Round One

Morning arrived, and since it was the official day of the Mist Games, I felt more anxious than usual.

I woke earlier than planned, packed a small bag with three identical combat suits Luna had made for me, and added a few casual clothes to wear at home. They said Horto had prepared some meals for me to take to Nowy, along with the finest fruits and vegetables from Jardim, so I’d have something to eat whenever I got hungry.

As always, Alba and Dom met me at the dorm, and together we headed to the central courtyard of the Jardim Botânico. There we found Luna, Aziza, Ghedi, Lorenzo, and Chefe.

“Innie! How have you been? It’s been so long since I last saw you!” Luna exclaimed, wrapping me in a hug as I stepped out of the minicar.

It had only been three days since we’d last met, but I hugged her back anyway.

“Inertia, these are Aziza and Ghedi, our two finest warriors, always on the front lines for Kera,” Chefe said, gesturing toward the siblings.

“Nice to meet you,” I said, shaking their hands.

Aziza greeted me warmly with a broad smile, while Ghedi kept his arms crossed and gave a curt nod.

“Come on, Ghedi, don’t ignore her,” Aziza chided.

“My apologies for the discourtesy,” he replied. “I fear I might lose control of my strength and end up breaking your fragile bones.”

Moments like this reminded me that I was the only human among them, and that my very existence was also my greatest weakness.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be counting on your help for the next three days,” I said.

Chefe continued, “From here, we’ll head to Nowy’s border, at the edge of our region, and from there we’ll board an air transport.”

We said goodbye to Luna and Lorenzo and climbed into a van-like vehicle that hovered above the ground.

As we left the Jardim behind, the scenery shifted drastically from the heart of Kera to its outer regions. The center was filled with technologies that made the environment welcoming and familiar, but beyond it the scars of the toxic mist were plain to see. Ruins of old buildings lay scattered across land veiled in a purplish haze, revealed only when the wind carried dust across the road.

The trip took about two hours. Rei and I both dozed off along the way, until Alba woke me to say we were about to board the space train.

The border with Nowy was jarring, as if two worlds existed side by side: one stripped bare, the other gleaming with unimaginable technologies. A protective dome shielded Nowy from the surrounding lands, stretching across both the ground and the sky.

As we crossed the border, Alba’s presence proved essential. She stepped forward, spoke with her colleagues, who clearly already knew her, and presented our IDs.

From outside, they asked for my seat’s window to be lowered, since I had no Eterno and needed to be identified visually. I caught the looks of astonishment and admiration on their faces the moment they saw me. It was the same look you give someone famous, and in a way, I was.

They cleared us through, and just like that we were officially inside Nowy.

I saw technologies I couldn’t name, but also tall buildings, blooming trees, and birds circling houses, sights I was familiar with from my own time. It was all real.

“Wow, Nowy is incredible. They even let Dom in!” I said as we moved toward our next transport.

“Dom’s freedom is restricted. He can only move within certain designated areas. I managed to negotiate his entry, but he’ll have to leave Nowy within three days,” Chefe replied.

“They’re ridiculous. Who would even want to stay here longer than three days?” Dom muttered, sulking.

We arrived at what looked like an ordinary train station. We stepped out of the vehicle and went inside. Wherever we were, every eye turned to us.

The “space train” was essentially an electric tram that left the station, rose to airplane altitude, and floated along an invisible track. I never would have imagined such technology could exist on Earth.

“How is this possible? A flying train?” I asked.

Dom laughed and explained that specific areas of Nowy had been mapped where gravity could be nullified without any collateral effects. Everything was calculated down to the millimeter. The train floated in the absence of gravity and was guided magnetically to its destination. So far, there had been no accidents, and it could travel at the speed of a regular airplane.

This way, we made our way to the center of Nowy, where the three matches for the title would take place.

At the final station, still inside the tram, Chefe outlined the security formation for my protection on the way to the sports center.

“Ghedi will take the front, Dom will cover the rear. Aziza on the right, Alba on the left. I’ll be beside Ghedi, holding the front line once we’re on the ground. The walk will take seven minutes. Protect her with your lives.”

Why all this? What was Chefe so afraid of?

“We’ll head straight to Inertia’s reserved room on the second floor of Block B. We’ll have two hours to prepare, and then the first round will begin,” he continued.

The moment we stepped off the tram, I understood the reason for all the precautions.

The place was completely packed. Humanoids of every shape and size were waiting outside.

“Inertia, can you look this way? Inertia, welcome back to Earth! Inertia, don’t you feel bad being with those people? Inertia...” Questions flew at me from every direction, and I couldn’t help but glance around.

A massive screen broadcast my arrival to the crowd.

“This is madness!” I shouted.

We pushed through safely until we reached our reserved room. Inside, there was food of every kind, sofas, and detox machines.

From the room, we had a clear view of the arena floor and the grandstands, already filling with the four-thousand-strong audience.

“Inertia, don’t eat anything from this room. We don’t know where it came from. This room is sterile, and we need to change your filter again. Come,” Alba instructed.

We spent the preparation time actually preparing. Dom went over Fanger’s weaknesses while I kept myself hydrated. I’d already eaten lunch on the way here, so I didn’t risk eating anything else.

Rei said he was mentally and physically ready for the fight, even though it was already past midnight in his own time.

***

Ten minutes before the start. My heart was pounding harder than usual. Even though I felt prepared, the anxiety in my chest was impossible to control.

There was a knock at the door, and they were summoned to the waiting room.

Chefe had already told us that Inertia’s security team wouldn’t remain together in one place and had assigned positions to each.

I heard footsteps, and from the voices I knew that only Alba had stayed beside Inertia, at her request.

“Innie, it’s only been a few days of training, but your performance has been excellent. Don’t be afraid of what you’ll see. You’ll be safe with Rei,” Alba said, trying to calm her.

“Alba’s right. Trust all of us, until the end,” I added.

I hadn’t promised that everything would go perfectly or that we would win, but I had asked her to trust me.

...

“Everyone, rise to welcome Fanger!” boomed the announcer’s voice as the fighters for the first round were introduced. “As you all know, the finalists have been preselected, and today we begin our knockout tournament. Only the winner of each round will advance to the next bracket, until the final champion is crowned.

Ladies and gentlemen, Fanger!”

The arena erupted in applause and cheers as his name was called.

“And now, the most anticipated fighter of the Mist Games, the princess of Nowy... Inertia!” the announcer declared.

“Princess of Nowy?!” I heard Inertia exclaim as she walked out.

I heard applause and cheers even louder than before, followed by the sound of Inertia’s footsteps as she approached Fanger.

I also heard heavy steps drawing closer to her.

“May the best win,” said a sharp, high-pitched voice, most likely Fanger.

“The competition will begin after the countdown,” announced the host.

“Three... two... one... Let the Games begin!”

End of Report 32