The room is busy in chaos.
Every Star is lost in their own frantic world — one tracing symbols across a wall puzzle, another twisting a glowing cube in trembling hands, another scribbling equations that don't make sense anymore. Sweat, tears, and blood all mix on the shimmering floor.
Each time someone solves their puzzle, they vanish in a burst of magic.
Voytek, still broken on the ground, drags himself inch by inch with his arms. His shattered leg scrapes against the floor, blood painting long streaks behind him. But his eyes never looks down, they stay locked on the ceiling above, blinking through the haze of pain and exhaustion.
Nine minutes left.
He keeps moving. Breathing ragged. Teeth clenched. Around him, the last seven Stars remain, each lost in their own collapsing sanity.
Four minutes left.
A man throws his cube puzzle to the ground — it shatters, scattering glowing fragments.
Another breaks her pencil, staring blankly at the unfinished math scribbles.
A third pounds his head against the wall, unable to pick a stubborn lock.
Then, another, a woman, who snaps completely.
Her laughter and sobs blend into one unstable sound. "They took all the easy puzzles!" she screams, pacing in circles, speaking even faster. "Leaving only the hard ones behind! Why me?! It's all over… I should've never joined the Star Games!"
Her eyes dart across the floor and that's when she notices it.
The trails of blood.
Voytek's blood.
It streaks across the glowing tiles, leading toward him.
She takes a look at him confused, then slowly looks up.
There on the ceiling strange black lines stretch from corner to corner. At first, they seem random… but when she moves, the lines shift. They start to connect depending on her position.
Confused, she walks around the room, trying to see what it forms.
One minute left.
The air grows heavy with panic. The remaining Stars are crying, muttering, screaming to themselves.
Voytek drags himself again and again in pain.
Twenty seconds left.
He suddenly burst out laughing.
A wild, broken, joyful laugh. Tears flood down his cheeks as his body shines in magic.
The crazed woman turns toward him, eyes wide. "No—no, no, NO!" she screams. She runs and dives towards him as he bursts into radiant light.
"No!!!"
Her scream echoes as Voytek's body dissolves into golden dust, the particles swirling upward as she turn to her back with her gaze to the ceiling. Just in time to see the finished puzzle in.
They spell out:
"You are an amazing Star in the making!"
With a star icon that is below the words.
Her lips tremble. Tears fall. "I… I was supposed to—"
The lines fade. The message vanishes.
The timer hits zero.
Then one by one, the remaining Stars explode into blood and gore.
Moments later, as the surviving Stars walks out of God's Arena through the towering celestial gates for the game break, Voytek still lies on the arena floor.
He breathes shallowly, his body trembling, his leg still broken.
A mini polar bear guide materializes beside him in a shimmer of light, as it circles above his head. "Oh no! Your leg's broken," it squeaks. "Want me to fix that for you?"
Voytek can barely nod, too exhausted to speak.
The bear touches his leg with its paw. Golden light flows through the wound, and bone and muscle shift back into place with a crunch and a flash. Voytek gasps as warmth replaces the pain.
The little bear then comes to realization. "Oh! I remember you! Welcome back to the games!" It gives a cheerful bow, its fur sparkling like starlight.
"Take me home," Voytek speaks quickly.
"Again?" The bear tilts its head, then chuckles. "Alright—as you wish!"
It claps its paws, and Voytek's body dissolves into a swirl of magic dust.
In planet Altinberg, the Star Gate erupts to life in the city square, swirling with bright cosmic energy. Campers and travelers nearby stumble to their feet, shielding their eyes as the gate hums and flashes.
From the portal, Voytek emerges.
He collapses to his knees, tears flooding his face. The crowd erupts in cheers—hundreds of people crying, shouting his name, waving flags with the royal crest.
Soldiers rush in, surrounding him.
Moments later, King Waenush descends in his floating machine chair, his expression frozen between disbelief and pride. "Voytek…" he whispers, then raises his voice, booming across the city square.
"VOYTEK IS BACK!"
The crowd explodes in wild celebration.
"He's done it twice now—what an unbelievable feat!" the King roars. "This calls for a celebration!"
Cheers rise higher, fireworks explode, and drums thunder across the night.
Minutes later, as the city feasts and music fills the streets, Voytek finally returns home. A cheering crowd follows him to the mansion gates, shouting his name, tossing flowers.
He steps inside, slams the door shut, and leans against it—breathing hard. The noise outside fades.
