Chapter 4

The knock came again—firm, precise. No hesitation.

Orion swallowed hard. His mother had gone pale, her fingers clutching the fabric of her scrubs like she was grounding herself. Daniel had already moved toward the door, his heavy footsteps slow but certain.

Through the window, Orion could see them. Black SUVs lined the curb outside their building, their tinted windows swallowing the morning light. Men in dark suits stood at attention, their postures rigid, their gazes sharp. Government. No question about it.

Daniel threw one last glance at Orion and Sophia before unlocking the door and pulling it open.

A man stepped inside. Late forties, maybe early fifties. Sharp features, graying hair cropped close, a posture that screamed military. He wore a tailored black suit, a crisp white shirt, and a tie knotted with mechanical precision. His expression was unreadable. The kind of face built to deliver bad news without flinching.

Behind him, a second agent followed—a woman, younger, mid-thirties, with short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She looked like she saw everything at once and missed nothing.

The man spoke first.

"Mrs. Graves. Mr. Cole. Orion." His voice was steady, calm. "My name is Agent Carter. This is Agent Monroe. We're with the United States government. May we come in?"

Sophia hesitated. "Do we have a choice?"

Carter's lips twitched slightly, not quite a smile. "Not really."

Daniel stepped aside. The agents entered, their movements efficient, deliberate. Monroe shut the door behind them.

Carter's gaze settled on Orion. "You've been chosen for the tournament. We need you to come with us."

Orion folded his arms. "Where?"

"First, the Pentagon. After that, it depends."

Sophia stepped between them. "He's not going anywhere until I understand what's happening."

Carter gave her a measured look. "Mrs. Graves, I understand this is overwhelming, but your son is now a matter of national security. We need to move quickly."

Orion could feel his mother tense beside him.

"He's seventeen," she said, her voice steel. "You can't just take him."

"Legally, no," Monroe admitted. "But let's be honest—this tournament doesn't care about legal. If Orion stays, he's vulnerable. We don't know what other nations are planning. Keeping him here is dangerous."

Sophia's jaw clenched. "Dangerous how?"

Carter sighed. "We don't have all the details yet, but based on initial intelligence, other countries are already mobilizing. Their champions are being trained, prepared. Some governments are treating this like the Olympics. Others… like a war." He paused. "We need to do the same."

Sophia turned to Orion, her eyes searching his face. "Do you want to go?"

Orion hesitated. Did he? He wasn't sure. But staying here wouldn't stop what was coming. And if the government was involved, running wasn't an option.

He exhaled slowly. "I think I need to."

His mother looked like she wanted to argue. Wanted to protect him. But she knew she couldn't.

Finally, she nodded. Just once.

Carter didn't waste time. "Pack whatever you need. We leave in five minutes."

The car was black, the windows tinted so dark Orion couldn't see outside. He sat in the back, Monroe beside him, Carter in the front. The moment the doors shut, the vehicle pulled away from the curb, merging into a convoy of identical SUVs.

Orion's mind was racing. He had a million questions, but only one made it out first.

"What exactly am I walking into?"

Carter turned slightly, his sharp eyes locking onto Orion's through the rearview mirror. "Say 'rules' while thinking about the tournament."

Orion frowned. "What?"

"Just do it," Monroe said.

Orion sighed. "Rules."

The world glitched.

For a split second, everything went dark. Then, like a screen booting up, glowing text burned into his vision, hovering in midair.

T O U R N A M E N T R U L E S

• Fighters cannot be harmed outside the tournament arenas.

• A fight takes place every multiple of 7 days. (7 days before the first match, then 14, then 21, and so on.)

• Battles continue until one combatant dies or is unable to fight.

• Fights take place in a parallel dimension created by the Voice. The terrain is randomized.

• 196 nations, 196 champions. Some have received a bye, meaning only a portion will fight in the first round. The rest will fight in 21 days.

• Opponents are randomly chosen each round until only one remains.

•Further rules and informations will be given after the first part of the tournament ends and planet Earth has a single Champion.

The text lingered for a moment, then vanished as suddenly as it appeared.

Orion blinked, his mind still processing.

"Well, that's not terrifying at all," he muttered.

Monroe leaned back, arms crossed. "Welcome to reality."

Orion exhaled. "So I've got a 1 in 196 chance of surviving."

Carter shook his head. "Not quite. You might not have to fight in the first round. That cuts the odds down a bit."

"Yeah, a bit," Orion muttered.

He stared out the window, even though all he saw was his own reflection. His heart pounded against his ribs.

Seven days before the first fight. And after that… every time until only one champion remained.

It wasn't just about winning. It was about not losing.

Because losing meant losing everything.

Orion clenched his fists. "Where exactly are you taking me?"

Carter didn't hesitate. "To the big shots. The President. The Joint Chiefs. The people who need to decide how the hell we handle this."

Orion swallowed.

The government wasn't just involved. They were all-in.

And now, so was he.