Overview:

Topher becomes the seventh and final player to reach the finish line at the center of the board, completing the game. As foretold by the prophecy, a colossal quasar—a stellar tornado of blinding light—erupts from the board, forcing the children and teenagers to flee the cavern for their lives. From this cosmic cataclysm, the Seven Luminaries emerge—towering, radiant entities that give off immense light—pursuing the children through the cave and setting the stage for the birth of new heroes. Meanwhile, the families of the missing young ones, accompanied by a search-and-rescue team, arrive at the cave, determined to bring them home.

The Prophecy

“When the Seven Acolytes are all hailed—seven gray clay tokens on their pedestals, having reached the ‘Finish’ space in the Heavens of the North—the Seven Luminaries will revolve around the Star of Vis. A cosmic cataclysm shall rise, a twister of stars shall shine brightly, and the true followers will tremble and run. The Earth will shake, and the Seven Luminaries will seek out their hosts. Heroes will be born, beings will come to life, and new forces will enter the world.”

Michael looked through the character profiles and found one that grabbed his attention—thrilling even.

“Oh, look what I have here,” Michael said, showing the others the black paperboard character profile. “A cult leader from the horror genre.”

“It says here that this is set in a sleepy town shrouded in thick fog from twilight to dawn, only clearing up when the sun rises. But don’t be fooled—the day is just a mirage hiding the horrors lurking beneath. There’s an underground society of Satanists who sacrifice people to bring the Antichrist into the world,” Michael paused, grinning at the macabre nature of it all.

“This is mad and crazy—pure R-rated blood and gore!” he added.

“Um, I’m really scared right now,” Sophie admitted, trembling as she sat on the ground.

“Scary movies can be fun! Friends need a good fright together every once in a while,” James chimed in.

“Especially if you’re with your boyfriend,” Allison added with a flirty smile. “You get an excuse to cling tightly to that big, strong arm.”

“Michael, put the character profile away—you’re scaring Sophie,” Benjamin said, frowning at his younger brother.

“You’re no fun, Benjie,” Michael shot back. “Just admit it—you’re chickening out.” He tucked the black paperboard away, smirking.

The bonfire cast long shadows that reached out to a clay-gray token—the cult leader, his identity hidden beneath a cloak, momentarily obscured by the darkness.

Meanwhile, Roanne stuck by Topher, taking turns with him alone until he finished the game. Topher rolled the dice—two sixes, making twelve. His paladin token—donning a winged helmet and a mix of plate armor, mail, and cloth, with a large cape touching the floor, wielding both a holy sword and a heraldic shield bearing the cross—moved forward as though on a conveyor belt.

In the upper-right panel of the board was a pastel and floral kaleidoscope, hearts and pink sparkles filling the feminine Northeast. A sprawling line of tiny pink platforms served as playing spaces, leading his paladin to the FINISH in the northern Heavens—the final stop.

Topher’s paladin token climbed onto the silver pedestal, joining the others around the navy crystal ball in the center. The gathering was within the Visean Zodiac, a band of unique glyph-like constellations specific to the board’s world.

The ivory luminary appeared and began revolving in its concentric plane around the Star of Vis, the farthest from the sixth plane of the cyan luminary. The seventh plane of the Visean Universe was finally whole.

HIDDEN RULE

XII. Rejoice! When the Seven Acolytes are hailed, the game is complete.

The universe model, complete at last, caught James’ attention. For a brief moment, he had forgotten about the horror discussions and the conversations that followed. He realized he hadn’t stopped the game earlier because he couldn’t make up his mind, choosing not to spoil the fun. He shrugged off the responsibility.

The board game had been long—it took an hour to finish. The players who completed it earlier had gotten bored and did other things to pass the time. Benjamin read Dune, Sophie sketched, and Allison took selfies. James and Michael talked, though James suddenly fell silent.

“What’s up? Cat got your tongue?” Michael asked, noticing his brother’s distraction.

James didn’t reply, staring straight ahead. Michael followed his gaze and understood.

“The Visean Universe is complete! You know what this means, right? It’s time for the Cosmic Cataclysm—a spectacular holographic display!” Michael was ecstatic.

“Wait—don’t go,” James said, grabbing Michael’s arm.

“What do you mean, ‘don’t go’? I’ve been waiting an hour for this! Let me enjoy it,” Michael said, shaking off his brother’s grip.

“What? Topher already landed on FINISH? I missed it—oh no, my recording, my vlog!” Allison panicked, realizing she had missed the pivotal moment.

“Can I ask Topher to redo it? Can the board—since it moves the tokens automatically—rewind?” Allison desperately searched for a solution.

