The door creaks open as I finally get home.

Two little siblings call out to me as I enter.

“Ez!” My little brother walks up to me. “You should see my epic fight. This kid didn’t stand a chance. Didn’t even know how to use his dodge roll.”

“Says the kid.” I ruffle his hair. He still hasn’t gone through his growth spurt at twelve, meaning I can ruffle his hair all I want.

“Are you alright?” My little sister, the youngest at ten, asks as she walks over. I follow her gaze to my pant legs that are stained with blood.

“Yeah I’m fine Leelou. Where’s mom?”

“She’s at the store.” A man steps into the room, and my smile slips away.

“Hey Jacob.” I say, nodding to him.

“What trouble have you gotten into?” He says, frowning.

I glance at the kids. “It’s been a long day. I’ll tell you and mom about it later.”

He frowns at me, but doesn’t push it.

I push past him to my room, my little siblings following close behind. “Did you get into a fight?” My little brother asks.

“No Michael. Someone got really hurt in front of me.” I take off my soaked sweater and throw it on top of my hamper. I pull out a drawer and grab another pair of pants. “Both of you get out of here,” I say, “I need to change.”

My little brother shrugs before walking away, but my little sister hovers in the doorway. “Are they okay?”

I pause, not sure how to broach the subject of death to her. She’s mature for her age, but she hasn’t lost anyone yet. “No, little crow. They’re not okay.”

She nods, taking the news surprisingly well. “I’ll bet they were glad you were there.”

“Thanks, little crow. Now get out. I’m soaked, and I want to be warm.” I walk over to the door and gently close it.

I change into a comfy gray t-shirt and jeans, then stare at the tiny mirror on my door for a good minute, just letting my thoughts wander.

“Are you there?” I ask.

I’m always with you.

The words are comforting, despite the rumbling dark tone that conveys them.

“Who are you?” I move over to my bed and sit down.

You know me. I am your shadow, the one who protects you in the night. Your system names me Shade.

I gulp, my gaze moving to my shadow. “Can I see you?”

Of course.

A dark limb reaches out of my shadow. The limb is covered in a ethereal black fur, and I’m tempted to run my hand through it just to see if I could actually touch it or if my hand would just move through the arm..

The limb finds my bed, then pulls. Slowly a creature emerges from my shadow. Many limbed, with red eyes, I find my mind unable to fully comprehend what I’m seeing.

I remember this creature from an old dream. Back then, it was in a constant flux, my eyes never quite able to comprehend the creature in its entirety.

As I see it now, I find that same phenomena. My eyes can’t quite comprehend the being in front of me as it shifts in and out of the shadows in the room.

It reminds me of some of the images of bigfoot I’d seen, except with far too many limbs, and black orbs for eyes.

It takes up the entirety of the room, hunching so as to not mess with the lighting on my ceiling.

“You can go back.” I say after a moment.

I feel acknowledgement from the creature before it dives back into my shadow in a stream of shadowy mist.

“Were you real… you know, before everything happened tonight?”

Yes. I’ve been with you since you called for me as a child, but my presence was never this… strong.

“Oh.” A lump in my throat stops me from speaking. I clear my throat. “Good to know I wasn’t crazy as a kid at least.” I take a deep breath, then focus on the artwork above my desk, an endless hallway that I’d drawn at fourteen. “Do you know what’s going on with the system?”

I know some, but my kind avoids the gods and their game.

That’s right. That’s what the message had called it, The Game Of The Gods.

I lie back on my bed, thinking. After a moment, I pull one of the more interesting things from my inventory and hold it up. A small black box sits in my hand. It has no openings and is made out of metal. My status had called it an Unknown Box (Unknown). “Do you know what this is?”

No, but I do not like the energy that comes from it. Put it away before it attracts something.

I hastily put it back in my inventory. The system had told me that I was being hunted. Could they have wanted this? And Jesus, I hope I didn’t just light a beacon of some kind by pulling it out..

I push myself off the bed, and head to my door. “I’m going to go eat.” My hand pauses on the handle to the door. “Do you eat anything?”

The shade chuckles. Just your mana.

“Great. Well, I hope you’re eating good.” I mutter as I open my door for another round of questions.

Thankfully. Mom had brought back some food, so I at least get to eat while answering questions.

Dinner ends fast, and I quickly find myself back in my room. I collapse into my bed, exhausted from the long day.

***

Welcome to the first event of The Beta Test! Your objective is to stop the infestation from spreading. You have twenty minutes to prepare!

Good luck, you’ll need it.

I wake up shivering. My soft warm bed had turned into a layer of snow.

