Syf Waywalker stayed inside one of the rooms of a decrepit-looking building. A man in his early twenties, he was one among countless others coming to the city to earn a living. Compared to the other residents of the building, he was considered much younger. People of his age generally went to their dream colleges and grew to accomplish what they wanted with their lives. Syf wasn’t like any of them.

  Syf Waywalker was busy demolishing the army camp in the game. The movement of his fingers was frantic, and occasional curse words would escape his mouth.

  “Come on, you piece of shit.”

  “Do something.”

  “Useless General.”

  These were among the many things that escaped his mouth within a minute, and that was when his whole concentration was deeply engrossed in the game. After a round of fire, the army started coming around his base. Syf tried defending them in one direction when the other direction of his base breached open. Defending all at the same time was very tough, and lastly, Syf lost.

  The big yellow ‘Game Over’ hung on the screen as Syf kept the mobile on the side. His mobile phone wasn’t faring well; cracks had developed across one third of the screen, impeding the vision. The casing was held together with numerous electrical tapes around every corner. Just like his phone, old and held together, his room wasn’t any good. Cracks and leaks ran through the walls like a very complex maze; sometimes, sewage pipelines would burst through and stain his walls. It smelled really bad in the few instances it had happened. Fortunately, the one living above him had recently vacated, leaving the room empty, which meant no water usage upstairs and no stinking sewage smell.

  Syf chuckled, looking at the message. This would probably be his last game.

  “Ironically, I lost even my last one.” His face darkened with a hint of resignation. The jolly self of his had already left him. For the last two months, he had dedicated himself to mobile games. From casual games to some story games, toiling hard through his odd breaks, he had strived to play them. He had already decided the past two months of gaming were enough. So today was his last game, a treat for himself.

  Syf was wearing his shoes; he had a very important place he needed to be, and for that, he had made sure to look his best. Just then, the phone rang, and looking at the caller ID, it turned out it was his girlfriend Sophie. His phone continued to buzz its ominous tune as he prepared himself.

  Steadying himself, he finally picked it up, put it around his ear, and waited for the other person to speak.

  “Syf, are you there?”

  “…” Syf remained quiet.

  “Stop playing around. For once, answer me, goddammit.” Her anger screamed through the line. A little bit later, she calmed down, evening out her tone. Syf hadn’t spoken in the meantime.

  “I know you are there; please answer me.”

  “Hi Sophie,” Syf called out softly. “You wanted something.”

  “I want something? Please speak straight for a fucking second here.” She heaved, catching her breath. It was hard for her to calm down, even to talk politely. It just didn’t make any sense to her. How had everything turned against them in just a few months?

  “Okay, listen. I got an internship.”

  “Congrats,” Syf said dryly.

  “There is something else, Syf. I—you know a lot has been happening in my life. Assignments, events, mentors—everything has been a mess these past few months. Even that is okay to me, though it was never easy; your presence gave me the hope and positivity to continue. Syf, you started avoiding me a month ago.”

  “Hmm.” Syf hums but doesn’t speak anything else. On the line, he could feel her nostrils flaring with anger, but she was trying very, very difficult to keep her voice in line.

  “It feels like you aren’t even a part of my life anymore.” An amusing laugh went along with her voice. However, he knew she was sad as well.

  It was his fault after all. He made everyone sad. Maybe if he weren’t there anymore, things could be better. Syf didn’t want others to suffer because of him. But no, that wasn’t the true reason he was avoiding her.

  “I know you have lost everything.” She continued with a trembling voice. “I could help you if you want.”

  "No," he immediately said, cutting her off.

  “Fine. I told you, Syf, you shouldn’t have gone forward investing in that scheme of yours.”

  Syf felt like he was being stripped naked. Salt was repeatedly put on his wounds to make him suffer. He felt frustrated; he wanted to shout at her, but he did nothing. It all truly felt amusing to him. Sophie was relentless in her attack.

