The lift hummed softly, a mechanical groan punctuating its descent as the group stood in silence.
Anna, Elara, Aether, and Ryuji shared the space with an assortment of strangers, each lost in their own thoughts or conversations. From the far side, Hector approached—his broad frame unmistakable even in a crowd. A young boy followed closely, his small stature exaggerated beside Hector's towering presence.
Aether's eyes flicked toward them, curiosity sparking at the boy's unusual quietness. Before he could speak, Hector handed the child off without so much as an introduction.
"Uh...?"
The lift shuddered to a halt. The doors hissed open.
The group stepped into a breathtaking expanse—the Playground.
"So," Anna said as they exited into the open. "What are we going to do with the boy?"
The answer didn't come. Their attention was stolen.
The Playground stretched before them: an awe-inspiring landscape of chaos. Massive geometric blocks, dwarfing skyscrapers, floated in the void. A towering trapezoid shimmered with kaleidoscopic patterns. Smaller blocks clustered, forming surreal platforms.
Beyond, distinct zones pulsed with energy.
**Rock-Climbing:** Jagged stone and crystal walls soared skyward, some rotating slowly. Climbers scaled them with impossible grace, leaping face-to-face as if gravity were a rumor.
**The Track:** Looping circuits roared with racers. Some wore rocket-boots, blazing fiery trails. Others sprinted naturally, outpacing tech, speed leaving trails of distorted air.
**Martial Arts:** Fighters clashed midair, blades flashing, energy fields crackling. Gravity was optional—combatants walked invisible walls, launched skyward from strikes.
**Gravity Gym:** Physics bowed out. People flipped and spun in zero-G chambers, moving like flowing water.
**Sky-Dancing:** Dancers soared, bodies painting the air with radiant, swirling energy trails.
**Tactical Maze:** Teams darted through shifting corridors, laying traps, altering environments with barriers and decoys.
Above it all, the sky buzzed—jetpacks, wings, raw flight mastery creating dazzling streaks of light.
This was the Playground—where the ordinary shattered and reality bent.
Gravity was just a suggestion.
"Welcome to the Playground!" Elara shouted, excitement surging through her voice. Without waiting, she sprinted toward the edge of a floating platform.
"Elara, wait!" Aether called, but she was already airborne.
She leapt, twisting into graceful flips as she dropped. Light from the artificial sun caught her hair, turning it gold.
For a moment, she hovered—weightless—before the Playground's invisible forces reversed her fall, launching her skyward.
"No way," Aether muttered, shielding his eyes as he watched her rise. His grin widened. "That's insane."
"The game is up," Ryuji said, deadpan—but his eyes gleamed with competitive fire.
He dashed forward and leapt, his long black hair whipping wildly behind him. His katana sheath caught the light, cape and hat fluttering as he rocketed upward.
"I see why no one cares about their skills here," Aether said, scratching his head.
Anna placed a hand on his shoulder, her calm exterior betraying a flicker of mischief. "You talk to him," she said, gesturing to the boy beside him.
"What?" he asked, but she was already gone—diving off the platform with graceful ease. She vanished, then reappeared high above, soaring.
Still pointing at the boy.
Aether sighed. His lips curled into a reluctant smile. "Oi, Mirakos, is it?" he asked, turning.
The boy didn't respond.
"Hey, say something," Aether said, ruffling his hair.
"Die," Mirakos hissed, voice low and venomous.
Before Aether could react, the boy lunged. His claw-like hands slashed through the air with alarming precision.
—Sharp— Aether thought, dodging each swipe with practiced ease. His body flowed in smooth, calculated motions.
"Down, up, left, side, counter," he murmured, reaching out to tap the boy's head.
Mirakos stumbled, nearly falling off the platform.
"Whoa!" Aether lunged, grabbing his wrist and pulling him back.
The boy didn't resist—just glared.
"I was never good with kids," Aether muttered, hands sinking into his pockets.
He glanced upward, recalling Hector's words: —Take care of the boy, will you? He doesn't want to see a new face every day.—
"Not much of an explanation," he grumbled. Not upset—just bemused at how responsibility always seemed to land on him.
"I mean, I am a new face," he added with a wry smile.
Mirakos stayed silent. His eyes were dull—too dull.
Aether studied him closely. His pupils were narrow, almost feline. They shifted—narrowing further.
Unnatural.
"How old are you?" Aether asked softly.
No response.
"Who is this kid?" Aether wondered. A faint aura pulsed around him—unmistakable. His eyes... they weren't right.
They lacked the brightness children should carry.
Aether's gaze softened. —He's grieving,— he realized. —He's lost someone.—
He paused. Then, slowly, he said, "Alright, Mirakos. For the time being… I'm your older brother."
The words echoed.
—I'm… your… older… brother.—
Something unraveled inside Mirakos. A tear slid down his cheek before he bolted forward, clutching Aether's jacket.
They tumbled off the platform.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Aether flailed, but the Playground's forces caught them.
The air around them seemed to ripple and distort, and faint voices began to echo, distant at first but growing clearer with each passing moment. Among the whispers.
One name stood out: Trysson.
It resonated deep, the bass vibrating through the air. Mirakos clung tighter to Aether, burying his face in his chest.
Aether frowned. "A new round—" he stopped himself, delivering a quick punch to his temple.
"Dammit," he muttered. "What am I doing, trying to change him already?"
Guilt flickered in his eyes.
They reached the side of a massive red block—colossal, pulsing faintly like it was alive.
Aether's breath caught.
Below them sprawled a massive stadium. Its curved edges were packed with spectators, energy thrumming in the air. At its center, a dynamic battlefield unfolded. Lush forest covered it—vivid, vibrant, almost real.
Then, like sand falling, the trees dissolved into the ground.
A golden desert rose in their place.
"Damn," Aether muttered. "Missed the forest round."
His gaze wandered to the edge, where towering metal walls encased the arena.
A massive floating screen hovered above the field, displaying team names and a shifting scoreboard. Aether squinted—sixty-four.
"Looks like someone nabbed the other team's leader," he remarked, intrigued.
Mirakos yawned softly, his grip loosening. He rested his head against Aether's chest, the tension draining from his small body.
"Guess it's time to head down," Aether murmured.
Gravity—or whatever governed this place—reclaimed them. They descended in a gentle, controlled fall.
The crowd's roar grew louder as they neared the stadium, waves of cheers washing over them.
Aether took it all in—the madness, the scale, the impossible splendor. And amid it all, a strange clarity settled over him.
He wasn't just watching the chaos.
He was about to step into it.