---

The struggling concept of her life resembled the pointed compass leading down south. It's always been in her family to be a fighter, outliving the legacy of her father to forge her path; the repercussions of her actions from her days of underage drinking and healing from the traumatic abuse of her late mother's a pathway to who she has become now.



Serenity's forge in the world made her a household name that separated herself from her legacy. However, the legacy of her own? The world is watching it bloom from a blank canvas she wanted. The second generation of her lineage evolved from her predecessor. A father's dream come true, but her mother? A nightmare that she resented from the afterlife. It didn't matter to Serenity because her life would involve a war to which she was accustomed.



The flight to Pennsylvania from Houston was going to be extended. First class, as usual, was from a woman of her high standard, but the night flight was comforting. The amenities were as promised on Jetblue, with free WiFi, top-tier service, and WiFi space for her to enjoy her alone time. Serenity's carriage was above, and her luggage was privately secluded in the aircraft cargo station. The young athlete decided to travel lighter than usual, and her outfit, well, not the best, but she wasn't too keen on dressing to be a part of a socialite elite event. It was War Games, and she had always wanted to see the show.



It was close to midnight. Her hotel was arranged, and her transportation awaited her at the airport. The destination was an hour away, and Serenity leaned back into the seat with her eyes closed, enjoying the peaceful sound of the flight in its dark trenches. Dressed in a black hoodie with a light shirt underneath, baggy cargo pants, and black boots, her hair was running down in a straightened design, and she had the hoodie over her head for comfort. Her teenage grunge fashion taste never disappeared.



After turbulence shook the plane, she awakened from her nap and looked around. Some others were in their seats, still resting, but Serenity rubbed her eyes and opened her laptop on the desk before her. Checking her e-mails, notifications, and social media was the same nonsense she had always seen. With business being tended to, she had her schedule of championship matches to attend and upcoming fights in the MMA after making waves in the industry. There was a lot on her plate, and she always handled business independently. She was never the type to rely on a manager, for they were either too incompetent or greedy.



To be fair, sometimes alone.



Typing on the keyboard, she accepted offers from promotions and sponsorships that saw her as a lucrative name to invest in. XWF was no different. She relished the chance to compete in such an esteemed professional wrestling institution.



Her peers and close friends had been under the banner: Johnny Bacchus, Dionysus, Corey Black, and many more. It was the place to be when it came to the foundational times of this industry. However, her time to come would be summoned by a man she despised.



The laptop became unclear initially. The screen malfunctioned, and Serenity's hands shifted away from the keyboard, thinking she might be the cause. She checked the hardware, investigating whether damage had occurred, but found no findings. The WiFi was intact, the softwarWiFid prote, action, yet her entire screen went dark as if she had been removed from the system. Serenity's greenish eyes looked everywhere. Was this some prank? It wasn't funny, and she hated pranks.



"What is going on now?" She slapped the screen several times until she received an automated message—just a sentence. Serenity leaned in and squinted her eyes to view the sentence.





What the hell? Accept what? She was flying to XWF to attend a show, but the sentence was added.





Okay, this was getting too weird. She lifted her head and looked around to see if reality was still accurate. Unfortunately, delusion nor illusion played a role in this moment. Serenity sat down and read two words that cleared everything.





Ah, there was it. Of course, who else would have access to forcing themselves on her laptop? The malicious bastard who doesn't take no for an answer. She place a hand on her gut, a warning from a higher power, ensuring that aligning herself with him would mean taking a path she's not ready for. But when has she ever been prepared? She gently stroked her finger on the keyboard between the letters of Y/N. Looking at the sentence with the cursor took a press of a button.



"Cypher." Serenity said with a reluctant tone of anger and contempt. He was a chosen leader and knew how to twist her hunger into rage. The fire to compete and win. With the high stakes, he toiled with her need to become a destined winner. War Games was the perfect solution. After deciding, she made her choice and pressed the button on the keyboard, answering his offer.

---

That's all it takes. A simple click and you're at War. The Warision, every general of his army has to do in these modern times of the digital age. No more signing your name on the page; it's about pressing a button that sends a message to your army that allows them to mantle their arms and go on in the world to defeat their enemy team.



Three Mile Island. The accident was deemed the worst in nuclear power plant history on United States soil. The lost lives and the monumental damage that caused an oversight on human lives had no choice but to be quarantined for national security. Where the hunger of a government looking to advance itself in the technological race, the unfortunate historical hallmark prevented globalization for a period that shook the world to its core.



Serenity reached the grounds where the War Games were to be held. The company's internal sacrifice to host itself on these lands shows it had balls.



She gently stepped out of her rented vehicle and shut the door. She knew she could gain access, especially since she was a Cypher's War Games team member. It was pretty odd for him to reach out, knowing they would never get along, but the message was sent, and she had received it. Wow, taking it all in, the abandoned structure of the plants and almost connecting with flashbacks of the plant in its prime.



Her feet dragged amongst the soil, and she could almost see the operational layout of the engineered workforce in their departments being told by their bosses where to be assigned. The winds were cold, and the stars were hidden behind the clouds underneath the moon. Serenity shoved her hands deep inside her jacket's pockets and felt the land's abandonment course through her spine. Of course, the perfect grounds for War, but sWarwasn't just war; she was the reason for it too.



