The entire world went silent.
Kai stood frozen beneath the enormous opening in the sky.
It wasn't a crack anymore.
It was an eye.
A gigantic, unnatural eye stared down at them from beyond the broken darkness. Its pupil slowly moved, scanning the ruins below.
Kai felt a strange pressure in his chest.
It wasn't looking at everyone.
It was looking directly at him.
Vex noticed.
"Kai..."
"I know."
The Guardian stepped backward for the first time.
His expression had changed completely.
Fear.
The First Guardian was afraid.
"What is that?" Vex asked.
The Guardian's voice was barely a whisper.
"The Observer."
The eye blinked.
The entire ruin shook.
Every statue immediately stopped moving.
The mysterious creature attacking the Guardian disappeared into the shadows.
Even the Game's mechanical voice went silent.
Kai stared upward.
"So it's controlling everything?"
The Guardian shook his head.
"No."
He looked at Kai.
"It's watching."
Another blink.
Suddenly, every wall in the ruins lit up.
Images appeared everywhere.
Kai saw himself.
He saw Vex.
Mei.
Luca.
Mateo.
Freya.
Every player.
But the images weren't from the past.
They were moments that hadn't happened yet.
Kai watched himself standing alone in a dark room.
Vex was nowhere beside him.
Then another image appeared.
Mei running through a burning corridor.
Luca standing before a locked door.
Mateo facing a massive shadow.
Freya holding something glowing in her hands.
Kai's heart tightened.
"Those are..."
"Possible futures," the Guardian said.
Vex stared at the images.
"Possible?"
"Yes."
Kai looked back at the enormous eye.
"Then we can change them."
The Guardian smiled faintly.
"Now you understand."
The Game's voice suddenly returned.
But this time it sounded distorted.
"PLAYERS MUST NOT INTERACT WITH THE OBSERVER."
Kai frowned.
"Why?"
Silence.
Then—
"THE OBSERVER DOES NOT BELONG TO THE GAME."
Everyone froze.
Vex slowly looked at Kai.
"If it doesn't belong to the Game..."
Kai finished the thought.
"Then the Game can't control it."
The Guardian nodded.
"And that is why the Game fears it."
The eye blinked again.
This time, a beam of pale light descended from the darkness.
It struck the ground directly in front of Kai.
A symbol appeared.
The same symbol that had been divided between Kai and Vex.
Kai's badge began vibrating.
Vex's half responded.
The two pieces rose from their hands.
They floated toward each other.
Kai reached out.
"Wait."
The Guardian suddenly shouted.
"Don't let them touch!"
The badges stopped.
Kai looked at him.
"Why?"
The Guardian's expression became serious.
"Because once they become whole..."
He looked toward the eye.
"...the Game will know exactly where you are."
A deep rumble echoed through the ruins.
The eye began closing.
The Game's voice screamed through the chamber.
"STAGE THIRTY-THREE TERMINATED."
"EMERGENCY RESET INITIATED."
The floor began disappearing beneath them.
"What?!" Vex shouted.
Kai grabbed his arm.
The ruins were collapsing into darkness.
The Guardian remained standing.
Kai stared at him.
"Come with us!"
The Guardian shook his head.
"I cannot leave."
"Why?"
"Because someone must keep the Gate closed."
The ground beneath Kai cracked.
The Guardian raised his hand.
A powerful wave of energy pushed Kai and the others toward the silver gate.
"GO!"
Kai fought against the force.
"Wait!"
The Guardian smiled.
"Find the other Guardians."
Kai's eyes widened.
"Other Guardians?"
But before he could ask anything else—
The Gate slammed shut.
Darkness swallowed the ruins.
Kai opened his eyes.
He was lying on a cold floor.
Vex was beside him.
The others were scattered around the room.
Kai slowly stood.
The ruins were gone.
The Guardian was gone.
And so was the eye.
For a moment, everything seemed peaceful.
Then Kai noticed something on the wall.
Five symbols.
Five names.
And beneath them was a single sentence:
THE FIRST HAS AWAKENED.
Kai stared at the words.
Vex walked beside him.
"What's next?"
Kai looked at the symbols.
His expression hardened.
"I think..."
He pointed toward the first symbol.
"...we're going to find the others."
A faint whisper travelled through the room.
Not the Game.
Not the Observer.
Something else.
"One has fallen."
Kai turned sharply.
The whisper continued.
"Four remain."
The lights went out.
And somewhere in the darkness...
something opened its eyes.
To Be Continued...