A World Beyond Imagination [END]

"..."

“We have arrived, everyone!” the wise speaker declared with a booming voice. “This here is our new friend, Kaito. Say hello, everyone!”

Before Kaito, a diverse group of individuals turned their attention toward him. Some were dignified and professional in uniforms similar to the wise speaker. Others wore sleek, form-fitting armour in shades of black, white, red, and yellow. There was an array of heights, builds, and ethnicities among them, each figure exuding a unique presence as they fixed their gazes on the newcomer.

Kaito, feeling the weight of so many eyes, coughed nervously and gave an awkward wave. “Uhm… Hi, everyone?”

"..."

A silence hung in the air for a moment before the room erupted into chatter.

“Oh my, he looks so young, doesn’t he, Nilesh?” an elderly woman remarked, her voice tinged with both curiosity and warmth.

“So, this is your recruit, Nilesh?” an older man in a white coat commented, his tone sceptical and his expression unimpressed as though appraising Kaito critically.

“Wow, he looks cute!” exclaimed a blonde girl with a ponytail, her enthusiasm cutting through the noise.

“He looks puny!” bellowed a muscular man, throwing his head back in laughter.

More voices joined in, some offering witticisms, others whispering to their neighbours, turning the lounge into a buzzing hive of activity. It was as lively as a concert, with Kaito standing as its reluctant star.

“Now, now, let’s not scare him,” the wise speaker interjected with a nervous smile, raising his hands in a peacemaking gesture. “He has only just awakened. Besides, he is younger than most of you, so let's give him a little room to breathe, alright?”

“How ironic, coming from you, old man,” a middle-aged woman in striking red armour said with a smirk, her long red hair flowing down her back. “Didn't you say you were planning to scare him with the outside world?”

"Shhhh!" the wise speaker gestured in front of his mouth, "we were supposed to keep that a secret!"

Kaito feeling uneasy, spoke, "What do you mean?"

"Alright," the wise speaker said, "Let me show you."

"Activate the real-time view!"

The interior suddenly shifted, as if the outside view had swapped places with the inside. The dome’s walls transformed into transparent screens, revealing a grim, desolate landscape beyond.

"..."

Kaito stared, his breath hitching. The world outside was just as the wise speaker had described.

A crimson sun suspended low in the sky, bathing the infertile terrain in an eerie red hue. No trace of blue skies, no greenery, no trees, only a vast, lifeless expanse of cracked brown earth disseminated with debris and stagnant pools of murky water. Only darkness loomed over the horizon.

Out of nowhere, the sand began to shift, and a massive, undulating shape emerged, heading straight toward the screen.

"!"

Without warning, a colossal dark creature burst from the sand, its grotesque maws gnashing at the screen. Kaito stumbled back, falling from his seat in terror. The sudden appearance left him wide-eyed and frozen. Thankfully, it was just the screen, but the projection was enough to send his heart racing.

The room erupted in laughter.

“Sorry, Kaito,” said a boy with mullet-style white hair, who looked to be about Kaito’s age. “It’s part of the tradition. At least you handled it better than muscle-brain over there.”

“What did you say, punk?!” the muscular man from earlier stepped forward, his veins bulging.

“You wanna go?” The white-haired boy stood his ground, smirking.

“Now, now,” the blonde girl with the ponytail interjected, stepping between them. “We were all scared the first time, remember?”

Kaito barely registered their banter, his attention fixated on the monstrous creature moving away from the screen. It was grotesque, green-skinned with purple scales along its back, supported by four massive, muscular limbs. Its face was horrifying, a fusion of a pig’s snout and a crocodile’s jaws, its size rivalling that of a bus.

“What… What is that thing?” Kaito stammered, his voice trembling.

“That, Kaito,” the wise speaker said calmly, “Is what we call a ‘demon.’ Well, we never were able to come up with a name for it.”

“Or you can always just call it the Pig-Snout Crocodile Monster 69!” chimed in a petite girl clad in pink armour, her voice gleeful.

“We are not calling it that!” the others shouted in unison.

“Aw…” the girl pouted with exaggerated disappointment.

Kaito turned back to the wise speaker, his voice shaking. “But how? How are you able to fight something like that?”

“Remember, Kaito?” The wise speaker’s smile returned. “AI?"

"It will teach you how to fight in the simulation room, so worry not.”

“And are we safe? Are you sure it won’t break in?” Kaito asked, glancing nervously at the screen.

“Don’t worry,” the wise speaker reassured him. “The dome’s defences are impenetrable. As for the attack, it's happening only because the AI has inverted the dome cameras, letting them see us as we see them. But fear not, it is all under our control.”

“Aha… Ha…” Kaito chuckled nervously, trying to mask his unease.

“Once again,” the wise speaker extended his hand, a warm smile on his face. “Welcome to the team, Kaito.”

"We hope you can help us uncover the mysteries of this world."

finito