The tension in the VVVVIP suite was thick enough to choke a God. Nick had barely finished embracing his wife, Mei, when Sara and Olivia's tactical HUDs flared a violent crimson.
"Incoming," Sara barked, her golden eyes flashing. "The escort unit just cleared the private lift. Secure the perimeter!"
Mei Lin stepped forward, her green eyes glowing with an ancient luminescence as she prepared the specialized Essence-sink to receive the high-priority cargo. Everyone held their breath, expecting a crate of world-ending weaponry or a grizzled warrior from the Old World.
The heavy, blast-proof doors hissed open. A squad of government agents in full tactical gear marched in, flanking a small, floating containment unit. When the seals broke and the steam cleared, the "Package" stepped out, and the room fell into a stunned, absolute silence.
Standing barely five feet tall was a small, vibrant girl who looked like she was made of stardust and neon dreams. She had pale green skin dotted with celestial freckles, large star-shaped eyes that literally glowed in the dark, and two long, prehensile star-tipped tentacles that swayed with a mind of their own.
"Konpeito!" the girl chirped, flashing a peace sign with gloved hands.
"What... is that?" Nick asked, his voice cracking as he looked at the girl who resembled a cartoon mascot more than a threat.
"That," Sara said, her face pale as she checked her scanner, "is the Package. She is a Soul—a celestial entity from a galaxy the Old World didn't even have a name for—trapped in a bio-vessel."
"She looks like a glow-in-the-dark gummy bear," Luna whispered, her own gold-engraved tentacles twitching in confusion.
The star-eyed girl tilted her head, her gaze locking onto the Goddess in the corner of the room. A sudden, heavy resonance shook the hotel windows, a sound like a thousand stars humming at once.
"You're old," the Package said, her voice sounding like chimes in a vacuum. "And you smell like a dead world. I like the surgeon better. He smells like fresh ink."
The moment of wonder was shattered as the hotel's lights flickered and died. A jagged, black static began to crawl across the holographic displays.
The revelation of the "Package's" true nature hung in the air, clashing with the high-stakes mysticism of the Old World souls. Nick stared at the glowing, girl, his panic gradually shifting into the cold, analytical focus of a master engineer. He turned to Sara, his eyes narrowed behind his glasses.
"Sara," Nick said, his voice dropping an octave. "Is she from the Exodus Program?"
Sara offered a small, triumphant smile. "Yes it is, Nick."
"What is the Exodus Program?" Luna asked, her golden eye darting between the billionaire and the celestial girl who was now poking at a floating holographic ornament.
"It's a program I created to find a way to travel to other dimensions," Nick explained, running a hand through his hair. "And it worked. I found three life forms that defy the laws of the universe. All that stuff is just government flavor text. This 'green bean' is an alien from a reality that doesn't play by our rules." He looked back at Sara.
"Do you guys have the other two?"
"Yes, we do," Sara confirmed. "But they are in different parts of the world and only activate when you're around. They are extremely powerful, Nick. Crucially, they are not restricted by the Gods' rules."
The room fell into a stunned silence. In a world where every player and ancient soul was strictly capped at a set strength, the existence of entities that bypassed the Gods' constraints changed everything.
"The government is planning to use them as anchors," Olivia added, her green eyes fixed on the alien girl. "To stop people from the Old World from entering this reality in their full forms. With these three active, we can ensure they only arrive as souls reborn into this world, forced to follow the local laws of progression."
Nick let out a long, relieved sigh, his posture finally relaxing. "Well, this vacation just got a whole lot easier. We don't have to worry about any Ascended showing up with her here. They'd be bringing a knife to a supernova fight."
He turned, sliding an arm around Mei's waist. "Well, I am going to enjoy my time with my wife. You guys have fun with whatever you are doing. Just don't let the alien eat the upholstery or blow up my hotel."
As Nick and Mei retreated to the private quarters of the VVVVIP suite, the rest of the group was left with the "Package." The girl, seemingly oblivious to her status as a dimensional deterrent, wandered over to the Goddess.
"You're very quiet for a creator," the girl chirped, her star-tipped tentacles twitching.
The Goddess reached out, her fingers hovering just inches from the girl's glowing skin. "In my world, we were the law. Here, we are guests. It is refreshing to meet someone who doesn't even know the door is locked."
Chase watched them from the bar, his Surgeon's Sight unable to penetrate the girl's celestial shroud. Beside him, Blood Eye—in his new, handsome slate-blue form—looked at his reflection in a glass of water.
"A world where the Gods are caged and the aliens are the guards," Blood Eye remarked quietly. "It's a strange peace, Surgeon."
"It's the only one we've got," Chase replied. "For the next four months, at least, let's enjoy it while it last."
While the political and celestial heavyweights debated the fate of dimensions in the other room, Ayaka and Luna had staked their claim on the suite's private indoor garden—a lush, temperature-controlled sanctuary filled with bioluminescent orchids and soft, moss-covered lounges.
The panoramic windows of the VVVVIP wing displayed the neon veins of Guangzhou pulsing below, but the two women were focused entirely on each other. Ayaka had finally discarded her "underpaid technician" disguise, lounging in a silk robe that Nick definitely didn't know she had charged to his account.
A Moment of Quiet for the group Luna laid back against a heap of velvet cushions, her oversized yellow hoodie pulled halfway up. Her two black-and-gold engraved tentacles moved with a lazy, rhythmic grace, gently pruning a nearby orchid just to stay occupied.
"You know," Ayaka whispered, leaning her head against Luna's shoulder. "Back in the Old World, a night like this was impossible. I was always looking over my shoulder for Blood Eye's next target, and you... you were just a legend in the dark.
"Luna let out a soft, raspy hum, her golden eye half-closed in contentment.
"The 'Old World' was a cage of duty. This world is a cage of rules. But at least here, the pillows are softer."
Ayaka giggled, reaching out to trace one of the glowing gold engravings on Luna's tentacle. "Nick's wife is sweet, but she's right—we are in so much trouble once we get back to the States. I think Nick's mother might actually be more terrifying than the Corpse Stealer."
The air in the garden began to shimmer slightly—a side effect of the "Exodus" technology nearby—creating a soft, iridescent haze around them. Luna's star-tipped eye flickered as she watched the "Static" dance in the air, but she didn't move.
"Let the world break for a few hours," Luna muttered, pulling Ayaka closer.
"Nick is dealing with his wives, Chase is dealing with the alien, and we... we're just relaxing."
Ayaka closed her eyes, letting the hum of the hotel's advanced machinery and the warmth of Luna's presence wash over her. In a world where they were capped at their strength, moments of pure, unadulterated peace were the only true power they had left.
"I could get used to this 'vacation' thing," Ayaka murmured, her voice drifting off as the bioluminescent plants bathed them in a soft, emerald light.