He slides to the floor, hands over his face. His body shakes as quiet sobs break through—the tears of someone who's seen too much.
A soft voice breaks the silence.
"Welcome home, Lord Voytek. Your beloved wife and son are waiting for you."
He looks up. His maid stands nearby, smiling gently.
Voytek's eyes widen.
Without a word, he rushes through the mansion, sprinting through the halls until he bursts through a door and freezes.
Laenu sits by the window, bathed in candlelight, holding a small bundle in her arms. When she looks up and sees him, her eyes fill instantly with tears.
"Voytek…" she whispers, standing as she clutches their newborn son.
He runs to her and wraps his arms around both of them.
"I'm back…" he says, voice trembling, forehead pressed against hers.
Laenu's tears fall freely. "I knew you'd return… right after you left, my water broke. Everything happened so fast—I didn't even get to name him yet."
Voytek drops to his knees, as more tears spill down his face. "I'm so... glad.... earlier I was in hell…" he mutters. "But seeing you and our son makes me so happy."
Laenu nods, her voice breaking with emotion. "I'll name him now…" she looks down at the baby and smiles through her tears.
"His name will be Norval."
Voytek laughs softly, crying again as the baby stirs. "Norval… perfect."
As time flows forward, Voytek's legend only grows.
His name spreads across the continents like a sacred hymn—
Because of him, the once-small city of Altinberg becomes the beating heart of the world's ambition. From every nation and every village, ships and skycrafts arrive daily, filled with people dreaming of godhood.
The Star Academy expands from a single campus to a sprawling empire of knowledge, training, and purpose—tens of thousands of candidates walking its marble courtyards and glowing halls.
Voytek refines the system himself.
He adds therapy sessions, insisting that emotional stability is as important as strength.
He introduces acting classes, teaching candidates to read emotions, lie convincingly, and detect deceit—because in the Games, survival often depends on perception.
And in the evenings, after long days of teaching and speeches, Voytek returns home—to Laenu, and to their son, Norval.
One night, the moonlight paints their living room silver. Laenu sits on the couch, Norval asleep across her lap. Voytek sits beside her, silent, staring at the flicker of the fireplace. His expression is distant—haunted yet resolute.
Laenu breaks the quiet.
"What's wrong?" she asks softly. "You can talk to me. Since you made me the main therapist, I think it's my cue to ask."
Voytek exhales slowly, rubbing his hands together. "I'm going back again."
Laenu's eyes widen. "Voytek…The last time nearly broke you."
He nods. "Yeah. That's why I started therapy—for them, and for me. But I have to go. Every day I see it now—the hope in people's eyes. I can't let that fade. I'll keep going… and I'll keep coming back. To give them more hope each time."
For a moment, Laenu says nothing. Then, a gentle smile rises on her face. "You've become their beacon of hope, Voytek. Just… make sure you don't burn out."
He chuckles softly, leaning his forehead against hers. "I won't."
When the 103rd Star Games begins, Voytek enters again—this time with a team of twelve.
They march through the divine gates together.
The first stage of the games is brutal.
The world they land in is a wasteland filled with shifting illusions and cursed reflections. By the end of the challenge, only half of his team remains.
During the game break in the Golden Kingdom of God, Voytek stands with his survivors in the middle of a bright celestial street.
"I can tell that took a lot out of us," he says, his voice steady despite the exhaustion in their eyes. "Seeing so many die around us, even friends and comrades. It hurts but this… this is the experience we came for. This will make us stronger, it's time to go home."
The others nod, emotional but grateful.
Moments later, their polar bear guides appear, touching them gently one by one as they dissolve in beams of light—teleported home.
Voytek watches them go, a proud smile hiding his own fatigue as his guide bear appears next to him.
Back on Planet Altinberg, the Star Gate activates in a flash of blinding light. The crowd roars as Voytek's team emerges.
But then the cheering slows.
Eyes darting around as they all then noticed Voytek isn't with them.
A tremor of panic runs through the city square.
King Waenush and Laenu rush to the scene, faces tight with worry. "Where is he?" Laenu demands.
One of the returned Stars steps forward, clutching his chest. "Lord Voytek is fine," he says firmly. "He the one who suggested for all of us to come back.."
Waenush's expression softens, then brightens into pride. He turns to the anxious crowd, raising his voice.
"Lord Voytek still lives! He's going beyond the first stage!"
The city erupts in joy—cheers shaking the air like thunder.
