The music on the speakers intensified. It was a known theme, a theme used for people like Olzaar Eronas. He simply stood there, adding to his mass presence. The music, a masterpiece of orchestral composition, was a sonic powerhouse. It featured bold brass, soaring strings, and driving percussion, creating a sense of epic scale and intensity. Everyone looked at him in awe and the contestants remained silent feeling threatened as he stood there still. The Warrior King himself was here! The arena was almost silent with slow discussion.
For that moment, the arena sat in an almost reverent hush, with only a murmur rippling through the crowd. Some eyes turned to the blazing firewall as they tried to understand the phenomena of it. No one dared break the almost silence.
Olzaar took a deep breath, his exhalation was visible like smoke from fire, curling in wisps before vanishing. Then his voice—commanding, unaffected by the chaos—cut through the air with lethal clarity. "Alright, alright," he began, each word steady. "I know what's been happening. I've been watching for a while, but when things reached this point, I finally had to step in." He let his words settle, his gaze scanned the restless throng.
Olzaar had a burning determination in his eyes, like he was about to say something that was a must to listen for everyone. Otherwise it'd be a terrible loss. The contestants stood still with silent murmurs, no one had anything to say to the warrior king as his aura was indicating that he commanded people's ears to listen and not their mouths to shit. He put his hand in his pant's pocket and took out a small mic. This mic was connected to all the speakers in the arena. No one knew that nor could anyone understand. "People. This arena as of now, is in my and my team's custody temporarily." He began. The speakers echoed his voice all over the arena, surprising everyone. The murmurs became louder from both the spectators' side and the contestants' side. The giants on the other side of the fire wall were also murmuring continuously. "Calm down people. CALM DOWN. I know you people are confused. From out of nowhere, a person who wasn't here for years has suddenly shown himself and is saying something that sounds nonsense to you, but kindly listen, we're halting this event!"
One of the contestants, eyes narrowed with defiance, broke the silence. "Oi! Whoever you are, warrior king or not, get out of our way, or we'll crush you too! Stop fooling around!"
"We're warriors here to kill these giants and win!" another voice echoed, his tone hard, challenging.
"Oi! You might be the warrior king, but what the actual hell do you mean this arena is in your custody?!!
"Stop joking. Take down this wall or turn it into ice—whatever magic trick this is, it's burning our skin and melting our weapons!"
"This arena, this whole city, this whole territory, the Mordul Uls—it's all run by the wealthy elites, their alliances with the Underworld Government, what do you mean your custody?!"
The venom in their voices darkened, and another contestant shouted, "Everyone who fights here is frustrated! This whole damn place is hell anyway! We're here to kill, to let loose, to feel a sick satisfaction in this chaos!"
The crowd jeered. Their shouts of hate passed through the red fog.
"CALM DOWN PEOPLE! AT LEAST LISTEN TO ME! WE AREN'T HIJACKING THIS ARENA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT!!"
The crowd stilled, waiting under the weight of Olzaar's gaze, a force that felt almost tangible, pressing down like an unseen hand. His voice, steady as an incantation, split the tense silence with an air of command and measured contempt.
"Whatever I am about to say, please listen carefully." Olzaar took a pause. His determination burned even brighter as he continued, "This is been broadcasted live on almost every single screen, every television and mobiles all over the territory of Mordul Uls. Before coming to the point and reason why I am doing all this, I'd like to ask you guys some questions. A guy here among the contestants said that he or anyone who is here, feels frustrated. 'We're here to kill, to let loose, to feel a sick satisfaction in this chaos', those are the exact words he said as I remember. Have you guys ever gone through such frustrations that you feel like killing someone?" The question hanged in the air and the crowd didn't know what to answer or moreover they thought, why answer his question?
"Okay, let me make this relatable and more understanding. Have you guys felt frustrated, mentally tortured, empty feelings on a usual basis without any reason at all?"
