Chapter 3

Orion woke to the sound of his bedroom door creaking open. His mind was slow to catch up—his body felt heavy, his thoughts sluggish, like he had slept for days instead of hours. Blinking against the morning light, he turned his head just in time to see his mother step into the room.

Sophia Graves was still in her scrubs, the deep blue fabric slightly wrinkled, dark circles under her eyes betraying the exhaustion she tried to hide. Her curly black hair, streaked with early gray, was pulled into a loose bun. She looked the way she always did after a long shift—tired but watchful, taking in everything at once, making sure the world hadn't fallen apart while she was away.

"You're awake," she said softly, crossing the room.

Orion rubbed his face, pushing himself upright. "Barely." His voice came out rough, his throat dry.

Sophia sat on the edge of his bed, studying him. "Did you hear it?"

Orion didn't need to ask what she meant. The whole world had heard it.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I heard it."

Sophia exhaled, like she had been holding her breath all night. She glanced at the window, the sunlight filtering in through half-closed blinds. "It was real, wasn't it?" she murmured. "Not some mass hallucination. Not a dream."

Orion hesitated. His heart pounded as he considered what to say next. He had spent half the night wrestling with the question—should he tell her?

It would be easier not to.

He could pretend he was just as lost as everyone else, that he was just another bystander caught in something bigger than himself. But that wasn't the truth.

And the truth was too big to carry alone.

"...Mom," he said slowly, his voice quieter now. "I was chosen."

Sophia froze.

For a second, she didn't move, didn't breathe. Then, ever so carefully, she said, "Chosen how?"

Orion swallowed. "Like… as a champion. For the tournament."

Sophia's eyes widened, her breath hitching. "Are you—?" She stopped herself, shook her head. "No. That's not possible."

"I thought the same thing," Orion admitted. "But I got a message. In my head. It said I was picked to represent the U.S."

Sophia stared at him, searching his face for any sign of a lie. Finding none, she reached out, gripping his arm. "Orion, this isn't a game."

"I know."

"You could—" She swallowed hard. "You could get hurt. Or worse."

"I know."

The weight of it pressed between them. A silence thick with a thousand unspoken fears.

After a moment, Sophia exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "Okay. Okay. We need to figure out what this means. What's going to happen next."

Orion nodded. "I don't know much. Just that the tournament starts in seven days. I don't even know who else was picked."

Sophia ran a hand through her hair. "Then we need to call someone. The police, the government—someone has to know what to do."

Orion hesitated. Would the government even help him? Or would they just see him as an asset to be controlled? He didn't get to finish the thought because the front door opened.

His stepfather was home.

Daniel Cole was a large man, built like he had spent his entire life lifting kegs and breaking up bar fights—which, to be fair, he had. He owned a bar down in Brooklyn, the kind of place where you could get a decent whiskey and a little trouble if you were looking for it. He wasn't a bad guy, but he and Orion had never been particularly close. They didn't argue, but they didn't talk much either.

Daniel set his keys on the counter, stretched, and walked into the room. His dark beard was flecked with gray, his flannel shirt rolled up to his elbows. "Morning," he grunted. Then, noticing the tension in the air, his brows furrowed. "What's going on?"

Sophia stood up. "Daniel, something happened. Orion—" She glanced at her son. "He was chosen. For the tournament."

Daniel blinked. Then, very slowly, he said, "...What?"

Orion sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. That whole 'champion' thing? Apparently, that's me."

Daniel stared at him for a long moment. Then, to Orion's absolute disbelief, the man let out a low whistle and muttered, "Well, shit."

Sophia shot him a glare. "Daniel!"

"What?" Daniel held up his hands. "I mean, this is crazy, right? But if it's happening, we need a plan."

"Exactly," Sophia said. "We need to call someone. The police, at least."

Daniel nodded. "Agreed. If the government hasn't shown up already, they will soon."

Sophia grabbed her phone, dialing quickly. A moment later, she was speaking to a police officer. Orion could only hear her side of the conversation:

"Yes, my son—he was chosen… Yes, I'm serious… We need to know what to do… Okay. Yes. We'll stay put."

She hung up, turning back to them. "They said to stay inside. The government will reach out soon."

Orion let out a slow breath. "Great. So now we wait?"

"For now," Sophia said. "But we need to be ready for whatever comes next."

With an some time to himself, Orion sat on his bed, staring at his hands.

[Power Assignment Complete.]

[Designation: IMPERIUM]

The word burned itself into Orion's vision—not on a screen, not in the air, but deep in his mind, as if the universe itself had carved it into the fabric of his existence.

Imperium.

The letters pulsed with an unseen force, radiating something vast, something ancient. It wasn't just a word. It was a command, a declaration of dominion.

A feeling surged through him—subtle at first, then undeniable. Like a second heartbeat thrumming beneath his skin. It wasn't painful, but it was powerful.

Instinctively, Orion reached out—toward what, he didn't know. And the world responded.

The half-empty water bottle on his nightstand trembled. The air around it thickened, charged with something unseen. A split second later, the bottle lifted. Not like it had been picked up, but like reality itself had simply decided it no longer belonged to gravity.

Orion's breath hitched. His fingers weren't moving. His mind was.

The bottle hovered. Wavered. Then, with a stray thought—drop—it fell back onto the nightstand with a dull thud.

He stared.

Telekinesis? No. This felt... broader. Bigger.

It wasn't just an object being lifted. It was the space around it bending to his will. Like the universe itself had obeyed him.

The realization sent a chill down his spine.

What the hell had he just done?

Before he could process it further—

A knock at the door.

Not a normal knock. A firm, controlled rap-rap-rap, the kind that meant business.

Orion's stomach twisted.

He looked at his mom. She was pale. Daniel had already moved toward the door.

Through the window, black SUVs lined the street. Men in dark suits stood outside.

Orion inhaled sharply.

The government was here.