Darkness stretched endlessly in all directions, speckled with the shimmering glow of distant stars. A colossal fleet moved through the void, their hulls gleaming under the light of nearby nebulae. Battleships, frigates, and cruisers—each vessel a masterpiece of engineering—formed a formation that signified dominance and order. At the helm of the flagship, a man stood, his gaze locked onto the holographic display before him.

He was the Supreme Fleet Commander, ruler of the cosmos, a legend among the stars. Planets bowed to his will, civilizations trembled at the mention of his name. Yet, none of it compared to the sheer thrill of exploring the unknown.

The fleet soared toward an uncharted system, its star pulsing with an eerie blue light. He could feel the anticipation bubbling within him as they neared their destination. The whispers of discovery, the thrill of conquest—it was what he lived for.

"Supreme Commander, incoming pirate fleet detected!" a voice crackled through the intercom.

He turned, his expression unyielding. A swarm of enemy ships burst forth from the darkness, their weapons locked onto his fleet. The silence of space was replaced by the deafening hum of energy cannons charging, the distant glow of missile trails cutting through the void.

"Engage them. Show them no mercy."

His voice was calm, but his crew knew the storm behind it. The battle erupted in an instant. Beams of plasma crisscrossed the battlefield, explosions illuminated the abyss, and ships twisted and turned in a deadly dance. His command ship maneuvered with precision, tearing through the enemy lines with its superior firepower.

A single enemy battleship loomed ahead, its size nearly rivaling his own. Its cannons glowed menacingly, ready to unleash destruction.

"Concentrate all fire on that ship," he commanded.

As his fleet obeyed, a sudden transmission cut through the comms—an unfamiliar voice echoing through the bridge.

"Traveler… you are close to the truth. The Final System awaits."

His breath hitched. "Who is this?"

No response. Only the hum of static remained.

Something stirred deep within him. The Final System. It was a myth, a legend whispered among explorers—an end, yet a beginning. A place beyond time itself. He had scoured countless galaxies, yet he had never found proof of its existence. And now, an unknown entity was guiding him toward it?

A choice presented itself. The battle was nearly won, but something told him that this was more important.

"Prepare the warp drive," he ordered. "We're going to the Final System."

His crew hesitated. "But Commander, the battle—"

"We don't have time. Do it."

Reluctantly, the warp sequence began. The ship trembled as space itself bent around them, the stars stretching into elongated streaks of light. The moment of transition was always a rush—an exhilarating dive into the unknown.

But just as they were about to cross the threshold, everything shattered.

He gasped awake.

His chest heaved, his mind still entangled in the dream. The ceiling of his small apartment came into focus, the distant hum of city life filtering through the walls. He rubbed his temples, the vividness of the experience still lingering like an echo in his skull.

A dream. It was just a dream.

With a sigh, he sat up, running a hand through his unkempt hair. He had been playing No Man's Sky before falling asleep, and his mind had turned it into some kind of grand space-faring adventure. He had always been obsessed with space, fascinated by the idea of venturing beyond the stars, exploring the unknown, forging his own destiny among the galaxies. But in reality, he was just an ordinary man stuck on Earth, living an unremarkable life.

He glanced at the clock. 3:47 AM. He groaned. Another night lost to his obsession with space.

Shaking off the remnants of the dream, he stood and walked to his window, gazing at the night sky. The stars twinkled, oblivious to his longing to be among them. He chuckled bitterly. If only I could travel the universe for real.

As if in response, a shiver ran down his spine. A strange sensation prickled at the edges of his consciousness.

A soft beep sounded from his computer. His eyes darted to the screen, which was inexplicably on despite him being sure he had shut it down earlier. A single line of text flickered on the display:

"Traveler… The Final System awaits."

His heart nearly stopped.

He staggered back, his breath caught in his throat. This had to be some kind of prank… right? His hands trembled as he reached for the keyboard, hesitating before typing a response.

Who are you?

The cursor blinked. Silence stretched. Then, more text appeared.

"You have been chosen."

His room trembled. A deep hum resonated through the air, growing louder with each passing second. The lights flickered wildly. A brilliant flash filled his vision, and then—

Everything went dark.

When he opened his eyes, he was still in his apartment—but something was different.

A strange interface hovered before him, translucent and pulsing with an otherworldly glow. Symbols and text shifted across its surface, seemingly alive. His mind reeled as he tried to process what he was seeing.

A system. A gift.

It wasn't just a dream anymore. Something had changed. Something beyond his understanding had chosen him.

He reached out hesitantly, his fingers brushing against the glowing interface. The moment he made contact, a flood of information surged into his mind—coordinates, equations, unfamiliar languages. Knowledge beyond human comprehension. The Final System was real. And he had been given the means to find it.

His heart pounded as he looked at the window again. The stars seemed closer than ever, as if beckoning him.

This is it. This is my chance.

His old life felt like a distant memory now, fading into irrelevance. He had longed for something greater, and now the universe itself was calling to him.

He took a deep breath and whispered the words that would change everything.

"I'm ready."

The interface pulsed, the symbols realigning. Hais surroundings blurred, space itself bending and twisting around him. A final thought crossed his mind before the universe swallowed him whole:

The journey begins now.