Game of the Universe: Zenith

Chapter 1: The Day Everything Changed

A soft golden glow was cast across the clear blue skies of Halewick, making it seem like a perfectly normal day, like any other. The birds were merrily chirping while the roosters excitedly announced the arrival of dawn.

From the second-floor window of Old Luke’s restaurant, Arthur watched the sun rise over the sea, with the first fishing boats having already left the town harbor.

It was a monotonous, boring way to start the day, but he’d always found the sunrise soothing.

With a smile on his face, he headed downstairs.

He flipped the sign on the restaurant door from ’Closed’ to ’Open’ and moved behind the counter to check the register, just like he did every morning. He knew his grandfather thought he was being too careful with it, but he couldn’t help himself.

It was better to be safe than sorry with this stuff.

"You don’t have to fuss over the logs first thing in the morning, Art," Old Luke called down from the stairs of the second floor. His voice had that rough-edged gentleness that made Arthur grin ever so slightly.

"I just like to make sure," Arthur said. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

He set the logbook aside and began wiping the already polished counter in front of the entrance until he could almost see his own reflection on it.

The same tired blue eyes and the unruly black hair of his.

Arthur had to admit he hadn’t been sleeping well lately. He could hear his grandfather coughing every night, and it had only been getting worse recently.

Unfortunately, the stubborn old man refused to go to the doctor, telling Arthur not to worry and that it was just his old age catching up.

But that only made Arthur worry even more.

His grandfather was the only family he had left, and the old man was already pushing himself with the restaurant. He always pretended not to care about the bills piling up, but Arthur could see the numbers for himself.

Swallowing the tightness in his throat, Arthur picked up his backpack. He’d have to figure out a way to convince the old man to get a check-up, even if their finances were in the red.

At worst, he’d just quit university and take on a part-time job. It wasn’t a big deal.

"Grandpa, I’m heading out," he called up the stairs.

"Be careful, kid. Don’t dawdle at the bakery for too long," Luke answered back, his voice a bit softer this time.

"And try to be back before the evening rush."

"I will, don’t worry."

Arthur stepped out and was greeted by the cool morning air before pulling the door shut behind him.

The main street of the town’s shopping district was still half-asleep, since most shop owners had yet to open for the day. He passed by shuttered windows and stacked crates, waving to Mrs. Ellis, the florist, who was already arranging buckets of blossoms along the sidewalk.

As he turned the corner, the familiar smell of warm bread assaulted his nose, causing his footsteps to come to a halt. Emma’s Bakery had been in the same spot for as long as he could remember.

The scent of the fresh loaves drifted out to the empty streets of Halewick, as if inviting anyone who was close enough to have a look. Arthur stepped inside and felt the comforting blast of warm air on his face.

The counter was stacked with golden-brown bread and little pastries, but there was nobody at the entrance. Still, Arthur could hear the middle-aged woman bustling in the back kitchen, humming something under her breath.

"Morning," he called, though he wasn’t sure she could hear him over the clatter of trays.

A muffled shout came in reply... something that sounded like, "Help yourself!"

Arthur was about to grab a wrapped loaf from the display when a familiar voice sounded from the narrow stairwell behind the counter.

"Art? Is that you?"

Leonard’s blond hair poked around the handrail, followed by the rest of him as he barreled down the stairs in a wrinkled T-shirt.

He looked like he’d just rolled out of bed, and in all likelihood, he had.

"Good morning, princess." Arthur said with a grin, "I see you’re up bright and early."

Leonard let out an exaggerated sigh and pointed at the back kitchen as he said,

"My mother’s been banging around since five. Not like anybody in this place knows how to be quiet, you know. Anyway, give me five and I’ll be ready." Then, he disappeared back up the stairs.

Arthur nodded and took a paper-wrapped loaf from the shelf behind him. He slipped a few coins into the tin beside the register and waited for his childhood friend to get ready.

Outside, the street was slowly coming alive.

A milk delivery truck rumbled past the bakery, and Mrs. Ellis was now chatting with old Mr. Harper, the mailman, excitedly talking about her flower buckets.

Arthur felt the calm settling over him again. This was what he liked about Halewick, the steady rhythm of the mornings. Nothing ever really changed in this place.

A few moments later, Leonard reappeared, slinging a small backpack over his shoulder. He shoved the door open and stepped into the street.

"Alright," he said, squinting at the sky. "Ready to go see how many lectures we can sleep through today?"

Arthur couldn’t help but grin as the two of them walked down the block.

Despite his non-caring look and his so-called hatred for studying, Leonard was pretty much a model student. Of course, had he been anything but that, his parents would have forced him to take up the bakery instead, and wouldn’t have allowed him to go to the city every day... which probably helped a bit in that regard.

The two of them reached the bus stop just as the morning bus came to a halt.

A couple of other commuters were already waiting in line by the time they got there, all of them people Arthur and Leonard were familiar with. Some of them were university students like them, while others were just people who worked in the city but couldn’t afford the sky-high rents these days. No surprise.

Leonard tugged the strap of his backpack higher on his shoulder as they joined the queue.

"I swear, if Professor Wren tries to keep us past noon again-"

He never finished the sentence.

Something roared in the sky above them, loud enough to attract everyone’s attention, including Arthur’s and Leonard’s.

It was similar to the sound of a plane engine turning on next to their ears, or that of a steel beam getting dragged across concrete.

Even the bus windows rattled in response, and for a moment, Arthur could feel his head ringing.

People all around them froze before looking up.

That was when the shadow passed over them. A shadow so enormous it completely swallowed the sun.

Arthur lifted his gaze and... just stared at the unbelievable sight.

A colossal black shape had blotted out half the sky. Its surface was covered in shifting patterns of light, almost like scales or plates rearranging themselves. For a moment, his brain couldn’t process what he was looking at. It felt like a hallucination. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

Then the sirens sounded.

And the world descended into chaos.

Not just one or two. A chorus of alarms rang loudly all over town.