  “Are you even sure about what has been going on in your life? Because I am, and I am very certain, Syf, that I don’t want to fuck my life up like yours. I don’t want a future where I—let's leave it.” She gnashed her teeth and continued. This time with finality in her tone, “You know what? I don’t want to even know anymore. I am fucking done with everything. Syf, I don’t think I have any reason left to return here anymore. It probably would have ended even if I didn’t say it, but I will say it, Syf Waywalker. I will remember the pain you have given me. I am breaking up with you.”

  It felt like the world was closing in on him. Everything was fading away at once; he was a failure, he was sure of that. Others, too, had made sure he remembered that. The phone trembled in his hands, and he quietly sat on the bed as every part of his body buzzed within him.

  Syf opened his mouth amidst the trembling. It felt difficult to say his words, but he gritted his teeth and said, “Yes.”

  The call ended. Syf stayed silent and disbelieving of the fact that he had yet again outdone himself. He had been laid off for the last two months. All his money, whatever savings he had, he had put into a scheme. And he had lost them all. He knew it was a gamble, but unlike the other schemes, it felt legit, as it was backed by reputable investors and had positive testimonials from users. He saw many success stories about it. And for once, he saw a future where he could fulfill the dreams of his sister and maybe himself.

  Alas, the dream had been false, the plot a misgiving. The characters, Syf, felt that it was better if they stayed away from him. A mistake he couldn’t redeem.

  Whatever small change he had with him had ended a week ago. He was surviving on the remaining rations.

  That fucking scam had taken everything away from him, and he wasn’t alone in this. Syf had seen on the television that there were millions of people like him who had trusted this. Because in the end, it was his own government that had promoted the scheme, leading many to believe it was a legitimate investment opportunity.

  Syf remembered his parents cautioning him again and again. He hadn’t told them that he had, in fact, invested in it. He should have taken it to heart. Alas, it was too late for it.

  Amidst his inner thoughts, he went outside his room in the open. A sudden gust of wind assaulted him along with the chill pervading the environment. The chill grazed deeply through his bones. He wasn’t wearing a jacket. How was he supposed to know that the weather would change so suddenly?

  Rumble.

  It wasn’t just the wind; thunder brewed in the sky, which entailed what would be a severe storm. He didn’t remember reading about it in the recent forecast. But it was good; at least this was such an eventful day to end his life.

  And so Syf crept toward the highest point in the city. The Legacy was the name of the hotel. Syf preferred to walk to the hotel, and on the way, he decided to get the expensive coffee everyone talked about.

  “Enjoy your coffee.” The girl serving smiled, and for a second, Syf was mesmerized by her smile. Thankfully, he didn’t imagine Sophie there, which would have worsened it for him.

  Syf thought about his parents. They had never forced him for anything; in fact, he was the one who had chosen to stray away from the usual route of taking up college and all that. After all, he didn’t want his twin sister to suffer because of him. His parents were not rich, and that meant they could not have afforded both of their educations at the same time. That much stress was visible when Syf was still in high school, and so he decided it wasn’t his time to go around studying.

  He came to this godforsaken city.

  Halfway through the route to the hotel, he found a group of people protesting against the government, and the horde seemed to be coming from the same direction he was trying to go. He thought he wasn’t alone in this. For once, his heart calmed, but not in a good way.

  “Give our money back.”

  “Fraud! Government. Give it back.”

  “Return our jobs.”

  It wasn’t a silent protest in any way. The faces were filled with aggression. A deep obsession and even a sense of resignation. He knew that if they decided, no one could stop the mob from turning into a murderous horde. Fortunately, the police were present in huge numbers. Exhaustion was visible on their faces; the event had been going on for too long. Until now, the situation hadn’t turned for the worse.

  Syf knew it wouldn’t be long before the thread holding their rational mind would break, and the city, states, and even the whole country would be embroiled in endless fury. This kind of thing was very scary.

  He hoped his parents and sister living on the far side of the country would be safer.

  Finally, he reached the hotel side. The hotel security was positioned far outside their usual guarding area, watching the proceedings with anxiety. Syf couldn’t help but ask them.

  “It is looking pretty awful, isn’t it?”

  The security guard nodded gravely.

  Syf sighed in moral support and crept away from the guards toward the entrance of the hotel. He glanced toward the reception, finding no one there. He crept inside, discreetly walking through the people sitting in the hall toward the hotel lift.

