In a grand chamber, there were two beds—one occupied, the other spotless and empty. The occupied side had a young man with messy black hair sprawled on the bed, snoring like a chainsaw.
The silence was shattered by a persistent ringing from a nearby counter, where a watch-like device sat, ringing like it was auditioning for the role of the world's most annoying alarm clock.
Elijah's face twisted in annoyance with each ring. Realizing the noise wouldn't stop on its own, he groggily reached out for the device. "Who is it?" he mumbled, still half-asleep.
"Elijah!" a female voice responded sharply, snapping him to attention.
"Julia?"
"Where are you? Kai's match is about to start!" Her voice was thick with irritation.
"Oh, right! I'm on my way," Elijah exclaimed, leaping out of bed in a panic. "But why didn't Kai wake me up?"
"He tried, but you were dead to the world. He even splashed water on your face, but you didn't budge," Julia replied, her tone exasperated. "What kind of coma were you in?"
Elijah scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, must have been a really good dream."
"Just hurry up. Kai's match starts in twenty minutes."
"Got it," Elijah said, ending the call with a sigh. "Julia can be scarier than any nightmare," he muttered, quickly changing his clothes. He threw on a black hoodie, half-zipped over a white shirt, and pulled on black pants and shoes. Skipping a shower, he dashed out of the chamber and headed for the gate.
As he reached the gate, he noticed a group of people gathered. They all turned to stare at him, making him feel like a bug under a microscope. Ignoring the attention, he tried to walk through, but life, as usual, had other plans. The group blocked his path, led by a towering man who looked like he ate nails for breakfast.
"What do you want?" Elijah asked, trying to keep his annoyance in check.
The group chuckled, and the big guy smirked. "Are you the Sky warrior, ranked 520th?"
Elijah rolled his eyes. "What if I am?" he retorted, irritation creeping into his voice. He kept his guard up, ready for trouble.
"Great! Would you mind coming with us?" the man asked, his polite tone undermined by his fake smile. Elijah sensed danger and decided not to play along.
"No, thanks," he said, thinking about taking a detour. But before he could act, the group surrounded him. 'These guys are really getting on my nerves,' he thought.
"Where are you going, Sky warrior? I thought you were coming with us," the man taunted, his smirk widening.
Elijah considered his options. Fights were forbidden in the domes, but these jokers were making it hard to follow the rules. "Keep blocking my way, and you'll regret it. Or step aside and go back to your leader," he warned.
The group frowned, and weapons appeared in their hands. 'Why can't they just leave me alone?' Elijah wondered. Suddenly, a powerful force surged from behind, prompting him to use a flash step and vanish.
BOOM!
Elijah reappeared a meter away, narrowly avoiding the big guy's fist, which smashed a part of the street. "Say what you want, but never disrespect our superiors," the man said, pointing at Elijah. "If you won't come peacefully, we'll make you."
'He's strong, and this isn't the right time. Plus, I like this hoodie,' Elijah thought. "Fine, lead the way."
Meanwhile, at the arena, Julia sat among the spectators, her face a mix of worry and annoyance. "He should be here by now. Where is he?" she muttered. "He promised to be on time. Maybe he got lost...."
As the previous match ended, she checked the arena. "Kai's match is next." Her bracelet vibrated, and she read the message, her eyes widening in shock.
"If you don't see me for more than four hours, assume I'm dead. Farewell and enjoy your life. 😆😂😂🤣🤣🤣"
"What the heck?" she exclaimed, her voice drawing curious looks from the nearby spectators.