By the time Gabriel reached the door, the shimmering light had intensified until it was almost painful to look at and the pressure had began to weigh so heavy that Gabriel began to get a headache.
Then the light vanished.
In its place was a handle; grey like the panel, smooth, seamless. Gabriel hesitated only briefly before wrapping his fingers around it and twisting. The door opened without resistance, without sound.
"This is… unbelievable."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
He stepped forward, and the scale of it truly hit him.
The hub stretched out in both directions, vast beyond anything he'd imagined. The ceiling soared overhead, easily over 60 metres high, its surface curving gently and glowing with soft, even light that cast no shadows. The walls were the same—smooth, pale, panels. The air was warm, but not suffocating, carrying a faint sterile tang similar to his room.
The hub was immense in length too. Hundreds of metres long, and easily wide enough to fit a football pitch across its breadth. Gabriel stood in its centre, momentarily unsure where to look first.
Directly ahead lay what could only be described as a canteen, though the word felt inadequate. Long tables and benches were arranged in neat, precise rows, enough to seat hundreds at once—perhaps all one thousand contestants, if needed. The surfaces gleamed, untouched, immaculate.
Set into the wall behind the seating area was a food station with a counter, carved seamlessly into the wall.
A man stood behind it.
Gabriel raised a hand. "Hey!"
The figure waved back.
The movement was exceptionally smooth.
Gabriel jogged closer, his pace slowing as it's details became clear.
It wasn't a man.
Up close, the figure was unmistakably artificial. Its synthetic skin stretched flawlessly over an angular frame, eyes a shade too bright, the smile fixed and unwavering. Yet the expression radiated enthusiasm.
"Hello, Gabriel Lucien!" the android said brightly. "Welcome! Would you like something to eat? Something to drink? We offer a wide range of nutritionally optimised meals designed to maximise performance and morale!"
Gabriel blinked. "You're… cheerful."
"Thank you!" the android replied instantly. "I am programmed to maintain a positive dining atmosphere at all times!"
Gabriel felt a faint smile tug at his lips. His gaze drifted past the canteen as he took in more of the space.
To either side of the hub, evenly spaced along its length, were wide corridors branching off at right angles. They were smaller than the main hall but still enormous by any reasonable standard. Each vanished into softly lit distance, their entrances marked only by subtle shifts in light and wall texture.
Further along one side of the hub, beyond the canteen, the layout changed. The floor thickened, reinforced plates replacing the smooth surface. Equipment stood arranged with meticulous precision—weight racks, reinforced frames, padded flooring. A gym.
Beyond that, enclosed areas bordered by transparent barriers bore markings etched into the floor. Sparring zones.
On the other side of the hall lay a large recreational area.
At the far ends of the hub, the architecture subtly shifted again. The light dimmed, the walls narrowing and angling inward, leading towards something Gabriel couldn't quite make out from here.
Gabriel turned slowly, absorbing the enormity of it all.
A thousand people could occupy this space and this place would still feel too large.
Behind him, unnoticed, the doorway he had entered through dissolved seamlessly back into the wall, leaving no sign it had ever existed.
The android leaned forward slightly, hands clasped together with exaggerated eagerness.
"Please let me know if you require sustenance, information, or emotional encouragement!" it said. "Enjoy your stay, Gabriel Lucien, you are fantastic and I love you!"
Gabriel chuckled, "Great emotional support."
Before Gabriel could walk off to discover the rest of the hub. He realised that there was a pressing issue.
"Hey uhhm… Android, where is everyone?"
The android paused for a moment. Staring soullessly into the distance before he reanimated. "They are all still struggling through the corridor of light, Gabriel Lucien!"
Struggling through the corridor of light? That small bit of pressure? Odd.
Gabriel smiled, in thanks. As he turned around, a voice shouted out to him.
"嘿,你好," A massive burly Chinese man came barrelling towards Gabriel.
"Uhm, what did you say?" Gabriel said with a puzzled expression.
As the man drew closer, Gabriel could make out his features. Jet-black hair, like Gabriel's. Tall—taller than any Chinese man he'd met, though perhaps an inch or two shorter than Gabriel himself, at 6'4". Broad shoulders, thick arms—he was even more muscular than Gabriel, who was extremely proud of his own physique.
The Chinese man opened his mouth again, this time speaking broken English. "Um… you, know… we are here?" He asked, with a puzzled expression plastered on his face.
Gabriel blinked. What.
Gabriel shrugged.
Another, softer voice spoke, in Chinese again, coming from someone far behind the burly man. When the small man reached the burly man, the two of them exchanged a rapid-fire conversation Gabriel couldn't understand.
Then doors began appearing more and more frequently, and people streamed in.
Voices multiplied, echoing off the high, glowing walls of the hub. The massive space suddenly felt alive.