Cryptic Attempt 2 beginning, good luck, Beta tester 1. Good luck, Beta tester 1.  Beta tester 1. 

“Get up, you’re almost on, hurry!”. 

“Wh-what?”

“I said get up brat, hurry!”. 

The heck? My eyes forced themselves open seconds after I heard all that. What happened? Where am I? 

I scanned the entire area I was in, it was just a white, clean room. But the Parasites? Suddenly, a loud noice boomed from some speakers. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, the qualifying matches have finally concluded, you know what’s next, elimination! In just a bit, the contestants will be ready to start and the show will begin! See you then!”. 

Wait where? Where were the others? They were just with me. “Harry? Jas-”. Damn it, Toby, son of a…

BOOM! 

“Get up, time to go” a tall guy said busting in. He came over towards me through a door I didn’t even notice. He was wearing heavy armor which was glowing up from all angles. I was surprised he had all this on but had no helmet? 

“I said get up kid”. 

“Where is Toby? I have to know”. 

“Listen, I don’t have time for this, come with me now!”. 

“No! That coward, where is he!” 

BANG! 

His fist smashed my jaw throwing me to the end of the room, I spat out blood before pushing myself up. 

“The only reason I’m not gonna rip your goddamn head off right now is cause I gotta get you down there. Now stop whining and come with me”. 

Who the heck was this guy?

“Come now, if you don’t, they’ll kill you anyway and let your opponent move on, your choice”. 

The guy began walking away but I stopped him, “wait, my opponent?”. 

He turned around instantly, “Yes, your damn opponent, now hurry up”. 

Opponent? What was he talking about? 

I walked myself out the room and began following him. Outside was a massive dark hallway with rooms everywhere. 

I ran up even more until I was finally behind him, “The heck do you mean opponent? Opponent for what?”. 

“It’s not my job to talk to you about this, you should know what I’m talking about anyways”. 

This made no sense, where the heck even was I? I was with Harry and Toby before I- before the wave!

The guy finally stopped in front of an elevator, “Alright, the lift will take you to the lower floor. Someone over there will go over everything with you and answer any questions you might have. Now get lost”. 

I fully ignored what he was saying, too much to think about. So I got hit by the wave. Luis said don’t get hit by the wave, he specifically said that. Did the wave bring me here then? Did the wave hit the others? How was that possible though, that made no sense. And what was this, a different country?!

The lift finally opened up, and it was big. Looked like it was made for around 20 people, and here I was jumping in alone. 

“My job for now is done, get in and the others will help you out once you're down there” the guy said. 

I took a step closer to him before speaking, “Wait, can you at least tell me where this is?”. 

“No”. 

I glared at him, “why not?”. 

He lunged forward and pushed me hard shoving me inside he lift, “Because I don’t have to”. 

I tried running forward but the elevator gates closed on me instantly, “Damn it!”. 

Ok calm down Leo, I was running with Harry before the wave hit all of us. Seemed like I was dead but then I woke up here alone. 

Crap, this didn’t add up, I got hit by the wave and then I just ended up here? Luis said don’t get hit but he didn’t say what would happen if I did…LUIS! 

That was it, I had to get in contact with Luis fast, he had to know what happened, he had to. I looked down at my wrist to see my watch, I smacked it hard once and the screen instantly turned on, perfect! 

As soon as I was about to click on it though, the lift opened up. 

I put the watch away and rushed outside, I was in what looked like a damn airport waiting lounge.

Only difference was like the guy's armor, the place had lights attached to the corner of every wall. 

“Maxwell, right? Don’t answer that I got it, you’re going to be umm, fourth right. Yes, you’re up fourth, just-just wait around here I guess until they call your name” a guy who looked half my height said. 

I glared at him speechless, “Listen, I don’t know what this place is at all, I’m up fourth for what?”. 

The man looked confused, “For your- for your match?”. 

“My match for what? The guy downstairs said something about an opponent but nothing else”. 

“Just t-take this, it has all the information about the tournament, you should have read it before but here you go”. 

Tournament? He handed me a damn hologram, it had a digital message on it.

Cryptic clash? Why did it have Cryptic in the name, why did everything have Cryptic now?

“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is finally time for our first elimination match! Our fighters are ready and will be in the center of the arena to face off in minutes, stay tuned!”. 

Everyone in the room stampeded towards the left wall, my gaze followed the people to a massive window. I began running towards it as well, this had to lead to something. 

I began sprinting while shoving people in my way until I finally made it next to everyone else. 

W-what… 

Through the glass was a little stage hovering in the middle of nowhere, it was barely the size of a basketball court. It was so damn small and the chances of falling were high. I couldn’t even see where someone would go if they did fall. Was this where the fights would happen?!

I looked around the stage and saw thousands of seats filled up with people cheering and screaming their lungs out. the heck was this!

“Move!” someone said while walking past me. 

Wait, that voice… My hips bounced to the side turning me around in less then a second, as crowded as the place was, I could see the person clearly. “Emma?!”.