Broken Inertia

Index:

X ”....” Main character thinking

x ”....” side character thinking

Main character talking is in bold

Italic isolated text addresses the reader

When narrators change, the character names are given before the start of the paragraph.(in addition to their location)

It is advised to approach this reading with thorough attention to detail.

Disclaimer: be patient with the characters’ extreme hatred for humanity; it will make sense later on

Location:---5{Home}

??? :

I live in a state of pointlessness. I have no regrets nor do I have any goals or ambitions. I don’t care about anything in this world, I’m a slave to my indifference. Day by day I’m reminded of how much I hate humans and this world of theirs. They’re all fake pretenders seeking some form of validation from others with equal filth. Even with all my hatred for humans, I find myself really interested in their minds and how they think, especially the geniuses. For that reason, I search for the few smart enough to better understand the world and see it for what it really is. Childhood Kurai was a lovable boy who wanted to have fun and had big goals. Current me on the other hand is one who has seen the injustice that is done under the sun and concluded that the dead are happier than the living. These represent my daily thoughts when I wake up, and today was no different.

I jumped out of bed as I heard my name being called. I grab my red hoodie and pull out my black sweatpants, those are my typical everyday clothes, I hate complications. I usually wear them whenever mom is done washing them. I have this habit of putting my clothes on, then sleeping an extra couple of minutes to get the maximum amount of sleep possible, so I did that. Then I woke up in a rush like always, I put my shoes on and headed to the bathroom. I wet my hands and ran them through my hair, and ta-da it’s perfect. I got my bag and everything ready and left the house. My school was just a few hundred meters away, making it convenient for me to stroll there on foot. An amazing walk to observe the pure ugliness and lack of integrity in each human’s core. I had a really good understanding of people so I could see behind these fake masks they wear. All they seek is some social validation and attention. They are simply slaves to this society, of course they’d be useless statistics, there’s not a single remarkable thing about them. They serve a hierarchy of lies and expect self-satisfaction. They’re so simple-minded it disgusts me. My journey to find great minds has failed miserably, I couldn’t find a single person worth my time. I had already developed this detestation simply by living, but what sparked it was when I found out my girlfriend of the time had cheated on me with my former best friend. With that happening, the last ounce of hope and faith in humanity had vanished. Now, all I look forward to is my inevitable demise. Though, I must mention, I refuse to be a simple statistic, I would like my death to be a remarkable one.

Location:---1{Home}

!!!:

I live the future in my head. I have no schedule and no passions, nothing matters anymore, I’m a slave to my past. No matter how hard I try, the events of my life keep pulling me down just like the infinite darkness in space consumes light. I got more than what I asked for and I’ve already ended up in the worst situation possible. From a passionate and ambitious kid to a hopeless, motivationless teenager who has nothing but his own brain rooting for him. It really makes me think about what I have done to deserve this, I never wanted this. It’s not why and it’s not how; it’s who. Who did this? Was it me? Was it the “God” in monotheistic religions? Was it “fate” as they call it? My thoughts were only starting to spiral into the abyss until my alarm rang. It was time for the thing that my parents call... my only supposed worry in life.

I got ready to go to school, as usual, wearing the most basic things: hoodies, and sweatpants. I styled my hair with a blow dryer, but as I reached the end, I realized it did not look good. I usually try to fix it at that point, instead, this time I wet it, towel-dried it and left it as messy as possible. I looked in the mirror, and for the first time ever, I actually smiled and thought I looked good - enough of my narcissistic behavior though. I got into the car and the ride to the ultimate time-waster started. Peering out, my eyes swept over the familiar scene, observing the people as I always did. They had no soul in them, every single passerby, worker, and driver was dead inside; they were all trying to satisfy a thing they had thought was the purpose of life. Those temporary feelings of happiness will lead them to their inevitable demise. The feeling of temporary success had shown them the euphoria of “joy”, so they decided to keep trying to get that same feeling. I had only recently given up on the thing they call “hope”, after weeks of thinking about the how, the who, the when and the why, about existence, the reason to live, and life itself. I realized it was all futile, useless and was definitely the spawn of waste.

You could really see everything, the pure horror of humans. A person sitting on a chair while others work themselves to exhaustion, sickness, and even death. The political festivals, each one of them promoting what they would offer us, but in reality, all they want is power; they want to control people, they want money, they are absolutely greedy. Even the casino owners and corporate executives, their money-infested heads drive them to insane lengths to quench their greed. I noticed the casino I visited as a kid, I was born into a pretty prestigious family, so my parents used to go to the “rich people ″ events more than the average person. Thankfully, neither my father nor my mother were gambling addicts; both of them went there for friends, drinks, and laughs. When I used to go there, one thing struck my mind and has marked me ever since: the sheer amount of people who are intending to give away all their money for even more money is insane - that was a shock to me as a kid. I thought it was pretty cool at the time; you have a chance to lose everything, double everything or simply get an extra small amount, but now as I grow up, I understand the reason for gambling, and it’s yet again, pure greed. Pure human greed incarnated into reality, every single human will not hesitate to choose himself over another person, it is definitely not morality. But... is it really logical? No one knew what happened after death. All they had were old religions that could have been faked for all we know. I don’t blame them though, when people find something they cannot unravel, they cope. One of those coping methods is obviously committing yourself to a religion, believing in their “God” and their morals. It was the only thing that gave them hope. But is that “hope” really worth it? It leads to religious conflicts, both sides wanting to show that they are the real “religion”. They needed to validate their decisions, they needed to prove that they are the only ones that are right; they wanted superiority over other religions, it became a competition. At this point, religion is a joke. Actually, no, it is the circus itself.

I was coming around the corner, I laid eyes on the old, abandoned restaurants. They gave off such an eerie feel; it was like hundreds of souls were cheering on that it’s still standing and not demolished by greedy humans. The need for “Big Tech” companies to replace industrial buildings and offices to gain profit from their success was horrible. All these companies really don’t care much about their consumers, and that’s obvious considering the number of schemes they come up with to improve the sales of their services. They completely eradicate centuries of work and replace them with a profit-based plan. If only a company existed to defend such acts. In the middle of all these historic buildings, there was my school, a massive complex formed of four rectangular buildings.

Location:---1{School}

The gate of the parking lot opened up for me, and something that I have never failed to notice wasn’t there for the first time. My Physics teacher owns one of my favorite car models, the Mclaren P1. It’s a limited-production supercar that managed to sell every single one of its units in a mere two months, considering its abnormal price tag of $1,150,000, it’s a miracle. My teacher is a lone person; he has no wife, no kids, no parents, and no siblings. My school is highly regarded, so seeing cars of this liking wasn’t that rare of a thing. Having a yearly salary of over $180,000, with no one to spend it on except yourself, I would also buy such a rare and exotic car myself. And for the first time, that car wasn’t parked there for some reason. I really liked Physics, so not seeing my teacher’s car made me worry. Fortunately enough, when I entered class, I saw him sitting there at the desk like usual. He probably parked it somewhere else.

I directed myself toward my seat, the middle of the third row. It was the most balanced seat, a perfect accesspoint to all classmates from every side. I could hear the teacher and read the board perfectly with no trouble. As I made my way there, the usual welcoming happened.

“Heyo Tomohiro!!”

“How did your studying night go yesterday Tomohiro?”

“Morning Bro!”

