The helicopter roared over endless dunes and sand-swallowed ruins.
Louis sat rigidly among unfamiliar faces,his body still aching from the brutal trial, the bruises and cuts still fresh on his skin.
He couldn't help but feel like an imposter among the best of the best cadets seated beside him, but he knew they respected his status also.
As the helicopter dipped, he leaned toward the window, breath catching at the sight of a massive crater below.
The helicopter slowed, hovering at the crater's edge, and Louis's stomach tightened.
It touched down, the doors sliding open for the cadets. Other helicopters followed suit, disembarking their passengers.
The cadets spilled onto the crater, confusion evident on their faces. Once the last cadet exited, the final helicopter lifted off, leaving them without guidance.
Around thirty cadets stood in silence, unsure whether to move, fight, or wait. Suddenly, a tech platform sealed the crater, and a massive holographic screen flickered to life above them. A cold, artificial voice filled the air, echoing across hthe crater.
Text appeared on the screen:
[Welcome, candidates. You have entered Simulation Omega.]
The cadets exchanged uneasy glances as Louis's mind raced. What kind of simulation was this, in a place resembling an apocalypse?
[This is a survival and tactical challenge designed to test your adaptability, resourcefulness, and teamwork under extreme pressure.]
[You are to form teams of three candidates each. Each team will face waves of simulated alien entities, increasing in difficulty and number as the simulation progresses.]
Louis heart skipped a beat. This wasn't just a simple test, it was a test far more deadly and dangerous than the trial.
[Your objective: Navigate through three distinct environmental zones, each more dangerous than the last, presenting unique challenges and threats.]
The screen then outlined the goals:
[Goal: Each team must locate and secure a data scroll. The first environment contains eight scrolls, the second has five, and the third and final zone has only three remaining.]
[Securing a scroll in the first two zones will open portals, allowing your team to proceed to the next environment. The scrolls in the final zone will open portals that will transport the winning teams back to reality.]
The words hung in the air.
Louis glanced at the others, noting their nervous expression.
[Only three teams will successfully secure all necessary scrolls and return to reality. Other teams must surrender or face elimination within the simulation.]
"Eliminated?!!"
A collective gasp rippled through the group, quickly swelling into an uproar.
Louis's mind raced.
Only three teams out of thirty cadets?? That clearly means that only nine cadet would make it back.
A wave of shock, then anger, swept through the platform. Murmurs turned into shouts.
"That's insane!" a cadet shouted. "This isn't a simulation, it's a death trap!"
"Not legal!" another cadet yelled.
The tension exploded into chaos as cadets shouted over one another.
Some demanded answers, while others cursed the Earth Defenders for putting them in this situation.
Amid the turmoil, someone made a sharp, mocking laugh.
"Cowards," the voice sneered.
Louis turned to see a group pushing through the mass of cadets.
At the center was a tall, smug-looking cadet, his two teammates flanked him—one wearing dark glasses and the other with a lanky frame.
He smirked. "You're all pathetic."
The insult sank in, and the crowd fell silent.
"What did you say?" a cadet asked angrily.
"Look at you all, whining like little babies! Cowards! Scared of a little challenge? This is the Earth Defenders. What did you expect? Tea parties and pillow fights?"
"Shut up, Oliver!" someone shouted.
Oliver's smirk grew wider. He snapped his fingers, and a card appeared in his hand, glowing with eerie energy.
He flicked it in the air, and a massive shadowy beast materialized beside him—a wolf-like creature with glowing red eyes and sharp claws.
"Anyone who wants to cry like little babies, I dare you," Oliver said. "Don't get in my way. My team's taking all the scrolls."
The angry cadet stepped forward, "You think you're better than the rest of us, Oliver? Let's see how far you get without your little tricks!"
Tension thickened in the air, the crowd on the verge of a brawl.
Suddenly, the holographic voice boomed:
[Simulation Omega will now begin.]
Before anyone could react, a bright light engulfed the platform.
Louis felt a sensation of being yanked out of reality and back into it.
Then with a sudden jolt, gravity returned.
THUD.
Louis hit the ground hard, pain shooting through his side as he groaned and rolled onto his back. Around him, other cadets were groaning and picking themselves up, shaking off the disorientation from the fall.
The air was thick with heat and ash, and as Louis pushed himself to his knees, he took in the sight around him.
They had just arrived in a village that seemed to have been burned and destroyed recently. Blackened rubble and collapsed buildings smoldered. Faint trails of smoke rose into the gray, overcast sky.
The place was silent, except for the the distant sound of crackling flames.
"Oh, shit" one of the cadets cursed.
Suddenly, the cold, artificial voice echoed:
[Welcome to Environment One: The Scorched Village.]
[Your objective is to locate and secure the eight data scrolls hidden within this area. Beware of the simulated alien entities that may be lurking among the ruins.]
Louis stood up and scanned the area, his heart pounding.
The other cadets were already moving, some in groups of three, others still arguing and looking around in confusion.
Louis glanced around for familiar faces to team up with but they were out of sight.
"Okay, Louis. Think!," he muttered, taking a deep breath and focusing on the mission.
He had to find a scroll, that was the immediately goal and survive the simulated alien entities.
He cautiously moved through the ruined village, his senses on high alert as every shadow felt like a potential threat.
Approaching a crumbling building with a partially collapsed roof, he hoped to find a scroll inside.
As he entered, he carefully stepped over debris. The interior was dark, filled with smoke, and thick with the smell of burnt fabric.
Climbing to the fourth floor, Louis noticed a figure slumped against the wall, barely able to move as rubbles seemed to have fallen over its waist.
Louis halted. The figure was a man, his clothes tattered and his body covered in soot and burns. He was breathing heavily, as though he could barely stay conscious.
"Please help me, I can't breathe," the man gasped, his voice trembling with desperation. "I was trapped... they're coming for me!"
Louis's heart raced. "Who?"
"Those things," the man whispered. "They destroyed the village."
Louis hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to be cautious. But the man looked so helpless.
As he tried to reach out, the man's head jerked up, his face splitting open with a sickening crack.
Jagged spikes shot out, aimed directly at Louis.
Alien!!
Louis threw himself backward just in time, the spikes embedding into the wall behind him.
The man twisted into a grotesque alien form, its chitinous body and glowing red eyes fixed on him.
From the shadows, dozens of alien creatures emerged.
Louis needed his power. He needed the Core.
Louis scrambled to his feet, panic rising. He reached for the Core's energy, summoning the chains.
"Core, I need power," he said.
But nothing happened.
The screen displayed:
[Core Energy: Critically Low. Recharge Required.]
Then the system screen flashed and switched off.