
Sleek.
Elegant.
Deadly.
The Laser Glisk.
A nanotech weapon—
capable of slicing through anything like light itself.
Or turning into a simple staff.
Silent.
Precise.
Perfect.
I picked it up.
It felt… right.
Like it belonged in my hand.
Like I was meant to use it.
"Everyone ready?" Kat asked.
No one answered.
But no one hesitated either.
And just like that—
we stepped out for our first hunt.
The target appeared on our wristbands:
GAME ARENA — LEVEL: HARD
A warning signal pulsed red.
Kat spoke calmly,
"This isn't training anymore. Stay alert."
When we reached—
we weren't alone.
10… maybe 12 teams.
All waiting.
All silent.
All dangerous.
We were separated.
Each team into different chambers.
Ours—
felt like a trap.
The moment we entered—
click.
The door locked behind us.
Dim light.
Dust in the air.
Silence pressing against our skin.
Then—
a voice.
Cold.
Echoing.
Unseen.
"Solve the riddle within 10 minutes… or die."
A timer appeared.
10:00
Ticking.
Loud.
Unforgiving.
We gathered around a broken table.
Words were carved into it:
I speak without a mouth and hear without ears.I have no body, but I come alive with the wind.What am I?
Chaos.
Voices overlapping.
Panic rising.
Time slipping.
"Think!" Kat snapped.
I closed my eyes.
Blocked everything out.
The fear.
The noise.
The ticking.
Speak without a mouth…
Hear without ears…
Alive with wind…
And then—
it clicked.
"Echo," I said.
Silence.
Karl frowned. "How are you sure?"
I looked at him.
Calm.
Certain.
"Have you ever seen an echo?"
He hesitated. "No…"
"Exactly. It has no body. No shape. But it exists."
I stepped closer.
"It lives in sound. Moves in air. Returns what it hears."
A pause.
Then—
Kat nodded slowly.
"Logical."
The timer hit:
00:12
I entered the answer.
For a second—
nothing happened.
Then—
"Correct."
The lock clicked.
The door opened.
Relief crashed over us.
Someone laughed.
Someone nearly collapsed.
But it didn't feel like victory.
Not yet.
"Guys…" Xiara whispered.
We turned.
Behind the door—
wasn't an exit.
It was a tunnel.
Dark.
Endless.
Breathing something heavy into the air.
"This wasn't the final test…" Kat muttered.
Of course it wasn't.
We stepped inside.
The deeper we went—
the thicker the air became.
Smoke.
Burning.
Blinding.
And then—
my wristband lit up.
SIGNATURE NAME: WHITEQUEST UNLOCKED: 1
My breath caught.
SKILL UNLOCKED: Martial Arts Mastery + Lightning Reflexes
My heart skipped.
Mastery?
Not training.
Not learning.
Mastery.
Then—
the final line appeared.
CHALLENGE: Lead your team. Eliminate the alien.
Alien?
Before I could process it—
something moved in the smoke.
Fast.
Too fast.
A shadow.
Not human.
Not stable.
And then—
a scream.
Not ours.
From another team.
Cut short.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Terrifying.
Kat raised her weapon.
"Everyone—ready."
I tightened my grip on the Laser Glisk.
My heartbeat slowed.
My senses sharpened.
Something inside me had changed.
The smoke shifted again.
Closer this time.
And then—
two glowing eyes opened in the darkness.
Locked.
On me.
My wristband vibrated one last time.
"Target identified."
And before anyone could react—
it moved.
Straight toward me.
[To be continued…]