“Thanks for sending the homework over yesterday Tomohiro!”

“God you’re so cute Tomohiro, become my boyfriend already!!!!!”

I was joking about the last part, it was just a product of my imagination yet again, everything else happened though, I swear.

Though, I wouldn’t be too surprised if it actually happened to me. As much as I hate people who have a superiority complex, I think I look good myself. I’m of the perfect height that girls ask for, 6’1’’. Despite the fact that I’m a computer person, I actually exercise more than the average gym member, and my body is well toned. I have pure silver hair and a pretty face. I put down my bag and sat on my chair, the five hours of pure and utter torture begun.

Location:---5{}

Kurai:

On my everyday walk, it became painfully obvious. The pure desperation of such creatures, their requirements of love and attention, their dependability. Everything about them, so weak, so frail, so… insignificant. You could see the couple walking on their daily walk, they were kind of known in the area. However, what wasn’t privy to public knowledge was the fact that the girl was cheating on her boyfriend; I had seen her last week. It just shows how filthy they are, how dishonest and corrupt they are. I wonder when he’ll find out, and will that affect him at all? I’d assume it’ll take him a month to replace her - truly sickening. You’ll also see the creep walking behind the girls, the women in the store eyeing every single passing pedestrian, and of course, the cheating couple acting in love. What a horrible world, brimming with this rotting filth: humans. Across the street is the strip club, the habitat of a typical lustful human. A horrifying place where their deepest desires are exposed and emphasized on. It’s those who crave attention that spend their days and nights there, those whose dire needs are simply to be noticed. Just a bunch of sinful addicts, conquered and defeated by their own feeble minds, submitting to their own selfish desires. Some people like the way it feels, some want to kill their sorrows, and others just want to fit in with the popular. All voluntarily going to this “sinful paradise” of theirs. I’m obviously not a person of religion, I hate it in fact. My point is the sheer amount of regard given to such trivialities is intolerable. Simple-minded weaklings, truly detestable. I do not believe any words could possibly describe my hatred for these horrid creatures, yet I write about it. My resentment for their kind could never be satisfied. It is something I cannot express to a normal person, as a simpleton would either mock me for it, or fall short of understanding my reasons. The source from which this hatred stemmed was endless, as if to never be depleted. I can explain it as something even I didn’t understand. The red which once colored my heart had turned to black, now, hatred resides there. I don’t think I can find a way to make it on this earth. The moment I dreaded the most was when this unworldly feeling of estrangement would transform into a lust for destruction, one that only the vilest acts would satisfy.

Above me were the floating cars, and between us was the protective translucent barrier pedestrians can walk under. Kids with floating boards were zooming around with no care in the world about the safety measures. I approached the massive steel school gate, but before I went in, I turned and looked around. I admired the creations of these creatures. It strikes as weird at first, the fact that such faulty beings can create such magnificent things. But when you think about it, it all makes sense. Most of these creations were made for recognition, a slightly advanced form of “attention”. It’s their way of “earning” attention. How am I saying this you ask? They have their profiles displayed on the buildings, showing their faces, net worth, and accomplishments. It’s annoying and unsettling to know that such a heavily technological city was formed by the desire for attention. All these tall blue buildings, shining with opportunities for countless people. They’re just there for recognition, there was never goodwill behind it. It even makes more sense when you see how many community places there are in the city. The number of pubs and nightclubs is insane, it’s abnormal.

I turn back, going into school.

Location:---5{School}

I walk in towards the entrance, looking around as usual. It had become a habit of mine to look at people and watch them masquerade and go on with their day. Not one specific person, of course, I don’t wanna seem like a creep. I might have seemed like one to a couple of people, it’s not like I care or anything. I was always disappointed that the only people who interested me had betrayed me and now I am all alone with no interest in anything or anyone at all. I eye the popular blondie who was wearing her overly revealing clothes, as usual, she disgusted me. As I move my sight from her, our eyes lock for a second and she flickers her lashes at me. I almost puked. I hate them. What sickened me even more, was the group of guys with cellphones who were trying to take sneaky pictures under her skirt. Other than the popular groups consisting of bullies, a good percentage of the school population consisted of weirdos staring at girls, sitting in their respective corners. What amused me is how they thought they were unnoticeable and can go around snooping while letting their imagination run wild. Now that I say it, none of that was amusing, it was purely revolting. I proceeded inside. After I ran into some teachers and gave my greetings, I walked towards the stairs, which were also crowded with teenagers. Climbing these stairs was a tedious job I had to forcibly do every day - pretty sad. Upon going up, you could see kids fighting, others gaming on their phones, and two making out?? huh? I was surprised for a second as I had forgotten the fair share of hormonal activities I’d witnessed in this facility.

My desk was on the last column of the third row, a very prestigious spot if you ask me. It was next to a window, so it was the perfect position to daydream or get lost in thought. Not only that, but I could watch every single student from there. Tilting my body to the left gave me a substantial view of the entire class. The class consisted of four rows, and it had exactly three empty seats. One was next to me where a former friend used to sit, and the other two were on the desk behind me where my past lover and best friend used to sit. Funny, isn’t it? With those three gone, there was no one out of my sight in class. I had an eye on the clown who was carefully anticipating his next joke, waiting for the right moment to open his mouth. I could also see the two love birds holding hands just a couple of desks away from me. The sun was shining from behind my back which made it hard for anyone to look in my direction, but easy for me to observe everyone. That’s where my watchtower revealed its beauty. I was already getting straight A’s in all my subjects, so I needn’t focus all the time. The teacher appears in her normal dress holding the books up against her chest. I hear her saying:

“I wonder how many of them will pass this, I’ve never quizzed them with no warning. I doubt any will, this is the first quiz of chapter 5.5. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe Kurai will, he’s always done well in my class.”

X “How is she talking? her mouth isn’t moving.”

It took me a minute to notice that no one else had heard what the teacher said. Which ultimately meant that what I heard were her thoughts? I didn’t care much to prepare for the quiz as it happened to be that chapter 5.5 was my favorite, it was about relativity. Although I was still set aback by the fact that I had just heard the teacher’s thoughts, I watched her hand out the papers. Many revolted as expected, but mostly, terror conquered them, they were paralyzed. I solved everything and spent the rest of the time we had observing them. I noticed a guy using his phone in the back. I wouldn’t have done anything if it was a normal person, but that guy? I hated him specifically for quite a while. So, I looked at the teacher until she looked at me, then looked at the guy. This subtle act was enough to get her attention to give our friend a visit. She walks towards him while keeping sight of the other students. He saw her a bit late but still managed to react fast enough and not get caught. She stayed over his head for the rest of the time and he wasn’t able to cheat. She collected the papers back, and as I watched her, the desperation on each of their faces brought a faint sense of joy to my heart. She went on to re-explain chapter 5.5. This created the perfect opportunity for me to “daydream”. My “daydreaming” today was recalling what had happened and trying to figure out whatever that was. For some reason, this thing I experienced felt very natural, however, I got this eerie feeling whenever I thought of it.

Location:---1{School}

Tomohiro:

“Does anyone know of Barbarossa?” my teacher asked.

Everyone in the class was surprised, they had never heard of such a thing before, I thought to myself, “Is it a history-changing event? Perhaps related to Physics? Maybe a scientist named Barbarossa or something?“.

