DIVINE STAR

Ortis enters the new station and approaches Gaia's room. As he nears the door, a text appears on the door screen: "Security Check."

Without warning, robotic arms extend from the walls, grabbing hold of Ortis. A surge of electricity courses through him, shocking his body. Suddenly, all the hidden cameras and wires attached to him fall to the ground, deactivated. The arms then pull him into the room, where Gaia rises from her chair. She steps forward, fastening a new body camera onto Ortis before taking the origin book from his hands.

"Where are the others?" he asks.

Gaia gestures toward the screens. Ortis watches in horror as the footage shows Park being caught by the Packer, the ghost effortlessly ripping him into data fragments. His expression darkens as the screen shifts to the rest of the team, who have fled to the lower floor of the asylum. However, their escape is short-lived. A new entity—a ghost crawling on all fours—suddenly rushes through them at blinding speed. The moment it makes contact, their bodies explode into blood data on impact.

Ortis stands frozen, his mind struggling to process the footage.

Gaia's voice remains steady. "If the Packer catches you when you're not near its rooms, it's an instant kill. And that other ghost… we'll call it Speedy. It's even faster than the Packer and stronger. But regardless, we must not let their eliminations be in vain."

She opens the origin book, and with a soft popping sound, glowing words materialize above her head: "Knowledge." A subtle light pulses in her eyes as she absorbs the information.

After a brief pause, she speaks again. "Take a small break. I'll plan our next move."

Moments later, Ortis and Gaia receive a transmission from their two scouts moving outside the asylum. One of them speaks through the channel.

"Lady Gaia, did you catch the footage I recorded with my body cam?"

Gaia immediately pulls up the screens, removing most of them until only their teammate's POV remains. She rewinds the footage, stopping at the backyard court of the asylum. Four competitors stand in the center of the court, huddled together. One of them takes a knife and slices their own arm, letting the blood drip onto the ground.

Suddenly, the back doors of the asylum slam open. Speedy bursts out, racing on all fours. The ghost lunges toward the center of the court, The moment its head dives into the ground, glowing magic chains materialize, wrapping around its body. One of the competitors rushes forward, stabbing Speedy repeatedly with the knife.

Then, chaos erupts. Speedy suddenly breaks free from the chains, snapping them apart with unnatural force. One of the competitors yells, "You idiot! It wasn't the right time to kill!"

Before anyone can react, Speedy crashes into the competitors, instantly causing their body to explode into blood data. The remaining competitors scramble to escape as Speedy retreats back into the asylum.

The footage continues as their scout rushes toward the scene, attempting to grab the origin book and the knife left on the ground. However, the moment their fingers reach for them, both items disintegrate into data dust.

Gaia narrows her eyes, scanning the footage. She spots another hidden camera positioned on the court and quickly pulls up an alternate angle of the event. As Ortis watches, he notices their gathered points decreasing.

Gaia lets out a small sigh. "Rewinding footage also costs us points, but I've already written down the perfect plan." She picks up a notebook and hands it, along with the origin book, to Ortis. "Go on and gather the others to execute it."

Ortis flips through the notebook, scanning the carefully outlined steps. With a firm nod, he turns and heads out of the room.

Gaia remains behind, her focus locked on the screens. More competitors' POVs appear in front of her, each feeding her new data. With sharp precision, she begins simulating the best course of action, analyzing every mistake made by the other groups. 

Ortis phases through the coffin, entering the dimly lit stone building where his four teammates are busy handing out items in exchange for knowledge and points. He quickly steps forward, telling them to stop. If the other competitors want items, they must obtain them on their own or join their group. The team exchanges glances before nodding in agreement.

Moments later, Ortis successfully gathers a group of ten and splits them into two teams. One group heads into the asylum, making their way to the cafeteria. They scour the area until one of them discovers an old vase tucked away in the corner. Meanwhile, Ortis leads the other group southwest of the asylum, guiding them toward a small temple house. Inside, they find a towering Buddha statue, its presence almost eerie in the dim light.

Ortis instructs his team to begin praying. As they kneel and chant, the statue's eyes glow with magic. A faint shimmer flickers in the air before a paper seal materializes in the offering bowl before the statue. Ortis steps forward, carefully picking it up with a surge of excitement.

Moments later, both groups regroup in a small clearing within the forest. There, Gaia is hunched over, carefully drawing a complex shape into the dirt using branches. She looks up, surveying the gathered members.

"I'm going to need half of you to help me finish prepping this," she instructs. "Ortis, take the others back into the asylum and wait for my signal before making your move!"

