NOVPUB"In here, sir."
Arthur stepped through the doorway, instantly alert.
Gates sat at the far end of a polished table, his usual composure fractured by subtle signs of strain—loosened tie, fingers tapping an irregular pattern on the tabletop.
But it was the second figure that made Arthur pause.
It was Gates' daughter.
"Arthur." Gates rose. "Thank you for coming quickly."
"You said something big happened."
"Yes." Gates gestured to the young woman. "This is my daughter, Tiana. I wanted her here because... well, she needs to understand what's coming."
Tiana didn't offer her hand. Didn't smile. "Father's been quite mysterious about all this. Said I needed to see it for myself."
Gates tapped a command on his tablet. The viewing screen illuminated, displaying a map covered with pulsing blue dots spreading across different continents.
"What am I looking at?" Arthur moved closer, studying the pattern.
"Early merge phenomena," Gates replied, his voice tight. "It's not happening all at once, Arthur. It's gradual—starting already."
Arthur's pulse quickened. "Show me."
Gates nodded to his security chief in the corner, who wheeled in a covered cart. With , the man removed the cloth, revealing a sealed glass container.
Inside was... something. Not quite plant, not quite animal. A twisted mass of tissue that pulsed with unnatural life. Veins glowed faintly beneath translucent skin.
"Found in the Amazon three days ago," Gates explained. "Local fauna, but... evolving. Rapidly."
He tapped his tablet again. Images flashed across the screen—a deer with crystalline antlers that refracted light. Fish with scales that couldn't be cut using normal knives. A tree whose leaves emitted pale blue light.
"They're all changing," Tiana said, fascination evident in her voice. "Adapting to the incoming laws of Armageddon's reality."
Arthur frowned, mind racing through implications. "What's the official response?"
Gates' expression darkened. "That's why I called you. There isn't one. The media's suppressing everything—bizarre wildlife reports, unexplained phenomena, all buried beneath celebrity gossip."
"And the military?"
"Silent." Gates' fingers curled into a fist.
"They know, Arthur. They've been collecting specimens too. But they're keeping the public in the dark."
"Of course they are. Control the information, control the response."
"What's your plan?" Arthur asked, gaze shifting between father and daughter.
Gates exhaled slowly. "That's why you're here. I have resources, influence, but not..." He gestured vaguely.
"Not what my father is too diplomatic to say," Tiana interjected, "is credibility with the right audience. The players."
Arthur considered this, weighing options against the accelerated timeline.
"What happens if you leak the news yourselves?" he finally asked.
Gates' laugh held no humor. "Chaos. Absolute chaos."
"Not necessarily bad chaos," Tiana added. "But chaos nonetheless."
Arthur turned to the screen, studying the spreading blue dots. Each one a fracture point where Armageddon's reality seeped into Earth.
'This changes everything. And nothing.'
"I want you to film a video," Arthur said abruptly. "Of me."
Gates tilted his head. "A video? No one would believe—"
"They will." Arthur's voice hardened with certainty. "I'm known to more than a thousand players in Village #420 alone. They will be my credibility source. When I tell them what's coming, they'll listen. Which will make others listen"
Understanding dawned in Gates' eyes. "You want to bypass the military's information control."
"Exactly." Arthur's mind raced ahead, planning angles, wording. "I'll confirm the merge is real, happening soon. I'll warn them. Then I'll tell them where to go for safety."
"Village #420," Tiana said, catching on immediately. "You're building a power base."
Arthur didn't deny it. "The military's been manipulating beta players from the start. When the merge hits and panic spreads, people will flock to whoever offers protection."
Gates' eyes widened as the full scope of Arthur's plan became clear. "This would undermine military authority before the new power structure even solidifies."
"And if new players are allowed to choose which village they enter..." Arthur let the implication hang in the air.
"You'll have the largest concentration of awakened individuals under your control." Gates finished, voice hushed with realization.
"Under my protection," Arthur corrected. "There's a difference."
Tiana studied him with shock. "You've been planning this all along, haven't you? Since the beginning."
Arthur didn't answer directly. "Can you get me what I need to record?"
Gates nodded to his security chief, who left immediately. "It'll take a few minutes to set up proper equipment."
"Use my phone," Tiana suggested, pulling an expensive model from her pocket. "Better to look authentic, less produced. We want this to go viral, not look like corporate propaganda."
Arthur nodded.
While security arranged lighting in one corner of the room, Tiana approached him, keeping her voice low.
"My father trusts you," she said, eyes searching his. "He doesn't trust easily."
Arthur met her gaze. "I know."
"Do you?" Her head tilted slightly. "Because I think there's more to all this than you're saying."
"Everyone has their reasons," he replied carefully.
Before she could press further, Gates called them over. "We're ready. The specimens are arranged behind where you'll stand. Visible proof for skeptics."
Arthur positioned himself in front of the camera. No script. No rehearsal. Just truth, carefully edited.
Tiana held up her phone. "Whenever you're ready."
Arthur took a deep breath, centering himself. His expression shifted subtly—hardening, focusing. When he spoke, it was with authority.
"My name is Arthur Fate, but many of you know me as Fateless from Village #420, or as the rare items merchant. I'm recording this because you deserve the truth about what's happening."
He gestured to the specimens behind him. "These aren't special effects or hoaxes. They're real animals and plants, changing as the merge approaches. Yes, the merge is real. Armageddon isn't just a game—it's another reality that's about to collide with ours."
Arthur leaned closer to the camera, his intensity pulling focus.
"The military and government know this. They've known since the beginning. They've been preparing their own forces while keeping the public—including most beta players—in the dark."
He held up his arm, showing the faint scar where he'd removed the tracking implant Gates' medical team had found.
"Beta players were selected for specific talents and abilities. We were monitored, implanted with tracking devices, and studied. Our families were leveraged to ensure cooperation. Some of us are even imprisoned and experimented on as we speak."