The teacher said out loud: “It is not related to Physics, it’s just something I read about”.

A sudden shock of unwilling realization hit me. It was like I was able to read off a documentary. “Operation Barbarossa (German: Unternehmen Barbarossa), also known as the German invasion of the Soviet Union, was the codename for the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and some of its Axis allies, which started on Sunday, June 22nd, 1941, during the Second World War” was what I could remember from that vision.

“Hey teach, is it perhaps Operation Barbarossa? The one where the German Nazis invaded the Soviet Union during World War II?”

“Yes indeed. How did you know my dear Tomohiro? Is it yet again the product of sitting in front of your computer for hours undisturbed?”

I was a pretty hard-working student, ever since I was a child. I always liked to gather random knowledge and information about random subjects I would find while browsing the Internet. My goal was to always have an advantage against any opponent who tries to have a debate with me. I have never lost a debate in my life - even my parents have stopped trying to convince me to change my opinion on some subjects. All of my thinking patterns were based on logic and pure facts. This vision made me think about if it was a manifestation of a photographic memory of some sort. Maybe I have crossed over this subject before and I just happened to remember what it was. But to this accuracy? It was pretty unbelievable. Such a thing has never happened to me before, so it was a big shock. Is it a good thing though? I wonder..

“Yep.”

My teacher laughed it off and started the lesson.

“It is time for yet another chapter of Quantum Physics. Today we will be discussing Quantum Teleportation. Quantum teleportation is a technique for transferri-”

I ignored everything he said. For some reason, I knew everything he said. I could even pre-call what he was going to say.

“-ng quantum information from a sender at one location to a receiver some distance away. While teleportation is commonly portrayed in science fiction books you little fellas read as a means to-”

“Transfer physical objects from one location to the next, quantum teleportation only transfers quantum information. The sender does not have to know the particular quantum state being transferred. Moreover, the location of the recipient can be unknown, but classical information needs to be sent from sender to receiver to complete the teleportation. Because classical information needs to be sent”

“Teleportation can not”

“Occur faster”

“Than”

“The speed of light.”

I brushed off the big smile off my mouth after the teacher looked at me with his jaw dropped, his eyes wide open and his pupils dilated. The students unknowingly stared at me with confusion. It was an awesome feeling. I wonder what this “power” is, whatever it is though, I am definitely not complaining. I took it upon myself to take my leave after school ended. My driver was waiting for me at the usual parking spot, a Mercedes Benz S-Class, the average wealthy driver vehicle. It was a daily occurrence here. I didn’t really like it, it was full of idiots who are at school just for fun. Most of them already had enough money that would last them 3 lifetimes. They would come here, waste their time, waste others’ time, and waste the teachers’ time. None of them was going to put their newly found knowledge to use. Most of them came to this school just to flex that they are in it. None of them knew that this school is actually ranked third and not the first in our country - so if they actually cared, they would have gone to the better schools that are not nearly as prestigious and expensive as this one. They chose this one just for the title and looks.

As for me? I’m absolutely the same as them.

My country doesn’t really worship any specific god. It houses a lot of religions and beliefs. Each of these communities created and formed something of their own to represent them. On the way home, I noticed something unusual yet again. The Temple of the God of Trickery - it was not that massive, and although it had a lot of weird stuff about it, it never housed a raven before. It was standing on the shoulder of the statue. I wonder if it came here searching for stuff to eat and the statue attracted its attention. I asked my driver to stop the car and I got out to search for something to feed it. I saw a carrion of a cat on the street, probably the result of a roadkill. Halfway through carrying it using a plastic bag I found in a nearby waste dump, I thought to myself:

X “How the hell did I know that Ravens like to eat carrions if available?”

It was a shocking realization. I imitated the raven’s call perfectly down to the micro-decibels. Their calls can be described as a deep croak that is more distinct than that of a crow. It flew down to me, landed, and started feasting.

“You eat the dead huh?”

It looked at me dead in the eyes. It was as if it completely understood what I said. It was like it felt remorse, regret, even disgust. Because after I said that, it flew away. Logically, it was probably scared of me. But for some reason, I couldn’t help but think that it was the sheer realization of its greediness and disgusting nature. Ah.. the greediness of all these creatures. Humans and Animals. I wonder if the “Gods” are the same. I wonder, I really do.

It was already getting late, so I hopped back into the car. Arrived at home like usual with no welcome. My mother is the principal of an orphanage-based school, and my father is at work. The CEO of three companies isn’t coming back home before midnight. I had to make my own food, so like usual, I dropped a piece of butter into the pan, followed by two eggs and a sprinkle of chopped pieces of bacon. I made my usual lunch omelet with the perfect amount of veggies and seasoning for the perfect amount of proteins, carbs, and fats. I took my plate and went to sit in front of my computer, like my everyday routine. I would normally stay up debating and having arguments with people on the Internet, but this time was different. I stayed up researching photographic memories and other logical explanations for the origins and roots of this bizarre ability.

Location:---5{School}

Kurai:

The hours passed by so quickly as I was lost in thought almost all day. Then, when the final bell rang, I hadn’t taken notice of the sound until I saw everyone getting up. I grabbed my stuff and walked out, ignoring everything and everyone in my way. The kids flooded out of the classrooms, their rumbling footsteps were reduced to nothing more than background noise. I headed out of the gate and into the hellish sinful streets of this city. I walked past a girl, her hair shimmering under the moonlight, swaying around as the night breeze played with it. I noticed two guys, their clothes were ragged and dirtied by the filth of these roads, slowly pacing behind her. A beautiful girl is about to fall victim to the vicious lust of two thugs. I don’t give it much attention at first, but later on, I hear one of them thinking:

x “Once she goes around that corner, I’ll grab her legs, he’ll put a bag on her head and we run off to the nearby parking lot.”

It was obvious that it was one of the guys’ thoughts as the girl couldn’t hear them. I ignored what I heard as I didn’t know the girl, and I couldn’t care less about her. In fact, she was just another one of those lustful humans that I despise so much.

In reality, that’s what I thought was gonna happen, but inside this body of mine was a stroke of light, a fading essence of morality and hope, a piece of me I failed to ignore no matter how hard I tried. So, after a moment of thinking, I decided what I was gonna do. My keychain consisted of my house keys, a bullet accessory, and a certain knife-shaped sharp accessory. I always carry them with me, so I grabbed hold of the knife and slowly walked behind the two men. In a swift movement, I locked one of the guys’ necks with my arms and pressed the knife against it.

I said:

“If you dare touch that girl, I will personally see through it that your life will be taken as punishment.”

I could see the other guy’s panic on his face, I go on saying:

“Am I understood?”

The guy being held hums and his friend says “yes.” I was actually 17 at the time, but my face looked like that of a twenty-year-old. Also, my body was well fit considering the time I spent in front of my PC. It was intimidating. The guys also seemed to be weaklings as the fear in their eyes was evident, and lust was conquering their minds. I despised the fact that I looked like a typical arrogant hero but it’s whatever. The girl was too focused on her phone and didn’t even notice what had happened. It’s crazy that such a developed city has such high ratings of rape and murder; it really proves my point that these humans are really just lustful, sinful beings. I commence my tread, walking under the blue lights thinking about this newly-found ability of mine.

X “How can I activate it? Does it only work when I need it?”

It was rather strange for me to just suddenly be able to read minds, especially since it was a dream of mine.

