May 25th, 6:30 AMA student from Horizon High, Gabe, was having the best morning of his life. He'd received an invitation to Mr. X's exclusive event three days ago — and today was the day.
Excited and half-dazed from the rush, he made his way to the checkpoint, where a sleek black bus stood waiting. On the side of the bus, the glowing red logo of Mr. X pulsed faintly in the morning fog. The driver wore a Mr. X mask.
Without hesitation, Gabe stepped aboard.
Inside, the lights were dim. Every seat was filled — yet everyone appeared to be asleep, heads tilted, faces expressionless.
Gabe moved cautiously down the aisle, eventually picking a seat and sinking into it. He leaned back, staring up at the ceiling with a smile of disbelief.This was really happening.
But then…
Hissssss.
Smoke began to seep from the vents above.
Gabe's smile vanished. He sat up fast, waving a hand in front of his face.His throat burned. He coughed, eyes watering, stumbling to stand — but it was already too late.
His vision blurred.His knees buckled.And everything went dark.
A distorted voice echoed through the bus.Crackling. Glitchy. Way too close.
"Gentlemen… good morning."
Gabe stirred. His head throbbed. He blinked, eyes adjusting to the dim red lights flashing through the windows.
"And welcome to our—I mean my special event."
Mr. X's voice crackled through unseen speakers.
"We're having a little tournament today. Pretty sure I explained all the rules in your invitation notes."
A beat of silence.
Then, his voice snapped sharp:
"SO GET OFF THE BUS AND GET TO THE EVENT!"
The doors creaked open.
Gabe looked around, disoriented, until his eyes landed on someone familiar.
A boy standing near the front… brown hair, same build… squinting back at him.
Gabe blinked. "Is that…?" He leaned forward, eyes widening. "Ali!?"
He shot up, waving his arm. "ALI!"
Ali turned, startled. Recognition flickered across his face. "Gabe?!" Without hesitation, he stepped out of his row.
Gabe rushed forward from the other side of the bus. The two met in the aisle.
"Wait, you're invited too?" Ali asked, confused but relieved.
"Yeah—" Gabe started, but then stopped mid-sentence. His smile faded a bit.He stared at Ali, his tone shifting.
"Hold on… how do you remember me?"
Ali blinked. "Wait, what?"
Gabe looked at him for a second longer, eyes narrowed… then shook his head.
"Never mind. Let's just get off this creepy bus."
They both stepped down into the mist, unaware of what was truly waiting ahead.
As Gabe and Ali stepped off the bus, the soft sound of automated doors sliding shut echoed behind them. The early morning mist clung to the pavement. They stood in what looked like an open plaza — wide, clean, and surrounded by a modern high-tech facility. The building ahead had tall, sleek walls with glowing trim, and above the entrance floated a holographic sign:
"WELCOME TO THE X-ZONE TOURNAMENT."
There weren't many people just a few other teens slowly stepping off their own buses in the distance. No one was talking loudly. No cheering. Just the occasional glance around and whispers of,"Is this it?"or"Looks high-tech…"
Inside the building, lights flickered on motion-activated, reacting to each step. A soft, upbeat instrumental music played faintly from hidden speakers.
Then, Mr. X's voice echoed from somewhere above, light-hearted and clear:
"Good morning, contestants! Welcome to the X-Zone Tournament my very own special event, handcrafted for the bold and the curious."
Gabe and Ali exchanged a look not fear, but interest.
"Today's simple. No combat. No pressure. Just a little tour and some orientation before the real challenges begin. Take a deep breath, follow the arrows, and explore. Let your curiosity lead the way."
As if on cue, glowing red arrows appeared on the ground, pulsing gently as they pointed toward the entrance.
Ali nudged Gabe. "Bro… this looks crazy."
Gabe smiled, eyes wide. "I know. This is way cooler than I thought."
They both started walking, side by side, toward the glowing entrance the rest of the area still eerily calm behind them.
As Gabe and Ali followed the glowing arrows, the automatic doors slid open with a soft hiss.
The inside was sleek futuristic walls lined with metallic panels, dim lights glowing gently along the floor. The hallway led them into a large open room, almost like a lobby… but way more high tech.
A few others had already made it inside. Quiet footsteps echoed across the polished floor as more teens trickled in from the buses. One or two gave a quick nod or smile, but mostly, everyone stayed with the people they came with.
Gabe and Ali stopped near the center of the room. A circular glowing platform pulsed beneath them like a meeting point.
"Guess this is the regroup spot," Ali said, glancing around.
Gabe looked up and froze for a second.
The entire ceiling above them was made of glass. Not normal glass reinforced and tinted, with faint lines of code and circuitry flowing through it like veins. Beyond it, the morning sky peeked through, sunlight slowly warming the roof as clouds passed lazily overhead.
"Yo," Gabe pointed upward. "Check that out."
Ali looked up, his eyes widening. "That's insane. Is that… the whole roof?"
"Yep. Full glass," Gabe muttered. "This place ain't messing around."
As more participants grouped up, the soft background music faded out. The walls gave a faint beep, and screens blinked on around the room — showing the glowing red X logo, along with a countdown timer.
00:14:52
A calm digital voice followed
"Orientation begins in fifteen minutes. Please remain in the central room. Refreshments and rest stations are available."
Ali chuckled. "Well, at least they treat their victims with water and snacks."
Gabe grinned. "Let's just hope that's not the last good thing we get."
And above them, that glass ceiling reflected their uncertain faces — as if the sky itself was watching.
BOFFFF!!
A sudden, violent crash shattered the calm.
The entire glass ceiling above them exploded inward with a deafening crack, raining shards like a deadly storm.
Screams filled the air.
Everyone instinctively ducked hands over heads, some covering themselves with jackets or backpacks. The countdown timer froze.
Something or someone slammed into the center of the regrouping area with a brutal CRUNCH.
Right on top of Gabe.
Ali spun around just in time to see it: a heavy figure, half-human, half-machine, its body sparking and twitching, had crashed through the roof like a missile.
Gabe was beneath it.
Pinned. Crushed. Not moving.
Blood spread beneath the mechanical corpse, soaking into the floor like ink through paper.
Ali stumbled back, stunned. "GABE?!"
Silence followed for just a second long enough for shock to set in.
Then the far wall split open, revealing a sliding door bathed in cold white light.
Out stepped the Light Syndicates every member in full armor, calm and orderly. But one face was missing
Void wasn't with them.
Before anyone could speak, Ali rushed forward, rage burning in his eyes.
He grabbed the mangled half-machine body that had crushed Gabe — lifting it effortlessly with one arm. His voice cracked, furious.
"YOU DIDN'T NEED TO DO THIS!!"