Everyone's attention was sought.
"If I were to ask you guys a reason, would it be the underworld government that is the reason for your frustration? Yeah? Maybe one of the reasons. But otherwise?... I don't just ask this question to people here in the arena but also to the people all over Mordul Uls territory."
The crowds' murmurs started getting louder. It felt like they were trying to answer his questions.
"Listen, listen. Let me ask you people all of my questions at once. Have you guys ever felt emotionally and mentally ripped apart but you couldn't explain it to anyone? You couldn't prove it to anyone? Do you sometimes feel a void in your heart and mind and feel incapable to define it like, why you feel that emptiness? Have you ever felt that you went through everything to achieve something important in your life and when you achieved it, it started feeling extremely meaningless, pointless, a waste of life? Have you tried to achieve something important in your life running behind it without giving up and yet each and every time that very goal slipped away from you the moment you reached near it? Has any guilt haunted you or is still haunting you very badly but people say it isn't or it was never your fault?....
The chaos started rising after each and every question, each and every word Olzaar spoke. The people started feeling eerie goosebumps. They started sweating, contestants included. Griswa had already realized what he was talking about. Yesdar, Malaes and Virumi too realized the same but everything was feeling so indescribably strange.
"Have you stopped trusting the world around you?" Olzaar asked in a very dark tone.
Olzaar scanned the arena, but he ignored the people's screams for now. They were feeling relatable. Yes, this had happened with them. One or the other things that Olzaar mentioned had happened with them. Suddenly all this was becoming their concern more than the tournament. The people all over Mordul Uls started staring at one another, on anyone that was around them; Friends, families, strangers.
"Mom, I have been feeling guilty of something from a very long time. I don't know why but I feel awful. I didn't do anything wrong. My friends say me I didn't do anything wrong. Why do I feel this?" A little girl said to her mother, crying and holding her tightly.
"Me too, my baby. I don't know why, but something, everyday, makes me feel so empty even though I have everything." The mother replied, holding her child as if she was shielding her from the torment she had gone through.
"I went to the doctor. He said I was completely normal, I had no mental issues. But I have never stopped feeling this, the world around me, haunts me." A victim said.
"I went to a psychologist too. But she said, she couldn't answer something she herself never understood."
"As a doctor, why didn't I feel like saying something to my patients?"
"Why do I feel like this?"
"Why do I feel like this?"
"Why do I feel like this?"
"Why do I feel like this?"
"Why do I feel like this?"
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Why?"
"WHY?"
"WHY?"
"WHY?"
"WHY?!"
"WHY??!!"
"WHY???!!!!"
"But here's the twist. You've gone through all these things yet somehow a voice under you has asked you to let it all go because you cannot find any real and perfect reason for your internal mental torment. Even if you're uncomfortable and feeling tormented from the world around you, you still do not want to go away from it. It has become so extremely indescribable that you either forget it or you don't, or are trying and not trying at the same time. You keep living and do your jobs, but you always know something's eating you and you don't say that to anyone. Not because you don't want to, but because you have no reason, a voice says you not to. Whatever you are going through, the people in front of you are going through something similar. The only reason you can give to yourself, and the others will give you for their problems is the 'Underworld Government'. But only for crimes and financial conditions of this territory. What if I told you there's something darker than the crimes that the Underworld Government is committing? The reason for your frustrations and mental torment that you could never understand?"
There was silence. Not the one demanded, but the one needed. Everyone trembled. Olzaar continued, "And I know all this had begun just 3 years ago in Mordul Uls. Today I'll expose the Underworld Government that you already hate, to an even greater level. Something that is not a crime but a sin, something that you all have forgotten. Have you ever wondered that even though you hate the Underworld Government so much, you all still came here to this show that was organized by the Underworld Government and their alliance with the wealthy elites?"