Location:---5{Home}

The moment I enter through the door, my siblings, a girl and a boy, both 4, run towards me and hug me.

“Welcome back! How was your day?”, they both asked.

“Good, good, what about you two?” I said as I got down on my knees and hugged them.

“AMAZING!” he exclaimed.

“We ate breakfast and watched TV with mom,” she continued.

“and then played some games” he ended.

“Ouu, that is amazing indeed. Now give me one second, I’ll put my bag in the room and we’ll eat together.” I gave them a pat on the head and stood up.

“OKAY!” they both said.

I headed upstairs, put my bag on the bed, and went back down. We sat down at the table and started eating. The TV was running in the background, a couple of pet birds were singing, and the cat was purring. Both the benches and the table we were on were retractable. Those were the perks of having a house implanted with technology. Everything was minimal and could probably retract back to a wall. There were also a bunch of automated pet-feeding machines. A couple of minutes in, I hear my mom thinking:

“I hope they like it.”

It became clear to me when people are thinking and when they’re actually talking. All it took was a quick glance at their mouth without making it obvious.

I pause my eating and say:

“Mom, the food is delicious by the way, thanks!”

My siblings gave her a “mhm” as a sign of agreement. There, I see her bright smile, one of the few things in this world that would make me smile and feel happy. I finished eating and headed upstairs to get on my PC, just to waste some time playing games and drifting into a realm where I could relax and enjoy my time. My PC wasn’t one of those insanely flashy ones. It had minimal RGB lights - mainly red. I really liked my setup, very simple and comforting.

I stayed up late thinking about the possibilities and the specifics of this ability.

I woke up the next morning barely able to open my eyes. As I got out of bed, my head felt heavy, so I took a minute or two to calm down. Then I put my clothes on - a black hoodie, and some blue jeans, the normal. As I was sliding in my leg I heard mom say:” Where is he? He’s gonna be late.” It took me a moment to notice that mom was downstairs and what I was hearing were her thoughts.

X “So this power thing is actually real.”

This ability felt weirdly natural, as if it was always with me.

I stood up, fixed my clothes, and ran my hand through my hair. As I went to grab my shoes, I saw the story, ”A Fitting Epilogue”, there on my desk, with a single beam of sunlight shining upon its cover. It was a story I had written and published, one that meant a lot to me. It represented my one and only wish in such a damned life, a fitting epilogue. And although it didn’t get much attention, the feedback I got from its readers was amazing. I put it back on my shelf and snagged my shoes. I finished dressing up and headed downstairs slowly, as I still felt weird. As I go into the kitchen to snatch my lunchbox I hear this:

X “Hopefully he eats his lunch this time”

“Good morning mom.”

“Good morning Kurai, here’s your lunch, and good luck in school.”

“Thanks, and don’t worry I’ll eat it today.”

I kissed her goodbye as I walked out of the door and into the wild streets of this disgusting city. My family represented the sole remaining pillar that held my soul together, the single fraction of light shining inside this husk that I occupy. When the day eventually comes that I lose them, then, I will lose myself.

Yesterday, I hadn’t eaten lunch because I was too busy thinking about my new ability. It is truly astonishing and I don’t fully comprehend the depth of it yet, but I am one to quickly accept change and adapt, so it didn’t take me much time to get used to it. The streets seemed to be extra dull, but I assumed that was because of my weird feeling. This city always seemed to be weirdly eerie. It was always brightened by the blue and white lamp posts, the retractable benches with monitors on each one, the flying cars above and all the other technology you’re faced with wherever you look. All these and the streets still managed to create this sense of uneasiness. I had also thought of this as some sort of paranoia I had developed, a general distrust of humans if you wish. As I walk around I start hearing thoughts left and right.

x “Does she love me?”

x “I hope he doesn’t find out, he’ll kill me.”

x “I should shower today, but the water is really...”

x “Imagine what me and her could do in…”

X “This power is making me realize how much I really hate them.”

The first two were the regular couple I saw every day, they’re starting to become boring now. They wore matching sweaters, how cute. They had “His Queen” and “Her King” on their backs. A great actor always interested me, but this? This is disgusting. Honestly, I am intrigued to know what will happen when he knows that his beloved is just a fake attention seeker. It was always a fascinating matter to me, how people reacted to each other’s filth. The shock on their face when they realize someone was manipulating them is always entertaining. That’s because every single one of them is a “bad” or “fake” person if you wish to term it in their way. Sometimes I wonder, if every single one of them is like this, then why not put down this facade they so strongly keep up? Isn’t it useless? They’re just not self-aware. Do yourselves a favor and get a mirror that mirrors grievance.

Hey reader, are you dwelling in a realm of make-believe?

Take the mask off.

I continued walking. An old man bent like an “r” looking at the lady in the store, two girls kissing in an alley, a young kid with a cigarette watching them, these were everyday events. Some people would say I focus only on the negatives of any situation. To that I argue: I am but a realist, I see the world for how it is, and obviously, I do see the tens of other people walking by, yet I still choose to talk about the idiots making out in an alley. My mentioning of the slightly less tainted people walking around makes no difference to the story. These people would walk as if everything is normal, they wouldn’t pay attention to that. I always paid attention to the minute details no one seems to notice. I’d highlight them and hypothesize.

I couldn’t ignore the thoughts I could hear, especially the lustful bunch. They were increasing by the second. It wasn’t that bad yet so I managed to survive the walk. What I worried about was my time in school, there are at least 600 students in the school. If I can hear even a small fraction of them, that’s already a lot.

Location:---5{School}

I arrived at the school. And again, just before entering, I turned around to admire the creations of the faulty creatures this planet has been doomed with. I assume I appeared to people as a jerk with a superiority complex, constantly criticizing the normal and disregarding the way I deal with my own vices. I don’t deny it, I was to some degree. I had always isolated myself in the shadows, clinging to my soul as my only critic.

I marched in through the gates and as I expected, I started hearing thoughts everywhere. Thoughts I regretted hearing, to be honest. They were all about some teenage love drama, something I viewed as an evil lie. Those who look to rejoice in this lie, deceive themselves and those around them. For the sake of this love, they twist their morals and throw themselves into an illusion they’ll never truly accomplish. I was lucky that it wasn’t as bad as I thought, at first. As I walked up the stairs, sorry, the ascent from hell to another elevated hell, I started hearing more and more thoughts. It was interesting, to look at a person and know what they’re thinking, a really cool ability to say the least. Though I discovered, the hard way, that this ability is a curse. The voices in my head wouldn’t shut up, at some point, they seemed like a constant ringing that was there just to poke at my existence and sanity. I walked down the hall to my classroom, then my prestigious mirador. In my time spent that day, I couldn’t focus on a single session. The voices were too overwhelming. From their thoughts, I could tell most of the students weren’t focusing either. Not to be too harsh, I heard some disgusting, jubilant fantasies and some wholesome thoughts that I enjoyed, but overall, they were disgusting. Occasionally, I’d pull my head up from my sleeping position to look at them, I’d see heads spanning over the desks, talking, laughing, smiling…

Sometimes, I don’t see the world as such a miserable place. Sometimes, when I’m watching people, I notice small nice gestures they do for each other. I notice the kindness which is mostly overlooked in this world. Mostly I’d just disregard it as my good side taking over and kick it back in again. But I could never deny the beauty this world can hold sometimes. Even the pretty scenes, which would just come to existence by pure coincidence: the sky painted in a puddle’s reflection, or the sun’s exquisite black and yellowish-orange delineation of the city at sunset.

