The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed, casting a sickly, washed-out glow that seemed to drain any remaining warmth from the room. I was cuffed to a bench in the waiting area of the Angel Bay police station, wrists raw and aching. My throat was hoarse from shouting, but every word I’d thrown out had hit a wall. The cops behind the counter ignored me like I was part of the furniture.

“Please!” I yelled again, tugging at the cuffs with a desperation that bordered on madness. “My wife—my son—they’re missing! You’ve got to do something!”

A thick-necked officer looked up, his face flat and blank. Then, something impossible happened—a speech bubble popped up above his head, crisp and clear, with plain white text.

> “We’ll take care of it, sir. Please remain calm.”

My pulse skipped, confusion taking over. I waited, fully expecting him to actually say the words, to speak to me. But he didn’t. He turned back to his computer, typing with the same expressionless focus.

I tried again, panic bleeding into my voice. “Hey! Listen to me! My son shot himself, my wife and I were in a crash! You have to help me!”

The officer glanced over his shoulder, his face as blank as ever. Another speech bubble appeared, hovering above his head.

> “We’ll investigate further. Please cooperate with the authorities.”

Cold terror settled in my gut. I looked around, taking in the station’s strange atmosphere. Everything seemed a little too pristine, too perfect, like all the spontaneity had been stripped away. The fluorescent lights buzzed on, too bright, too steady, drowning the place in unnatural stillness.

Then, as if things couldn’t get stranger, a floating menu appeared right in front of me, hovering midair like some twisted interface straight out of a game.

Select an Option:

1. Ask for help finding your family.

2. Demand answers from the police.

3. Stay silent.

4. Scream in frustration.

I blinked hard, half-hoping the options would vanish, that this was some twisted hallucination. But they didn’t go away. They hovered, insistent, waiting for me to make a choice.

“This isn’t real. It can’t be,” I whispered, the words a desperate plea to no one.

But there it was. Staring back at me, refusing to fade. Fine. I’d play along—maybe it was the only way out. I chose Ask for help finding your family.

The officer’s head snapped back toward me. Another speech bubble appeared above him.

> “We are working on the investigation. Please be patient.”

I stared at him, anger bubbling into despair. Everything was scripted. Fake. I was trapped in this strange, game-like world, the kind where you had zero control and even less choice.

Then, the floor trembled. A deep rumble echoed through the station, followed by the high-pitched scream of metal bending and cracking. My heart hammered as a massive boom shattered the silence. The front of the police station exploded, an eruption of fire and debris ripping through the lobby. Shards of glass flew, the walls buckling under the force.

Amid the chaos, a new option appeared, glowing red.

RUN

The station in ruins—flaming chunks of ceiling had collapsed, shards of glass scattered across the dust-filled air like stars. An alarm blared somewhere nearby, its shrill scream tangled with the distant shouts of officers.

Heavy boots pounded the tile floor. I pressed myself against the jagged remains of the bench and looked out just enough to see them—three gunmen, decked out in full tactical gear, faces hidden behind black visors, rifles in hand. They moved with terrifying precision, fanning out through the wreckage, guns raised and ready.

The first officer who tried to confront them didn’t get a word out before one of the gunmen fired. Two quick bangs, and the officer crumpled to the floor. Chaos erupted—a barrage of gunfire, panicked screams, the brutal thud of bodies hitting the ground.

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I shrank closer to the bench, my heart hammering against my ribs. Nothing about this made sense. Who were these guys? Why were they attacking a police station?

A thin thread of panic curled through me. I wasn’t sticking around to find out.

I scanned the wrecked room, looking for an escape route. The back exit lay on the far side, but the gunmen stood between me and the door. If I ran, they’d spot me in an instant.

Then I saw it—their heads tilted, as if considering their surroundings, and glowing text flickered above them in speech bubbles. Eliminate all targets. No survivors.

The sight made my stomach lurch. This was beyond anything I could have prepared for. I wasn’t sure if I was awake or stuck in some nightmare, but the fear clawing at my chest was real.

One of the gunmen spotted me. His head snapped toward me, the empty black visor locking onto my position.

“Shit,” I hissed, freezing in place, every muscle locked as he raised his rifle.