  The ambiance in the hotel was unreal. Everything looked as if it were carved with the most expensive-looking wood. Countless art pieces were kept on periodic tables and on the walls. He saw a statue of Buddha. It continuously spewed water from its closed mouth like a little water fountain. Not many were sitting on the sofa. The magazines and newspapers were neatly kept on the stand. He pressed the button and waited.

  Ting

  The lift opened, and Syf stepped inside. Even inside, he could see the polished surface reflecting him in all glory. He then looked at all the buttons. Apparently, it wasn’t just a hotel, as hotels weren’t this tall. It had 30 freaking floors. He didn’t know why, but he pressed the last one as his junction. The lift started traveling up with the sudden shift in gravity. He knew what gravity was; he had studied it in high school.

  His phone rang again in the lift. This was the second time someone had decided to interrupt him today.

  He checked it and saw the caller. It was his twin sister, Isolle. And apparently, she had already called him numerous times before. He just hadn’t noticed it before because of all the noise from the crowd outside. He picked up the call with suspicion.

  “Hello.”

  “Syf, where are you?” She asked, almost in haste.

  “Are you okay?” He asked, instantly worried.

  “I am fine.” She said slowly. “I just had this awful feeling. Can you please tell me your location?”

  Syf exclaimed internally. Did she get some sort of intuition regarding him? To be fair, he himself was having a sinking feeling in his heart, but he was suppressing it.

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  “I am on my way toward the best point in the city.”

  “Best point?”

  “Yes.” He deliberately didn’t explain it to her.

  “You know I was distressed for a second.” She almost felt relieved. Syf instead felt a wave of heavy guilt coming to crush him.

  “Haha, I would tell you if something came up.” Syf, smiling, brushed it off. “So sis, what has been going on?”

  “Don’t ask me.” Isolle took a deep breath. “All of this nonsense is really scary. My chosen project is tough, and it is causing me headaches through and through. Fortunately, my project guide is really cool with me asking him all sorts of questions. You know I wouldn’t have believed it. I am slow at times.”

  “Isn’t my sister selling herself short? Slow and you.” Syf made a strange sound with his throat. He always made one when he felt that something was ridiculous.

  “Hey, you are overstating my abilities. I am not the genius here anymore. It isn’t like our countryside.” Her voice grew quieter. “In fact, some of them are like monsters. They just like know everyth—”

  The lift stopped and opened with a sound. Syf cursed in his mind. With how sharp his sister was, she definitely would have heard the sound.

  “Hmm. Where are you? It doesn’t feel like your home.” Isolle said. “It almost felt like one of those lifts opening up. Syf, where are you?”

  Isolle asked in confusion and wariness.

  "You got me, sister; I'm in the city's tallest hotel," he admitted, while secretly contemplating suicide from the highest point. "Here, let me take some pictures for you."

  “You aren’t lying to me about something, are you?”

  “Obviously not,” Syf said, laughing.

  Syf stepped outside on the thirtieth floor and started looking for the staircase to the terrace. After a good minute, where he walked through the hallway, he finally found the staircase.

  It felt wrong telling her lies. She was special to him, like a little puzzle piece in a vast puzzle. He often called her when he was in deep trouble or if he felt sad. However, today wasn’t the day for any sadness.

  “You know I am really happy that you called me,” Syf confessed.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know I am special.” Isolle smiled. But then, as if confused, he asked a question. “What are you doing there?”

  Syf stepped onto the terrace, and what he saw blasted him with an intense sense of wonder and apprehension. Here in his sight, far away in the skies, was a deep swirling mass of cloud and debris forming what seemed like the eye of the storm. It was a coagulation of dirt, debris, rainwater, clouds, and everything mixing together. And it encompassed the skies as far as he could see.

  There was something deeply awe-inspiring and terrifying about the scenery at the same time. Syf opened the camera app and took some photos on the phone. He then sent it to his sister.

  Isolle waited patiently on the other side of the call. She was well-versed in her brother’s habit of letting questions extend for long durations of time.