How absurd this world is, how utterly rebuking yet rarely ever gorgeous and fascinating.

You know, at some point in life, I hope I find true beauty. I hope I leave all this negativity behind and finally see beauty in everything. But for now, I am what I am.

At the start of the day, the thoughts were overwhelming, but not to the extent of causing my mental descent into insanity. They were somehow manageable. Unluckily, what I feared had happened. As I went on with my existence, the thoughts progressively grew in loudness and numbers. It was becoming worse with every second that passed. By the end of the day, it was as if thousands of people were screaming at me, I couldn’t comprehend the words that were being said anymore. I had been sitting there with my arms crossed and my head on them for the entirety of the day. I had the privilege of being most of the teachers’ favorite, so I could “sleep” in class without being yelled at. I was asked a couple of times what was wrong, but I just ignored them as I couldn’t deal with more noises. The insanity happened around the last two hours, and the last bell ringing was the most relieving sound I heard that day. I rushed out of school and headed home.

This time, the trip home was like a march through hell. The continuous commotion in my head, the chaos roaring from the streets. I wished they could stop.

Location:---5{Home}

Although I was happy to finally be home, I knew that it wouldn’t be THAT much better there. At least it was still slightly better than school. My brother and sister ran to the door as soon as they saw me walk in. I couldn’t help but smile when I felt their tiny hands wrap around my legs, it somehow soothed my pain. I bent down, gave them a hug and then told them I was tired and had some homework to do. With that excuse, I could get a couple of hours alone. As soon as they let go, the pain rushed back in and I dashed for the stairs, running and stumbling on my way up. I finally reached my room. There, I got in bed and threw my head under the pillows. The thoughts were coming from my head so such a desperate act made no difference whatsoever, and I knew that. But still, It was just an involuntary act.

x “Why doesn’t she love me?”

x “Yeah but when is it gonna start?”

x “Was mom always this jealous of her?”

x “Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down...”

x “I’m gonna make the first move.”

The raging voices only seemed to get louder and louder as time passed. It was crazy, to think that such torture would result from wanting to read people’s minds, but very expected. At some point during that, I fell asleep and woke up later to mom and sister checking up on me. I was able to brush it off by saying that I had a severe headache. They appeared a while later with some water and medicine and left it on the table. Shortly after that, I remember being half awake as I felt my sister sneaking into the room, giving me a kiss on my cheek and whispering “I hope you get better”. When that happened, I struggled to keep the act of my “ sleep” and let off a little smile, but luckily I don’t think she was looking to notice it. I didn’t bother taking the medicine when I woke up, I knew it would have no effect. It was slowly getting better as the night progressed, which was to my advantage. I hopped on my PC, hoping that would distract me from everything going on in my head. To my surprise, it did. I went on playing video games, specifically, League of Legends, a game I had adopted a couple of years ago. It was pretty annoying to lose a couple of times, but the satisfaction I got from winning a hard game was worth it. Once I got sleepy, I turned off my computer and went to sleep.

Again, I woke up with my head feeling like a bomb rigged to explode. The medicine was still on the desk next to the bed, so I went ahead and took it. Instead of dressing up, I sat there on my bed, trying to somehow make it stop, although I knew that was way out of my control. So instead, I sat there with my head clouded up, or rather, stormed, by the endless commotion created by the rampaging thoughts that were flooding in at a rate I could not possibly comprehend. I wished they would stop, but they wouldn’t. I wished I could end them but I knew I couldn’t. Luckily, it wasn’t as bad as yesterday evening, but still, it was hell. Minutes passed by and I’m there with my elbows on my knees, holding my face as I stared at my bedroom floor. I decided I won’t be going to school today, so I informed my mother and used the excuse that I wasn’t feeling well. She somehow accepted it and asked if I wanted to go see a doctor. My answer was obviously a no, as no doctor could help with my case. I went back to my room and laid there on my bed. Perhaps I would fall asleep. I didn’t really think falling asleep was even an option, but somehow I ended up completely passing out. I woke up later at night, disoriented and lost, pretty much questioning reality. I went downstairs to check on everyone. They were all asleep and it was apparently two past midnight. When I went back to my room, I noticed my mom had left me some medicine, lunch, and some water on my desk. It was pretty kind of her and it honestly made me smile a little. I got on my computer to distract myself and it ended up working. I stayed up all night gaming, my head was feeling much better during that time as I was completely absorbed in what I was doing. When I noticed the time, it was already around nine in the morning, and as soon as I pulled myself out of that world, the thoughts rushed in like an unstoppable flood. I expected that and tried to accept them, or perhaps adopt the idea of my suffering. To no one’s surprise, my attempts were met by failure, and as every second landed in place within this elaborate plane of existence, my suffering prevailed and prevailed to increase. Amid all that internal chaos, I remembered a spot I used to hang out with my friends at; it was an old abandoned bridge, renowned to be conquered by some type of curse. These curse rumors were due to the insanely high suicide numbers that occurred on that bridge. The few who had gone there to commit suicide and came back alive had some strange words to say. I remember one of them, I believe it went like this:

“There was this weird sinister feeling pulling us towards the edge and down to our deaths. I don’t remember how I managed to come out alive, but death rules that bridge.”

The words these people uttered were pretty common among them, and after countless lawsuits and ethical issues, they decided to close that bridge for good.

After that, it was named “Envoi” and no one was to step foot on it.

For some reason, when we used to hang out there, it felt like we were safe, or protected - well at least it felt like that for me. An abnormal sense of belonging, that’s how I would describe the notion. It was a home for me, one that I would use as an escape from my actual home - how ironic. Now again, I seek the shelter and the comfort that place provides.

I sought that spot as it happened to be connecting the city to the countryside, and it was pretty far from both of them. I grabbed my keychains and headed downstairs. Mom was making food with her headphones on, so I managed to slip out without her noticing. It’s not that I wouldn’t tell her, but I just didn’t have the energy or mental capacity to hold any conversations with anyone. The way there was pretty loud at first, when I was still in the city area, but as I moved further it got quieter. One of the only things that kept me sane was the keychain that I held on to at all times. The clanking of the keys with the accessories was strangely calming when compared to all that mayhem. I used it to soothe my torture, or at least to distract myself. I kept walking until I reached my destination, and when I did, I sat on the edge, with the broken railings, hanging my feet out.

Location:---5{Envoi}

As the minutes passed, I started to feel tired, and as time went on, tired became an understatement. My body felt destroyed; fatigue trounced my soul and I could barely move. I believe the medicine I took wasn’t just painkillers, it was probably some sleeping pills. My body slowly dipped back and I laid down on the road, gazing at the cloudy sky, which for once felt peaceful. I gathered whatever power I had left in my body and pulled my hand above my head, there was my keychain hanging from my finger. Slowly, I moved my hand, thinking maybe it’ll make some noise. Originally, I had done this to try and keep myself awake, but it ended up helping me fall asleep. All I remember was my arm dropping back down and my eyes gradually shutting down.

What I didn’t anticipate, was to wake up to the world tumbling apart…

I woke up to reality shifting around me, the ground was trembling beneath my feet and the air itself was vibrating in my lungs. It was nighttime. The sky which had been stripped from its sunlight was now again illuminated. But this time, by something, or rather someone...

