Caden opened the letter and read aloud....
'[Metana Gaming Federation ]
[Date: 16th Galactic Cycle, 23rd May, 2026]
Mr. Caden Wallis
Earth Sector, Sol System
Dear Mr. Wallis,
Congratulations! You have been selected as one of the elite participants for the prestigious UniGames Tournament, the most revered intergalactic gaming competition in the cosmos.
Your exceptional skills and achievements in the virtual arenas have earned you a coveted spot among the galaxy's most talented gamers. You will compete against the best players from diverse planetary systems, showcasing your mastery of strategy, quick reflexes, and mental agility.
The UniGames Tournament will take place on the orbiting space station, Sector-6, located in the Arda Galaxy. The event will be broadcasted across the galaxy, with millions of sentient beings watching your every move.
As a participant, you will receive:
- A personalized, AI-powered gaming assistant
- Access to exclusive, OmniGames training simulations
- A generous stipend to cover travel and accommodation expenses
To confirm your participation and further information regarding the tournament, please look inside the box and press the button.
Get ready to embark on an epic adventure, Mr. Wallis! The galaxy is watching, and the UniGames await!
Sincerely,
Zara XychomA
Director, Metana Gaming Federation '
Caden's frown deepened to the extent his face was almost unrecognizable. He dropped the strange letter and once again took the button. He stared at it strangely.
A tournament? Held outside the galaxy? How is that even possible? Sheesh! Must be a prank. But the button though.
Caden dropped the button. He didn't know what to do. He looked inside the box and there was nothing else. Caden was about to groan in frustration when he spotted something in the box shimmer in the light.
He looked into the box and inside was a card, a navy blue card. But the odd thing about it was that the card was blank. With no information whatsoever. What could this be for?
He was genuinely confused. He picked up the button again, his hands dancing around the easy-to-push button. What should he do?
.....
Meanwhile;
Lone Mansion.
An angry growl echoed through the whole mansion. Mr Lone was furious beyond recognition. He stared at the tablet in his hand before throwing it at the wall, thereby breaking it in the process.
" That foolish insolent boy! How could he? How could he be so... so..Agh!!" Mr Lone smashed all the things on his desks to the ground ground. That brat!!
Turning to the servant whi was standing at the corner, he said, " Get my son here, now!!" The servant noddedand immediately left to relay the message.
....
Meanwhile, in Ian's room,
Ian sat on his bed sulking silently. He ran his hand through his hair as he sighed, " I'm not mentally unstable. Why do they keep saying that? It's all because of that good for nothing bastard ".
He humphed as he looked at the window. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Ian couldn't become any more frustrated. " What the hell do you want?!" He yelled.
The servant outside the door, flinched but managed to speak, " Young Master, a package came in for you". The servant outside was holding a brown box with an envelope.
Ian frowned. He said to the servant, " Leave it outside. I'll get it later". The servant responded with a bow and even though Ian couldn't see him, he could tell he had done that. It had become a habit in this house.
After the servant's footsteps faded, Ian went to the door and took the package. He looked round it. There was no address. He took tve envelope which read, " To Mr Ian Lone".
He tore it open and began to read. After aboyt two minutes of reading, he opened the package, took the button inside and pressed it without hesitation.
In a second, he was zapped away, leaving now traces of him being there in the room just a minute ago. He had disappeared.
.....
Ian was teleported to what he assumed to be the Metana Gaming Federation HQ. There, he didn't have a chance to look around when he heard a mechanic feminine voice,
" Welcome gamer and congratulations. You have successfully participated in the UniGames Tournament of Honor. Please state your name and take a number".
...
At the Daltons House; Lucy's room
Lucy stared at the box in front of her with complex emotions. She had read the envelope and everything about it seemed fishy. It seemed like some kind of prank or something but somehow, she could tell it wasn't.
She took out the button in the box and examined it. " How odd". There were no more information regarding the tournament or anything about it's challenges.
She groaned in frustration. An hour ago, she was about to leave for the Lone Mansion to face Ian's father who would definitely hold her and the rest of her teammates responsible for Ian's disrespectful behavior.
She was planning to give Ian an earful of scolding afterwards when her mom dropped off a strange package in her room, saying it was for her. And now, here she was contemplating whether to push the button or not.
After a few more minutes of hesitation, She held the button firmly as she said, " It's easy better than going back to that he'll hole again".
Going to the door, she opened it and yelled, " Mom, Dad, I'll be out for a while! Don't wait up!" She didn't respond to her mom's question about her destination but simply pushed the button.
In that same second, she was zapped away from her room, disappearing without any traces. The empty package that had been left on her bed had also disappeared.
.....
By the time, Lucy opened her eyes, what greeted her was the huge logo of a golden fist holding a gaming console with the tiny words below it, " Metana Gaming Federation".
Lucy was dumbfounded, " It's real?". She didn't know. She thought nothing would happen when she pressed the button but now, she was in an actual gaming federation.
She looked around and saw she was surrounded by all kinds of creatures, she muttered, " Aliens do exist". She looked around at the creatures but she noticed most of them were human.
Just then, she spotted two familiar figures amongst the crowd. They were Ian and.....the boy who had beat them at the store! He was here too?
Just then, Lucy heard a mechanic voice saying, " Please pick a number". She looked down and saw a short robot holding a tray full of different colors of metals.
She picked one and looked at it. " 142". The mechanic voice replied her, " Contestant 142, Lucy Dalton from Earth. Metana welcomes you".
She nodded and saw the robot move to another contestant to do the same thing. She saw the card in her hand attach itself to another card which she didn't know was on her neck.
It kinda looked like an ID card. Just then, a light masculine voice boomed through the whole place, thereby drawing everyone's attention.
" Welcome, gamers of all worlds and distinct ages. I am Themus. I will be your guide throughout this tournament and also your informant. I am very pleased to inform you all that you have successfully entered the Universal Gaming Tournament, also known as UniGames, hekd by the Metana Gaming Federation".
" As of now, you are all participating contestants of the UniGames Tournament of Honor as you all have been chosen by our dearest Game Master. Be proud".
.....