Cameras on. Lights blazing. Host Marcus Vey flashed onto every city screen with his perfect-teeth smile, fitted suit, and that voice that could make a weather report sound epic.
"Citizens of the Nexus, the moment has arrived!" His hands spread dramatically as footage of the first-round survivors projected behind him. "The Architects have made their choice. These are the selected competitors for this year's Ether Games."
A rapid montage played:
- Zara (Team Solaris), hair rippling in slow-mo as she posed for a selfie with her ether. "I always knew I'd be the star of this," her voiceover purred.
- Caden (Team Solaris) cracking up the evaluators with a grin. "If you're not having fun, why bother with magic?"
- Veyne (Team Mirage), an Olympic gymnast, waving from atop parallel bars.
- Kael (Team Vanguard) shattering a steel block with his fist—without blinking.
- Rook (Team Outlaws) arms crossed. "I didn't come to play. I came to win."
Cut to interview snippets:
"It was incredible! I felt the ether like it was part of me!" screamed Lydia (Team Solaris), hugging Dorian as they laughed.
"None of the others impressed me," growled Brenna (Team Vanguard), adjusting her combat gloves. "But hey, someone's gotta show them real power."
Then, the emotional clips:
- Marina (Team Solaris) sobbing as she got her acceptance notice, her mother clutching her outside the testing center.
- Finn (Team Vanguard) hoisting his little brother onto his shoulders while the kid yelled, "You did it!"
- Selene (Team Outlaws) refusing to smile for cameras—but her eyes gleamed when she spotted her name on the roster.
Marcus Vey reappeared, holograms of the five teams now orbiting him.
"These are the squads competing under the Architects' guidance. Solaris. Mirage. Vanguard. Outlaws. And… ah, yes, the Underdogs: Team Outcast."
The screen showed a brief clip of Team Outcast:
- Ethan waving with his photogenic smile, golden light glinting off his face.
- Jake accidentally smashing a table when he tried to sit on it, sparking team laughter.
- Lena adjusting her sneakers in annoyance as she prepped for a sprint.
Marcus signed off with his trademark drama:
"The competition begins in 48 hours. Prepare for the reality show that'll change your lives… and possibly the world. Let the Ether Games begin!"
The broadcast cut to ads: ether-infused energy drinks, color-shifting smartwear, and of course, the official hashtag: #EtherGamesS5.
---
Danny was slumped in his chair, fingers sticky with barbecue sauce and a half-chewed fry in his mouth, when the doorbell rang. His dad—still with a napkin tucked into his collar—ambled to answer it.
"Who's here this late?"
His sisters, fifteen-year-old Martha and twelve-year-old Lucy, kept giggling. They'd been teasing him, as usual, about how slow he ate. Danny didn't even look up when the door opened.
Until the lights blinded him.
"Danny Mercer! Live on EtherLink!"
A woman with a Games-branded mic barged in like the house was her studio, trailed by two floating cameras that zoomed in on every unflattering detail:
- The half-demolished plate of chicken in front of him.
- The sauce stain on his too-tight T-shirt.
- His sisters' faces, frozen mid-bite in disbelief.
"We've got life-changing news!" The reporter theatrically extended a black envelope stamped with the Architects' seal. "Congratulations! You've been selected to compete in the Ether Games as part of… Team Outcast!"
The silence was so thick Danny heard the cameras' autofocus click on his face.
"…Huh?" was all he managed.
His sisters exploded.
"YOU?! In the Ether Games?!" Martha leapt up. "You can't even run without wheezing!"
"This is a joke, right?" Lucy pointed at him for the cameras. "Look—he's got sauce on his cheek! Are they airing this?!"
Danny felt heat crawl up his neck to his ears. This was worse than any nightmare. Not only had he been chosen—by mistake? As a price?—but they were broadcasting it live, capturing him at his most pathetic:
- No hoodie to hide his weight.
- A napkin clumsily stuck to his thigh.
- And that damn sauce glistening on his cheek.
The reporter, relishing every second, leaned in:
"Danny, how do you feel about being this season's most unexpected contestant?"
He swallowed. The cameras buzzed like wasps. His sisters kept laughing. His dad just stared at the envelope, as if waiting for fine print that read "Just kidding."
"I… uh…" He wiped his face with his sleeve. "There's gotta be a mistake."
The reporter tittered. "The Architects don't make mistakes! Get ready, star—we're picking you up at 5 AM tomorrow!"
The cameras held on him for ten more seconds—ten eternities—before leaving, plunging the house into chaos.
---
Danny's parents locked eyes, silent, like they'd just remembered the consent form they'd signed months ago. "They'll never pick him," they'd thought. Just a formality. Now, that very document stared back from the fridge, held by a pizza magnet, their signatures warped under kitchen heat.
"We can't back out now," his mother whispered, wiping her hands on her apron over and over, as if it'd change anything.
Danny sat frozen in front of his cold plate. The chicken tasted like cardboard now.
"At least I'll try," he muttered, more to himself than anyone. "Might... win the money."
His sisters' laughter cut through the air.
