– O-oh! I’m s-sor…

– Luna! I was looking for you.

– Zorn!

While Luna was lost in her thoughts, she crashed into Zorn. Zorn was from Maeva’s troupe, but he was in Troupe 2. All the troupes belonging to the same region had different warehouses, even if they came from the same place.

– How are you doing? Did you meet Troupe 1?

– Yes… we greeted each other and talked for a bit…Who’s in the troupe?

– Zacharie, Sophie, Stephen and… Elise.

Zorn raised an eyebrow at the last name. Out of all the available soldiers of Maeva, he didn’t expect her to be sent. They talked a bit about the announcement. It was a surprise to hear that the “battles” will be carried out virtually. For Luna, that was something she thought she’d see in a very very distant future, since her universe’s technology wasn’t as developed as Alvea’s.

They were walking for a while until they arrived at the cafeteria. It was a small place with a few tables. There were 16 pedestals in which 16 baskets were placed. Each basket had a small tag indicating the designated region and troupe for said basket. In every one of them was a diet for each 5 members of the troupes, nothing more, nothing less. It was expected of each troupe to retrieve their designated basket and immediately exit the cafeteria, so as to avoid enemies’ troupes from interacting, even though each troupe signed a contract to avoid fights outside the coliseum.

Inside, Luna and Zorn walked up to the pedestals to look for their troupes’ basket. Troupe 2 basket was there but Troupe 1 wasn’t. It seemed like someone has already taken it.

– I’ll go take this basket to my warehouse, wait for me here!

Luna nodded. Zorn went as fast as he could to his warehouse to deliver the designed basket of the day. Luna couldn’t help her curiosity and ended up going out of the cafeteria.

– This can’t be real…

She kept telling herself inside her head over and over again. Inadvertently she began to walk. She ended up in the space designated for battle practice. She went inside without thinking it twice. There were already some teams practicing for the incoming battle, since no one knew what type of fight would the first round be. Luna walked amidst all the people until she reached the end. There were a few gym weights and fake guns to help practice aim. She took one and aimed at one of the dummies. Her hands were shaking. Never before had she taken a gun on her hands, not even fake. She pulled the gun down, swallowing.

– I think I’m not really fit for this.

After she said that, she felt a light pat on her shoulder. Scared, she turned around fast as a lightning.

– Z-Zorn! You scared me…

– You scared me more when I didn’t see you in the cafeteria! What are you doing here? Do you want to practice?

– I think I’m not made for this, Zorn… I can’t even hold a gun.

– Don’t worry, Luna, you just try to survive the match! Let the others do the dirty work.

– I can’t do that! I’m the leader… I need to learn how to fight.

Zorn sighed and looked at her smiling. Luna had a certain determination on her eyes in which could be seen she was willing to fight for her region.

– Teach me how to fight, Zorn.

She said it loud and clear, with no doubts. Zorn nodded. The 48 hours given to practice passed by in a second. Zorn and Luna practiced day and night without rest. He teached her how to use guns of all kinds, helped her practice her aim, they used melee weapons and readied their bodies for the battle. Luna still felt unprepared but at least she knew the basics of how to fight.

The day arrived. Luna couldn’t sleep that night. She got up earlier than the other members of her troupe, went out of the warehouse and looked directly at the coliseum. She didn’t have faith in herself, didn’t have hope that she could be useful for her troupe, but she did have the determination that enabled her to go to the battlefield. That weird feeling she had about protecting Maeva was growing every second.

– Oh! You too got up early?

– E-Elise! Did I wake you up? I’m sorry.

– No, no! I always get up early, I’m a soldier after all.

– Why did you become a soldier, Elise?…

– For my sister.

– For your sister?

– Yeah…

In between their talk, the coliseum’s alarm sounded. It was time.

“All the troupes, please reunite in the coliseum. I repeat, all the troupes, please reunite in the coliseum.”

– It’s time, Luna.

Luna nodded. All the troupes got changed and went directly to the coliseum. The troupes had a designated uniform. Each one had the emblem and color of their region, that way it was easier to distinguish every soldier. Upon entering the coliseum, the troupes walked to their lines. On the floor was written where they had to locate, including the separation of the two troupes per region. Luna was at front of everyone since she was the leader. She looked back and could see Zorn. He just smiled at her.

“Welcome, regions of Alvea. Welcome to Sector 4, we welcome you to the new age of technology, which allows us to carry out the war without spilling a drop of blood.

On the first day it said that each round will have a different mechanic. Today’s mechanic will be: Death Match. This mechanic consists on getting more points that the enemy team. The points will be acquired with each death. Each death is worth one point. The first team to get 25 points will win today’s match. The details entitling what is going to happen at the end will be discussed at the end of the match.

