Chapter 13

Fort Eisenhower – Barracks

Orion lay on his bed, arms folded behind his head, staring at the ceiling. His mind buzzed, restless.

It had been five days since his training started, and in one day, the tournament would begin.

One day before the first death.

He exhaled slowly. He wasn't scared—at least, he wasn't letting himself be. But there was a weight pressing on him, a tension in the air that refused to fade.

And then—

The world stopped.

Orion felt it before it happened. A shift, a deep, vibrating hum beneath reality itself. It wasn't a sound, not exactly—but it filled his skull, settled into his bones, pressed against his skin like static electricity.

And then, like before—

A voice spoke.

"Champions of Earth. The time has come."

Orion bolted upright.

The barracks froze. Monroe, standing by the door, turned sharply. Outside, the base had gone dead silent.

The message wasn't coming from a speaker. It wasn't in the air.

It was in their minds.

"The first battles will begin in twenty-four hours. Each of you has been assigned an opponent. These battles are one-on-one. The victor shall advance. The defeated shall be stripped of their power."

Orion's heart pounded.

"The brackets are now revealed."

And then—

It appeared.

Not on a screen. Not in the air.

In his mind.

A massive, glowing tournament bracket—detailed, vast, listing every fighter's name, their country, their matchups. The entire structure of the first round burned itself into Orion's brain, searing it into his memory like an undeniable truth.

And there it was.

His name.

Orion Graves (United States) vs. Bakari Okoye (Nigeria)

His opponent.

And next to it—

Power: Apex Might.

Orion swallowed hard.

The brackets lasted only a moment, and then they were gone. The Voice spoke one last time.

"Prepare yourselves."

And then—

Silence.

The air rushed back in, like a vacuum had been released. Sound returned—distant voices shouting, phones ringing, sirens blaring as the world collectively processed what had just happened.

Orion exhaled. His chest felt tight.

It was real now.

No more guessing. No more training without a target.

He had a name.

And in twenty-four hours, one of them would lose everything.

Fort Eisenhower – War Room

The conference room was buzzing with energy. Military personnel, analysts, and scientists scrambled to process the new information.

Orion sat at the head of the table, Monroe standing beside him, arms crossed. Across from him, Vaughn, Chang, and Shaw.

The screen at the front of the room displayed the bracket—transcribed manually after everyone had received the message.

His name burned into the display.

Bakari Okoye.

"Apex Might," Vaughn read. "Likely an enhancement ability—strength, endurance, possibly agility."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Orion muttered.

Shaw exhaled. "It means this guy can probably put his fist through a truck without blinking."

Orion ran a hand down his face. "Awesome. Love that for me."

Chang tapped on her tablet. "We don't have much data on him, but we do know he was a professional athlete before the tournament. Olympic-level strength. Combat training."

Orion groaned. "So I'm fighting Superman."

"Pretty much," Monroe said.

He shot her a look. "You're not helping."

Vaughn leaned forward. "Your only advantage is that he may not be fully adjusted to his ability yet."

Orion frowned. "What do you mean?"

Chang folded her hands. "You've been training with Imperium for days. You've tested its limits, its weaknesses, how it affects you. But Okoye? He may not have had the same opportunity."

Monroe nodded. "He might not fully understand his own power yet. If he's not used to controlling it, that gives you leverage."

Orion thought about that.

If Okoye didn't know his limits, he might overexert himself. Might underestimate how much power he was using.

"Alright," Orion said, exhaling. "So what's the game plan?"

"Do not fight him directly," Shaw said immediately.

Orion smirked. "That's the first time I've ever been told to avoid a fight."

Shaw didn't smile. "I mean it. You try to trade blows with this guy, you'll lose. Every time. Your only option is to control the battlefield."

Orion nodded slowly. "Reality is my weapon."

Monroe met his gaze. "Exactly."

Chang tapped on her tablet. "If we assume Okoye's ability makes him physically dominant, then your best strategy is to turn physicality into a disadvantage."

Vaughn nodded. "Use the environment. Disrupt his balance. If he's too strong for a direct fight, then don't let it be a fight at all."

Orion sat back, processing.

He didn't need to be stronger.

He just needed to be smarter.

Fort Eisenhower – Training Arena

Orion stood in the open space of the reinforced training chamber, facing Monroe.

The past week had been about testing his limits.

This session?

Strategy.

Monroe raised an eyebrow. "Alright, genius. Let's say I'm Okoye. I'm stronger. Faster. How do you beat me?"

Orion flexed his fingers, feeling Imperium hum beneath his skin.

"By making you fight the wrong battle."

Monroe smirked. "Show me."

She charged.

Orion didn't move.

He didn't block. Didn't dodge.

Instead—

The ground shifted.

Monroe's foot landed where it should have been stable—except it wasn't. Reality twisted just enough that her step landed wrong.

She stumbled. Just for a second.

But Orion didn't need more than that.

He didn't throw a punch. Didn't attack.

He simply made it so she fell.

Monroe caught herself with a roll, landing smoothly, then turned to face him. Her eyes glinted.

"Not bad," she admitted.

Orion smirked. "I can do worse."

Monroe lunged again. This time, Orion let her get closer.

Then—

He erased the space between them.

Not literally—just enough that her movement overcorrected.

She overstepped.

By the time she realized it, Orion had already stepped past her, untouched.

Monroe exhaled sharply. "That's cheating."

Orion grinned. "That's winning."

She gave him a look. Then, after a pause—"Do it again."

And they did.

For hours.

Until Orion knew exactly how to control the fight.

One Day Until the First Fight

The world was waiting.

The first real battle of Orion's life was one day away.

And he was ready.