Hunger.



It's a simple word. The meaning that people think is to feed from the food they swallow, but many fail to understand that hunger is derived from the greed and gluttony they have in their minds. I take it that power was their main course when this plant was made, and in their greed, they managed to make a mistake that cost them dearly.



I bet it's the same for our opponents. I know you're listening, Cypher.



With an instant snap of her head, she looked directly into the security camera hoisted on a security guard's post office wall. The flashing red light above was a clear indication it was actively surveying the land, and standing directly given its shot was Serenity, who was staring back before walking around to get a closer view.



People often make mistakes in their quest to satisfy their needs. The lack of control when their gut and mind come together, demanding to be fed by the spoils of War, will make any man or woman forsake their values to dull the pain of feeling empty.



I know how that feels. I became the little girl known to be the belt collector. In my reasoned thirst for power, I trampled from promotion to promotion, gathering any championship.



No one is safe from me. No one who is a champion or has an accolade is worth being spared in my path, so when you sent that message to my domain, I couldn't resist. I bit on the carrot and wanted more. The sin of my hunger is getting the better of me, and I flew out to this wasteland, which you call home for War. I am here because I accept your offer. You know me, despite how much I wouldn't say I like your existence. The dossier you have was accurate.



Serenity descended to her right knee and grasped a handful of the dirt. She played with it, dwindling it with her thumb before standing up. God, this was such a beautiful structure. The large dome that contained the nuclear waste and power all in one had become a shell of what it used to be. She closed her eyes and took it all in. This is where the War Games for 2024 would be. War is a state of times the world has been indulged in twice, but no one can escape at all.



But unlike us, we have a common enemy. War. Our enemies are waiting for us on the other side of this island, and I've seen what they're capable of.



Madness. The hunger for power, the thirst for blood, and the uncontrollable mind to put together their plans and strategy to beat us all. I know my Uncle is out there, the King of all Wrestlers, and Barney will be joining us. We all need to outdo each other on our team, but when we sense someone we hate, isn't it funny how we can band like savages getting ready to raid another's village?



Because that's what they will do to us, but they don't have what it takes. They're so conflicted with their demons that they take pride in embracing them as a mask. Deep down inside, our enemies will catastrophically implode at the sight of us, for they can't even seem to put aside their petty squabbles to work together.



When War strikes, everyone puts their differences aside. I can do with this my team, Cypher, and you've chosen wisely. It might be one of the wisest decisions you ever made.



However, you had better be ready to devise a plan and put your leadership skills to the test, for Matthias would like to crucify you in any way he can despite being the one to crucify himself all his life. We're facing him and his bandits, experienced wrestlers, and champions in their dominion, such as Aurora and Matthias. However, Mr. Oz and Madison are the chaotic factors that will enjoy the revelation of beating us down.



We're knocking into their home uninvited, so we can expect them to defend it in their own right, but I know that will not be the case. We storm in and burn their home to the ground as this place was burned down without warning!



There's a slight pitch from the security camera, and Serenity turns around to face it. It moves away, giving her a hint to follow the instructions. Serenity nodded and dispersed over to a ladder to climb up a balcony walkway that was still instinctive. It was a path over the rest of the ground workers, most likely for supervisors and higher chain management to oversee the progress from a higher view. After all, having higher ground meant more access to command. Serenity took her sweet time walking on the metal structure with a bit of fear of not having it break from time's decay on the material. It was pretty intense, and she should be, too.



Matthias. I hope you're listening. I hope Cypher uses his skills to record this. War Games. You are an unfortunate child of it as once the people who were working on this island were years ago. You decided it would be best to jump into an environment believing you know simply because you're the XWF Revolution Champion. I don't blame you. The team you've assembled are good, they have proven themselves in the ring but can you be sure that they will be ready to stand together against us?



That is the question.



The symphony of love and hatred must be put aside, and honestly, your team cannot bear witness to putting aside the constant issues battering their minds to move forward in life. In War, you have to sacrifice everything, and I remember that even when someone is hungry, they begin to see their loved ones as mere flesh to eat.



This is where I come in for you. I will be your lack of hunger and strip you down to the necessity of understanding that you have the will to lead your team to victory or let them become unfortunate casualties of War.



Serenity leaned on the balcony to oversee the view from above. She sighed, knowing that the battle was near, but her entire life had been nothing but battles she'd overcome. With War Games, it would be a new chapter in her life, but she was ready to bring the entire damnation with her.



Who am I in this War to you, Matthias? It's simple. I'm the cure. I'm the reset. I'm the eternal damnation of that worthless hunger that makes you want to consume everything and everyone around you. I'm the angel that God sends to make sure no one can feed and let the people who have ruined this world.



War Games? I will watch you struggle; I will watch your leadership crumble, and then watch you be the reason the men and women you chose to be sent to their deaths will blame you for letting them fall dead at your dinner table.



After all, Matthias, it's what the world is experiencing now and what I will inflict on you.



Famine is a very horrible way to die.