“Alright, I still have the Cosmic Cataclysm. I have to make up for this!” Determined, her eyes sparkled with resolve.

Sophie followed Michael and Allison’s lead, returning to the board, while Benjamin joined out of curiosity. Topher and Roanne remained, never having left the circle. James approached reluctantly, knowing he should’ve acted sooner.

“Guys, listen. I contacted my bandmates in our group chat…” James began, attempting to explain the anomaly he had discovered. But the others were too captivated by the coming Cosmic Cataclysm to pay attention.

“My little friend, you’re finally going to be free and return to the stars where you belong,” Topher said hopefully.

The Star of Vis, blue-white and sparkling, was surrounded by the Seven Luminaries in their respective concentric planes. The closest to the Star was the Scarlet Luminary—the First Plane. Following were the Pink Luminary (Second Plane), Yellow Luminary (Third Plane), Orange Luminary (Fourth Plane), Seafoam Green Luminary (Fifth Plane), Cyan Luminary (Sixth Plane), and the Ivory Luminary (Seventh Plane)—the farthest.

The Star of Vis was surrounded by a band of fifteen equally segmented constellations—the Visean Zodiac: characters from different genres.

The Visean Cosmos suddenly disappeared.

“Where did the Visean Cosmos go? Where’s my little friend?” Topher asked, his voice filled with worry.

Without warning, the navy crystal ball glowed blue-white and unleashed a shockwave that threw the kids away from the board. The party was left speechless by what had just happened. Then, the Star of Vis shot up to the cavern’s ceiling and transformed into a stellar twister of light: scarlet, pink, yellow, orange, seafoam green, cyan, and ivory, illuminating the entire chamber.

“This is bad. We need to get out of here. No mere board game is designed to release a shockwave like that—it’s dangerous now,” Benjamin protectively instructed his cousins and Roanne.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble.

“I’m scared… Are we going to die?” Sophie, the youngest, asked, trembling.

“Allison, Sophie—come with me. We need to leave right now,” Roanne said, grabbing the hands of the two girls near her.

“What about Topher? Will he be okay?” Allison asked, worried for her cousin.

“Your Kuyas (big brothers) are there to protect him. Now, let’s go,” Roanne replied as she led the girls away.

“I thought this was going to be a spectacular display. I never expected it would turn into a real disaster,” Michael said, dumbfounded.

“This is what I was trying to tell you guys. There were so many red flags in my group chat with my band. The time here inside the cave is two hours different from the outside world,” James explained.

“Why didn’t you say that earlier? We could have left the cavern sooner!” Michael snapped.

“I’m sorry, I procrastinated. I should’ve said something earlier, but now we just have to run for our lives,” James pleaded.

“Damn this,” Michael muttered as he ran alongside James.

“Topher, we need to leave. Take my hand,” Benjamin urged.

“Heroes will be born… beings breathed into life… and things willed into the world,” Topher muttered, repeating the prophecy in his own words.

“What?” Benjamin asked, confused.

“Heroism and wonder can’t be forces of death and destruction. The Star of Vis—it’s my friend, my little Buddy,” Topher said, seeing the spectacle in a positive light.

“Earth was once a dark, scorched, and lifeless planet. It was frightening and seemed hopeless, but things changed—the clear blue sky, the oceans, the lush greenery, and the civilizations we know today,” Topher explained his point of view.

“Earth might be an exception, but more often than not, uncertainty leads to destruction, not transformation. Remember, 65 million years ago, dinosaurs were wiped out by a meteor. They’re extinct now,” Benjamin countered.

“Listen to me, I’m your Kuya (older brother). You’re still a child, and I’m older than you. Trust in my experience. I’m here to protect you, to keep you safe. Think about your family—your mom, dad, and even Carlisle. They’re waiting for you. How would they feel if something terrible happened to you?” Benjamin reasoned, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

“Okay, I understand. I’ll come with you,” Topher relented, wanting to ease Benjamin’s worries.

With Benjamin holding his hand, the two made their way toward the exit.

The “quasar” began to split. The Seven Luminaries, now enormous, emerged one by one from the stellar twister—scarlet, pink, yellow, orange, seafoam green, cyan, and ivory—seeking out their hosts, the Seven Acolytes hailed by the Star of Vis.

Meanwhile, Roanne, Allison, and Sophie squeezed through a narrow passageway as the earthquake raged on. The walls were rocky, and it was dark and cramped.

“Allison, lead the way. Sophie, follow your Ate (big sister). Don’t worry—I’m right behind you, looking after both of you,” Roanne instructed as they navigated the passage, unaware there was another cavern ahead.

