"Progress is impossible without change."

  Walt Disney

  The Castle of Glass was eclipsed in chaos when Milly, Rain, and Calista appeared at the Castle of Glass, hands pressed against an identical obelisk that had appeared on the outskirts of the beach terrain near the entrance. The Freelancer camp was scattered about the entrance, assisting people sand who had been forcibly ejected by Tutoria from the lobby.

  The glass of the lobby was completely black, as if shielded by thick curtains. There was a timer in bright red letters on every window, counting down.

  8:45

  8:44

  8:43

  “Calista,” came Elmer’s call as he dashed across the sand from the Freelancer camp to meet them. “Thank God you're here. Everyone inside the lobby was just hurled out, and those in their offices can't leave.”

  “Did anyone get hurt?” Calista asked.

  “Only a few scrapes. Phillis and Ying are tending to them," Elmer advised her. "Just what the hell is Phase Two?”

  “I think we’ll find out soon,” Rain answered, staring towards the windows of Rain On My Parade, which were as black as the lobby. “I swear, if Tutoria touches my stuff, I’m going to freak out.”

  Everything Rain had worked towards was at Rain on my Parade. Milly could see the tension gripping her friend as she stared intently at the opaque windows.

  “I think we should prepare for the worst,” Calista directed. “Elmer, round up as many people as you can and bring them to the beach. People will be less likely to panic and do something stupid if they are all together.”

  “Consider it done. Any idea why this is happening?” Elmer asked.

  “We beat an Arena,” Calista said bluntly. “We did not know this would happen, but I'm afraid it's our fault.”

  “It was bound to happen eventually,” said Elmer. “Though Stone and Brass might not be so forgiving. They've been looking for an opportunity to demonize the Freelancers. I'm afraid this might have given them what they were looking for."

  Elmer bellowed for his Freelancers and began to herd people towards the beach.

  “Calista, when did you get so commanding?” Milly said in awe, impressed with Calista's instinctive leadership.

  “What? I wasn't commanding. I go hunting with Elmer every morning and given them orders all the time. Don’t make a big deal of it.”

  “It’s just… you were so… I mean…” Milly stammered, an unexpected heat rising in her face.

  “Milly means to say she thought you were impressive,” said Rain, tearing her eyes away from Rain on my Parade’s windows. “Calista, leader of the Freelancers.”

  “I am not the leader of the Freelancers. Elmer is. I just take them hunting.”

  “That is not what I saw,” Rain insisted. “Elmer may be their captain, but you're their general.”

  “I have no interest in that kind of thing” Calista countered. “And we’ve got more important things to worry about right now. Anything could happen when that counter hits zero, so we need to be prepared.”

  "Sounds pretty in charge to me," Rain whispered to Milly with a gentle nudge. "Don't you think she's cute when she gives orders?"

  "I... what? Rain, I... I don't," Milly protested as Rain laughed.

  They sat on the sand, player screens open and out of sight of the growing crowd gathering on the beach. Rain and Calista had both earned talent points after the fight with The Crushing Wave, and it took them a few minutes to decide on their talents.

  Ultimately, Rain selected fire magic, as it as the base magic for many of the concoctions for The Mage Alchemist, and Calista enhanced her protective shield so she could materialize it without a physical shield, which gave her greater flexibiltiy in battle.

  Milly watched the ocean waves while she waited for them to finish. Her mind raced.

  So much has happened over the past few hours. Would we have been better off to simply leave the Arena alone? It could have been a good life, just surviving off the land and playing it safe.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  She dismissed the tempting notion.

  I've seen the heart of the Contest. This place was created for a purpose, and if the players don't advance, the Contest - Luna - would make us. Elmer's right. There was no avoiding this.

  “We’re ready. Let’s go,” Calista announced, and Milly picked herself up and joined her friends at the beach-side entrance, where a crowd of fifty people were peppering Elmer with questions.

  “Look Paul, I don’t know what's happening any more than you do. Just keep that mace handy in case there is trouble. Jody, I don't think the obelisk on the beach is harmful. Just don't touch it until we figure it out. Now, we need to be prepared. Everyone form a circle in the sand, short range weapons on the outside, spears in the middle, and healers and mages inside that. That will... will people please settle down and listen?"

  “Hey!” shouted Calista. The crowd grew silent and turned towards her. Calista strode up to Elmer’s side, clutching her driftwood spear. “Listen to Elmer. Get your asses away from the lobby and get into position. Now!”

  The crowd began to flow away from the entrance, following her direction.

  “Thanks Calista,” Elmer said appreciatively. “Bunch of yokels. Can’t take orders to save their souls. The CEOs will walk all over us if we can't figure out how to act as a team. Will you be heading inside the lobby when it hits zero?”

