Chapter One: The Announcement
(Attention is hereby requested from all sentient lifeforms currently residing on Earth.
This planet has reached the threshold required for advancement.
An evaluation phase will now commence.)
It happened everywhere, all at once.
In cities wrapped in glass and noise, in villages stitched together by dust and habit, in oceans, skies, bedrooms, classrooms, highways—every human being heard the same voice. It did not echo. It did not come from above. It did not vibrate the air.
It simply existed.
(As part of the planetary advancement process, Earth will undergo a trial evolution.
This evolution will involve the integration of a fantasy-based world with the current human world.)
People froze mid-step. Conversations snapped shut. Hands paused inches above screens.
(Please note: this integration is not an invasion.
It is a developmental requirement.)
Eyes lifted instinctively, scanning the sky, rooftops, satellites—anything that could explain the sound. There was nothing. No source. No direction.
Then, as if on cue, everyone's gaze fell forward.
A translucent panel hovered before each person's eyes. Perfectly aligned. Untouchable. Unavoidable.
Panic bloomed like wildfire.
(As the evolution proceeds, Earth's total spatial capacity will expand by a factor of one hundred.
Continents will increase in scale.
Ecosystems will be restructured.
Lifeforms originating from the fantasy world will be merged with Earth's environment.)
Screams erupted. Phones slipped from shaking hands. Some people ran. Others stood perfectly still, as if movement itself had been deprecated.
(As part of this integration, all humans and all creatures will be introduced to MENE—the foundational energy resource of the evolved world.)
The internet detonated.
Livestreams multiplied by the second. Comment sections flooded faster than they could load.
"I'm the protagonist. I'm going to make it. It's my time to shine."
The reply came almost instantly.
"You idiot! Do you want to die? Or be the first to die?"
Another comment surged upward.
"This is dangerous. The government is hiding something. This is obviously a setup."
A fourth followed.
"It's a prank. There's no way this is real. Someone hacked everything."
Cheerful posts clashed with terrified ones. Memes were born and buried within minutes. Stock markets trembled. Prayer chains formed. Conspiracy theories metastasized.
And still, the panels remained.
Far from the noise, in the northern district of the country, stood a house that had long since given up on comfort. Cracked walls. A sagging roof. A single room lit by the glow of a flickering screen.
Inside, a man sat quietly.
He stared at the panel before him.
And smiled.