The night was dark and cold, especially in a hospital. Nina sat on the floor outside a room. The staff had allowed her to stay there for a moment. Fatigue weighed on her muscles, but she couldn't sleep. Her mother was in the next room, breathing heavily. Every sound reminded her that time was not on her side. Some things were inevitable, but she refused to break down. Her father had taught her that, and as long as they were still there, she would keep trying.
Meanwhile, outside, the sky split in two. A deep echo resounded through the air, an invisible pressure that made people freeze, as if a predator had entered their territory. The ground began to tremble. Nina stood up, her mind flooded with thoughts. She rushed into her mother's room, and at that very moment, the tremor stopped.
There had been no warning, no prior signs. Only a presence. Not in the sky, but everywhere, as if the world itself was speaking. A voice echoed in every person's mind, deep and serene, carrying the weight of millennia in its words.
—Congratulations, inhabitants of this world. You have been chosen to take part in the Grand Selection, the most transcendent event in the history of existence.— The voice carried no emotion, yet it wasn't hostile either. Just absolute certainty.
—You need not worry. We will handle everything. Your finest warriors have already been selected, those with the potential to transcend, to prove their worth before the supreme order. The opportunity to achieve the unimaginable lies before you.
The words struck deeply, not just because of their meaning, but because of the sensation they carried. As if an undeniable truth had been imposed upon their souls.
A sharp heat began to concentrate on the back of Nina's hand. It was a strange sensation, like something burning from within without truly scorching her.
Then, the mark began to form. At first, a faint glow emerged from beneath her skin, as if light itself was trapped inside. Thin lines traced with precision, spreading in golden and crimson hues. The strokes were fine yet defined, intertwining until they formed a unique emblem. When the glow finally faded, the mark remained, etched into her skin.
Before Nina could react, reality shattered around her. There was no transition, no gradual shift. In a single blink, she was no longer in the hospital.
She now stood in a vast space, an arena sculpted from white stone. Around her, dozens of people appeared out of nowhere, disoriented and confused. The sky if it could even be called that was of a color never seen before, a deep black interwoven with golden flickers.
Before them, beings watched. They didn't look human, nor did they resemble monsters. They were tall and ethereal figures, their bodies covered in luminous symbols that shifted with each blink. Their faces were indistinct, as if the mind refused to recall their features.
One of them spoke again.
—Welcome. You are the chosen ones. You will fight in this tournament until only the strongest remain. Victory will grant you what you desire most. The failure… will not be tolerated.
No one dared to ask what that meant. No one even dared to speak.
When those superior entities finished speaking, the air seemed to vibrate as they departed. Their figures dissolved into a blinding light, as if they had never belonged to that place. But their presence lingered, leaving behind a sense of unease and tension.
Nina kept her gaze forward, her expression serious and unwavering. However, inside, unease churned like a stormy sea.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind, clear and without origin.
—Welcome to the Grand Selection. The tournament will begin in three days. Teams will be formed under the system's rules. All participants must undergo the bonding process.
Before she could fully process those words, a warm light engulfed the area. Nina felt a tingling sensation on her skin, an odd feeling that started in her chest and extended to her hand. She looked down just in time to see a golden glow taking shape over her skin, a thread-like energy wrapping around her.
The burning was mild at first but quickly intensified. As if something was engraving itself into her body, something she could not reject.
—Pairing successful.
The mechanical voice was cold and distant, but what it left behind was undeniable.
Nina felt the presence of someone else not physically, but on a deeper level. That thread now connected her to another person in an unfamiliar way, a foreign yet impossible to ignore sensation. Her hand tensed instinctively, a reflex of someone unaccustomed to sharing their space with another.
She lifted her gaze, her expression hardening. She didn't need confirmation. On the other side stood a man with dark, slightly disheveled hair, sharp and cold eyes with an intriguing glint. He had an aristocratic air, his posture relaxed yet imposing. Nina averted her gaze when she noticed his expression one of cold calculation, as if assessing whether she was worth his time.
She pressed her lips together, trying to ignore the discomfort, yet the bond between them remained persistent, inescapable.
—The rules are simple. You will fight, survive, and grow stronger. Everyone will participate. Each team will share a single fate in this competition. If one falls, both fall.
The system's words echoed in her mind like an unbreakable sentence. She had never liked relying on anyone. She never had. But now, her fate was tied to another, a complete stranger.
Around her, people whispered. Some were alarmed, others tried to make sense of it all. As she looked around, Nina noticed that everyone was young. There were no children, no elderly.
—So, they only chose people within a specific age range?— she thought.
Suddenly, a screen appeared before her, displaying her name and information.
—It's a pleasure to work with you, Nina. From now on, I will be your assistant. I will answer any questions regarding the tournament. I highly recommend you familiarize yourself with the rules.
It was the same voice from before. It seemed only she could see and hear her assistant. Everyone else had the same focused stance, so she assumed it was a personal interaction. Testing it out, Nina decided to ask a question.
—Tell me, what exactly is this tournament? Those beings appeared out of nowhere, and now we're being forced to participate.
—Of course. Let me explain. Every so often, a universe is randomly chosen, and within it, a planet is selected to host the tournament. The Superiors are giving you the opportunity of a lifetime. If you win, you can transcend and become a Superior being, as well as have your greatest wish granted. However, the Superiors are strict in granting this gift. That is why there are rules that must not be broken. These are simple and easy to understand, so there will be no misunderstandings.
Nina listened carefully. Some things made sense, but she still had questions.
—About the reward, this 'gift'…
—Hey.
A deep voice interrupted her. Turning, she saw the man she had been paired with.
—Ah… hello.
—What are your abilities?
His tone was dry and direct. Nina noticed his lack of courtesy but ignored it. What mattered was that he had said something interesting. She lowered her gaze to the screen, searching.
—Shield and…
—You can just show me. You don't have to say it.
Nina frowned. —How was I supposed to know that? Was I supposed to master this in just twenty minutes?— Still, she calmed herself.
—Then I want to see yours too.— If he could demand, so could she. Maybe that way, she'd understand how to do it.
He observed her in silence. His expression remained unchanged, but after a brief moment, he pressed something on his screen. His information appeared before her.
—But I didn't see what he pressed!— Nina had no idea how to replicate it, but she wasn't about to fall behind.
—Show my abilities and relevant data.— She instructed her assistant. If she was saying something nonsensical, it would have been embarrassing, but luckily, the assistant obeyed. In seconds, her information was displayed before him, just as she reviewed his.
Nina's eyes quickly scanned the screen. That man was named Alistair Grosvenor, and his ability was called "Absolute Impact," a high-ranking offensive technique according to its description. His stats were also impressive, focused on offensive power. Moreover, he seemed to be someone important—did his position have something to do with this?
—I knew it.
His words felt like a verdict. He closed the screen.
—You can't be my partner.
His tone was cold and direct.
—Hey, assistant, is there a way to change?
A brief silence. Then, a short sigh. The answer must have been negative because Alistair said nothing else—he simply turned around and walked away, leaving behind a visible trace of exhaustion.
Nina watched him without moving. He hadn't insulted her directly, but she had always been rejected, and this was no exception.
—As if I had chosen to be your partner. Go ahead and find someone else for all I care! —she shouted.
She didn't know if he had heard her, but it didn't matter. She found him irritating. But at the same time, after seeing his information… she understood.