  Calista nodded. “And Milly and Rain. You keep the others back. We’ll check it out first.”

  “That might be best,” Elmer sighed, as he watched two of their coworkers shoving each other. "Good luck."

  He headed toward the fight, bellowing instructions to get them in formation.

  Rain and Milly gazed at Calista, laughter in their eyes.

  “I’m not their general,” denied Calista, though even she had her doubt about that assertion.

  The timer entered its final ten seconds.

  They stood at the entrance, anxiously waiting what would happen. Milly, a flame ready in each palm, was surprised at how brave she felt.

  8...

  7...

  6...

  We've defeated a giant centipede. We relived the worst days of our lives, and come out stronger on the other side. As long as the three of us are together, we can win this God Contest. I'm not afraid of Phase Two. Bring it on!

  3…

  2…

  1…

  A blinding light flashed inside the lobby and cascaded over them in a single, intense flash. A second later the light was gone, and the darkness within the lobby had dissipated.

  They stepped inside.

  The lobby had been completely transformed - an expansive room that would serve as the hub of the God Contest.

  It's... it's so different. Beautiful, if you ignore its purpose.

  The Tutorial screens had vanished, as had the central courtyard with the dead tree, but all Milly had eyes for was the floor beneath her feet.

  The black marble tiles were gone, and in its place was a gigantic map of the world that stretched across the entire lobby. The Castle of Glass was at its centre, where the central courtyard had once been. The terrain immediately surrounding the Castle of Glass was depicted in exquisite detail, though everything beyond the the first two inches was covered in grey fog, save for a few, narrow strips. Milly recognized one - the path they had taken to the Arena of Choice.

  Milly knelt at the centre of the map to get a better view. She could see the mountain river flowing as it descended from the glaciers and waterfalls, and the ocean waters rippling with breaking waves as they struck the sandy shore. A faint breeze swayed the grasses across the plains, and tiny monkeys jumping through the canopies of the jungle. The Arena of Choice obelisk rose above the map at the furthest explored area in the mountains, nearly touching the glass above it.

  “It must only reveal the map when someone has explored the area,” remarked Rain. “The area around the tower has been well explored, so it is revealed in great detail. I bet that stretch over there, the one still partially foggy, was one of Xavier’s forays.”

  “It is called a fog of war,” Milly said, then elaborated when Calista and Rain stared at her. “Xavier used to go on and on about it in his rants. It’s standard in exploration or war games. The fog will not be lifted until someone has been there.”

  “How big is this world, if everything we've already explored can be packed into the first inch of space?” Calista asked.

  “Do you really want to know?” Rain responded, and Calista gave a reluctant nod, “Well, if the map is to scale, and the distances consistent across the map, then this world stretches... at least five thousand miles in every direction.”

  “That’s insane,” Calista said, flabbergasted.

  “It gets worse,” added Milly, as she noticed several structured illuminated through the fog of war and scattered throughout the map. “See those? One guess as to what those are.”

  “More Arenas. Two dozen of them, stretched over thousands of miles,” Calista said, shocked. “No wonder the last Contest took over four years. They might not have finished even half. People are going to freak out when they see this.”

  “I’m freaking out right now,” Milly said, overwhelmed.

  Will we need to complete them all? How on earth can we do that?

  Milly tore her gaze from the map and looked around the lobby.

  The floor was not the only thing that had changed.

  The storefront of Tower Three was no longer empty. Its metal shutters were thrown open and cases of weapons, armor, and supplies were prominently displayed. A Tutoria in a white apron sat behind a register with a broad, beaming smile. The words ‘The Tutoria Emporia’ were lit up in fluorescent lighting above the entrance, as if it were a late night convenience store.

  Milly and Calista started heading towards the Emporia, but stopped when Rain did not follow. Her eyes were fixed on Rain on my Parade.

  “Oh, for goodness sakes, Rain,” said Calista. “Go check on your store. Milly and I will be fine. There doesn't seem to be any danger here.”

  “Thanks,” Rain said appreciatively, as dashed over to her store, fumbling with her keys along the way.

  Calista and Milly walked slowly towards the Emporia, taking in the remarkable transformation. Brass chandeliers hung above them, their hundreds of wax candles casting a dim light across the lobby. There were lounge areas interspersed throughout the lobby, with dark leather chairs and fancy couches and elaborate end tables of solid black marble. It was as if Milly were in a medieval library, only without the books. She ran her hand along one of the couches as she passed by, relishing its comfort.

  “Perfect for napping,” declared Calista, excitement building in her eyes. “This is certainly an improvement over the previous lobby.”

  Milly nodded her agreement, then pointed to a large blue screen floating against the prairie-side window beside the Emporia. “What do you suppose that is?”

  The Non-Canonical Aftermath: