"The beginning is always NOW."

-Roy Bennett

Somewhere in the world...

A teenager was helping his father pack up the things in the storeroom, searching for any stuff left behind before leaving for their new home.

He began to grow frustrated. Old pictures, old books, old everything. Was there anything worth taking from this dusty place? But then, just as he was going to end his day at the storeroom...

*H-Hmm? What's that?* he thought as he picked up what seemed like a disc case from a pile of assorted useless objects. It was a rarity to see these kind of things in that day and which was why it caught his attention. He removed the dust from it and gazed at the case. It still seemed a little filthy, but after opening it he found the disc inside unusually clean.

"What could be... on this disc?" he said aloud as he checked the disc case again: Nope, it wasn't labelled or anything... "I guess I'll have to find out myself."

Suddenly his father spoke up, interrupting his thoughts. "I think we're done. Let's get going, Spencer."

"Alright, Dad." He said as he followed his father out of the storeroom, disc case still in his hand. They were finished with their final packing at this point and were ready to head towards their new home.

"Sweetie, are you sure you're done packing up? Have you checked your room yet? The drawers, the tables-" A voice suddenly appeared, another inane reminder. However, Spencer interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.

"Mom, I told you! Firstly, don't call me Sweetie anymore, it's embarrassing! Second, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm already done packing up, I'm sure of it! You reminded me about this about ten times already!"

"Now Spencer, this isn't the way you talk to your parents. I just wanted to make sure you..." His mother seemed sullen as she started her "speech" again. He secretly rolled his eyes, knowing that it was going to take a while. After what seemed like forever, she finally let him go, much to his relieve.

After his mother had FINALLY made sure everything was done, they exited the house as his father locked the door one final time.

I'm going to miss you, he thought as he looked at his former home. After the car started to move away from his old house, he wondered what to do during the meantime.

I'm definitely not going to sleep, it's too wobbly here! However, I can't just wander off for this entire period... What can I do? He thought as he scratched his head.

Suddenly, he remembered that one item he had been holding since the storeroom. That's it! Maybe I could see what is stored in this disc... What can I use to open it, though...?

Then an idea popped into his mind.

"Dad, where did you put your laptop?" He asked.

"Why do you ask?" His father turned around for a second with a confused look before going back to focusing on his driving, "I put it in my parcel, which is now somewhere below where you're sitting. I didn't want to put it at the back because it might get crushed by the other heavy items there."

"Thanks, Dad." He said as he searched below him, and saw a black parcel laying there.

Good camouflage, you parcel... He thought as he took the parcel and opened it up. He tried not to ruin the documents in there as he carefully took out the laptop, hoping that his father wouldn't know he was doing some sneaky stuff. However, his father was an alert one.

"Spencer, what are you doing?" He took a peek at his son and saw what he was doing.

"D-Dad... I'm sorry. Can I use your laptop for a bit?" He asked. Luckily, his father was more reasonable compared to his mother.

"Alright then. Just don't ruin my laptop, there are many documents in there." Spencer nodded upon hearing his father's words as he opened the laptop. He opened the CD Drive as he tested if he could put the disc into it, and just as he thought...

"Bingo," He quietly cheered as he was anticipating to see what is inside the disc. His instincts told him that something interesting was in it.

After a few seconds, he saw a file appear on the screen. Inside was what seemed like an application. He got his earphones and plugged them in, fearful of sudden noises disturbing his family.

He heard strange music as the program began to run. Two solitary words appeared on the screen:

"Stranded... UHC?" He'd heard this somewhere before, he knew it.

Isn't UHC... a gamemode in Minecraft that I played in the past? Well, it was fun for the first few months, but I got bored of it and stopped playing it eventually. There were so many players in full diamond gear every game, I could never win against them. What is this thing doing in my storeroom, anyways?

Suddenly, a set of options appeared after the title. Spencer looked at the options before deciding to check out the "Game Info" option. With the click of a button, the screen filled with text.

GAME INFO LOADING...

GAME INFO LOADED.

Welcome to Stranded.

This is a Free-For-All Ultra Hardcore round, with, however... quite a twist.

The players were unaware on who else was in the match with them. On this island, you won't know a player's identity until you get closer and interact.

With the use of Mumble, players were able to meet, interact and even form alliances with other players in the game.

No death messages were displayed throughout the entire match, leaving the remaining players having to wonder how many still stood alongside them throughout.

From the start of the game, the players had two options.