  “Isolle, take a look at it. I will take a few more of them.” Syf said and he crept closer to the edge of the spanning hotel terrace. The railing was present on the edges. As he stepped near one such corner, he saw the entire city laid out before him like scattered blocks. The blocks ranged from small ones, including his building, to larger blocks that served as business space for many companies.

  “No way!” Isolle exclaimed, looking at the pictures. Syf chuckled, thinking she was probably mesmerized by the sight, but what she said threw him off his line of thought. Instead, he was baffled.

  “Why do you have this? You aren’t here in my city, are you?” She asked without a break. Her voice sounded frantic.

  “Why do you say that?” Syf asked in confusion.

  “Because this same thing is hanging in the skies of my city. Almost all our professors are disturbed by the sudden shift in the weather.” In one breath, Isolle spoke.

  “Weird, isn’t it?” Syf didn’t delve into it too much.

  “Syf, I think the feeling I am having is related to this. I think there is something wrong with it.” Isolle’s reasoning was based on her instinct. However, Syf wasn’t going to follow up on that.

  “That’s ridiculous, though. Maybe it is some sort of weather phenomenon.” Syf thought she was gleaning too much from it. It might be true that she was having some sort of gut feeling. But her strange sort of apprehension was due to him; that was it.

  Just then, Syf heard someone approaching his sister on the other side.

  “Hey Isolle, you need to look at the news.”

  “Not now, Rick; I am on a call.”

  “This is more important than the call.”

  “Hey…don’t just drag me.” The voice apparently dragged his sister to show her some news.

  Syf couldn’t help but chuckle. At least things were going well for his sister. He changed directions and went toward the other edge. In his mind, his home was just around the corner. The wind rustled strongly instantly, almost dragging him. Syf strongly held on to the railing.

  The line was silent for a few moments, during which he assumed that Rick was probably showing some kind of news to his sister. And then the silence ended with a deep exclamation from his sister.

  “Oh my god! Oh my god. Hey, Syf, are you there? You need to see this.” This time, she was even more frantic about it.

  “What?”

  “The thing you showed me. It is all on the news.” Isolle said in panic.

  “What’s the big deal? It is obviously a good TRP," Syf said. Here was a thing with Syf: he never took things seriously. He didn’t think what others said was important; usually, he brushed them off as something insignificant. Just like that one time, his girlfriend had advised him not to invest in the scheme, which he paid dearly for with everything he had.

  Syf never had a bad habit per se. He never smoked or consumed alcohol, nor did he ever go to a bar. He knew these things cost a significant chunk of money, and it was nothing but a sink into an endless hole of never getting over the stuff. But just one mistake, was all it took for everything to end for him. He had promised his parents. He could get the money. He had shown them hope; he had told them they wouldn’t have to toil endless hours in the restaurant anymore. All for naught. His single mistake turned out to be the biggest one.

  “You don’t understand, Syf! It is everywhere.” Isolle shouted through the phone. Isolle was still shouting about the phenomenon, but Syf was in his world and wasn’t even listening.

  “What?” Before he could understand anything, a deep sound penetrated everything.

  Boom

  It felt like the herald of doom. He turned his gaze upward. The wind rustled stronger than ever, but that wasn’t what took his breath away. He looked at the blackened skies, and strong streaks of lightning traveled through the greying clouds. The thunder strikes, which had kept their movement to the swirling storm previously, parted from the rotating mass as they fell straight from the skies.

  At first, they were far away, with tiny white lines moving in the dark background, but they slowly grew more numerous as they started to strike throughout the city. They fell on trees, the ground, and people moving on the road. And so Syf, standing on the highest point in the city, was probably screwed.

  “What the hell!” It was his only thought before he ran toward the entry door. The lightning strikes seemed to be trailing him, growing larger and larger with each moment. It didn’t take long before thunder and lightning were everywhere around him, some falling mere steps away from him.

  Syf zig-zagged as more and more thunder strikes fell around him. The charge crawling through the air made the unkempt hair all over his body rise. He ran as stray charges seemed to concentrate on his hair.

  Zap

  One of the strikes fell literally inches away from his body. He felt the pulsing charge in the air, and fear coursed through his heart as he leapt backwards, avoiding yet another strike that assaulted him from the front by mere chance.

