GOLDEN Zone

THE GATEKEEPER

The golden doorway floated in the darkness.

Patrick couldn't move.

Couldn't blink.

Couldn't even convince himself that what he was seeing was real.

The figure standing inside the doorway smiled calmly.

As though he had been expecting Patrick all along.

"Welcome, Patrick."

"I've been waiting for you."

Patrick's throat went dry.

"Who are you?"

The man stepped forward.

He appeared to be in his early thirties, dressed in an elegant black suit with golden patterns running along the sleeves. His face was handsome, but there was something unsettling about his eyes.

They were completely gold.

Not colored.

Not glowing.

Actually gold.

"My name is Adrian."

The man bowed slightly.

"You may consider me a Gatekeeper."

Patrick frowned.

"A gatekeeper to what?"

Adrian's smile widened.

"The Golden Zone."

The floating doorway behind him pulsed with golden light.

Patrick took a careful step backward.

Everything about this situation screamed danger.

Yet another part of him was fascinated.

He had accepted an invitation.

Completed a challenge.

And now stood before something impossible.

His entire life had been ordinary.

Until tonight.

"What exactly is the Golden Zone?" Patrick asked.

Adrian chuckled.

"The question every newcomer asks."

He raised a hand.

The darkness around them disappeared instantly.

Patrick gasped.

The empty square was gone.

Instead, he found himself standing atop a massive platform floating in the sky.

Clouds drifted beneath them.

Golden towers stretched into the heavens.

Bridges connected structures that seemed larger than entire cities.

Thousands of lights glowed in the distance.

It looked like a civilization built by gods.

Patrick's mouth hung open.

"What is this place?"

"The heart of the Golden Zone."

Adrian spread his arms.

"A world hidden from ordinary people."

Patrick struggled to process what he was seeing.

"This isn't possible."

Adrian laughed.

"Most important things aren't."

The Gatekeeper snapped his fingers.

A golden screen appeared before Patrick.

---

WELCOME TO THE GOLDEN ZONE

Current Rank: Beginner

Credits: 0

Level: 1

Authority: None

---

Patrick stared at it.

"A ranking system?"

"A hierarchy," Adrian corrected.

"The Golden Zone rewards achievement."

"And punishes failure."

Something in the way he said failure made Patrick uncomfortable.

"Punishes how?"

The Gatekeeper's smile vanished.

"That depends on the circumstances."

Patrick didn't like that answer.

Not one bit.

Before he could ask another question, the screen changed.

---

BEGINNER MISSION AVAILABLE

Objective:

Earn 100 Credits within 24 hours.

Reward:

Access to Level 2.

Failure:

Expulsion.

---

Patrick blinked.

"That's it?"

Adrian nodded.

"For now."

"How do I earn credits?"

The Gatekeeper pointed toward the distant city.

"Opportunities exist everywhere."

"Business."

"Trade."

"Competition."

"Challenges."

Patrick frowned.

"Sounds simple."

Adrian burst into laughter.

The sound echoed across the sky.

"No newcomer has ever described the Golden Zone as simple."

Patrick crossed his arms.

"Then tell me what's dangerous."

The Gatekeeper's expression darkened.

For the first time, he looked serious.

"People."

A chill ran down Patrick's spine.

"People?"

Adrian nodded.

"The Golden Zone attracts ambitious individuals."

"The rich."

"The brilliant."

"The desperate."

"The ruthless."

His golden eyes narrowed.

"And only a few reach the top."

Patrick looked toward the distant city.

Suddenly it seemed much less beautiful.

And much more dangerous.

A notification appeared.

---

NEW INFORMATION

Current Participants:

2,341,918

Elite Participants:

4,201

Supreme Participants:

17

---

Patrick nearly choked.

"Over two million people?"

Adrian nodded.

"The competition never ends."

Patrick stared at the numbers.

How could anyone rise through ranks like that?

The odds were insane.

The Gatekeeper seemed amused by his reaction.

"Overwhelmed?"

"A little."

Adrian smiled.

"Good."

Patrick frowned.

"Good?"

"Arrogant newcomers die quickly."

The statement was delivered so casually that Patrick almost missed it.

Then realization struck.

"Wait."

"Did you say die?"

Silence followed.

The Gatekeeper didn't answer immediately.

Which was answer enough.

Patrick's stomach dropped.

"This isn't a game."

"No."

Adrian's expression became serious.

"It never was."

The floating city suddenly felt colder.

Much colder.

Patrick looked at the mission screen again.

Earn 100 credits.

Twenty-four hours.

Failure meant expulsion.

Whatever that truly meant.

His instincts screamed at him to run.

To reject everything.

To go back home.

But another thought appeared.

The same thought that had driven him forward his entire life.

If this place truly offered opportunities beyond imagination...

Leaving now might be the biggest mistake he would ever make.

Adrian seemed to notice the battle happening in Patrick's mind.

"Interesting."

"What?"

"Most newcomers are terrified."

Patrick laughed nervously.

"I am terrified."

"Yet you're still standing here."

The Gatekeeper smiled.

"That makes you different."

Suddenly, alarms echoed across the sky.

Red light flashed across the platform.

Adrian's expression changed instantly.

For the first time, he looked concerned.

A new notification appeared above Patrick's head.

---

EMERGENCY ALERT

Unauthorized Entry Detected

Threat Level: Unknown

---

The city in the distance erupted with activity.

Golden lights illuminated the clouds.

Massive structures began moving.

People rushed through the streets below.

Patrick looked around.

"What happened?"

Adrian stared toward the horizon.

His smile had completely disappeared.

"That's impossible."

"What is?"

The Gatekeeper's voice became a whisper.

"Someone has breached the Golden Zone."

A crack suddenly appeared in the sky.

Patrick froze.

The crack spread like shattered glass.

Golden lightning erupted from within.

And from the darkness beyond...

A giant crimson eye slowly opened.

Watching everything.

Watching everyone.

Watching him.

Patrick felt pure terror.

Then the eye looked directly at him.

And a voice echoed across the entire world.

"Found you."

Why did the mysterious crimson eye single out Patrick among more than two million participants in the Golden Zone?