I jump off the ground, my teeth chattering. I’d gone to bed wearing only my underwear and a loose shirt. Not enough to combat the bone-chilling cold I suddenly find myself in. Thankfully, my mind works quickly, remembering the clothes that had been in my inventory.

I pull them out, and put them on with shivering hands. The Russian man was pretty close to my size, and he’d packed for the cold. His style is all black, but at least he had some gloves, a beanie, and a deceptively warm jacket.

What the hell is going on? Where am I?

I read through the blue screen that had greeted me and frown. I don’t like the direction this is heading.

I look around to see other men and women pushing themselves out of the snow. They wear all different kinds of dress, but most of them have warm clothing and are only shivering slightly. My best guess is that these people are like the Russian man that had died in front of me. Beta Testers. I’m one of them too, aren’t I?

In the corner of my eye I see a timer counting down from the twenty minutes the blue screen had mentioned.

Four ice walls make the room we’re in. A single door marks one of the walls, but it doesn’t have a handle on this side. Judging from the timer, I’m guessing the door will open when the time runs out, then we’ll face whatever the “infestation” is.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

I turn my attention to the people. Weapons appear out of nowhere, and most of them are quickly armed as they stare at each other. My best guess is that they have some sort of inventory as well. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I’m hoping that these people will have some answers.

“I don’t like group projects.” The words sound like Spanish, but somehow my brain hears english. The girl who said it hasn’t pulled out any weapon, but she stands there with confidence as she looks at the four of us. She has long black hair, dark brown eyes and tanned skin, her body is toned and she stands on the balls of her feet like she’s ready to fight all of us at once. She’s around my age if I had to guess, maybe a little older.

“You’re not speaking Arabic, but I hear it. What an odd sensation, these gods do carry terrifying powers.” An older man says. He wears lighter clothing, showing off a decent amount of muscle. but the weather doesn’t seem to bother him. His hair is cut short and he has a well cut beard. At his waist are two scimitars and he rests his hands on their pommels with a dangerous ease.

A young asian man snorts, leaning his spear against his shoulder, “You guys better not hold me back. I’m a solo build, not built for teamwork.” His words are in mandarin, or something close to it, but again I hear english.

“Umm. I guess I’m a healer then?” A boy just a little older than my brother says. His words sound slavic, but I don’t think it’s russian. Polish maybe? He has long white wraps around his hands that remind me of the wraps I’ve seen on professional fighters.

“Healer? Solo build? This isn’t a game.” The girl says.

“It’s literally called ‘the game of the gods’.” The Chinese boy says. “I don’t know if you remember the tutorial, but I died. And I’m still here. That’s what I call a respawn. So, tell us, what are you? DPS? Tank? I’m hoping the gods gave us a balanced team.”

She crosses her arms and frowns. “I can do some damage if I want to. And I’m really wanting to right now.”

“Right.” He looks at me, “What about you?”

I pause, I’ve played enough rpgs growing up to know the basics, but I’m not sure what category I fall into or how much I want to share with these people. He’d mentioned a tutorial, which meant they know a hell of a lot more than I do about what’s going on.

“I’d rather not say.” I answer honestly.

“Fair enough. What about you?” He turns to the older man.

“I’m a… solo build.” The man says. “Perhaps, before anything else, we should share our names? I am Ismet.”

“Good idea. I’m Xian Lee.”

“Henrik.” The slavic boy says.

“Ana.”

The four of them look at me. “Ezekiel. Most people call me Ez.”

“Good.” the older man says, “There is danger on the other side of that door. In this moment, we must be a team, or we risk the touch of death we all know so well. There is no second chance this time. Ana, I can see you have some fight in you, but please save it for whatever awaits us. I can walk through that door first. Xian Lee, will you support me from my side?”

The young asian man nods.

“Ezekiel- That is a strong name- will you guard our healer? And Ana, support us however you will.”

Part of me is in awe at how fast the man took control of the situation, but he is the oldest of all of us, and he holds himself with the experience of someone who has seen far more than any man should.

I don’t mind staying with the young boy. Something about him reminds me of my little brother, and even if I have a sword in my inventory, it’s not like I know how to use it.

With that said, we’re left with ten minutes on the clock. I walk over to Henrik, who is nervously unwrapping and rewrapping his hand.

“Henrik, right?” I say, sitting in the snow next to him.

He looks up and nods. “Ez.”

I smile at him, then turn to look at the ice walls. I try to think about how I want to approach my question, and eventually go with, “My tutorial was strange, what was yours like?” I’m scared that my question will give me away, but Henrik shudders, his eyes looking mildly fearful.