  Syf picked himself up from the ground, grunting hard from exertion as he made his way to the door.

  Zap

  Another one of the beams fell toward his left. Syf suspended both hands, covering his hair in a dome-like structure; it was a reflex. He didn’t know how it was going to help in any way, and so Syf, who was a few minutes away from committing suicide, was now running with his life toward the only place that felt like kilometers away.

  Alas, after much grit and determination, he made it to the door and, for the first time, cursed the vast area of the hotel. He closed the door behind him and went even farther away from it.

  On the call, his sister’s frantic voice continued to come through, concerned about his safety.

  “Syf, say something. Are you okay?” It was almost to the point that she had started to cry.

  He looked through the glass panes as the spectacle swept across the sky and illuminated everything. Syf had come to fear that thing, but curiosity always beat fear for him, and so there he was still near the terrace looking through the viewpoint.

  “I am okay,” Syf said after he had caught up with his breath.

  “Thank god.” Isolle burst into tears. “I don’t know what is happening, Syf; I am scared.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Syf was afraid. The wind continued to fall onto the glass panes, and he didn’t know if it was in his mind, but he felt that the impact was stronger by the second.

  And suddenly it was wind fiercely whipping the panes. He took a step back. Syf was contemplating whether he should run away when cracks started spreading through the toughened glass, and as he started running, the glass broke, scattering everywhere.

  A few pieces struck him, forcing him to grunt in pain.

  “Syf, are you safe? Please run away.” Isolle was streaming tears because she felt helpless to help him in any way.

  One of them had struck him in the elbow, while one of the few had cut across his cheek before flying away. The wind continued to rush at him, forcing him to take a few steps back.

  With each step back, his back felt heavy; his legs seemed to be working on their own to escape from whatever was coming from the front. The spectacle of thunder and storm wasn’t unique. but if the same started happening everywhere across the country, one was forced to assume the worst possibility.

  “Is it an apocalypse?” His jaw slackened as he imprinted the sight on his memory. His body felt stiff, even uncomfortable. He let that sensation travel through both his mind and body. There was a possibility of gaining superpowers from thunder hitting the body. But sadly, it only occurred in the movies, and Syf certainly wasn’t invested enough in the concept to try it out.

  Suddenly, as soon as it had started, it had ended. The lightning strikes, fierce and huge, traveled backward, almost as if someone had reversed the videotape. The thunder gathered across the spiraling mass of cloud, dust, and storm. Like a circle, it revolved, white and bright. It started to look like a portal to another dimension.

  “Isolle, are you there? Are you okay?” Syf checked her condition over the phone.

  “I a-am fine. We have barricaded ourselves inside the facility. Hide Syf, please," Isolle said.

  “I am worrying you too much. You must feel ashamed of me.” Syf said in a small voice. The wind had collapsed, so the voice traveled to the other side.

  “No I— SCREEEEECCCCCCHHHHH.” A shrill noise instantly came from inside. He distanced himself from the phone. However, before he could make sense of it, the swirling thunder exploded with white light, blinding everything in the vision. The clouds, the skies, the building, the hotel, and the floor he was standing on—everything had turned white in an instant.

  Syf’s vision vanished as he started to look around like a headless chicken.

  It felt like an eternity before his vision returned, and through his blurry eyes, he looked upwards all the way to the sky where the thunder had vanished. Instead, in the eye of the swirling mass, an image floated. It felt like a projection of some kind. There were pictures constantly changing in that small space. Pictures that did not belong in his world.

  Syf was sure because the world felt different. It was as if someone had sent the technology of Earth thousands of years into the future. This was the landscape, the horizon of the other world. The architecture seemed foreign and seemed to be made using some kind of metal. Not all parts were connected, like a spaceship; the buildings hovered in the air without any support. They were accompanied by a small architecture that seemed to be smaller compartments of that giant thing. The image suddenly changed.

  The buildings were replaced by a massive gorge, incredibly large in diameter. Only darkness pervaded its visible area. If there was a term particularly appropriate for the place, he would name it ‘The Abyss.'

  Just then, his phone buzzed. Syf thought the call might have connected back to his sister. But something was different.