A powerful tremor struck. Allison, in front, dropped her phone, and Sophie hit her head against the rocky wall, collapsing to the ground. Blood began flowing from Sophie’s forehead, and she lost consciousness.

“Sophie! Answer me!” Roanne cried, trying to wake her, but there was no response.

“My poor Sophie…” Roanne whispered, her heart breaking for the little girl.

“My phone! All my recordings for the vlog—no!” Allison wailed, preoccupied with the loss of her videos. She hadn’t noticed what had happened behind her, unaware that the outside wall had begun to crack dangerously.

As Allison reached for her phone, another strong tremor hit, causing the wall to break apart. The quake sent the girls tumbling down to what seemed like their doom. Just in time, the Seafoam Green, Pink, and Yellow Luminaries—now transformed into giants—rushed through a dark alley and broke into the cavern.

Roanne, in tears, reached out for Sophie, who was unconscious and plummeting toward the ground. But the distance between them grew as they fell.

The Yellow Luminary struck Sophie, cushioning her fall with a cloud of hybrid-animated pollen. Swarms of 2D-animated honeybees surrounded her. Beneath the cloud, a spherical black-and-yellow robot, with electric green eyes and floating ear pads, appeared. The robot was 3D-animated and cartoonish in appearance, blending mixed media—animation and live-action—into reality.

Mid-air, Roanne was hit by the Seafoam Green Luminary. She transformed into a mermaid, encased in a sphere of enchanted water. Her hair turned copper and curly, and her feet transformed into a shimmering sea-green tail. She floated, asleep, with her hands clasped to her chest.

The sphere of glittering indigo waters glistened pearly white. Periwinkle waters, glowing aquamarine, cascaded down the sphere’s sides, forming a bell shape. Transparent, periwinkle-and-aquamarine-tinted bubbles drifted from both sides of the cascades.

Nearby, Allison screamed, “Aaaaaaahhh!!!” as her hair floated mid-air. She tucked her arms and legs close to her torso, bracing herself. Boulders surrounded her as she fell.

The Pink Luminary merged with Allison, her eyes glowing pink as she shone brightly. Vertical strips of pink-sparkling red hearts rose behind her, twitching. A thousand hot pink rose petals swirled upwards around her, leaving her in a daze—entranced.

It could be said that the girls were saved by the Luminaries, arriving just in time to prevent their fall. But as they floated—Allison glowing, Roanne suspended in water, and Sophie cushioned by pollen—their destinies had forever changed. They lay in the cavern, surrounded by boulders and the now-exposed narrow passageway above.

The two brothers, James and Michael, were more fortunate.

“Hurry! We have to run!” Michael shouted, leading the charge.

“Is that the exit? It might be the one we used to enter,” James called, spotting an opening in the distance.

Michael sprinted ahead, with James struggling to catch up.

Unbeknownst to them, they were being followed by the Scarlet and Orange Luminaries.

Michael made it outside the cave. James, out of breath, stopped near the exit to rest.

The giant Scarlet Luminary passed over James, who stood in disbelief. He glanced back at Michael, who was worried for his brother.

Turning around, James saw the massive Orange Luminary rushing toward him. In an instant, his eyes glowed orange, and he was put into a trance. He levitated slightly above the ground, suspended between two lengthy waves of neon-orange musical staffs. Gigantic music notes—cyan, magenta, and yellow—hopped along the staffs, popping tunes as they went.

When James’ levitation ended, he dropped onto a large cloverleaf. Luck, his ally, cushioned his fall, sparing him from a harsh landing. However, he wasn’t fortunate enough to escape the Luminary.

“James, where are you?” Michael shouted, confused as to why his brother hadn’t emerged from the cave.

“That slowpoke…” Michael muttered.

The Scarlet Luminary landed behind Michael and sneaked up on him.

“What’s that?” Michael had no idea what had hit him. Suddenly, he felt sick—his temperature rising as he began to sweat profusely. He fell to his knees, his eyes flickering scarlet. In a fight-or-flight response, Michael ran at lightning speed, leaving a scarlet trail in his wake before collapsing again.

“Aaaaaahhh!!!” Michael screamed, his eyes glowing scarlet as rays of light shot from them. A scarlet aura engulfed him, and energy discs erupted violently from his body. Bright red, orange-tinged waves of energy radiated around him, vaporizing the rain as lightning struck the dark sky above.

Meanwhile, Benjamin, tasked with protecting Topher, searched frantically for an escape route, only to find every passage blocked.

I have to try harder, Benjamin thought, pressuring himself.

“It’s okay. You don’t need to push yourself so hard. I know we’ll find a way out that isn’t blocked,” Topher reassured Benjamin, always optimistic.