“Terrifying.” He says. “If my guide had not warned me of the white devil’s weaknesses, I would have been fighting and dying for an eternity.” He focuses on me curiously, “What was strange about yours?”

I shrug. “My guide was less helpful.”

“I am sorry to hear that.”

I ruffle his hair, then pause when he gives me a strange look, “Sorry. It’s a habit. I have a little brother around your age.”

“It’s okay. It is nice.” He wraps his arms around his legs. “It was kind. Reminds me of when I met-” He pauses, “I’m not supposed to tell you my sponsor.”

“Your sponsor?” I ask. There’s a spot on my status for a sponsor. But right now it just has a N/A.

He nods, then realizing my confusion, he continues. “The god or goddess I represent.”

“You’ve met a god?” I ask. Part of me wants to disbelieve it, but I’d just fought and killed a creature out of my nightmares. At this point, anything is possible.

He smirks, then leans in to whisper “Goddess. She was kind.”

“It is time.” Isfet’s voice brings us back.

I look at the clock in the corner of my vision to see less than a minute left. I stand up and Henrik does the same.

We get into the positions that Isfet had recommended, then watch as the clock approaches zero. Finally, I reach into my inventory and pull the Sword of Osiris. It’s a simple sword, with a simpler sheath. At the base of the sheath is a faded image of the sun. I quickly find a belt in my inventory, then strap the sheath to my waist.

I turn my attention away from the sword to look at the countdown.

5

4

3

2

1

Preparation time is over!

Each group will have a score, the groups to get the highest scores at the end of the event will get prizes.

Now please leave through the door to enter the event’s stage.

Good luck and remember; the gods are watching!

The door in the ice wall shifts, opening outward to reveal a path through frozen glaciers.

Our group steps out in the formation that Isfet had planned, but nothing greets us on the other side. We’re led through the frozen mountains on a snow covered pathway.

I walk a step behind Isfet and Xian Lee. Henrik is right behind me, and Ana brings up the rear.

The crunching of our feet is extra loud in the silence of the frozen landscape, but I’m just grateful that it’s sunny out.

The cold plus the dark are not a fun combo.

I look at the other people’s faces, and their tense, which is good, but it looks like something even beyond caution. Almost as if they’re scared of something.

The path opens up, revealing an end to the ice mountains. Instead, dunes of snow go out for miles in strange wave-like patterns. We step out cautiously, but still, nothing greets us.

Something isn’t right,

Henrik grabs me and pulls me back, sending us both sprawling. The spot I’d been standing in explodes as a white version of the gray thing I’d killed leaps out of the snow. Long claws reach for us, but a spear piercing its chest stops it mid slash.

The creature lets out a long painful howl, then slumps dead on the spear. A blue screen pops up in front of me before fading away.

Points Gained: 5

“That was-” Xian Lee starts, when another howl echoes out, then another one. Then more.

Hundreds more. They burst out of snow with a terrifying fervor.

“Back to the path!” Isfet yells.

We hurry back to the choke point as they come running at us.

Do you need me?

“Not yet.” I whisper as we make our way to the path, then turn to face the first of the strange eyeless creatures.

“What was that?” Henrik asks.

“Nothing.” I answer as I draw my sword.

Gunshots echo out, taking down the first of them as they approach. I turn to see Ana with two handguns. She calmly aims each gun, before firing out.

A sound makes me look up and I see one of the creatures crawling down the side of the ice mountain.

It leaps down and I jump out of the way, and roll to my feet. The other people are already fighting, leaving me alone with this one. It strikes forward, and my sword catches one of the claws, and I shove it away. “Hold him!” I call.

A limb reaches out of my shadow and grabs the creature. I take advantage of it, my sword slicing through its neck in a clean motion. I may not be the best with the sword, but I know how to hold it and I can certainly swing it like a bat.

Energy flows through my sword as the creature’s head topples off. My vision sharpens as the energy invigorates me, running through every cell and causing my lips to widen in a smile.

Two more creatures jump from the ice. My sword meets the first one’s claws with eagerness.

A huge shadowy creature leaps from my shadow, engulfing the other white creature and devouring it, while my sword takes yet another head. I can’t stop the crazy smile on my face as I run at the next

The shade flows in and out of my shadow, covering me as I fight the creatures that jump from the ice walls. Thankfully, they’re only coming from one side, and the others are covering the only other entrance to the pass.

Another level up passes through my vision, and I’m only filled with more energy as my sword continuously heals any cuts and fills me with energy for every kill.