Chapter 3: The Administrator

The echoes of the enigmatic voice lingered in the minds of everyone in Universe 2139175, leaving them in a state of confusion and wonder. The words seemed to hang in the air, like a riddle waiting to be unraveled.

But before Kane could even question his own sanity, his vision turned dark. He was standing in a deep abyss, surrounded by nothing. Absolute void.

And in this space, the heart of the universe, a new presence materialized—a figure clad in a sharp suit that seemed out of place amidst the cosmic backdrop. He looked human, his eyes and smile all seemed normal, but something inside Kane warned him that he was anything but that. This was not some halucination or him going crazy. As his mind was coming to this realisation, the entire universe was silent.

With a jovial and somewhat condescending tone, the figure in the suit addressed the bewildered inhabitants of the universe. 

[**"Congratulations, dear residents," he began, his voice resonating across the stars.**]

[**"Your universe has reached maturity, and it is now time for the grand merger to commence. What is the merger? A fusion of realities beyond your comprehension. Something like a graduation ceremony for a universe reaching maturity," he chuckled.**]

His words seemed to hang in the vacuum of space as the residents tried to grasp the gravity of the situation. 

[**The figure continued, "Don't worry, it's all part of the plan. You'll soon find yourselves part of something much greater. And fear not, for the GUIDE will be with you every step of the way."**]

And with that cryptic farewell, the figure vanished, leaving the inhabitants of Universe 2139175 to grapple with the reality of their universe's impending merger. 

As his image dissipated from the dark backdrop, his final words echoed in the minds of those who heard them: 

[**"I am the Administrator, a representative sent by the COUNCIL to supervise the process of your universes merger. For personal queries or doubts, feel free to reach out to me at the center of your universe."**]

The next moment, Kane was back in his home, the screen of his laptop showing an afk warning. He had been in the middle of a game. But all that had now left his mind, as all that occupied his thoughts, were the Administrator and the merger.

'The world as we know is ending. A new beginning awaits us.'

This quote from a webnovel he had read a long while ago resonated within him. Even without realising, his hands were clenched, as his face broke into a wide grin. 

He jumped out of his seat, his mind racing as he began to process the implications of what he had just heard. It was as if the very fabric of reality was being rewritten, and he couldn't wait to take part in it. He walked from one end of his house to the other, pacing around, trying to order the chaos in his mind. But then something broke his thought process as he almost hit the dining table across his path.

'TRRINGG'

It was his phone ringing. Knowing who the call was from, he rushed to pick it up. One by one, his friends' faces popped up, their voices filled with curiosity and concern. However, there was one notable absence—Lake.

Noting the absence of their friend, Kane quickly made sure from them that they all heard the same message as him. While his gut told him that this was as real as it could get, but hearing it from his friends made him calm down a little. 

*Raju*: "So what's the plan now? This is under your domain now, so guide us, oh reader of webnovels."

Kane chuckled at his question and replied: "For now you all should lay low in your places, do not move out. It should be crazy outside, with everyone trying to hoard or just spreading chaos. The details of this merger the Administrator spoke of are not clear and how it would affect us, so until the GUIDE makes it clear what we are going to face, you should all remain inside. If you can find a reliable way to travel, then try to return home. I will try to reach out to Layke to confirm his situation as well."

The others nodded in understanding. 

*Khatra*: "I want to share something. Just before the announcement came, I was in the gym. My bottle disappeared in front of my eyes, as if it teleported somewhere. I think this might have to do with merger."

*JayPeak*: "The Administrator did mention a fusion of realities, right? So maybe all the parallel timelines and realities if they exist are going to be merged together? Sounds crazy honestly."

*Zephyr*: "So does that mean we also could get randomly transported to some other world?"

This question made them silent as they all stared at Kane.

*Kane*: "Right now we can not conclude anything. Let's first try to find what the GUIDE is. I will contact you all immediately when I have a better idea and plan. But in the worst case that you do find yourself in some other reality, always try to maintain a low profile. If parallel realities do exist, then the announcement from the merger would have echoed to them as well. They would similarly be under chaos. So try to lie low, understand that world and make use of whatever the GUIDE is. Hopefully, nothing will happen."

He was speaking in a highly optimistic tone, unsure of even what he had just said. But his readers instinct told him that he was right in his assumptions. It would be wrong to treat his reality as normal now. Instead, he had to assume now that this was a fantasy, a story. And in stories, anything was possible.

After that, he mentioned some other tips he remembered from reading all the apocalypse webnovels and bade them farewell. Putting down his phone, he wondered about Layke's absence. He was sure that he must be awake right now. Everyone in the universe was. So why did he not pickup their call? Unless some emergency struck his ship or he simply did not have his phone on person.

He dropped a message to him detailing his thoughts about the whole thing instead and closed his phone. Barraging him with phone calls was not appropriate if he didn't pick it up at the first time. They all knew that much. Let him be free before he can call back to have a chat face to face.

Kane paced around a little, indecisive of what his next actions should be, when his attention was attracted to the body mirror hanging in his room. His appearance was as it always had been, standing at 168 cm, he was not tall. But his training and calisthenics gave him a lean built. His hair was pulled back in a high pony, took him more than an year to grow his hair to tie them. His dark brown eyes reflected his anxiety and excitement. But in that moment, something startling happened—the color of his eyes shifted, morphing from dark brown to a deep shade of violet.

Fear coursed through him as he stared at his reflection, realizing that this mysterious merger was already changing everything, perhaps even himself. Maybe realities merging didn't just imply about the physical world alone.

....

Amidst the confusion and chaos that had gripped the cargo vessel, Maersk Kaitlyn, Layke and his fellow cadets gathered at their muster stations were struggling to make sense of what had just transpired. The Administrator's voice had plunged them into a momentary state of bewilderment, and they exchanged bewildered glances, trying to process the inexplicable message.

As their senses slowly returned, a profound sense of disorientation lingered in their eyes. They knew they needed to maintain discipline, even as their senior officer roared at them to regain order and brace for further instructions.

Another violent shake rocked the ship, and the cadets were sent sprawling across the floor. Layke clung to a railing, his heart pounding as he wondered if this was the onset of the merger they had heard about. Fear gripped him as he imagined colossal sea monsters and otherworldly anomalies lurking beneath the surface.

Desperation crept in as he fumbled for his phone, his fingers trembling as he wished to contact his friend Kane. He needed to know if anyone else had experienced this unnatural turbulence, this harbinger of change.

To add to their woes, the weather had taken a sinister turn. The wind howled with an eerie, haunting quality, and the rain came down in torrents, assaulting the ship with relentless fury. Asche and the other cadets stood there, drenched and shivering, dreading the next shockwave that might tear their world asunder. After the first announcement, there had been no further orders.

Just as tension and anxiety threatened to overwhelm them, the voice of the captain resonated through the ship's speakers. His calm and authoritative tone brought a semblance of order to the chaos. He informed them that the anomaly had vanished, and the waters were clear in a large radius around them. He issued instructions for increased surveillance, urging the cadets to report any abnormalities in the ocean.

As the ship continued to navigate through the turbulent sea, the weather gradually began to calm. The violent shakes that had terrorized them earlier seemed to have been consigned to the past, as if they had all been caught in the grip of a collective nightmare. The cadets returned to their positions, their hearts still racing, but with a renewed sense of purpose—ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

As the sun rose high, Asche finally made his way back to his cabin. He was tired to his bones, but first he had to contact his friends to ensure that none of them were in any danger.