Shu's POV 

Jealousy. 

That must be it. 

I sighed tiredly and rubbed my eyes before closing them again. The sun rays continued to beat down on me, warmth surrounding my body as it relaxed on the soft white fabric of the sofa-chair placed near the glass-door to the balcony. A small smile settled on my lips. I was finally in New York, America. 

Raging Bulls had scouted me after the Nationals. After...I had lost to Lui. The pain still stung, and even if had I gotten a new bey, the wound was still fresh as ever. Ever since the loss, I had barely had any time to watch IREL, or even think about the strange feeling I had experienced during the third episode. At least I had some time to relax in a peaceful and quiet area with no Nariko. The smile stretched every so slightly. Yet my mind continued to wonder to the puzzle of IREL.

Jealousy. 

It must be it, yet why would I be jealous? Jealous of who, exactly? (y/n)? Chanel? Jack? My forehead creased as I whipped out my iPad and started replaying IREL's third episode. For the first two minutes, nothing happened. Until the boy with dreamy eyes appeared in the intro. It arrived abruptly, boiling intensely in my chest. Yet it disappeared as quickly as it came, just when the intro finished. A hunch began to rise in my head, but I desperately hoped it wasn't true. 

Halfway into the episode I turned it off, flinging it onto the couch. I had seen enough already to prove my hunch. 

I was jealous of Jack because I have a crush on (y/n). 

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I walked calmly down the exquisite hallways of Raging Bulls. Priceless paintings were hung on the crisp walls, fresh plants springing up attractively, each one placed neatly. The lights brightly illuminated the hallway and the cream-carpeted floor that smelled faintly of an old cologne. I wrinkled my nose slightly at that smell, but I continued to walk to the elevator. 

Some pop music started playing softly in the background as the elevator slowly descened towards the ground floor. I gently slapped myself on the forehead, gritting my teeth as I leaned back on the silver railing. How could I fall in love with TV character? This wasn't like me at all. It just wasn't logical at all. Sighing, I stepped out of the elevator just as it finished dinging. 

'Hey Shu,' a trainer wearing the Raging Bulls uniform walked towards the elevator, clutching an iced bottle. I guess he had just finished training. I nodded and walked towards the treadmill nearest to the big TV that was currently on BeyNews. Sun rays floated into the spacious area, lighting up the room. Above on the second level, I could hear Theodore Glass criticize some weak bladers. I winced as I stepped onto the machine, pressing several buttons as the machine whirred to life. 

I would have to train so much harder to reach the owner of Raging Bull's expectation. Otherwise...I'll have to leave. Groans echoed throughout the training area as the fallen bladers walked down, muttering and complaining about how they had to leave now. I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. From now on, I'll have to devote myself to training if I wanted to beat Lui.

Which meant I had to forgot about IREL and (y/n). 

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I couldn't sleep at all. 

It was around one in the morning, a cool breeze floating around still. There was absolutely no sound at all, except for the occasional car or motorbike outside the building. I sighed heftedly and turned to the other side of my bed, facing the window. A thousand stars glimmered like sparkling diamonds scattered across a dark backdrop. The moon was shining brightly, it's light illuminating the night sky. The newly found Basuto constellation shimmered splendidly, and I wondered why astronomists  had only discovered it a few weeks ago. But then again, I had never seen it before either. A constellation couldn't just have appeared out of thin air, could it? 

I pushed the thought out of my head. I must be going crazy due to lack of sleep. Closing my eyes, I slowed my breathing and forced myself to relax and go to sleep. 

'Ashtem?'

The low, gravelly voice rumbled throughout the dorms of Raging Bulls, soft, but loud enough to be heard by anyone who was awake. My eyes snapped open as I laid motionlessly in bed. I peered out the window and realized a limo had pulled in front of the building. The person outside must be important. But who was he calling to, a person named Ashtem?

'I am here, Gold Eye.'

Curiosity overwhelmed me. I slowly pushed back the thick duvet and threw on my usual clothing. I crept up to my door. Long shadows indicated that they were standing right in front of my dorm. They exchanged some words in hushes, and I could only catch the word 'basement'. I frowned. I hadn't been told about a basement in this building. Now I felt wide awake, ready for an adventure. 