They could either play the game alone, or find people and form alliances.

Forming an alliance could lead to two results: A strong bond to last the entire game or a heartbreaking betrayal that costs everything.

Sixteen competitors. One winner.

Who will stand victorious among the players, and who will be left with the bitter taste of defeat?

Find out in Stranded UHC...

He smiled, excited, as the screen faded back to the options screen.

"Hey, it seems like a different game compared to other Recorded Rounds... At least the concept is what interests me, anyways. Let's see..." He went to the "Player Info" option. A similar text appeared once again in front of his eyes.

PLAYER INFO LOADING...

PLAYER INFO LOADED.

[Here we have the sixteen competitors, racing for victory...]

Player 1: AndrizzlePC

"A happy, lovable, light-hearted guy... But on the inside, he's willing to spill as much blood as necessary to claim victory for himself."

Player 2: Bobbytheturtle

"The 'backstabber' of ally games, there was no way his past could ever be forgiven or forgotten. But this time, it was different."

Player 3: Flouzemaker"The worst PvPer in the history of mankind, past, present and future."

Player 4: Frostbreath

"While a snowman, his character is everything except cold. He is easy to trust another person, which can be a weakness, but is also easy to be trusted and can be a very reliable ally even through many hardships."

Player 5: Fukano

"One of the three Arcanines that still exists in the UHC community. A fierce appearance with a good heart. We'll see if it helps him on his journey through Stranded."

Player 6: HonestlyHunter

"This penguin finds itself on an island outside its natural habitat. While trying to stay cold, he would be anything but on the inside, forging alliances in his quest for victory."

Player 7: KOKeowner

"Trusting and kind, KOKe stays with his allies and shuns backstabbers and enemies. His willingness to forgive, however, may become his downfall..."

Player 8: LeonTG

"Honestly, he wouldn't bother adding a description for himself because for him, two sentences are too long."

Player 9: Micale

"Astonishing skill haunts Micale, turning him into one of the biggest targets in the game even when all he wants is an ally."

Player 10: OblivionTU

"Talkative and loves socializing with others, he is an avid UHC player that loves the game really much."

Player 11: Regifloat

"He's... too gullible, and afraid to take chances that might cost him the game. However, this strategy does not ensure victory in a game fraught with risks."

Player 12: ScottishNutcase

"Hello? Hello...? You're out of reach..."

Player 13: ShutUpBrick

"Just the average superhero in the UHC community. He's ready to save the day once again in spite of odds stacked against him."

Player 14: TommySX

"Earning the trust of Tommy is a monumental task; he has his doubts about everyone's loyalty. This either benefits him or leads to endless second-guessing... Or both."

Player 15: Xer0x4

"A laid back and naïve player. He often tries to see the good in everything and deal with bad situations through laughter."

Player 16: xKasss

"She sometimes slays people out in PvP. A really funny person, and rumors were told that she is secretly a giraffe..."

Spencer read the list of players and their descriptions. While knowing most of the players, there was a select few he didn't recognize. He was intrigued to see what they would do.

Suddenly, he felt dizzy and all of a sudden, everything turned black. After what seemed like forever, he opened his eyes, and he seemed to be in a different world. He found himself on a forested island surrounded by endless ocean, familiar yet strange at the same time.

What is happening? Just as exasperation began to overwhelm him, a voice appeared in his head:

"Welcome to Stranded."

Fancyyy: Hello everyone! This took forever, didn't it? Don't worry, we'll try our best to get this project done, I won't give up on it, haha! Besides, I got another talented writer to collaborate with me for this project, what could go wrong? Enjoy this story as the next chapters will be published within the next few months!

Talon: Hello! My name is Talon and I'll be Fancy's cowriter in this story. Stranded was my favourite Recorded Round ever to watch, personally, so I'm extremely excited to make it come to life through words. I'd like to thank Fancy himself for allowing me to have a part in this project, I'd like to thank the organisers and players of Stranded for inspiring this work, and lastly, I would like to thank you, the reader, for taking the time to acknowledge our efforts and read our story. Enjoy!

"The story's fun and all, but remember it's based off a game that happened. At the end of the day, we're all still friends. Don't get mad at others for how they played the game."

-Regifloat



"This is a story about betrayal and trust. Don't trust everything you read or hear about this and be on the lookout for true friendship."

-Bobbytheturtle

"Bonne lecture (Happy reading)!"

-Fukano

"Subscribe to xKasss on youtube for bi monthly uploads"

-xKasss