The crowd began its murmuring once again, discussing about this. They felt an eerie aura inside themselves, beginning to haunt them. "Exactly. And I know you guys won't have a reason. Why? Why do I feel like this? Today, out of nowhere I simply wondered I wanted to see violence, bloody violence."
"The truth is... that each and every person, from an infant to all the golden agers, not thousands, not millions, but billions, anyone and everyone here has been a victim of something called as Intelligence Commanding for three bloody years!"
The chaos ensued like never before. Everyone started getting up from their seats as if their slow madness was consuming them. The contestants dropped their weapons. Griswa kept watching and listening to Olzaar as he was getting the answers and reasons behind the emotional energy shifts of the people there. From the beginning, Griswa had noticed that the contestants were frustrated, their frustration energy was high and that's why they aimed to kill more than competing. In a moment, this competition had led to an unexpected turn of event. But still there remained infinite questions left unanswered.
Intelligence Commanding? Fheniz never spoke about this. Where did this come from? How is this possible?! What the hell is happening? It's too confusing. But all I can do is keep listening.
Yesdar and Malaes too had no idea. Virumi was tensed, her mind couldn't gather any words, the chaos was that deep.
"What if I told you that these three years, wherever you went, whatever you did, whatever you felt, whatever you thought... was never your own decision?"
"LIAR!!"
"THAT CANNOT BE TRUE!!!!"
"IF THAT'S THE CASE THEN WHATEVER YOU'RE SAYING IS NOT YOUR OWN DECISION TOO! NOT YOUR OWN WORDS TOO!"
"YEAH!"
"HE IS TRAPPING US IN SOMETHING WE DON'T UNDERSTAND!!"
"WE CAN'T TRUST YOU!!"
"LET US OUT!!"
"WE CAN'T TRUST YOUR HALF-BAKED TRUTH. USING OUR MENTAL CONDITIONS, YOU'RE TRAPPING US!"
Olzaar was silent for a while, his eyes darkened second by second. "The reason I am not a victim like you all is because I am not from Mordul Uls.... I.... am.... an.... Ondra Hadrakshis."
Virumi got up from her seat the moment she heard that! She stood still and was shocked like never before.
What's with this guy?! He comes out of nowhere and says all these things?! This is becoming way too complicated! Griswa wondered aloud in his mind. He was too going through his own mind chaos, not able to understand. Olzaar Eronas, I need to question you!
"Fourteen years ago, I had secretly infiltrated this country with my subordinates. If you guys wondering what happened to the Ondra Hadrakshis... after we were left on the land and the other territories rose before us, our ancestors decided to leave the land of Aximia almost 6000 years ago. After I learned the histories, I traveled some places and came back here with a purpose. Because I had learned a terrible truth that has been hidden for thousands of years. The time I lived here, I have known many things. Our group had split and we infiltrated all the territories to collect necessary information and understand how each territory worked. There are many things I am still left to say, to make you people realize, knowing that you are confused and cannot understand what is happening here, but trust me. I am not your enemy."
The crowd, every person there had no choice but to listen.
"We do not have much time, so I need you guys to understand this. Let me be short and simple. Using Intelligence Commanding, no matter how fantasized it may sound, the Underworld Government has used a pawn called as 'The Serpent' to alter the very foundation of your brains that'd reshape the humanity of a person itself. Using Intelligence Commanding they have made you forget about the Seven Sins that originated exactly after the Yahunyens took over the world."
The crowd began to wonder, "What seven sins?"
"Yes exactly. You guys have forgotten the legend of the seven-headed serpent that was created by us Ondra Hadrakshis ourselves. You guys have forgotten about the seven sins' existence in these three years. It was taught to all of you!! But using Intelligence Commanding, they made you forget those sins and ironically used them against you, so that you never realize what's happening. And from there, the re-evolution of your brains had begun.
"Why is this happening?! And for what purpose?!" The people shouted.
Olzaar's tone was dark, his answer was enigmatic.
"The Yahunyens are coming."