Once the long shadows had retreated, I quietly opened the door. Two figures wearing highly-retailed uniforms and unique masks just walked around the corner to the lift. I waited until I heard the bell ding, signaling that they were gone from this floor. I tiptoed outside until I reached the elevators. I pressed the down button, waiting patiently for the doors to open. Once inside, I needed to find the basement button, which was hidden.  A small tile on the walls caught my eye. It was on a hinge, as if it was hiding something. I opened the tile and pressed the 'B' button on the inside. 

The lift immediately descended downwards, past the ground floor. The metal doors slid open again, revealing a long and eerie hallway that was dimly lite. I gathered up all of my confidence and walked slowly down, stopping at the doorway down at the end. 

My eyes widened as they scampered around the huge, circular room. It was entirely made out of metal, a small pole placed in the middle. Various holographic screens showed reports of rising bladers, including Valt and Xander and...me. I was beginning to feel a little creeped out. The two men stood on the opposite of the rooms, discussing something significant. 

'The discovery could make millions,' the taller one was saying, Ashtem. 'Imagine, the fortune another realm could make!'

'I have no problem with your decisions,' the low voice said, Gold Eye. 'However, you must not forget about Snake Pit.'

Snake Pit? 

The rumored training facility in Mexico? Does that mean it was real? But what did it have to do with the Raging Bulls? A million questions zoomed around my head. 

'Oh, I won't,' Ashtem sinisterly chuckled, making feel me feel a little nervous. 'In fact, the facility is the key to finding the mythical realm and planet, Earth.'

My heart stopped beating. Earth? 

'But won't the people think that humans are a little hostile,' reasoned Gold Eye. 'We've never met them before, and some of the humans can be dangerous to us.'

'But that's the reason for IREL,' said Ashtem. Everything in my body was frozen now. IREL? 'Don't you remember, Gold Eye? We've already told the director of CSIRO, and he has agreed to work together. While we're producing IREL to let anime characters learn about humans through the life of the human (y/n) (l/n), they're producing a series of "animes", so they learn about our lifestyle. Right now, Beyblade Burst is trending.'

One time, I had gone to Disney Land with Valt. He had somehow convinced me to go onto Danger Peak, a rollercoaster that circled around a volcano, until at the top, when it plunged down to the real, exploding balls of lava, but the coaster zoomed horizontally at the last moment, heading towards a tunnel at the bottom that lead me to see daylight again. I didn't scream, but I got so scared and jittery, it felt like I was in a dream, a nightmare, or that I wasn't even myself anymore. I pinched myself harshly, drawing blood on my pale skin. This wasn't a dream. Now I was feeling that sensation again.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Earth was real. So was IREL. Even (y/n)...I wondered is she watched Beyblade Burst. All of this was overwhelming my mind. And the fact that I was a main character in a TV Show that starred Valt? I dizzily clutched my head to stop it from spinning. 

'It just can't be true,' I subconsciously whispered to myself, in a desperate effort to convince myself that I had truly gone mad. A dark shadows loomed across me. 

'Oh, but it is.'

I turned my head, terrified. Ashtem's smirk grew evilly as his dark eyes glinted from behind his black mask, engraved with a red dragon. Gold Eye couldn't be seen, but I knew he was standing behind Ashtem. As his dark eyes flickered, I got the feeling I was being evaluated. 

'Stand up, Shu Kurenai,' commanded Ashtem. I didn't question how he knew my name. Instead, I stood up and faced him. 

'What does this mean?' I whispered, horrified. A frown immediately settled on Ashtem. 

'I thought you would be happier,' Ashtem questioned, beckoning me forwards into the room. I stepped inside and saw Gold Eye leaning on a metal beam, smirking. 'After all, you would get the chance to see your precious (y/n).'

A small orb appeared in his hand, showing a (h/c) laughing and smiling down at the beach with Jack. I realized I had clenched my fists instantly as the boy had appeared on screen. Ashtem let out a little chuckle at this. 

'You love her, don't you?' said Ashtem, amusement in his voice. 'Join me. We will find Earth first and you can have (y/n). Just accept this mask, Red Eye.'

A detailed scarlet-trimmed mask with crimson lenses rose from the metal pole. I hesitated, wondering if this was a good choice. I shook my head. I had to get to (y/n). 

Reaching out, I grabbed the mask and donned it. 

Shu Kurenai was gone. 

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Yes, in this story I'm not going to write about the God Blader's Cup and Shu joined Snake Pit for a different reason. But ugh, the cringe.

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Word count: 1743