[The screen pulsed. The timer began its countdown.]
[00:59]
Tejas (hesitant, raising a hand): "Wait—if we're forming teams, how many people per team? Can we add or remove members?"
[The Coordinator's twisted gaze turned toward him. Its eyes burned deeper this time.]
The Coordinator (annoyed): "Three members per team. No more. No less."
[It hovered forward, closer to the screen.]
The Coordinator: "From now on… every question will cost you."
[A new icon blinked on each person's system screen — a coin counter set to zero.]
The Coordinator: "Coins… will be earned through entertainment. Through chaos. Through survival. Ask wisely."
[Without another word, it began to vanish — pixel by pixel — fading into static.]
[But just before it left, it raised one hand and spoke again.]
The Coordinator (coldly): "A demonstration. For those who doubt our will."
[Suddenly — the world screamed.]
[Scene cuts: A plane flying over Europe.]
[The aircraft crossed a border — just a sliver of international space.]
SCREEEECH.
[Its engines exploded mid-air. The plane split in half, its fuselage spinning toward the earth like a dying comet.]
[Scene cuts: A high-speed train crossing into another country.]
[People on board laugh, talk — unaware.]
Then— SLASH.
[Invisible blades shred through the train like paper. Blood splatters the windows. Limbs hit the glass like thrown fruit. The train rolls to a stop. Silent.]
[Scene cuts: Skies around the world.]
Planes fall.
One after another.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
[Jets, commercial liners, helicopters — all crashing like dead birds.]
In just one minute, over eighty thousand people were dead.
Children became orphans. Fathers clutched the ashes of daughters. Mothers screamed into the sky.
[Back on the streets, people stare at their screens. Frozen.]
Aryan (quietly): "They're serious…"
Dev (narration): We thought the worst was over when the sky cracked. When the system appeared. When the Coordinator spoke.
But that… That was just the opening act.