The group bows in acknowledgment and quickly gets to work, some assisting Gaia in completing the intricate markings on the ground while Ortis leads his team back toward the asylum.

Once inside, they navigate to the left wing of the first floor, stopping in front of a playroom. The moment they enter, they begin searching the area thoroughly, combing through old shelves, broken furniture, and scattered toys.

"If you find the toy bear, don't touch it," Ortis warns. "Just let me know immediately!"

The search intensifies as they overturn dusty boxes and check beneath overturned chairs. Eventually, one of the competitors slides open a closet door, revealing a worn toy bear sitting ominously on the shelf. She quickly notifies Ortis, who approaches cautiously.

"Now, we just have to wait for the others to finish prepping the circle," he says, his eyes locked onto the bear, anticipation thick in the air.

Meanwhile, Gaia and her team complete the massive star-shaped marking in the dirt. A few teammates emerge from the forest carrying buckets of gasoline, carefully pouring the liquid into the grooves of the star. As the gasoline settles, Gaia flicks open a lighter, the small flame casting an eerie glow against the night. She taps her headset and speaks firmly.

"Ortis, once you touch that bear, Packer will come rushing at you. Make sure you're in formation and be fast—Packer is going to be twice as fast this time."

Ortis's voice crackles through the headset. "We are ready."

Inside the asylum, Ortis signals to his team. Everyone quickly takes their positions, spreading out across the first floor. He steadies his breathing, reaching for the toy bear with tense fingers. The moment he lifts it, a distant, thunderous boom echoes through the halls.

On the opposite side of the asylum, a teammate holding a handheld camera watches the screen. His heart pounds as he sees Packer hurtling down a hallway at a terrifying speed.

"Packer is moving—fast!" he warns the others.

Ortis sprints down the hall, the weight of the toy bear in his arms. The deep, deafening booms grow louder as Packer closes in. He glances at his EMF reader—it spikes from level three to four in an instant. Without hesitation, he hurls the toy bear toward the next teammate and dives onto the floor.

Packer rushes overhead, a blur of dark energy, immediately locking onto the next carrier. The teammate catches the bear and bolts, the EMF reader vibrating wildly in his grip. He barely has time to react before Packer is gaining on him. Desperately, he throws the toy bear to the next runner just before Packer can reach him.

The cycle repeats. One after another, the teammates toss the toy bear across the asylum as Packer relentlessly chases whoever holds it. The final runner bursts through the front doors, sprinting toward the woods with everything he has.

Packer smashes through the asylum doors, sending splinters flying, its speed even greater than before. Watching from a treetop, one of the scouts grips his handheld camera, tracking Packer's rapid pursuit.

"I'm going to intercept!" he calls out, leaping from the tree.

Hitting the ground hard, the scout charges forward, camera still in hand. He sprints toward Packer, positioning himself between the ghost and the fleeing teammate. In an instant, Packer's clawed hands close around the scout's body, crushing him with brutal force. A scream rips through the air as the scout is hurled toward the runner ahead. The airborne body slams into the teammate's back, knocking him down.

Packer closes the gap instantly, seizing the fallen runner by the shoulders.

Ortis appears just in time. "Throw it!" he shouts.

With the last of his strength, the teammate flings the toy bear toward Ortis before being torn apart into blood data.

A dozen teammates, cameras in hand, leap onto Packer's back, yelling, "For Lady Gaia!" Packer snarls, twisting and clawing at them, ripping them apart one by one. Blood data explodes into the air as their sacrifice stalls the ghost for mere seconds.

Ortis pushes forward, lungs burning, eyes locked onto the clearing ahead. A flickering glow pierces through the darkness. The burning star circle comes into view, and in its center, Gaia stands, waiting beside the vase, her expression unwavering.

As Ortis dashes through the forest, trees around him violently snap and rocket into the sky, uprooted by an unseen force. His EMF reader in his trembling hand spikes dangerously from level four to five. His heart pounds as he realizes Packer is right behind him, closing in at terrifying speed.

In a last-ditch effort, Ortis hurls the toy bear forward just as a powerful impact sends him flying to the side. He crashes hard, skidding against the dirt, coughing up blood as he struggles to lift himself.

The toy bear rolls to a stop just in front of the blazing star circle. Gaia picks it up, her movements precise and calm despite the chaos. Without hesitation, she leaps backward into the circle.

