It was just another lazy summer evening when thirteen-year-old Kian and his ten-year-old sister Mira stumbled upon the old board game in their grandmother’s attic. The box was covered in stardust-like glitter and read: “NOVA QUEST: BEGIN THE GAME. EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN.”
“Looks cheesy,” Mira said, blowing dust off the cover.
“Exactly why we’re playing it,” Kian grinned. He loved weird, old stuff.
They brought it downstairs, spread it on the floor, and opened the lid. Inside were glowing blue cards, a metallic die, and a circular board marked with planets, black holes, and cosmic events.
Kian picked up the die. “Ready?”
He rolled.
6. Initiate Launch. Brace for Takeoff.
Suddenly, the house shook violently. Books flew off shelves, lights flickered, and with a blinding flash—the living room detached from the rest of the house and rocketed into space.
“KIAN!” Mira screamed, grabbing the couch.
They were floating—in their living room—through space.
A holographic projection emerged from the center of the board. It was a glowing orb with eyes.
“Welcome, Players. NOVA QUEST begins now. Finish the game or remain lost in space forever.”
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TURN 1: Kian
He drew a card:
"Meteor Shower. Shields up or suffer impact.”
A siren blared. Meteors started pelting the house. The windows cracked.
“Hit the couch cushions! Use them as shields!” Kian yelled.
They ducked and covered, barely surviving the storm. Mira looked at the board, terrified.
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TURN 2: Mira
She rolled.
4. Encounter: Space Pirates. Answer their riddle or be boarded.
A massive ship appeared, docking to their living room. Three cybernetic pirates stomped in, eyes glowing red.
“Answer this,” the leader growled. “What travels faster than light, yet weighs nothing?”
Mira blinked. Her heart pounded. Then she whispered, “A thought?”
The pirate paused. Then smiled. “Smart one. We’ll let you live.”
They vanished.
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TURN 3: Kian
“Temporal Rift. You have 60 seconds to save a future version of yourself.”
Suddenly, an older, ragged version of Kian appeared, trapped inside a glass pod. “Help me! Don’t trust the endgame!”
“What does that mean?” Kian yelled, trying to break the pod.
Too late. Time ran out. The pod dissolved. The older Kian screamed and vanished.
Mira stared at her brother. “Kian… what did he mean?”
“I don’t know,” he lied. But his hands were shaking.
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TURN 4: Mira
“Wormhole. Trade a memory to pass through.”
A strange creature slithered into the room. “Give me your favorite memory.”
“No!” she shouted.
“It’s the only way forward,” the orb advised.
Mira hesitated, then nodded. “Okay. The memory of Mom singing to me at night.”
The creature absorbed it and opened a portal. As they passed through, Mira whispered, “I can’t remember her face anymore…”
Kian clenched his jaw. This game was not fun anymore.
---
They landed on an alien planet, their house now sitting in the middle of a jungle of glowing trees. The board floated in the air.
TURN 5: Kian
“Final Level. One must finish. One must vanish.”
“What the hell?” Kian gasped.
The orb appeared. “Only one can complete the quest. The other will be erased from existence. Choose.”
“No!” Mira cried. “We’re not playing anymore!”
“You must finish what you started,” the orb said, glowing brighter.
Suddenly, the board split into two paths: one lit in gold, the other in shadows.
“I’ll go,” Kian said. “Let me. I started this.”
“No,” Mira whispered. “We started it together.”
She grabbed his hand.
And then—the board shattered.
---
Everything froze.
The orb stopped.
A voice—softer, deeper—echoed: “You broke the rule. You chose unity over survival.”
The pieces of the board reassembled… but into something new.
“Congratulations. You passed the true test.”
Kian and Mira blinked.
“Wait… what?”
The orb now had a smile. “NOVA QUEST is not a game of power, but of character. You faced fear, greed, sacrifice, and ego—and you chose love.”
Light enveloped them.
---
They woke up—on the attic floor.
The game was gone.
Outside, everything was normal. Birds chirped. Kids played.
Kian turned to Mira. “Did that… happen?”
She nodded slowly. Then smiled. “We beat it.”
Kian looked at his sister and realized something else: even in a game that wanted them to compete, they had chosen each other.
And that choice?
That was the real win.
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THE END
