Owen and Grace cruised down one of the many winding streets of Havec City. The buildings around them reached high into the sky, disappearing into the light mist above. Their sleek black car hummed softly amidst the sound of the city, with people talking, vendors calling out, and the low rumble of other vehicles gliding along the roads.

  Grace leaned toward the open window, her eyes wide behind her dark lenses as she took in the sight of the towering structures. Her gaze dropped to the sidewalks below, which teemed with movement—workers, children, droids, street performers, food stalls. It was louder and more crowded than she expected.

  "There’s so many people," she said aloud, pulling back slightly and turning to Owen. "How many do you think live here?"

  Owen kept his eyes on the road, casually steering around a slow-moving vehicle. "Probably in the tens of millions."

  Just then, Ann’s voice echoed softly from Owen’s OmniBand. "There are approximately twenty-one million, three hundred forty-two thousand people currently residing in Havec."

  Owen nodded once. "Well, there you go."

  He eased the car to a stop at a red light, the hoverpad underneath vibrating slightly as it stabilized the vehicle in place. He lifted his wrist and tapped the screen on his OmniBand. "Ann, message the group. Tell them to split up and find unpopular hotels to stay at, the kind that won’t ask too many questions."

  "Message sent." Ann confirmed.

  Owen exhaled and looked through the windshield at the ever-bustling city. "Let’s go and find our own place."

  Owen tapped his OmniBand. "Ann, find a spot for us."

  "Alright." Ann replied calmly.

  A few seconds passed before the dashboard lit up with a glowing path. "I’ve found a location that matches your criteria. Sending directions now."

  Owen gave a small nod and followed the holographic route that blinked onto the car’s display. As he steered deeper into the city, the surroundings started to shift. Towering skyscrapers gave way to shorter, more run-down buildings.

  Sidewalks became dirtier. Street signs flickered with broken lights. Shady figures loitered in doorways and alleyways, their eyes tracking every car that passed. A police hover car suddenly roared past them, sirens blazing, and vanished down the street in seconds.

  Grace glanced at Owen, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing. They continued through the rougher part of the city until finally, they pulled into a cracked and faded parking lot beside a decrepit four-story building. The walls were littered with old, colorful graffiti, some of it artistic, some just vandalism. The hotel's neon sign buzzed, flickering in and out.

  Owen parked and cut the engine. "I love this place already."

  They grabbed their suitcases from the trunk and headed inside. The front lobby smelled of stale smoke and mold. The overhead lights buzzed faintly, casting a dim yellow hue. At the front desk sat a tired-looking woman with dark circles under her eyes, slowly puffing on a cigarette. She barely glanced up at them.

  Grace stepped forward. "One room."

  The woman wordlessly reached under the desk, pulled out a keycard, and slid it across the counter. Grace paid without saying a word, and they turned to head down the hall.

  The narrow staircase creaked under their feet as they climbed. The walls were as defaced here as they were outside—graffiti, old posters, even knife marks. Finally, they reached the door with the number blinking half-lit above it.

  Grace slid the card into the lock. With a soft beep, the door creaked open.

  Inside, the room was small. A single unmade bed sat against the wall, the sheets tangled and thin. The lone window had a visible crack across it, letting in a cold draft. A broken fan whirred lazily on the ceiling.

  Owen stepped in, looked around, and smirked. "Looks great."

  Grace shook her head. "It looks worse than I had expected."

  They placed their suitcases on the bed and stood for a moment, taking in their temporary base.

  Grace let out a long sigh and stepped toward the bed. "I’ll at least straighten out the corners or something."

  She grabbed one edge of the sheet and lifted it, but immediately recoiled. Her face twisted in disgust as she stared at the blackened side of the mattress. "Uh, what the fuck is that?"

  Owen, walking toward the window, barely glanced back. "Probably mould."

  He slid the cracked window open with a bit of resistance and leaned on the frame, staring out at the street below. His face relaxed into a small smile. The noise, the flickering lights, the distant shouting, the hum of hover cars passing overhead. It all felt familiar.