I dove to the side as bullets tore through the air, the sound so close my ears rang. Then I saw the impossible—the bullets curved in mid-air, veering away from me like they’d hit an invisible wall.

I hit the ground hard, my hands shaking as I realized what had just happened. Not a single bullet had touched me. Not even close.

“What the hell?” I muttered, pushing myself up, mind spinning. This couldn’t be real. None of it made any sense—first the speech bubbles, and now this?

The gunman stopped shooting, head tilting in what looked like confusion. Then he simply turned away, raising his rifle to scan the room again as if I’d disappeared.

My heart pounded as I crouched lower, watching the gunmen sweep through the station, firing at anything that moved—but not at me. It was like I’d become invisible to them.

I crawled behind a pile of debris, keeping out of sight. My mind scrambled for an explanation. Was this some kind of glitch, like the speech bubbles? And if it was, could I use it to survive?

The station was a war zone. Bodies lay strewn across the floor, officers shouting for backup that wouldn’t come. This wasn’t just a random attack; Angel Bay was unraveling, and whatever was going on was bigger than I’d realized.

The gunmen made their way toward the front doors, stepping over the fallen without a second glance.

As the gunmen moved outside, the station fell into an eerie silence. Smoke and gunpowder hung thick in the air, and distant sirens wailed through the night.

I forced myself to move, legs shaky as I made my way to the side exit. The city was falling apart, but I wouldn’t wait around for whatever was coming next.

I had to find my family. Whatever this twisted game was, I’d find a way to beat it.

Outside, the night had devolved into chaos—fires blazed in the distance, sirens howled, and the streets of Angel Bay were coming undone. I scanned the area, feeling exposed, like I was somehow more vulnerable out here.

Then I saw it.

A gunman lay sprawled in the street, a dark pool of blood spreading beneath him. But above him, floating in the air like a star, hovered a glowing orb of golden light. It pulsed softly, casting a warm glow that seemed out of place in the chaos.

I froze, unable to look away. Something about it felt both wrong and compelling.

And then, it spoke.

Max… The voice echoed in my head, deep and resonant, more feeling than sound. It felt ancient, like the earth itself was whispering my name. Max… I have chosen you.

My breath caught. The orb pulsed, casting its light across the blood-soaked street. The voice was inside my mind. And it knew my name.

“Who… who are you?” I whispered, barely able to find my voice.

I am the light between worlds, the guide of souls, it continued, flowing through my mind like a current. I have seen your struggle, your pain, your desire to break free from the chains that bind you.

I took a step closer, drawn to the glow despite the fear tightening in my chest. The light pulsed again, seeming to respond to my presence. “What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice shaking. “What does any of this mean?”

The orb brightened, its light washing over me. You are chosen, Max. The one who will rise, who will break the cycle. The glitch… the game… they are only echoes of the truth. And you, Max… you are the key.

I swallowed, my mind struggling to keep up. “I don’t understand,” I said, barely more than a whisper. “I just want my family. Where are Lisa and Henry?”

The orb dimmed slightly, its light flickering. They are beyond your reach, for now. But if you wish to find them, you must accept the truth of what you are.

The ground seemed to shift beneath me as my mind spun. This was insane, yet something in me knew that this voice was offering something important. Something I needed to understand.

“What truth?” I demanded, voice rising. “What are you talking about?”

The orb’s light flared, the voice growing stronger. You are the one who will tame the wild, who will rise above the chaos. You can unlock the hidden paths, break the chains of this world—but only if you accept what I offer.

My chest tightened. The orb’s light held a promise of something bigger, something more than I’d ever imagined. But deep down, I sensed there’d be a price.

“What’s the catch?” I asked, my pulse pounding.

The orb flickered, casting long shadows down the empty street. The path ahead will be difficult, Max. Trials await, tests of body and spirit. But if you succeed… if you unlock the truth of the game… you will find them. And you will be free.

The words hung heavy in the air, charged with meaning. My throat tightened, but before I could respond, the orb began to descend, drifting toward me.

Max… The voice softened, almost gentle. The choice is yours. Accept me, and I will guide you. Refuse, and you will be lost… forever.

My mind raced, torn between fear and the possibility this thing knew where my family was. If it could lead me to them…

“I… I accept,” I whispered...