Meanwhile, in the kingdom of God, Voytek leans against a marble column as his mini polar bear guide floats beside him, munching on a glowing fruit.
"Wow," the bear says between bites. "Third time's the charm, huh? Nice to see you again."
Voytek smiles tiredly. "Sorry to disappoint you last time. I'll do better."
The bear smiles. "That's the spirit, boss."
Voytek presses on, fighting through the second, third, and fourth stages—his endurance tested beyond limits. But when the fourth stage ends and the third games break begins, he stands at the edge of a golden cliff, heavily distressed
He looks at his reflection in a pool of celestial water. Blood, sweat, exhaustion—but also a quiet pride.
He turns to the bear. "Take me home, I've done enough."
The bear sighs dramatically. "Again!? You really like making exits, don't you?"
Then it smiles. "Alrighty deo! Better see you next time!"
When Voytek steps out of the Star Gate once more, Altinberg explodes with cheers.
The city square floods with citizens, banners, and fireworks. Voytek walks forward, raising a hand to quiet them.
"My fellow citizens!" his voice booms, carried across the plaza. "I've done what no mortal has done in the past one hundred and three games! The only person in the universe to come back three times! Also this time I've reached the fourth stage!"
The crowd goes wild—shouts, tears, chants of his name.
"I will continue this tradition!" Voytek declares. "To show you all that hope is not a dream! The future of this planet shines brighter than ever!"
The cheers rise even louder, echoing into the skies.
King Waenush and Laenu step forward and embrace him tightly. Little Norval, now ten years old, stands proudly beside them, straight-backed and serious, giving his father a noble salute.
Voytek kneels, smiling proudly, and salutes him back.
The crowd melts at the sight—a family bound by love, courage, and hope—while fireworks paint the skies above Altinberg, celebrating not just a hero…
…but a symbol of humanity's unbroken will.
Years pass, and Voytek continues his incredible streak — competing in the 104th Star Games, reaching the third stage, then the 105th, reaching the fourth, and again in the 106th, where he pushes through the third stage. His name becomes legend — the only mortal in the universe to survive six Star Games.
His son, Norval, now a grown man of twenty, follows in his father's footsteps. Inspired by Voytek's determination and his unbreakable will, Norval training hard in combat and in his studies for the next Star Games. His father's story isn't just history — it's a symbol of human hope.
One quiet evening, Norval(25) stands in the family hall holding his newborn son, while Voytek, now older(44) but still sharp-eyed, watches with a bright smile. The baby cries loud as Voytek steps forward and places a hand on his grandson's head.
"His name," Voytek says, voice warm and proud, "will be Hans."
Norval looks up at him, smiling. "A strong name, Father. He'll live up to it."
A month before the 107th Star Games, Waenush visits Voytek at his estate. The two old friends sit across from each other, the sunset pouring across the balcony.
"Thanks to what you did," Waenush begins, resting his hands on the table, "this planet is more united than ever, you've stop all wars. Also technology's advanced enough to make life easier for everyone. And now—" he pauses, smiling proudly, "eighty percent of our people no longer believe godhood is the only way to live. They've found peace in being mortal. That's because of you."
Voytek chuckles softly. "Who would've thought? All those years ago, when you reached out your hand to me ... neither of us could've imagined this."
Waenush stands and clasps his shoulder. "You've done more than any mortal could, Voytek. You didn't just survive the Games — you changed what it means to live."
They exchange a firm handshake, the kind only brothers-in-arms share.
Days later, Voytek watches from the city as Waenush's great exploration ship rises into the sky — a glowing beacon heading toward the stars to share Altinberg's newfound peace with other worlds.
Soon after, the day of the 107th Star Games arrives.
Voytek stands with Norval at the gates of the Star Arena, surrounded by a thousand new candidates.
He turns around and raises his fist high, his voice booming across the city.
"This might be the year we win the Star Games!" he shouts. "All the preparation, all the training, all the faith we've built through the decades—it all leads to this very moment!"
The entire city erupts in cheers. Flags wave, fireworks burst across the sky, and chants of Voytek! Norval! Altinberg! echo through the streets.
Voytek takes a deep breath, the pride and energy of his people fueling him, then turns back to his son. The two exchange a proud glance.
"Ready, Father?" Norval asks.
Voytek smiles with great proud. "Always."
Together, they step into the Star Gate, their bodies glowing as they dissolve into the portal, carrying with them the hopes of a united world.