Saturday morning.
Most students spent it recovering from a long week of classes, exams, and petty drama. But for Kriss, Michael, and Leo, Saturday was war. Not literal war, of course—but the digital kind.
Kriss arrived at Leo's house just past 9 a.m., as usual, snack bag in tow. Michael was already there, barefoot, seated in front of the massive screen, flipping through strategy notes he made the night before.
"Why do you have notes?" Kriss asked as he dropped onto the floor.
"Because I want to understand the mechanics of the new ranked update," Michael replied matter-of-factly.
Leo, curled up like a cat on his gaming chair, didn't even look up. "And you still won't beat me."
"Guys, guys," Kriss interjected, pulling out cans of soda like a magician. "Can we not argue before I distribute the sacred offerings?"
"You brought chips?" Leo finally perked up.
"Always," Kriss grinned. "Cheddar. Sour cream. And the last bag of wasabi shrimp curls I stole from my sister."
Michael gave him a deadpan stare. "You stole from your sister?"
"She owes me. I covered for her when she broke mom's favorite mug."
Leo handed Kriss a controller. "You're forgiven."
Their gaming session began like every weekend before it: coordinated chaos. Kriss always ended up with a support role—he didn't even choose anymore. It was like the game sensed his inner personality and went, "Yeah, this guy helps people." Leo ran the show, barking commands like a tiny general. Michael absorbed every detail, constantly tweaking his positioning, his equipment loadout, his cooldown management.
It was the kind of synergy that made them unstoppable.
Unless Kriss lagged.
"BROOOOO!" he screamed. "My ping spiked to 999 again!"
"Switch off your background downloads!" Leo snapped.
"I'M NOT DOWNLOADING ANYTHING—oh wait, yeah, I'm backing up my manga folder."
Michael sighed. "Of course you are."
Hours passed in laughter, shouting, and snack-crunching. It was the kind of day that felt infinite—like the universe pressed pause on everything outside that room.
And then, just as they reached the final match of the day, the power blinked out.
Darkness.
Silence.
"...Did we trip a fuse?" Kriss asked, blinking.
Leo slowly turned in his chair. "Our house has a backup battery. That wasn't local."
They pulled back the curtains. Outside, the street was empty. Not eerily empty—but still. A stillness had fallen over the neighborhood like someone had pressed mute on reality.
And then came the rumble.
It wasn't loud. Just a subtle vibration under their feet—like something massive shifting underground. The screen, though off, flickered for half a second. Just long enough for Kriss to see a strange symbol—a glowing red glyph with curved edges, like an eye staring back at him.
"Did you guys see that?" Kriss asked, his voice low.
Michael nodded slowly. "Yeah."
Leo stood up, for once completely serious. "We need to get outside."
They grabbed their things and rushed out. The street was still quiet, but something was… off. The trees swayed without wind. Birds flew in circles, then vanished into the sky like they were being chased by something invisible.
And then Kriss felt it again—the same strange pull he'd felt yesterday. A tugging sensation, right in the center of his chest.
He turned to his friends. "Do you feel that?"
Michael placed a hand on his own chest, eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah… like gravity's changing."
Leo's face was blank—but his fists were clenched.
Then it happened.
The sky tore open.
Not like lightning. Not like rain. It ripped. A vertical gash of light, high above them, cracked open the sky like it was made of glass. A circle of ancient symbols spun around it, and within, the shadow of something... enormous stirred.
The boys stood frozen. No screams. No chaos. Just three teens staring at the impossible.
And then, the light pulsed—and everything went white.