Bullet With Butterfly Wings

prologue: new york's butterfly

Year 4050, United States of America, New York. East Coast Training Center.

We were all called out to the gymnasium early morning. News has spread that the East Coast Training Center would be shut down. Previous allegations that our arena and the control center were rigged were proven and now, students of the East Coast Training Center were told to get ready. Most of us are from other countries, bought by the school to be trained into Legend players. We had to be prepared to be sent back.

I watched people file into the gymnasium. Assassins on the left, then Fighters and Tanks. Right beside the tanks were Marksmen and Mages. My forehead knitted with worry even if I knew what was going to happen.

"You look worried," a voice said and I flickered my eyes over to the male, my friend cracking a grin. "You're going to be sent back to Korea. Why are you worried? I heard your father decided to move you to the same school your brother is training in."

"I'll be called a Neo, Asher," I murmured. He raised an eyebrow. "Neo Culture Training Center. Jisung told me they are called Neo's."

"Nabi, being called a Neo sounds way better than being called a Bald Eagle. I know it's America but we could have had a better nickname..." His voice trailed. Asher sighed. "I can't believe we're going to be sent back to our countries if no other center buys us. I've been training for so long."

"Someone will pick you," I told him, the male looking down. "The Scouters said you seemed like a promising player."

My eyes focused on the front to see our Headmaster. Her skin glowed a certain sheen of glittery blue and she looked distraught. My eyes settled on the PowerPoint behind her, the female alien telling us that we had a bright future ahead of us. A memory of my first day flashed through my mind, the day I set foot in this training center.

We were always taught of the history of how this sport came to be.

Five hundred years ago, a space ship had crashed onto Earth. Earth was said to be dying, with the pollution and the lack of sustainability of new resources. But if humans thought that their planet was dying, the aliens had no planet at all.

A meteor had crashed into their place called home and exploded. They were fast, however, and were able to bring the habitants of their planet onto a big space ship before trying to find a new planet to live in.

Earth accepted the aliens with open arms and that was when the co-existence between humans and aliens began. There were many species and from then and now, a lot of them had evolved.

I heard it started off as a mobile game—people playing it through the screens. The origin of the Battle of Peril began when the aliens came and watched the Olympics. Back in the day, we had such mediocre games. Pingpong? Basketball? Was it baseball?

They weren't very impressed, not understanding the concept of such repetitive competitions. They were in awe, however, at the technology that we possessed. They had similar devices too, but while our devices fed off on electricity, they brought in technology of their own.

From Mobile Legends, it then became real-live action. It was no longer through the screen but players were trained in training centers, starting from such a young age. Sometimes handpicked, sometimes trying to audition in. Basic characters were made, sometimes differing from different countries and every year the countries would fight to be the last standing.

The Battle of Peril was an international competition and last year, America had gotten third place. The star team was put together from the East Coast Training Center. My center. Well, my center no more since it was proven that the control center was rigged and there was corruption and bribery.

"My father pulled some strings. He and my mother are alma maters of that training center," I told Asher.

"I heard. He played for Seoul games, didn't he?"

"Mhm. Both Marksmen."

"You and Jisung are legacies, Nabi. You'll make it. You're one of the best."

I hummed, watching our headmaster break down into tears. Poor her. Humans and their greed.

The speech ended and a dull clap echoed through the gymnasium. It was time to pack our bags and I took one look around the place, going away from the bustling of other students. Some were ecstatic they would be going back to their countries; some were furious and some were concerned that they wouldn't make it as a player.

I sighed, chewing on my bottom lip when a hand touched my shoulder and I jumped, whipping my head around to see my ex-boyfriend.

Ji Hansol.

"You're heading back to Korea," he said and I nodded.

Hansol and I were called the perfect duo, in and out of the arena. He played an assassin and I was a Marksman—we were the perfect match for two people who had impeccable skills and fast reflexes.

He, however, had an assassin mindset and it hardly ever worked with a large team. Everyone in my team hated him. Ditch and kill, he used to tell me. He'd steal kills and leave. It got too much, our team deciding to petition to kick him out.

It was hard for me because I was his girlfriend but it came to the point I couldn't handle it anymore.

He had led the other team to me when I was hiding in the bushes, the male using me to bait them as I was outnumbered and killed. He let them gank me to save himself. I broke up with him that day.

"You know I had to do it," Hansol begun as I shoved my suit into my bag. I wouldn't be needing it but it held so many memories. "Nabi, you know the scouters were there. They were watching."

I zipped up my bag, Hansol grabbing my wrist to make me look at him but I swatted it away.

"I have to become a Legend Player, Nabi. You... You know that it's either I graduate from Epic and become Legend or I go home and become a lawyer. I can't—"

"Hansol," I began, turning to look at him. "The goal was to graduate together. As a team. That's what the scouters want. Was it worth it? Are you a Legend Player now?"

"I was bought by a training center in Russia," he suddenly said and even if that was a good thing, I knew it wasn't what he wanted.

"Good for you," I answered, turning on my heel and walking away. I loved Hansol but I knew I could never be with someone like him. As pissed off at him as I was, I prayed for the best for him.

In the end, this industry was hard to survive in.

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