Somehow, I managed to stand up, but I couldn’t ignore this formidable presence pushing down on my body, a force so strong I couldn’t look up. My head was facing the ground as I heard a godly voice, one that silenced everyone’s thoughts. It was deep yet so loud and intelligible. It wasn’t a voice you can mute by putting your hands on your ears. It was on another plane of existence.

“Inhabitants of the Lust Planet, your sins have been long left unredeemed. Select few of you have been given abilities that will aid you to prove your worth. In one year, if you remain unworthy, you will pay for your sins.”

X “Who is this spea...”

Before I could finish my thought...

“AAAGHH MY HEADDD!!” I screamed,

but the screaming wasn’t enough to describe my torture. I could hear all the thoughts in the world. They rushed in like an army, one that no regular force could stop. I fell to my knees with my hands on my head. I couldn’t handle it anymore, there had to be an end to what I felt - it was too much. I tried to stand up. My hands were squeezing my head, it was out of my control. The keychain which was still stuck in my finger pressed against my skull, I wanted it to end. In the midst of all that chaos, I hear an ominous voice - a voice so deafening and clear yet so distant and obscure, a voice that stemmed from darkness, the darkness within the darkness.

“Is that all you can take my dear catalyst?”

followed by that was a menacing laugh, one that continued to echo in the abyss that existed in my thoughts. Right after that, the thoughts slowly subsided, then faded away, but so did my senses. In my last ounce of consciousness, a terrifying feeling struck me. Something far too menacing and far too atrocious had just come into existence. My body, which had gained a spurt of vitality, had just been paralyzed.

Something? Someone? It was behind me, that’s all I knew. This entity was even more forbidding than the one before. Fear subjugated my being, the seconds felt like hours, as if time itself stopped in its presence. It was slowly approaching me and as it got closer, this being seemed more like an abomination of entities; a cursed essence of life that somehow screamed DEATH. I couldn’t possibly fathom what was behind me. I wouldn’t dare move, let alone look back. It was coming for me, to claim my soul. With each passing second, I felt my demise approaching. Although I had longed for death, fear reigned my body, this was another type of death. It wasn’t an “epilogue”, it seemed like hell - an endless loop of torment. The closer it got, the more I was sucked in by its aura. My body wasn’t budging an inch though, it was my soul; I felt it being slowly torn apart from my body. I was drenched in sweat at this point, and I still couldn’t get myself to move out of the way, to run perhaps, to try and save my soul… to live. The pressure is taking over me, it’s beginning to loom. Suddenly, my body was launched forward. I was pulled in by the void in front of me. It wasn’t something physical, and it didn’t feel like the entity behind me. It was something I couldn’t explain. For a second, everything around me stopped to a halt. Was I saved? My standing had turned to falling and this realm seemed to crumble on me. The loudest thunder couldn’t compare to the sound of silence which conquered my mind at that point. I felt myself plummeting far beyond nothingness. I let myself fade into black, sinking deep into a void, one far less frightening than that behind me.

Location:---1{Home}

Tomohiro:

I woke up feeling tired and dizzy, my head heavy and burdened. My mom had already left for work and my dad was nowhere to be found. I made my way to school, wondering about the strange information that had been flooding my mind. Was this ability a product of greed? The more I thought about it, the more I felt like a stranger in my own body. The random texts of information kept appearing in my head, only growing in numbers, and I couldn’t help but feel scared that it might become overwhelming.

My trip to the school was a strange one, I lost track of time as the thoughts plagued my mind. Information was still flowing in, and I was struggling to comprehend it all at once. To be honest, a lot of this information was interesting, but this is definitely not the way I would have preferred to discover it.

Location:---1{School}

I felt disillusioned with the world around me, doubting either my own existence, or the existence of the world. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of chatter and laughter as I approached the school gates. I was greeted with warm smiles, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being a stranger in my own skin.

Despite my confusion and worry, I was still the confident and smart student I had always been. And that image is one I cannot damage. Throughout the day, I found myself reciting information and definitions without even realizing it. During a class, a teacher asked for the definition of a hard word, “Synecdoche,” and without thinking, I recited it as if I had read it from a dictionary. My classmates were impressed, but I felt a strange emptiness, knowing that I was not the one in control of this newfound ability. I couldn’t deny the fact that it was working to my advantage but I also couldn’t repress the fear that I would lose control of this power and greatly suffer.

Fear. The primordial embodiment of instinct. One of the linking forces that makes us all human. Something we all share.

The day passed by in a blur, and before I knew it, I was back in my room, surrounded by the same existential questions that plagued me in the morning. I felt like a puppet, controlled by forces beyond my understanding.The world around me felt like a hollow shell, devoid of any meaning. Everything felt useless to discover. Everything lost its meaning. Everything I was interested in, was now the peak of my boredom.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to make sense of it all. The information in my head continued to flood my mind. I was struggling with the reality of what was happening to me, and the weight of it all was crushing. I felt like a leaf in the wind, being carried along by forces beyond my control.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that this new ability was a manifestation of the greed and materialism that consumed the world. Am I just another cog in the machine, being used for someone else’s benefit?, I felt like I was losing control of my own life, and I couldn’t help but be disillusioned by what I saw around me. With this constant raging headache, the world seemed to be crumbling around me, and I was left feeling lost and alone in my thoughts. I wondered and wondered only to be left, ironically, in the unknown.

“I’ve always wished for encyclopedic knowledge. I’ve always wished for knowledge beyond human reach. I’ve always wished for knowledge of the unknown, but did it have to be this painful?”

To be honest, I should have expected that a feeble human mind couldn’t possibly fathom all the information of this world.

“Now, dare I have the curiosity to know more? Dare I ask for more knowledge?”

I figured out something. When you wish for a thing, when you beg your “God” to grant you a wish, when you dedicate yourself to attaining it, that means you value it. You value it because it eludes your grasp, giving your actions purpose. You try your hardest. It’s human nature. If everyone had their wishes granted on a golden plate, nobody would wish for anything. The things that they wished for, that they longed for, have lost their meanings and their only purpose; that purpose being the motive that compells us forward. Now let me ask you this. What if that wish was omniscient knowledge? You would know everything, you would discover everything, and you would hold unfathomable amounts of power. Then, you realize that having that knowledge implies there is nothing more to discover. You would know the deepest secrets of the world. You would know how the world is going to end. You would know how it started in the first place. You would know things you were never meant to know. The unknown has driven humans to discover everything and evolve into the way they are now. They rubbed wood together and made fire, therefore light, and so on… What if you know everything? What if you know what was unknown? The word “unknown” would lose its meaning wouldn’t it? Amidst the overwhelming weight of absolute knowledge, the very essence of curiosity and wonder would be extinguished, leaving behind a desolate landscape devoid of purpose, lacking the spark of human endeavor. Life, then, would be reduced to an aimless cycle, wouldn’t it?

What about you? Would you still live if it meant nothing?

I lost track of time, barely aware of my drifting mind which struggled to keep itself up. All I remember are my eyes slowly shutting and me gladly accepting the offer of peaceful sleep.

