In 1999, as the world approached the turn of the millennium, a series of unprecedented natural disasters shook the planet. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and attacks by mutated animals sent shockwaves through every corner of the globe, resulting in the loss of 7% of the global population within days. As time passed, the frequency and severity of these disasters intensified, spreading panic like wildfire across the globe.

As the final hours of 1999 drew near, something even more extraordinary happened. When the clock struck midnight, and the year 2000 began, colossal towers suddenly and mysteriously rose from the ground, appearing worldwide. People fled in terror from these structures, which loomed with an otherworldly presence. The towers pierced the sky, their imposing forms resembling divine entities.

Strangely, as these towers emerged, the natural disasters that had ravaged the Earth began to subside, one by one. From the first fully formed tower, an entity emerged.

It was no ordinary figure. Towering over the crowd, its body was draped in an endless cloak of black, absorbing light like a void. Its skin, a sickly gray, clung to its bones as if stretched too thin. It moved with an eerie, fluid grace, each step echoing like a death knell. Its long fingers, sharp and claw-like, twitched as if aching to tear through someone.

But it was the entity's face that froze the world in fear. Its form was a nightmarish blend of sharp, angular, and grotesquely exaggerated. Sunken eyes of pure white burned with an unnatural, malevolent glow, and where a mouth should have been, there was a wide, lipless grin that stretched impossibly far across its face. The smile was too wide, too sharp, like the maw of a predator savoring the scent of its next kill. And from that smile, a faint mist escaped, twisting in the air like smoke from a fire not yet extinguished.

The mere presence of the creature seemed to warp the atmosphere, turning the air thick and oppressive. Some fell to their knees, struggling to breathe under the weight of its terrifying aura. Its smile grew wider still, mocking their fear, as if feeding on it. The crowd was rooted in place, transfixed by the sheer horror of what they were witnessing.

The figure spoke, its voice a chilling whisper that somehow boomed across the world. The sound was like nails scraping across stone, a cacophony of death and despair. It was a voice that crawled into the minds of those who heard it, leaving a mark they would never forget.

"The time given to your species has ended," the figure declared, its voice oozing malice. "Now, it's time to show your progress." Raising its grotesque arms, its bony fingers flexed as though grasping at the very souls of those before it, it continued, "Finally, it's time for gifts."

Suddenly, a blinding white light burst forth, momentarily breaking the crowd's gaze. When it faded, the "will of the tower" had awakened in certain individuals. Their eyes, now as white as the creature's, glowed with an eerie brightness. Before them appeared a message: "The Tower welcomes you."

In that instant, they knew their lives were no longer their own. They were chosen to ascend the tower, and the fate of their world rested on their shoulders.

The creature's grin stretched even further—if that were possible—and it slowly began to retreat into the tower. But before vanishing completely, it whispered one final, bone-chilling sentence:

"Let the games begin."

As the crowd stood frozen in terror, paralyzed by fear, the entity disappeared into the tower, leaving only its lingering malice behind.

Suddenly, around the world, monsters began attacking, and space itself started to crack. From these cracks, gates began to form, and through them came creatures: goblins, slimes, orcs, snakes, wyverns, griffins, minotaurs, sprites, golems, and many more.

On that fateful day, amidst all the chaos, a baby was born. With her dying breath, his mother named him Hope.