The Players
"It's been three years since he called someone. Now it's your time."
The man talked while sitting on the Cherry Blossom tree, 67 m tall, behind Khali and Yumi. He sat comfortably, lying on its head to the tree's stem. Khali can't see the young man's face as he covered it with a cowboy hat.
A loud, high-pitched sound sang, calling for its owner. Its wings flapped in the air like it owns the entire sky. It covers the bright light of the sun, creating a vast shadow on Khali's and Yumi's places. It flew freely in the air, dancing like a happy and healthy eagle. As it enjoyed every moment, its direction changed to Yumi's place.
The bright eyes of the eagle suddenly changed into a terrifying look. Yumi looked scared as it flew fast and drove its way to her head until Khali covered her with his arms. Yumi hugged him in return, with her eyes closed and wrinkled eyes.
The eagle fastly changed its direction and landed on the man's shoulder, sitting on the tree. The man removed his hat and looked at his eagle. He reached into his pocket and opened something wrapped in a banana leaf. It was a slice of leftover meat. He fed it into his eagle and talked to it like a pet. The eagle then flew away and danced once more in the sky.
"He's hungry, but he doesn't eat people," he said. He looked into Khali and Yumi. Yumi's eyes were terrified while her hands were still holding onto Khali's shirt.
"Are you okay?" Khali asked.
"Uh-hmm," Yumi nodded, then released her hands off of Khali's shirt.
The man jumped from the tree without hesitation, landing softly on the ground. With his hat on his back, long sleeves, pants, and boots, he looked very fashionable and hot at the same time. He looked like a cowboy star in this game. He seemed famous in this game.
"Name's Dilan," he said as he walked near Khali.
His eyes were sharp as a fox, with his wavy hair dancing with the flow of the wind. He smiled like a prince charming. Yumi was no longer nervous about the earlier event. Rather, she now looked more relaxed. Her eyes were shining like a star, telling her she's found a new crush.
"Pleasure to meet you, my queen." Dilan expressed his gentlemen's side as he reached Yumi's hand and kissed it.
His manly voice mesmerized Yumi. It locked her eyes on him. She can't see anything else besides him. Her hands clasped below her chin and her body was a little twisted, looking like a cute model.
Khali looked surprised, but he was more surprised after warm lips touched his cheeks.
"Pleasure to meet you," Dilan said to Khali after giving him a warm welcome.
Khali's eyes turned big, bigger than normal, and his mouth automatically opened. Yumi did not see Dilan kissing Khali because she only sees Dilan in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. Did I surprise you?" Dilan asked.
'Hell yeah!' Khali thought, but he did not want to offend him so he replied,
"Uh, no. No. I was just… um…" struggling to find his words, he looked to his side, and he saw Yumi who was looking more mesmerized.
"Mesmerized. Yeah, so, um…" clicking his teeth.
"Pleasure to meet you," Khali replied as he shake hands with Dilan.
Dilan opened his mouth until it reached its ears. He reached for Khali's hand.
"Good, that's good to know," he said.
"And your name is?"
"My name's Khali."
"And you are?" he asked as he looked closely at Yumi.
Seconds passed, but Yumi did not reply to anything. She was still in Dilan's world. Khali looked at her and blew her face.
"Hey, Yumi. Yumi," he said, waving his hand in front of her. Until she came to her senses.
"Um, master…" she replied, showing shyness as she bowed her head.
Dilan smiled at her, and she smiled back. Khali tilted his head and studied Dilan. He looked like an experienced player here. Curious as he was, he wanted to be sure.
"So, Dilan."
"Yeah?"
"Are you a new player?"
Dilan looked at him and smiled, showing no more space for his eyeballs.
"You guess," Dilan replied.
"Based on how you dress and look, I think that you already played this game before, right?"
Dilan did not want to hide the truth, so he placed his hand on the back of his head and allowed his face to create a happy aura.
"I guess I looked haggard now, don't I? But, yeah, I'm an old Wanderer."
Khali seemed satisfied, as he guessed it right. But that shouldn't be the one he should be concerned about. He should be concerned about how to win this game. He didn't care how many years players have been playing this game. All he wanted to do is to win the game and take home the 10 Million Dollars prize.
Though being a new player doesn't give him an edge to win this game, he was determined to try his best and do whatever he can.
Their chitchat time together was cut off as the Heaven blared a loud warning sound, like an emergency, but here, it was the sign of the beginning of the game.
"What's that?" Khali asked. He looked concerned.
"The Calling," Yumi replied.
All three of them stood on their feet, while the sky turned red and made the birds fly away. It caused them fear.
"Attention. All Wanderers, please proceed to the Circle." An AI system announced loudly.
"Where is the Circle?" Khali asked.
"There." Dilan pointed at the enormous wall in front of them.
It was the highest wall in Khali's perspective. Someone couldn't climb it because it was as high as the clouds.
They walked toward the giant wall and as they reached the entrance, more people were coming in. Khali seemed surprised as it was his first time seeing this much crowd. They entered the entranced with people nearly pushing one another.
As they got inside, Khali saw why they called it the Circle. The enormous wall formed a circle, with nothing inside. No design, chairs, or anything. People started filling up the place. They were pushing slowly at one another, murmurs becoming louder and louder. Different people wore random clothes, some wore dresses like kings and queens, some wore armors, some wore uniforms and some looked like normal people.
The busy murmurs turned quiet as the gate of the wall closed from above. There were no other gates. The thought of escaping the Circle was impossible.
"WOW!" a cheer came from the crowd. They quickly got excited to get the reward.
"Khali, Yumi, do you guys know how to swim?" Dilan asked, his eyes became sharp.
"Swim? Why did you ask?" Khali asked.
"Um, I think I can swim," Yumi said.
"Khali, how about you?" asked Dilan.
"Um… I think so?"
"Okay. Good, then."
"Good what? Why did-?"
Before Khali finished replying to Dilan, the entire floor of the Circle where people have gathered cracked.
"Uh-oh. What's happening?" Khali asked anxiously, spreading his arms to make a balance.
"Get ready," Dilan said as Yumi and Khali looked at each other.
Then suddenly, the floor immediately crashed into the sky. People screamed at the top of their lungs. Most of them did not expect the sudden fall of the ground from the sky.
"AHHHHHH."
"AHHHHHHHHHHH."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH." The only words that the sky could hear from all the players.