"Oh sure! You'll win when you trip in the first challenge!" Martha waved her phone in his face, already flooded with memes of his sauce-stained expression. "Look—you're famous! #DannyTheSauceKing."
Lucy, merciless, mimicked his voice: "'I think there was a mistake'... The mistake is YOU, bro!"
Their father finally spoke:
"Pack your bag. No turning back now."
That was it. No choice.
Danny trudged upstairs mechanically, feeling their stares burn into his back. His bedroom walls were plastered with formula-covered sticky notes, his desk cluttered with chess trophies.
He unzipped his largest backpack. What does one pack for a magic death game?
- Loose clothes (so cameras wouldn't highlight his weight).
- His equation notebook (just in case).
- Extra napkins.
Downstairs, the TV blared EtherLink's looped coverage:
"Danny Mercer—the most unexpected contestant in Ether Games history!"
There he was: sauce on cheek, eyes wide as plates, while the host quipped:
"Will he be this season's biggest joke?"
This was a nightmare. A nightmare where he kept chewing flavorless chicken, where his parents barely blinked, where his sisters chanted "No way, no way" like a cursed refrain.
---
His sisters barged in, bouncing on his bed as they scrolled through videos with cruel delight.
"Look! Meet your new teammates!" Martha shoved her screen in his face, showcasing Team Outcast's polished profiles:
- Jake, arms crossed, muscles straining his shirt: "Trained two years for this. Not losing."
- Lena, wiry and fierce, adjusting her running shoes.
- Then… Ethan.
Slow-motion wind ruffled his perfect chestnut hair as golden ether light haloed his smile. "It's not just about winning," he said, voice equal parts sincere and rehearsed. "It's about inspiring."
Danny's stomach twisted.
"God, he's beautiful," Lucy sighed, flopping onto the bed. "Wish they'd picked me just to be near him."
"And you?" Martha eyed Danny head to toe. "Gonna say oops, mistake when they interview you?"
Danny stayed silent. He was a fraud.
Not athletic like Jake. Not sharp like Lena. And definitely not Ethan Voltaire, with his starpower and gilded physique.
He was just Danny Mercer. The guy who calculated trajectories on napkins. The joke about to go global.
His sisters kept scrolling, cackling at memes (#DannyVsEther, #BBQWizard), but he'd stopped listening.
One question pounded in his skull:
How long until his team hated him for dragging them down?
"Well, at least you'll be the famous loser," Lucy said, patting his shoulder like it was encouragement. "That counts, right?"
Danny slammed his suitcase shut.
Tomorrow, the dream—or nightmare—would begin.
---
📡🌐 EtherLink Trends: Teams Confirmed, Internet Roasts Alive 🌐📡
### 💋 #BeforeEtherFame – 12.7M posts
@EtherStalker
THREAD 🧵: YOUR FAVES' PAST LIVES
1. Zara (Solaris): Lingerie model for DarkLace. 3M followers pre-show. (Pic: Her in black lace holding "Do Not Touch" sign) 🔞
2. Ethan (Outcast): GoldenBoy Fitness—800K subs for shirtless workouts. (Clip: Slow-mo pull-ups in rain) 💦
3. Lyra (Sage): Psychic on a game show. 93% accuracy. Witch or cheat? 🧙♀️ #WitchOrCheat
4. Garrick (Vanguard): Underground fighter alias "The Meat Hammer." (Blurry KO footage).
5. Danny: "Tutor Mercer" math vids now MEMES. (Clip: Students snoring through equations) 😴
### 🌟 #TheEtherEffect – 9.3M posts
@TrendAnalyst
FOLLOWER BOOMS:
- Zara: 3M → 8M (Thanks to her "accidental" top-burning Ignis clip).
- Ethan: 800K → 4.5M (#GoldenBoyEther trends worldwide).
- Rook: 0 → 2M (For existing. Profile's blank. No one knows how they found it).
### 🎥 #EtherAuditionFails – 7.8M posts
@ViralClipMaster
UNRELEASED BLUNDERS:
1. Kael (Vanguard): Shattered ether meter. Technicians wept. 💔 ("Not in the script…")
2. Lena (Outcast): Parkour wrecked a 200-year-old vase. (Ethan filmed it).
3. Selene (Outlaws): Refused to smile. Producers bribed her. She took the cash and still didn't. 👑
### 💞 #EtherLoveTriangle – 10.5M posts
@ShippingGod
DRAMA ALERT:
- Zara (Solaris) stole Brenna's (Vanguard) lipstick.
- Brenna retaliated by burning Zara's poster.
- Kael watched… and smiled. Throuple or war? 👀
### 📌 Featured Contestant Post
@Ethan.Voltaire (✔️ verified)
"Teams don't matter. Only those brave enough to shine." #TeamOutcast #LightItUp
(5.7M likes | 1.2M quotes)
📸 Attached: Ethan and Rook making Outcast's hand-sign—a golden-lit thumbs-up.
---
🔥 HASHTAGS ON FIRE:
- #ZaraBurnsTheInternet (Literally).
- #RookIsWatchingYou (Collective paranoia).
- #DannyForPresident (No explanation given).
(Updates every 15 sec. EtherLink suggests therapy after this chapter.)