I woke up feeling like a freight train had run over my head. I was met with a headache of unparalleled intensity. The inflow of information I had experienced yesterday seemed to have amplified tenfold, becoming almost unbearable. I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the pressure, but it was no use. I was exhausted before I even left my bed. I tried to shake it off and get ready for school, but the pounding in my head made it difficult to focus. I stumbled down the stairs, hoping my parents wouldn’t notice my discomfort. Luckily, my mother was already dressed and heading out of the door, and my father was out of the house. Though, my driver noticed my condition as I climbed into the car.

“Are you okay, sir?”

he asked, looking at me with concern.

“Just a headache.”

I lied, not wanting to reveal the truth. The truth was that my head felt like it was being squeezed in a vice; information spilling out like a never-ending stream.

The ride to school was pure hell. Every bump in the road felt like a hammer to my skull. I read somewhere that focusing on breathing is the easiest way to clear one’s mind, so I tried to do that and push away the endless flow of information, but it was no use. Afterall, a spoon can’t ever hold back a flood.

Location:---1{School}

When I arrived at school, the torture began. Every class was a new level of suffering, every lecture only adding to the seemingly infinite burden on my mind. In history class, the teacher was discussing a battle as images of soldiers, information about past battles, and the entire history of fighting kept flashing in front of my eyes, making it nearly impossible to focus on the lesson. In science class, equations and formulas kept popping up in my head like an unwanted homework assignment. In the literature class, I found myself bombarded by words and phrases from poems and novels, leaving me feeling like an astronaut adrift in a vast expanse of unfamiliar knowledge.

During a surprise quiz, I received full marks, but the victory was bittersweet. I felt like a puppet, with someone else controlling my actions. It was as if the answers were being fed to me, and I was simply repeating them.

I was barely holding it together by the time lunch rolled around. I retreated to the library thinking a quiet place might provide shelter from this barrage, butit followed me there. The books on the shelves seemed to be speaking to me, whispering to me, revealing the knowledge dormant within them. But that wasn’t any good, it was only fuel to the fire that was my raging headache.

The headache only grew worse as the day wore on until I was close to collapsing. When the final bell rang, I treaded out of the school gates and into the car, hoping for relief. The ride back was a blur of pain and exhaustion. I leaned my head against the window, trying to escape the endless flow of information.

As we drove past the temple of the god of trickery, I found myself muttering,

“Is this your doing?”

The driver turned to me with a confused look, and I quickly covered,

“Nothing, nothing.”

Location:---1{Home}

When I finally arrived back home, I walked up to my room and collapsed on my bed. I buried my head in my pillow, hoping to escape the pain. But to no one’s surprise, that attempt was but a futile effort. I was exhausted, both mentally and physically. I pulled the blankets over me, hoping to find some comfort, but my mind was still a storm of thoughts and ideas. This storm which refused to depart kept rumbling within the confines of my skull, leaving me with no choice but to accept that I’m its unlucky host. It was as if a storm of bees was trapped inside, using all its might to break out. Eventually, after some time, I succumbed to the fatigue and fell asleep, wrapped in the embrace of my blankets.

“The element helium is the second most abundant in the universe and was first discovered on the sun through spectral analysis.”

X “Seriously? This is what I wake up to?”

My head was even worse than yesterday’s, nearing the “unbearable” mark. Data, facts, information, everything was just pouring in nonstop. I can’t say I didn’t expect this because I did, but what I didn’t properly anticipate is the amount of pain that would come with it. Thinking about a future with this ability felt like being thrown into a labyrinth of uncertainty; one with ominous shadows that stirred within me an unsettling fear. What I dreaded the most is reaching the point of losing my mind, a state from which I can’t ever recover. I could handle the pain. I was prepared to endure it for however long it took, as long as it meant keeping control over my own thoughts. I never really believed in magic or superstitions, they were quite ridiculous to me. But now, the basis of my beliefs is shaken. The pillars that represented the foundation of these opinions I always held high were crumbling now. This feeling of being controlled haunts me. I can’t help but feel like a mere puppet being compelled to walk on a path with a foreboding end. Gods, godly beings, or whatever controlled this universe - I had mixed feelings about them. I refused to believe anything exists without solid proof and evidence, but now? How can I possibly explain what I am going through? How can I explain this constant intake of information? It’s like some sort of vending machine has malfunctioned, but the difference is, a vending machine has a limit. I don’t think this ability does. Its limit can only be the decay of my mind, which is what I fear most.

“Trepidation is a feeling of fear or nervousness about a future event or situation, often accompanied by a sense of uneasiness or uncertainty about what is to come.”

X “Damn, that’s a bit too accurate don’t you think?”

Then I realized…

X “Wait, since it gave me something related to my mental state, then there’s a chance I can actually control this right?”

With that epiphany, a rush of relief washed over me, invigorating my senses with a thrill of excitement. A ray of hope cast away the shadows of fear, slightly reducing the terror which held my heart captive. Perhaps my dream could be realized, without costing me my sanity.

“Mindfulness meditation has been shown to increase activity in areas of the brain associated with emotional regulation and self-control.”

X “Well I can’t really meditate or do anything while in the city.”

I spent some time walking around in my room, trying to make sense of the information I was receiving and perhaps extract something helpful out of that chaos.

“The tongue is the only muscle in the human body that is attached at only one end.”

““Exordium” is the start or the introductory part of an essay or discourse.”

“The speed of light in a vacuum is approximately 300 million meters per second, which is considered to be a constant of the universe and a fundamental limit for how fast matter can travel.”

“The Book and The Sword have powers feared by the..”

“The human body has 206 bones, with the skull containing the most bones at 22.”

“The world is often not what you think it is”

“Emotions and thoughts can have a direct impact on physical health and well-being, through processes such as the release of stress hormones and changes in heart rate and blood pressure.”

“The brain is capable of filtering out stimuli that it deems unimportant and focusing on what is relevant, a process known as selective attention.”

“None of this is useful to me. OH! Exordium! The bridge!”

“Exordium is the name given to the bridge to the east that connected the city to an old village, but after the old war, the village was destroyed and the bridge was abandoned”

“Yes! That one. I should head there.”

Trying not to waste any time, and fighting my pain, I seized my jacket and headed down. I got into the elevator, pressed “G” and stood there facing the mirror. For some reason, I felt like I wasn’t looking at myself. My body didn’t feel like mine, and it was ignorant to think that a simple headache could cause that. The elevator trip, which usually takes about 11.27 seconds, felt like an eternity now. I reached the ground floor and headed out of the gate. I walked to the door and called for my driver, who appeared in front of me in a matter of moments.

“Hello sir, where are we going?” He inquired.

“Exordium, the bridge.” I replied, my voice tense with pain

“The bridge? Also, is everything alright? You appear to be in great pain” He asked, feelings of confusion and concern apparent on his face.

“Yes, the bridge. And don’t worry it’s just a headache. I need a calm place to relax” I answered, trying to assure him.

He nodded, and we stepped into the car, the wheels screeching as we hit the road, the vibrant city bustling with life outside the windows. Despite the noise and commotion of the world around me, I was still consumed by my own thoughts and the constant onslaught of information in my head. As we drove, the random tidbits of information and facts wouldn’t stop flowing. I couldn’t help but voice some of them aloud, much to the bewilderment of the driver.

“Did you know that the average lifespan of a mayfly is only one day?”

I remarked.

“No, I did not actually, that is quite interesting,” he answered.

