The field buzzed with the noise of a thousand beings — some human, some not.Groups of two shuffled awkwardly, eyeing each other, sizing each other up. Kai popped a piece of gum into his mouth as he leaned back slightly, earbuds still snug in his ears, a soft beat thudding in his skull. Aina stood awkwardly at his side, still uncertain how she'd ended up here… or why this guy, out of everyone, had picked her.
The sky above shimmered.A familiar pressure descended like a heavy curtain.
In a ripple of golden light, Satoran appeared midair, arms casually crossed, his regal presence enough to make even the more dangerous alien species flinch.
"Congratulations on finding yourselves a partner," Satoran said, voice carrying across the entire field without him even raising it. "Some of you chose wisely. Others..." He smirked. "Well, you'll find out soon enough."
He stretched lazily, as if bored of the whole thing himself, before continuing,"The rules are simple: Both partners must survive. If either of you dies, the other will be immediately disqualified — if they survive at all."
A murmur ran through the crowd. Some looked nervously at their partners. Others already regretted their decisions.
Satoran chuckled, clearly amused.
"You will live within this realm — a reflection of your dear planet, but... considerably less forgiving — for seven days. Food, shelter, safety… you will have to find all of it yourselves."
He gestured casually, and the once plain open field around them morphed.The ground shuddered. Trees burst from the soil like rockets, rivers slashed through the terrain, mountains crawled upward in the distance.In under a minute, they were no longer in a field but standing on the edge of a savage, wild world.
Aina gasped audibly.Kai just tilted his head slightly, unimpressed, as he switched songs on his offline playlist.
"Ah, and one more thing," Satoran added, almost as an afterthought."The creatures inhabiting this land... well, most are mindless beasts — driven by hunger, rage, or instinct. But some... some have a little spark of intelligence. They may organize. They may hunt you down. You'll find out soon enough."
The casual cruelty in his voice made the hairs on the back of many necks stand up.
"And no," he said, smirking at the nervous glances being exchanged, "you can't just hide. The land itself will... encourage you to keep moving."
Aina felt her knees wobble a little. She looked around — all the strong-looking humans already seemed to have their groups locked. The aliens nearby looked terrifying.
She glanced at Kai again, who was tapping his foot to his music, completely disinterested.
Was this guy seriously not worried? Did he even understand the rules?
Satoran's final words rang out like a gong:
"Survive. Or don't. We honestly don't care."
With that, the golden figure disappeared, leaving only the sound of rustling trees and distant roars vibrating in the air.
The teams began to scatter immediately — some running for the thicker forests, others towards the rocky hills in the distance. No one wanted to stay in the open.
Kai stretched lazily, yawning into his hand.
Aina clenched her fists and tried to summon her courage. She opened her mouth to speak — to ask something, anything — but Kai beat her to it.
"So," he said, voice casual, almost lazy, "you got snacks?"
Aina blinked. "W-what?"
"Snacks," Kai repeated, as if talking about the weather. "Seven days is a long time without snacks."
She stared at him. Was he serious right now?
"I—I brought some granola bars...?" she stammered.
Kai nodded approvingly. "Good enough. Let's move."
Without waiting for her, he began walking — not rushing, just strolling casually into the untamed wilderness.
Aina scrambled to follow, clutching her small backpack like it was a lifeline.
Around them, the land pulsed with life. Strange, colorful birds with razor wings flew overhead. The bushes rattled with unseen creatures. The rivers glowed faintly in unnatural colors.And somewhere, out beyond the trees, something let out a guttural howl that made even the toughest warriors flinch.
Aina's heart thudded wildly in her chest.
Meanwhile, Kai just adjusted his earbuds, chewed his gum, and muttered under his breath,"Seven days, huh? Sounds boring already."