Around you, you can see incubator pods which you have to enter to go inside the virtual world. These pods have your names on it, so you will know which one is yours. One more detail, all of the rounds will be carried out at the same time. Until all the teams are finished, no one is authorized to get out of their pods early. There will be a penalty to the entire region in case someone is brave enough to go out.

That is all. You can proceed to enter into the pods, and, we will see you in the battlefield”.

Luna was sweating. She was going to enter a real battlefield. A battlefield where a war is going to be decided. She started to shake. Stephen pushed her to make her walk to the pod. She just nodded and did just like that. In front of it, she closed her eyes and prayed. She was never one to pray, but the moment called for it.

Zorn stood behind her and hugged her. “Everything’s gonna be alright”, he murmured. Luna smiled. Feeling that that was what he needed to gain strength.

It was time. Luna thought about her family and decidedly nodded. She was going to fight for Maeva. She was going to obtain the victory. She was going to end the war once and for all. With that in mind, Luna went inside the pod and lay down. The pod closed. A few minutes passed by while waiting for the others to do the same. When that was done, bracelets encased Luna’s wrists, tying her down to the pod. A headset was put on her eyes. She felt how the bracelet shot an injection, and slowly, Luna fell to a deep sleep.

She heard a far away voice screaming at her. She was confused and lost.

– LUNA!

With that, Luna opened up her eyes. In front of her was Maeva’s Troupe 1. The match had already started. Stephen, Elise, Zacharie and Sophie were waiting for her leader. Luna took a bit more time to wake up.

– The match already started, get up!

Luna got up as fast as she could, without yet adapting to the new space where she was.

– Are you alright? It’s normal that this feels different for you… we were obligated to do some training before coming. —commented Elise—.

– Y-yeah… I’m fine.

Even if she felt sick, she got up and shook her head, it wasn’t the time to feel weak. She carefully observed her surroundings and realized she effectively was inside the virtual world. It felt as real as the exterior world. In front of them were a few weapons. Guns of every kind and melee weapons. Stephen and Elise took melee ones and a small pistol. Zacharie and Sophie took the bigger guns and a small shield. Luna didn’t know what to take, so she took what she was practicing with. A medium range gun.

– Alright, this is the strategy… remember we have to get 25 points… and we’ll only get it killing them… Luna are you ready for this? —asked Stephen, looking directly at her—.

Luna nodded. The place where the match was being carried out wasn’t that big, it had only a few small houses, like a normal neighborhood. Each team spawned in a different place. They went out of where they were and started to walk together, slowly so as not to be found. Stephen was guiding them; he was the most experienced soldier among them. They only walked for a bit before encountering an enemy troupe. Quickly, Stephen and Elise ran to them to start killing them. With that, they’ve already obtained the first 3 points.

This meant that there were 2 more people of the enemy’s troupe that were separated; one of them was hiding behind them and shot Luna.

Luna felt the shot as if it happened in real life. The deaths are quick, in only 30 seconds you respawn in the same place you woke up the first time. Elise ran to where Luna was.

– Luna! Are you alright?

– Y-yes… my abdomen hurts...

– That’s where you were shot… but you’re fine! Come on, lets defeat them and get out of here.

And like that, they continued to fight until there was a winner. It was a difficult battle for Luna, since it was her first time experiencing something like that. But she didn’t let that bother her, she kept fighting and dying as many times as it was necessary. At the end, Maeva’s Troupe 1 ended up being the winner.

Seconds after getting 25 points. Luna opened up her eyes and started to cough. She tried to get up but her hands were still tied up, meaning that there were still teams that were fighting in the coliseum. After 5 minutes the bracelets opened up along with the pods. Without delay, everyone got out of their pods.

– We won, Luna! —commented Elise, giving her a crushing hug—.

– That’s right…

Luna looked to her side, next to her were the pods of those of the troupe they fought. She stayed looking at it a few seconds, but the person inside of it wasn’t getting up, it seemed like they were unconscious. She got near it and put her hand over their forehead. It was cold. Luna opened up her eyes in surprise and took a step back.

– Wh-what…?

In that instant, the familiar robotic voice started to talk.

“Congratulations to the winner troupes. You have passed the first round without any inconvenience. As you may notice, the losing troupes haven’t gotten up their pods. Welcome to the true motive of why you are here… the losing teams won’t get up, never. They are dead.”

All the troupes were petrified and couldn’t breathe.

“In this game there is only one purpose: kill all the others. Resolving a war without spilling blood doesn’t exist, only in fantasy. Here, the losing team will die forever. So, make sure to win… if not you will never get up the pod.

The next round is in two days. Hope you prepare well, and… may the best team win.

…

…

A little detail. While you were on the pods, a collar was put on your necks, these collars are painted with different colors. The teams have been randomized. Your new troupe will consist of those who have your same color. Here the regions don’t exist, there is only 40 people who have to battle to not die. We will see you again in the next round.”

With that, the announcement ended.

TO BE CONTINUED.