- Oliver -

  "Any questions?" Wiz asked them.

  Elliot and Emma fell silent, each lost in thought for a moment. Oliver observed them closely, trying to gauge their reas. He didn't kly what to expect from the mission ahead, but he felt calmer knowing he would be alongside experienced Rangers.

  "Ugh! It's always such a pain having to do operations with the Red Rangers," Emma pined, folding her arms across her chest.

  Wiz's expression tightened slightly as if he wao disagree but chose his words carefully. "heless," he said, "we o get in quickly aract as muformation as possible before exiting."

  "What exactly are you expeg to find there?" Elliot finally asked, his pyful demeanor repced by a serious look.

  "Low-value materials," Wiz expined. "Items the Orks wouldn't bother burning or evacuating. But even these could provide us with valuable insights into their operations."

  "Hmm." Oliver shifted in his seat. "How should I prepare for this mission?"

  "Just tih your training," Wiz instructed. "A Red Ranger will be in charge and act as the team leader. He'll handle requisitioning any additional materials or equipment you might need."

  With no further questions, Wiz cluded the briefing. Elliot and Emma rose quickly, heading out to attend to their responsibilities. Oliver lingered for a moment, his mind buzzing with a mix of anticipation and uainty.

  "Oliver," Wiz called out as the young man turo leave.

  "Yes, sir?" Oliver paused at the doorway.

  "Get some rest," Wiz advised, his tone almost paternal. "You'll o be at your best."

  "Thank you, sir." Oliver nodded before stepping into the corridor.

  The Ork Research Base was located in a separate sector of Pals, quite distant from his home. The streets bustled with stists, engineers, and fellers, all moving purposefully. Oliver weaved through the crowd and made his way to the Maglev station.

  The sleek, magically levitated train arrived with a whisper, its doors sliding open smoothly. Oliver boarded and found a seat by the window. As the Maglev accelerated silently, the cityscape blurred into a stream of lights and buildings.

  In minutes, Oliver arrived home and desded into the basement. A sense ency pressed upon him. ‘It's time to train, but before that…’ he thought.

  Though the day was nearly over, he had only two weeks left before deploying into the field. ‘Even though it's low risk, I o prepare for the worst,’ he assessed, fully aware that uimating any mission could be fatal.

  Oliver settled on the floor, leaning against the reinforced steel wall. The ongoing notification hovered in the er of his dispy.

  | Maze Master| plete the maze in under 1 minute| [Click to Redeem]

  Finally deg to front it, his finger hovered momentarily before tapping the [Click to Redeem] button. He braced himself, expeg the sharp jolt of pain or the dizzying rush that apanied his previous upgrades. But seds passed, and nothing happened. He blinked in fusion, gng around the room as if the answer might present itself.

  Then, before him, wisps of energy began to gather, swirling together like ahereal smoke. The energy coalesced into a sphere—a pulsating orb of light that grew denser with each sed.

  Oliver's curiosity piqued, so he reached out cautiously. As his fiips grazed the orb's surface, it burst with a gentle pop, dissipating into shimmering particles. A soft, metallic k echoed as the object fell to the ground.

  He looked down to find a silver key resting at his feet, its surface etched with intricate ruhat seemed to glow. H above it was a new notification:

  | Pantheon’s Key| Twist to Use

  “Twist?” Oliver murmured aloud, his brow furrowing. He picked up the key, its weight reassuring it was real. Unsure of how to proceed, he stood and faced the empty space before him. Taking a deep breath, he ied the key into an invisible lock suspended in the air and twisted it.

  Instantly, reality shifted.

  The familiar fines of his basement dissolved, repced by the grandeur of an immeemple. T ns stretched skyward. The floor beh his feet was made of polished stone, inscribed with symbols that glowed faintly. Floating glyphs and runes drifted through the air.

  Directly ahead stood an enormous throne. Seated upon it was a woman of imposing stature, her form mago colossal proportio retaining a delicate grace. Her long, bluish hair cascaded over her right shoulder, shimmering like threads of starlight. She sat with legs elegantly crossed, exuding an aura of calm authority.

  Her attire resembled that of a Blue Ranger but more refined—sleek armor that seemed both a and advanced, adorned with subtle golden ats that glinted softly. The design was intricate, flowing seamlessly as if part of her very being.

  "At st, you have arrived," the oke, her voice resonating throughout the temple with a melodious echo. It was a voice Oliver reized immediately—the same soothi firm tones of Athena.

  "Athena?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

  "Yes," Athena firmed. "Now that you have the Blue Crystal, it will be easier for us to unicate. Still, you must uand that any iion within this chamber es at a cost—be it our time or Energy."

  Oliver nodded, his gaze drifting around the awe-inspiring surroundings.

  "But where are we?" he asked, returning his attention to her.

  "In my home," Athena replied, "or at least a representation of it that you access."

  "So, you live in a temple?" Oliver mused, eyebrows knitting together. "I thought you were an AI."

  She offered a faint smile. "At the time, I couldn't reveal my nature. Thinking of me as an AI wasirely incorrect."

  "Then what are you really?" he pressed, curiosity burning in his eyes.

  Atheated for a moment, her gaze distant. "It's plex. The more information I share, the more I influehe Game. That es at a signifit cost to me. But you may perceive me however you wish—a goddess, a powerful entity—but we are only known as Sns."

  Oliver felt his heartbeat qui. It was the first time someone had shed light on what a Sn was, and even though her expnation was vague, he was standing in the presence of one.

  ‘Is Athena the one John has been searg for?’ he wondered. ‘What did she mean by influeng the Game?’

  He was about to voiother questiohena raised a haly to stop him. "Choose your questions wisely," she cautioned. "You may have only two more before my energy dissipates and you are returned home."

  He closed his mouth, pting carefully. After a few moments, he asked, "Why me? You could have brought any other Ranger, right? What makes me special?"

  His eyes searched hers, seeking answers about himself and his e to the Blue Crystal.

  Athena leaned ba her throne, resting her on her hand as if deep in thought. "The answer is simpler than you might think," she began. "I observe muearly everything that transpires. I know all the heroes and vilins that exist or have existed. It's rare for someoo surprise me, but you—you, with nothing special, have."

  She tinued, her gaze steady upon him. "You could have died in Seoul, but you survived. You could have fled from the Orks a Isabel and An iransport truck, but you stayed. You might not have saved Katherine, but you did. Time and time again, you've made decisions that put you at risk, but they've demonstrated your will to live and your ce. I admire people like that. To me, that is what it means to be a hero."

  Oliver was momentarily speechless. So often, those decisions had been impulsive, made without clear thought or in moments of desperation. It felt strange, almost uling, to be praised for what he'd often sidered reckless behavior.

  "Th-thank you," he mao say.

  Silenveloped them as he pondered his final question. ‘What should I ask?’ he thought. ‘I o make it t.’

  "What do you expect from me?" Oliver finally inquired. Even if she found him iing, he couldn't shake the feeling that Athena had a deeper purpose for reag out to him.

  She regarded him thoughtfully. "That question will have to wait for aime," she replied softly. "You are not yet ready to uand the Game."

  Slowly, the magnifit se around them began to dissolve, like mist caught in a rising breeze. The t ns faded, the floating symbols dimmed, and the lumi glow softened into darkness.

  As Oliver blinked, he found himself ba his own home, the familiar surroundings slowly ing into focus. The cool air of his room repced the otherworldly atmosphere of the temple. He looked down to find the key still csped in his hand. However, there was something different about it now.

  | Pantheon’s Key| Twist to Use| Cooldown: Two weeks.

  GCLopes