On Earth, in Shelter City 9, the massive Player Headquarters rose toward the thick yellowish clouds, its silhouette faintly veiled yet still mesmerizing, standing as the monumental heart of the shelter city.
Not long ago, this building had been just another government-owned corporate facility, a place only visited by the curious and the journalists who lingered outside for scraps of news.
Now, its vast courtyard and the wide streets around it were packed with people.
They came from every age and walk of life—babies in their mothers' arms, weary elders struggling to stand, and countless others gathered silently, all their eyes fixed on the giant screens placed all around.
The displays were projecting SGI-like visuals of impossible realism: titans clashing, the ground shattering, and the end of the world unfolding in every frame.
The same footage was playing across the whole planet, on home screens, in offices, and in every public plaza, but these people chose to come here.