Packer lunges forward, charging straight into the flaming star circle. The moment it crosses the threshold, its monstrous form flickers, glitching violently as it lets out a distorted, bone-chilling shriek. The flames engulf it, revealing its true shape—no longer a shadowy blur, but a ghastly, humanoid figure writhing in agony.

Gaia's voice rings out through the night. "Those who went to the temple, chant the words you heard the Buddha speak in your minds!"

A few teammates step forward, their voices rising in unison as they chant the sacred words. Their words resonate through the air, growing in intensity. Packer shrinks with each syllable, its form distorting and collapsing in on itself.

Gaia releases the toy bear from her grasp, letting it drop into the flames, then she quickly lifts the enchanted vase. Packer's shape contorts further, reducing to a tiny, squirming wisp of cursed energy. With one decisive motion, Gaia captures the entity inside the vase and closes it with the cap.

The container vibrates violently, the force within desperately trying to break free. Gaia slaps the paper seal over its surface. The vase suddenly lifts into the air, glowing ominously as the flames around her intensify.

Before anyone can react, Gaia leaps out of the circle, her entire body wreathed in fire. Her teammates rush forward, patting down the flames, their hands moving frantically until the fire is completely extinguished.

The sealed vase in the air pulsates with shifting colors—blue, red, green, gold—before suddenly bursting into a dazzling explosion of fireworks. Sparks of radiant energy scatter across the sky, illuminating the dark forest with an ethereal glow.

A grand, floating text appears above them: "Congratulations 1/4"

The team erupts into cheers, celebrating their victory. Gaia, though burned and exhausted, takes a bite of a fruit that rapidly heals her wounds. Then, without missing a beat, she walks over to Ortis, who remains on the ground, severely wounded from the impact earlier. She kneels beside him, holding out another fruit.

"Here, eat this," she says, pressing it to his lips. Ortis weakly bites into it, feeling the warmth of its magic spread through his body, his wounds closing almost instantly.

Gaia sighs, crossing her arms. "It would've been a perfect plan if you were faster, Ortis. But, I'll admit, you did well enough." A smirk plays on her lips. "Also, these healing fruits don't come cheap, so don't go getting yourself hurt every time."

Ortis exhales sharply, still catching his breath, but nods.

Gaia turns to face the rest of the group, standing tall despite her exhaustion. The team bows to her in respect.

She nods at them. "Good job, everyone. We still have five hours left. Without your efforts, this would've taken much longer. Thank you all for your hard work and points in executing this plan so efficiently."

She stretches her arms, rolling her shoulders. "Rest up for a bit—we'll start the next phase soon."

As the fireworks fade and the forest settles, the air crackles with a different kind of energy—admiration. One by one, competitors who had been watching from the shadows step forward, emerging from the trees. Their faces, once filled with skepticism and rivalry, now bear expressions of awe.

Without hesitation, they drop to their knees, bowing before Gaia. The sight is unexpected, but the weight of the moment is undeniable. They had witnessed something extraordinary—Gaia had done what none of them could.

Ortis, still catching his breath, pushes himself up and looks over the gathered competitors. His voice, steady and commanding, cuts through the silence.

"If you all want to become Stars, then we must work together with Lady Gaia. This is our best chance!" His eyes scan the crowd, locking onto familiar faces, past rivals, and hesitant allies alike. "No more proving that you're better than the rest. If you truly want to reach your dreams, if you want to survive and win—then this is it! This is the way forward!"

A murmur ripples through the kneeling competitors. Ortis' words strike deep, stirring something inside them. The hunger for glory, the desperation to succeed—everything they had been fighting for suddenly feels within reach. And the answer is clear.

One by one, they raise their heads, determination burning in their eyes.

Gaia watches in silence, as she leads everyone back to the new station. 

Moments later, everyone gathers in the lobby of the new station. Each competitor sits in rows, waiting as Gaia systematically interviews them one by one through a private channel. The air hums with a mix of tension and anticipation.

Ortis leans against a nearby wall, his gaze drifting toward the large board behind the station's guide person. More hidden objectives reveal themselves in real time, each one carrying immense rewards.

"??? Obtain all hidden cameras throughout the map. Rewards = Gain the location of the hidden ghost."

"??? Unite all players into one team. Rewards = Gain 9999 points."

"??? Complete an exorcism. Rewards = Gain access to all car keys."

One by one, more secret actions unlock, each sending a silent ripple of power through the station. With almost every secret action task completed , Gaia secures its benefits, expanding her knowledge. Each interview provides new insights, mapping out everyone of their mistakes and all of their POV footage.