Then after a minute or two, he said :

“Is your jacket thick enough? They said it might snow today.”

“Oh that would be nice, this disgusting city would look good under a white cover. And yes, my jacket is lined with fur on the inside, so cold shouldn’t be a problem, but is there any place of shelter on the bridge?”

“Yes, I believe there was a pair of sheltered benches on both sides.”

“Good, that should be enough.”

My driver was used to my complaints about the city and mostly agreed with me. It was pretty nice to have someone who understands my view of the world and agrees with me.

We arrived at the bridge and he stopped the car and asked:

“Shall I wait?”

“No, I’ll be here for a while, I’ll give you a call when I need to leave, thank you.”

I paced towards the benches, admiring this beautiful scenery around me. The bridge spanned across the river, linking the two banks. Both lined with bare trees; trees whose once lush green foliage is now gone, stripped away by the gentle yet deadly embrace of winter. The branches looked like skeletal fingers reaching up towards the gray sky, as if pleading for warmth and longing to return to their lively form.

As I made my way towards the benches, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of calm wash over me. The serenity of the river and the desolate beauty of the trees lent a quiet, introspective atmosphere to the surroundings. The hush of the water and the distant hum of traffic in the distance created an almost surreal ambiance that somehow eased my headache. It was still persisting but I felt it could fade away if I let it.

One of the benches was facing the river, so I chose that one and took a seat. In front of me was a ribcage made of the trees encasing the raging water below me, truly a fascinating view.

And then, it started snowing. And for reasons I can’t pinpoint, this white display that was portrayed to my mind stunned me. Something about the snowflakes, they were so elegant in their descent, so unique in their shape, and.... so careless to the cruel world they fell upon. I couldn’t understand how but I admired them. I wished the chaos which rumbled within my mind would just calm down and let me enjoy this beauty… my wish was granted. The flow of information suddenly stopped and my mind was devoid of thoughts, all I could focus on was the paradise that was being painted in front of my eyes.

I could feel my consciousness drifting away as this canvas was being completed before my blurry vision.

I awoke to a world in chaos, everything around me in disarray. The ground trembled beneath my feet, and the air crackled with an unsettling energy. Night had fallen, yet the darkness was pierced by an otherworldly glow, not from the stars or the moon, but from a powerful presence.

I tried to stand up, but my muscles wouldn’t move an inch. There was an overwhelming presence pressing on my body, grounding my very essence.

And from that chaos emerged a voice so loud, so deafening, so commanding that it seemed to reverberate through the very core of my being. Its echoes permeated the air, drowning out all other sounds and commanding the attention of every soul within its reach. The sheer force of its presence sent shivers down my spine, as if the voice itself held an untamed power, capable of shaking the foundations of the world. In its words, I sensed both authority and a hint of something evil. It was a voice that demanded to be heard, leaving no room for doubt or indifference.

“Inhabitants of the Greed Planet, your sins have been long left unredeemed. Select few of you have been given abilities that will aid you to prove your worth. In one year, if you remain unworthy, you will pay for your sins.”

I was too stunned to question the identity of this being above me, and I wasn’t left time to even wonder. Right after it finished the speech, an intense shock assaulted my brain. The flow of information which had once stopped had now resumed, this time with more intensity.

I couldn’t make up most of what was being said but one sentence clearly

“The world is not what it seems to be”

A headache conquered my head and persisted to get stronger as time passed, relentlessly pounding behind my temples with each passing moment. Its grip tightened, wrapping its tendrils around my thoughts and clouding my vision with a veil of agony. I clenched my fists and squeezed my head between my hands, desperately trying to ward off the pain, but my futile efforts yielded no result.

As the sentences flooded my head, a relentless deluge, I struggled to grasp their meaning. They swirled within my mind, a chaotic whirlwind of jumbled phrases overlapping one another. Some emerged more frequently, while others were mere fragments, barely legible and obscured by missing letters or overlapped words. It was a relentless attack on my senses, making it increasingly difficult to make sense of the written words amidst the intense pain.

“Greed, Lust, □□□□, Wrath, Sl□□□, Pr□de, □□□ttony.. “

“□□□ □□rld h□s 7 Pla□ets…”

“The world is not what it seems to be”

“Lu□□ i□ t□□ Catalyst”

“The world is full of magic”

“The G□d□ □□□ n□t □ods”

“T□□ Bo□k a□□ □h□ Sw□□d □r□ fea□ed..”

“T□□ C□t□□yst…”

My phone suddenly rang, interrupting my desperate attempt to decipher the enigmatic sentences. It was my driver on the line.

“Tomohiro are you okay? It’s three past midnight and you still haven’t called. I’m sorry for disobeying your orders but that voice from the sky was frightening”

I mustered all my strength to respond, each word I uttered felt like a struggle, a battle against the unyielding suffering that engulfed me. Despite my agony, I tried my best to convey a semblance of composure, masking my inner turmoil as I said:

“Hey Decim, I’m perfectly fine. I just fell asleep on the bench and then woke up to this frightening voice. I’m still quite tired as you can notice from my voice. My headache got worse so I will stay out tonight stargazing, inform my parents please.”

“Alright, I will. Let me know if you need anything”

“Will do, thank you.”

After that, I closed the line and went back to trying to comprehend those sentences. Most of them were starting to make sense but there were several thousands of them now. Stargazing was an easy coverup as I was planning on staying up all night trying to gather as much information as I can. I wouldn’t be able to sleep anyways with this headache, so I might as well make the most out of the situation.

I closed my eyes and drifted into this realm of everflowing information, trying my hardest to make sense of this chaos.

Hours passed by - although they felt like years - and as I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the morning light. Yet, somehow, in my dazed state, I overlooked the sun’s gentle warmth infusing the air.

In these hours, I had learned so much about the world, and more importantly, a lot about my power.

I will list everything I learned:

-The world underwent a significant change.

Multiple worlds within our universe hold diverse species that once coexisted peacefully until the Great War.

The Great War was initiated by the “Gods,” resulting in their triumph and the enslavement of other worlds.

Presently, our world comprises seven planets, each representing one of the seven deadly sins.

Our planet is that of greed, which now makes perfect sense.

These “Gods” are not true deities but elevated beings from a superior realm, exerting control over our world and others.

These malevolent beings exploit us and other creatures for their amusement.

They granted us powers to identify virtuous individuals among us as their vessels.

The Catalyst holds significance, though its nature remains unclear.

An ally, yet to be revealed, is aligned with us in the battle against the gods,

guiding us through quests and righteous paths.

Realm Breaks have emerged, connecting different worlds and harboring monsters capable of devastating our realm.

These Realm Breaks contain ancient treasures left by beings predating the Great War.

Our mission is to venture into these Realm Breaks, slay the monsters, and claim the treasures within.

Among these ancient treasures exists weapons of different tiers, some of which possessing special powers

-As for my ability:

It is not entirely random as I had figured out before, it depends on what I’m thinking of.

After hours of practice, I can now control the information I want to receive and I no longer am bombarded by everything all at once

Startled by sudden clanking of metal, I jolted to my feet. I couldn’t explain why but that sound had my heart tied in a knot. It wasn’t the sound itself that frightened me, but rather the surge of murderous intent right after it that quickly disappeared a moment later.

As my senses snapped back into focus, I was immediately captivated by a keychain plummeting right within my line of sight.