1 Prologue
Park Hyunjae was tired. Not physically, but mentally.
Every day felt the same. Wake up, go to university, sit through boring lectures, go home, and spend the rest of the night playing games. It was the only thing that kept him entertained. Life was dull, repetitive, and predictable.
Tonight was no different. His room was dimly lit by the glow of his monitor, with empty ramen cups stacked beside his keyboard. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the screen as the victory message popped up.
"Another win," he muttered, bored.
Even gaming wasn't as exciting as before.
He sighed, rubbing his eyes. Maybe he had played too much lately.
He scrolled through his game library, looking for something new, but nothing interested him. He had played everything, beaten everything. Nothing felt exciting anymore.
Outside his window, the city stretched far into the distance, its neon lights blinking. From this high up, the world looked alive. cars moving, people walking, buildings glowing.but to Hyunjae, it all felt lifeless. Just another night. Just another routine.
Then, suddenly
BZZZT!
The screen glitched.
Hyunjae frowned. His game froze, the sound cut out, and the city lights outside his window flickered weirdly.His phone vibrated nonstop on the desk, its screen flashing with static.
Something was wrong.
He reached for his phone, but the moment his fingers touched the screen, a blinding golden light burst from it. He stumbled back, covering his eyes.
Then he heard it.
A deep, powerful voice echoed in his mind, as if many voices were speaking at once.
❖ WE ARE THE CELESTIALS. ❖
Hyunjae's breath caught. His room trembled, his computer monitor cracked, and outside, the entire sky split open.
Through the cracks, huge golden screens appeared, stretching across the sky. They weren't just outside his window. The same screens had appeared all over the world.
❖ YOUR WORLD HAS BECOME BORING. TO FIX THAT, WE WILL GIVE YOU A GAME. ❖
A game?
Hyunjae's heart pounded. This wasn't a prank. This wasn't a game update. This was real.
He looked out the window. People in the streets were panicking. Some pointed at the sky, others ran, and some just stood frozen. Around the world, every phone, TV, and billboard displayed the same golden text.
❖ PLAY, AND YOU MAY SURVIVE. REFUSE, AND YOU WILL BE ERASED. ❖
Hyunjae's hands clenched into fists. He didn't know who these beings were, but it was clear this wasn't a choice.
The golden screen flickered again, and new words appeared.
❖ GAME STARTING IN 10 SECONDS ❖
A countdown.
Hyunjae's pulse raced. What kind of game was this? How was he supposed to prepare for something he didn't understand?
9… 8… 7…
He grabbed his phone, hoping to find answers, but the screen was frozen. There was no way to escape this.
6… 5… 4…
The room grew colder. The golden light became stronger. The very air around him felt like it was bending.
3… 2… 1…
Then, without warning, his entire room shattered.
The walls, the floor, even the air itself broke apart like shattered glass, turning into glowing fragments. The city outside vanished, swallowed by a bright golden light.
Hyunjae barely had time to think before his vision blurred, his body pulled into the unknown.
The last thing he saw before everything went dark.
❖ WELCOME TO THE CELESTIAL GAMES.❖