[ Ding! ]
A new luminous panel flashed before everyone’s eyes.
[ Ding! Those below 14 years of age may enter the Safe Zone and will be excluded from the Apocalypse Game!
Do you wish to enter the Safe Zone?
Yes / No? ]
"Wait, I’m above 14!" someone yelled, scrambling to tap the option Yes before anyone else.
[ Ding!
You are above 14. This option is unavailable to you.
Only those below 14 may enter the Safe Zone! ]
The Game Master glanced down at the crowd below him, all fixated on the notification. Screams broke out. "Why only under 14? I want to enter the Safe Zone too!" Several adults lowered the hands they’d been reaching toward the screen. Heads turned toward him, but he only grinned wider.
"Time is ticking," he declared. "Reach the portal, or you’ll fall behind." Before anyone could question him further, he dissolved into sparks and vanished. The only sound left was the panicked shouting echoing down the street.
"Wait, we still want answers! How do we even survive?" Panic spread through the street. A middle-aged man fumbled for his phone, dialing his wife. "Tell our son to enter the Safe Zone."
"Is it even safe?" her voice crackled back.
"It’s safer than making him play this death game," he said, glancing at the charred corpses littered on the street. "At least he’d stay alive." Silence answered him for a few moments. "Yes, he’ll enter the Safe Zone."
The call ended, but neither parent lowered the phone for several seconds.
Others followed suit, shouting into their phones. "Mom, hide now, I’m coming home!"
"Dear, don’t open the door for anyone!"
"Dad, stock up on supplies—hit the supermarket, buy everything!"
"Resources—how did we forget that?" people muttered, cursing themselves. "We’ve consumed enough zombie fiction to know better than this."
Thud! Thud!A sound echoed from the end of the street, faint beneath the noise, yet everyone turned toward it instinctively.
"An elf," a young man gasped, rubbing his eyes. "How can they exist in real life?"
A young woman’s eyes widened as the figure approached—a stunningly beautiful, young woman with long, unbound green hair flowing to her waist, three pairs of gold earrings lining her long ears, dressed in a red business suit with a black overcoat and black heels. Her body was perfectly proportioned. Her beauty was such that even the chaotic crowd fell silent. Her presence alone seemed to ease the pain of the injured around her.
Her temperament was so gentle and soothing that people relaxed without realizing it. People who had been shouting moments earlier gradually fell silent.
"As expected of an elf—so beautiful," a young man breathed, spreading his arms and rushing toward her. "My wife!"
A woman yanked his collar from behind, roaring, "Then what am I?!"
The elf only smiled faintly. "You shouldn’t hide," she said, voice soft and melodic. "You should head for the portals and grow stronger." Her voice was calm as if she were giving directions on an ordinary afternoon.
"No, it’s safer to hide," someone shouted. "Wait for the government to find a cure. Shelter until then." The crowd quickly agreed among themselves.
The elf sighed. "As you wish. It’s your life." She raised her palm. "Superior Heal."
A green magic circle nearly a meter wide bloomed before her hand, releasing a shimmering green light that drifted through the street, reaching every corner. The scent of fresh forests and spring flowers drifted through the ruined street.
"My injuries—" People stared wide-eyed as their wounds visibly closed within seconds. Those with burnt legs stood, testing their steps. "I can even jump!" one man wept, clenching his fist.
Though dead still remained dead.
"You’re a healer." The young man from before shoved his wife aside. "You’re not from this world, are you?"
"I’m not interested in answering that," the elf replied with a slight smile. "But I’ll leave you a warning—growing stronger and reaching a portal is your only path forward." She began to float upward.
"Wait, how do we even find a portal?" someone shouted.
She only grinned sweetly. "That, you’ll have to discover yourselves." With that, she dissolved into sparks and vanished.
"Hiding isn’t the answer anymore," the young man muttered, ignoring his wife’s furious glare as he pulled out his phone. "Mom, Dad—stop hiding. Start searching for portals." Across the street, others remained frozen, testing their newly healed bodies, unsure if they were dreaming.
Elsewhere, the Game Master reappeared in a plain room, settling into a single plush chair facing a massive mirror. The chamber was modest—a few square meters, chandeliers overhead, plain white walls on every side but the one holding the mirror. He moved his chair forward, and a large desk rose from the screen at his seated waist height, a holographic keyboard materializing atop it.
He placed his palm on the surface. "Let’s begin watching." The mirror flared to life, dozens of holographic screens blooming across its surface, each roughly the size of a laptop. He waved several away impassively before pausing on one. "This is interesting," he grinned, enlarging it with a flick of his palm, pushing the smaller feeds aside. His gaze drifted from one screen to another, never lingering for long.
"Here you go," a soft voice called from behind him. He turned to find the elf approaching, carrying a porcelain teacup, the aroma of sweet tea filling the room.
"Just the smell tells me this is good," he said, taking the cup. "Thanks, Felisia."
She grinned. "Always a pleasure to assist you, Von."
Screams echoed faintly from the screens.
He turned back to the screen. It showed a luxurious conference room—a round table with six occupants, two women and four men, each radiating authority, all grim-faced, in a meeting with other people on a large screen.
It was a meeting between presidents and ministers of all countries. Never in their lives had they imagined being forced into the same meeting.
"What should we do now?" a middle-aged woman asked, rising from her seat.
"Drop a nuclear missile t48 on the area," a voice suggested from the meeting.
"Are you certain?" another asked.
"It’s best to wipe it out entirely," came the reply. "So what if it costs a few hundred thousand lives?"
"No, we need to wait." An old woman’s voice echoed.
"We should destroy that area."
Nobody objected when the words ’a few hundred thousand lives’ were mentioned.
"This is getting lively," the Game Master muttered, watching them fail to reach any consensus. "Why don’t I speed things along? This is far too slow." He took a sip from his cup and placed it on his desk.
"If they dropped a nuclear missile instead, would that impress you?" Felisia asked, standing beside him.
"It wouldn’t have made much difference," he said, smiling. "But it would’ve impressed me. Killing a few hundred thousand for the sake of the entire civilization—worth it, don’t you think?"
Felisia glanced toward the ceiling. "Indeed. For an entire civilization, it’s worth it."
’Few of them seem confident that I remained in the same area I first appeared.’ Von clicked his tongue. ’Who would tell them the truth?’ He grinned slightly.
He narrowed his eyes at the screen. "I’ve given them enough time." He snapped his fingers.
In the meeting room, the screen before the five officials vanished instantly.
"What’s happening?" the middle-aged man barked, jabbing the red emergency button on the table. Nothing. Thud! Bang! He slammed it repeatedly. "It’s not working!" He yanked out his phone, pressing the lock button—nothing. Around the table, the others did the same, mashing their mobile lock button uselessly, faces draining of color as they collapsed back into their chairs.
The same realization struck every person in the room. ’It’s over.’
One phone after another remained dark, no matter how many times they pressed the power button.