  It was a weird font, like the ones used in sci-fi games. It's spelled.

  [Flickering Horizons]

  Syf pondered looking at the strange characters. He hadn’t done anything to the phone, so why was it displaying something foreign? After a few moments, he realized it was the loading screen of an app.

  And a few more seconds passed before the screen changed, replaced by an assortment of different cartoon characters.

  [Join the expedition]

  The screen sparked. Beneath it were two options and some kind of timer.

  [Yes]/[No]

  [Remaining Time: 6 : 23: 59: 21]

  “What the fuck is this?” Syf felt incredulous at the sudden turn of events. All of this was ridiculous; he was on his way to end his stupid life. Why did everything have to happen just now? First the weather and now this? He felt like his full understanding of what reality was had turned in a few minutes.

  And as for the button.

  “No way I am clicking anything on this suspicious app.” He regarded the app with skepticism and extended his arm to keep the phone as far as possible without letting go. He didn’t even question if the thing displayed on the device was the truth.

  However, Syf didn’t have to wait long. Like all the previous phenomena, it came suddenly. A voice pierced through the skies, like a horn; it reached everywhere. Every electronic device capable of transmitting sound can transmit a voice.

  [Good day, Earthworlders.]

  [Speaking to you is one of the Wardens from the Flickering Horizons. Or in easier language, I am from a distant planet. Though it wouldn’t be true when I say so, because the place doesn’t exist on the material plane.]

  The voice sounded monotonic and cold, even with a hint of awe-inspiringness. Syf was bombarded with countless hallucinations as he listened to the voice. He felt like a small boy suspended outside in the vast space. It was a void devoid of air and movement, all while stars surrounded him, twinkling and projecting.

  Then the visions vanished before his eyes, and suddenly he was in a long passage, walking and even sprinting with no end in sight. Even as he ran, he listened to the voice. Because there was something about that voice that compelled him to hear it.

  This wasn’t just happening to Syf. Everywhere across the world, throughout the countless countries and thousands of cities, the voice reached each and every individual. The sleeping, the ones in a coma—no one was spared.

  [The Great Light has chosen your world. Its blessing is imparted among the billions of things living here, though only those capable enough will be imparted with the truth.]

  [The few of you, with your futile effort to reach me with your puny toys. Listen to me, for this is the last time I warn you. By the Great Light, all of you are eligible for participation and to become a part of the great journey that encompasses eons, even eras. However, there is a condition.]

  [Those selected seldom return home easily, so choose wisely. Only the capable ones are worthy of holding recognition before the Great Light.]

  [What?]

  […]

  Syf looked at the sky in awkwardness as the voice receded suddenly. The speech was disrupted midway. The silence extended for minutes, all while others waited with bated breath.

  In the meantime, Syf hesitantly checked the app on the phone. It was not a hallucination.

  The cartoons of unknown creatures, the likes of which Syf hadn’t seen before, were happily holding onto a badge. Some kind of medallion of honor, maybe. It was a sphere with two halves, one half translucent and the other pure white, parted by a glittering line of gold in the middle.

  ‘Flickering Horizons.’ What was this place?

  [Sorry for the interruption.]

  [Some additional information. Let me go through this.]

  Some noise leaked through the voice. It sounded like the rustle of paper.

  [Yes.]

  [1. The planet will be swallowed by the Light in ten years.]

  [2. Only those with badges will be able to get free of it.]

  [3. The trial will be held after the countdown ends, regardless of whether you choose now or by the end of it.]

  [4. Failing in the trial means returning to the Light. In simple words, death.]

  [5. This is the only trial…]

  The voice stopped again.

  […one more trial will be held after ten years, before the Light swallows your insignificant lives.]

  [The list ends.]

  [You can refer to more information on the app.]

  [Well, in the meantime, after we go, the world will open up to mana. This is the blessing given by the Light, so cherish it wisely, mortals.]

  Syf was among the countless others still reeling from the shock before the transmission from the one named Warden had ended. The whole earth had been suddenly tossed into a swamp with all the information regarding the Light and the end of the earth.

  Syf had three words to say regarding the whole situation.

  “What the fuck?”