The Lotus Hotel and Casino pulsed with golden light, a timeless dream suspended in decadence. Jazz played softly in the background as dancers spun across polished marble floors, waiters gliding past with platters of sparkling drinks and candied fruits.
To most, it was paradise.
To Tet, it was a loophole.
He strolled in through the revolving doors wearing a sharp indigo vest, mismatched eyes glowing faintly with curiosity and mischief. No one noticed his arrival, not even the staff—such was the way of gods. The magic of the Lotus Casino preserved all who entered in a haze of forgetfulness, but Tet's presence simply bypassed it. Time meant nothing to him.
He moved with purpose past poker tables and arcades, through corridors filled with children and teenagers locked in endless revelry.
There, sitting at a soda bar beneath a glowing sign that read "Galactic Smoothies," were Bianca and Nico di Angelo.
They looked no older than ten and twelve, respectively. Bianca was chatting with a sharply dressed concierge about constellations, while Nico argued with a game machine that seemed to be cheating him out of his score.
Tet smiled.
He approached them casually, hands in his pockets.
"Excuse me," he said warmly, "is this seat taken?"
Bianca blinked up at him, confused but not alarmed. Nico barely spared him a glance.
"It's a bar," Nico muttered. "Take a seat if you want."
"Thank you." Tet sat and snapped his fingers. Two crystalline keys materialized, invisible to everyone else in the casino. One bore the insignia of a climbing axe etched into ancient stone — the Tomb Raider key. The other radiated power, shaped like a stylized scythe — the Darksiders II key.
He slid the axe-shaped one toward Bianca.
"I've got a gift for you," he said softly.
She looked down. Her eyes widened. "What is it?"
Tet grinned. "An opportunity to become someone incredible."
Bianca hesitated, but reached out. The moment her fingers touched the key, a golden portal opened behind her in silence. No one else noticed. Time slowed around her.
"Step through, Bianca. You won't remember me, not fully, but you'll remember the challenge. You'll be playing as Lara Croft."
Before she could question further, the portal pulled her in.
---
Bianca's Beginning — Tomb Raider (2013)
Rain fell in sheets. The ocean roared.
Bianca awoke to the sound of screaming metal as a ship split in half. She was thrown violently across the deck, clutching her sides. Her hands—no, Lara's hands—trembled.
"Lara!" someone yelled in the distance.
Bianca—now Lara—crawled forward. Wind lashed at her face. She reached for the edge of the broken ship just as it snapped apart. Her body plunged into the cold sea.
Darkness.
She washed ashore, coughing up water. Every part of her ached. Then, pain—sharp and unbearable—as something heavy struck her head. Her vision darkened.
When she awoke again, she was bound and suspended inside a cavern, firelight dancing across soaked walls. And in that moment—gasping, bleeding, terrified—Bianca realized this world was no dream.
It was real.
And she had to survive.
---
Back at the Bar
Tet turned to Nico.
"I've got something for you, too," he said, voice like velvet.
Nico turned to glare at him. "I don't know who you are, but—"
Tet placed the second key on the counter.
Nico's mouth shut.
He stared.
"Touch it," Tet said gently.
Nico reached out—and as soon as his fingers brushed the key, he vanished.
---
Nico's Beginning — Darksiders II
Silence.
Then—
BOOM.
Thunder cracked over the shattered plains of the White City. Nico opened his eyes and found himself armored in bone and leather, a pair of scythes sheathed on his back. His body moved with impossible grace and weight.
He was Death, Horseman of the Apocalypse.
Ahead, a voice echoed.
> "The balance is broken. Ride forth, Horseman, and set the world right."
Nico stared at his hands—Death's hands. He summoned a scythe, watched it form from shadow and steel. A crow cawed overhead.
No HUD. No tutorials. Just instinct.
And Nico grinned.
---
Meanwhile…
Tet stood from the bar, his work done. The portal to Bianca's world had already faded. Nico's, too.
> Quest Status: In Progress
Player 1: Bianca di Angelo – Tomb Raider (Lara Croft)
Player 2: Nico di Angelo – Darksiders II (Death)
> New Players Registered.
Achievement Unlocked: "Seeding the Future"
Bonus: +200 Game Credits
Tet chuckled and vanished in a flicker of colored light, already plotting his next move.
The board was set.
The pieces in motion.
And the game had only just begun.