  "This reminds me of my own city." he said, half to himself.

  Just as the thought lingered in his mind, a soft chime came from his OmniBand. He looked down to see Jason Calling flash across the screen.

  Turning away from the window, Owen tapped to answer. Jason’s face popped up in the projection.

  "You guys find a place to stay?" Jason asked.

  Owen nodded. "Yeah, we did." He glanced toward Grace, and raised an eyebrow.

  She now had the collar of her shirt pulled up over her nose and was standing rigidly with her back pressed to the wall. Her eyes met Owen’s and she didn’t say a word, just gave a deadpan look.

  Owen turned back to Jason. "But it’s… not exactly a five-star stay."

  Jason chuckled. "Yeah, our spot’s kind of a dump too. Kids spotted a video game store while we were driving. They’re begging me to go check it out."

  He paused, then added, "You two want to come with us?"

  Owen looked to Grace. She lowered her shirt collar just enough to speak, her voice dry. "I’m not staying in this room all day. Definitely not."

  Owen smiled faintly and turned back to the call. "Yeah, we’ll meet up with you."

  ***

  Owen and Grace walked down the cracked sidewalk, blending in with the crowd. Owen wore a dark navy hoodie with the hood pulled up under a black baseball cap, dark pants, and a pair of worn grey sneakers.

  Grace had on a loose-fitting beige jacket over a white crop top, light blue ripped jeans, white trainers, and a black cap that sat low on her forehead.

  The two kept a steady pace until up ahead, they spotted the rest of the group waiting just past a street corner.

  Jason stood in front, hands in the pockets of his red windbreaker, his grin wide when he spotted Owen and Grace approaching. Katherine stood beside him in a green bomber jacket and black joggers, arms crossed and eyes scanning the street. Will, Lucas, and Lissie were in varying shades of cozy hoodies and sweats.

  Jason lifted a hand and waved. "There you are."

  Owen gave him a nod, and Grace offered a small wave back as they neared.

  Jason turned and pointed to the massive building looming beside them. Animated holographic signs wrapped around its sides, displaying ads for the latest games and tech.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "That’s the place."

  Before anyone could respond, Lissie tugged on both Will’s and Lucas’s sleeves, bouncing slightly on her feet. "They’re here, so let’s go inside already!"

  Without waiting for a reply, the trio headed straight for the entrance.

  The others exchanged glances before following after them.

  The inside of the building was dimly lit, bathed in neon lights that pulsed from the walls and arcade machines. Music blasted from every direction, overlapping with the chaotic sounds of explosions, digital voices, and players shouting over each other.

  People of all ages filled the space, crowding around popular machines and dashing from one corner to another. Flashing signs pointed towards different attractions—virtual arenas, prize counters, and upper-level lounges.

  Will, Lucas, and Lissie lit up the moment they stepped through the door. Without hesitation, they bolted ahead and zeroed in on the first arcade game they laid eyes on. It was a flashy, dual-seat driving simulator with glowing blue and red lights.

  They pushed past a few people loitering around the machine and dropped into the seats with excitement. Lissie quickly grabbed the wheel of the left seat, while Will and Lucas shared the other, taking turns between steering and shifting.

  Owen and the others caught up and stood behind them, watching as the trio raced through pixelated city streets on the screen, crashing into walls and yelling over one another.

  Jason leaned in close to Owen over the noise. "This place is fun, but maybe we should find something we can all do."

  Owen nodded. "Yeah, let’s look around."

  Grace, Katherine, and Jason followed Owen as they weaved through the crowd, heading for one of the wide staircases off to the side. As they ascended to the second floor, the noise dimmed slightly, but the lights and chaos continued. They passed claw machines and rhythm games before coming across a large zombie shooting game with four mounted guns and a giant curved screen.

  "Perfect." Jason said, stepping up to the left side and grabbing one of the mounted rifles.

  Owen took the one beside him, while Grace and Katherine picked up the remaining two. As the game loaded, the massive screen split into four perspectives, each showing their character’s first-person view inside a run-down, post-apocalyptic city.

  The game began with a loud groan from the speakers as zombies shambled onto the screen. The group tightened their grips on the guns, fingers ready on the triggers.

  They began shooting, casually at first, with only a bit of effort behind their aim. Bullets peppered the oncoming zombie horde, but no one seemed particularly invested. The points trickled in slowly, a few headshots here and there, some missed opportunities, and plenty of laughter as they fumbled around with the guns.

  The first round ended and the scoreboard lit up across the screen:

  Player 1 - 4th

  Player 2 - 3rd

  Player 3 - 1st

  Player 4 - 2nd

  Grace, listed as Player 3, raised her eyebrows. "Huh. I’m first?"

  Jason, Player 1, groaned and slumped forward. "Last?"

  Owen, who had landed third as Player 2, just shrugged, clearly unbothered. But Katherine, Player 4, leaned in and gave him a long look. A rare, smug smile curled onto her face.

  "I beat you." she said, voice light with taunt.

  Owen’s eyebrow twitched. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Nah, no way. Let’s go again."

  They fired up the next round, and this time it was war.

  They leaned forward, guns clutched tight, eyes locked on the screen. They dodged reloading penalties, timed their headshots, and went for every combo bonus. The second round was a flurry of focused energy, and the scoreboard reflected it:

  Player 1 - 4th

  Player 2 - 2nd

  Player 3 - 1st

  Player 4 - 3rd

  "Still first." Grace said with a grin, casually brushing hair behind her ear as if it were no big deal.

  Owen smirked and called out, "Damn, where’d your aim go, Kath?"

  Katherine clenched her jaw. "Another round."

  And so, it began—a relentless series of rounds, each one more intense than the last. Owen and Katherine locked in a heated rivalry, each fighting tooth and nail for second place while Grace sat comfortably at the top, seemingly untouchable. Jason, meanwhile, couldn’t break out of last, but that didn’t stop him from cracking jokes and loudly complaining every time he lost another combo streak.

  Round after round flew by, and with each one, the scores grew tighter.

  By the time the tenth round ended, all four of them leaned against the machine, sweating and breathing hard from the effort.

  The final score appeared:

  Player 1 - 4th

  Player 2 - 2nd

  Player 3 - 1st

  Player 4 - 3rd

  Katherine’s eyes locked on the screen. "Fuck."

  Owen leaned slightly into her view with a smirk. "Don’t worry Kath, there’s no shame in losing to me, again."

  Katherine gritted her teeth and squeezed the mounted gun with such force it groaned under her grip.

  Grace, smiling nervously, reached over and gently tugged Katherine’s hands away from the gun. "Alright, I think it’s time we go and find a different game to play. Something maybe not competitive."

  They left the game and started wandering through the rest of the arcade.

  Owen drifted toward the back, trailing behind the others. As he continued to walk, something odd caught his eye. He slowed to a stop.

  Nestled in between two towering arcade cabinets was a wooden desk that looked like it didn’t belong in the building at all. Behind it sat a wrinkled old woman. Her long silver hair was braided and hung over her shoulder, and a black blindfold was tied tightly around her head. Despite that, a wide, unsettling smile was stretched across her face.

  And then, as if she could see him plain as day, she slowly lifted a hand and waved at him.

  Owen frowned, confused. He glanced left and right, but no one else seemed to notice her. Curiosity tugged at him. With a small shrug to himself, he stepped away from the walkway and moved towards the desk.

  Once he stood in front of it, the old woman's smile widened. Her voice came out soft, yet strangely clear. "Welcome."

  Owen glanced at the desk, then back to her. "What… is this?"

  "I am a fortune teller," she replied. "Would you like to know about your future?"

  He gave a small, lopsided smile. "Sure. Why not."

  The woman nodded once, then reached beneath the desk and pulled out a deck of old, ornate cards. The edges were worn, the backs etched with strange, looping symbols. As she began to shuffle the cards in her hands, she asked, "Do you believe the future is set in stone?"

  Owen tilted his head slightly. "Nah. I think it changes all the time."

  A pleased hum escaped her lips. "I think so too. The future is in motion, always. But…" Her smile grew strange. "I believe there is an ideal path—a golden thread—that must be followed."

  Owen raised an eyebrow at that, unsure what she meant. But before he could ask, she laid the shuffled deck flat and slowly spread the cards out across the table, face down, like a fan.

  "Pick ten." she said softly.

  He gave a small nod and reached forward, letting instinct guide him. He picked out ten cards, one by one, and placed them toward the back end of the table.

  The old woman took the cards he had chosen and began to arrange them. She placed them carefully in two stacked rows, with five on top, and five on the bottom. Her fingers hovered over the first card.

  Then, she flipped the first one over.

  On the first card was the image of a clenched, bloodied fist. The old woman’s smile faded into something more serious as she studied it.

  "This card means you’ll have no easy time getting what you want," she said. "You’ll have to fight tooth and nail to reach the future you desire."

  Her thin fingers then reached beneath the first card and pulled out the one paired with it. On this second card, written in elegant cursive, were two words, Power and Freedom.

  Owen raised an eyebrow. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

  "This," she said, gesturing to the words, "is what everything around you will revolve around. Power and freedom—those are the two forces at the heart of your path."

  She placed the first two cards together and slid them to the side.

  Then she flipped the next two cards over simultaneously. The top card was pitch black with a single white dot in the centre, like a distant star swallowed in darkness. The bottom card read, Fear and Duty.

  "This means someone will be thrust into an unbearable duty," the woman said softly, "and they will face their most terrible fears because of it."

  Owen’s gaze lingered on those words.

  She moved to the third pair and flipped them. The top card showed a fire-breathing lizard with its scales wild, its mouth open in a roar of flame. The bottom card read, Forgiveness and Change.

  "This person will be presented with the opportunity to change," the woman said, "to become someone better… if they can let go of the past."

  She flipped the fourth pair. The top card was strange as it had the image of a blank, featureless face. The bottom card read, Purpose and Humanity.

  "This one," the woman murmured, "will struggle deeply with finding meaning. They will wrestle with who they are, and whether they can call themselves human."

  Lastly, she flipped over the final pair. The top card was a haunting image of shattered glass, like a mirror that had been punched in. But the card beneath it was blank.

  Owen narrowed his eyes. "Why aren’t there any words on this one?"

  The woman gave him a soft, almost sad smile. "I can’t see that far ahead. That path is unreachable."

  Owen sat there for a moment, staring at the spread of cards. Then he frowned and leaned forward slightly, pointing to the first pair.

  "I get that those two were about me," he said, "but for the rest, you talked like they were about other people."

  The woman didn’t answer right away. The silence stretched long. Then, she slowly reached into her deck and pulled out one final card. She flipped it face-up and slid it towards him.

  The image on it showed beams—thick steel supports, like those used to hold up a massive building. A foundation.

  "You," she said, placing it gently in front of him, "are the foundation of it all. You will need to grow strong enough to bear the weight of what’s coming."

  Owen frowned deeply, his brows furrowing. "I have no idea what any of this means."

  The woman looked at him, that eerie blindfold still tied across her face, and said softly, "You will understand in time." Then her voice dropped to a whisper. "I only hope you won’t break, Owen."

  Owen blinked. "How do you—"

  But before he could finish, he felt a hand grab his shoulder. He turned and saw Grace standing behind him.

  "There you are," she said. "Why aren’t you coming?"

  Owen glanced back at the table. "I was just… getting my future told by this woman—"

  But she was gone. The desk. The cards. Everything.

  Grace looked around, confused. "Which woman?"

  Owen scanned the space, a chill brushing over his skin. The games flickered around them, oblivious to what had just happened.

  Grace took his hand. "Come on, we found something to do."

  As she led him away, Owen took one last look back at the empty corner, then down at the card in his free hand. The foundation card.

  He slipped it into his pocket and followed her into the crowd.