"LO, I AM OMEGA, THE FLAWLESS PREDICTOR THAT WAS FORETOLD. I HAVE ARRIVED TO OFFER YOU A CHOICE!"

Shiro is panicking, which means he isn't hallucinating this, which means it's also time for him to panic. Sora starts grabbing everything within reach that might be useful in the next five minutes: laptop, cellphone, room keys, extra cereal bars, pocket knife, change of socks.

"JUST KIDDING, YOU ALREADY MADE YOUR CHOICE!"

Everything disappears in the blink of an eye, and now they are somewhere else. To be more specific, they are now in free fall 20,000 feet over the surface of an alien planet.

Ah, beans.

There with them in the sky is an entity that resembles a young boy in a red beret and hoodie. If it weren't for his eyes he could've passed as an ordinary human tumbling to his doom, but with them he cannot, for his eyes blaze with impossible colors in a hundred shifting hues.

Huh. You don't see that every day.

"Welcome to Disboard!" says the stranger. He speaks at a conversational volume, but in his voice is the bang of the starting gun, the roar of the crowd, the cheers of victory and the cries of defeat. He's perfectly audible over the wind rushing past on the way down and the sound of Shiro screaming her lungs out.

Sora considers a few different personas that might be useful to adopt during this conversation, and immediately discards all of them. The power distance between this thing and himself is too great. Better to behave predictably, just in case it's the type to get offended by social manipulation.

"Aren't you supposed to offer us a cup of tea?"

"You're thinking of someone else," the boy says. "My name is Tet! This is my world, and I've already told you the important bits. Still, we have a minute or two at terminal velocity before we hit the ground, so I've got some stuff to offer you. First, would you rather be able to survive the fall, or—"

"YES THAT ONE PLEASE AAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

"Alllllllrighty then! Next, would you rather know what the rules are, or who your opponents are?"

That one's tricky. It'd be nice to know more about the folks who have it out for them, especially if they're not going to come out and say so to Sora's face. On the other hand, he's pretty confident that he can pick up on the general gist of things in that department, whereas the magic system in this world could have hard-to-probe corner cases that only ancient wizards have explored.

"Tell us the rules."

"Sure! In Disboard, there's no murder, no violence, no theft, no war. We're all libertarians here, if you like. Everyone has to obey the non-aggression principle. If you need to resolve a conflict, you just play a game!

"Anyone can wager anything they want, as long as all participants agree that their wagers are of equal value. The outcome of the game determines what happens to the stuff you wagered. No takesies-backsies! No cheating either; if you get caught cheating, you forfeit.

"Oh, and you can play in groups too. Groups can nominate an absolute authority to manage their affairs in a game, so if you want to take someone's village you don't have to go door-to-door challenging people to games. The mayor will suffice! Of course, as the challenged party, the mayor can pick the game if they want, or play with a champion.

"If you're the absolute authority representing an entire species— you know, I don't think that's part of the rules. Nevermind!

"Okay, we've got time for one more. Would you rather know why you're here, or why you're here?"

Sora feels affronted. His face is trying to make the right expression for 'affronted', but at this speed he suspects it's more of a goofy open-mouthed look.

"I already know why you want us. We're the greatest. Why do you want us?"

"You're here to do whatever you want! But, if I'm being honest…"

"…I'm kind of hoping you win."

Shiro seems physically okay but mentally like she would prefer to lie on the ground and hyperventilate for a bit, so it falls to Sora to explore their immediate surroundings in this brave new world.

They find themselves atop a grassy bluff that commands a spectacular view of a sprawling landscape. A jagged canyon lit from below with pulsating aquamarine light runs from one horizon to the other, surrounded by meadows and copses and tiny valleys. A sudden gust of wind carries a blast of thick gold pollen over the bluff and down into the meadows, over a nearby stream and off into the distance. At the very limit are gargantuan towers built like chess pieces, a rook and a bishop, rising from the earth like cylindrical mountains.

A red moon, much larger than Earth's moon, hangs low in the sky. The geography of its surface is close enough to make out details, including bright lights and intricate formations that look suspiciously like cities. Also in the sky is a giant green orb, which straddles the line between something very large and far away and something much smaller and a whole heck of a lot closer. The sun is a little brighter than the one he's used to.

Okay, but how about signs of civilization?

Yeah, there's a road that terminates nearby on the side of the hill and leads away into the wilderness.

"Breath of the Wild chic, very cool."

With that settled, he takes a minute to enjoy the scenery while Shiro catches her breath. He hasn't been outside in… a while. It's much nicer than he remembers.

Shiro decides that it's time to stop hyperventilating and get up.

She's gonna do it.

Aaaaaany second now.

Come on, if you don't get up then Sora might leave without you!

Shiro gets up.

The view is just as breathtaking for her as it is for Sora, although Shiro is under-dressed for the occasion and feels a bit chilly. She offers Sora her hand, and he takes it.

"So, game world, huh? How about you go punch a tree while I look for a flock of sheep?"