Five years post-apocalypse.
Congratulations, inhabitants of Planet-0890/67421 ! The Fifth Challenge of your Integration has been overcome. Rewards will be shortly granted.
Note: due to the overwhelming number of participating Egos, the Ego Ladders will be appropriately adjusted.
Note: due to surpassing the maximum level of requirements for overcoming the Challenge, Planet-0890/67421 will evolve to accommodate the additional energy. Additional rewards may be granted upon evolution.
Congratulations, Ego Starblaze ! Your dedication to the war effort…
Ding! You have been rewarded…
Ding! You have been rewarded…
The notifications rolled over her, one after the other. She felt numb, exhausted beyond words. Around her, the Systems’ powers were hard at work, restoring her body and what little was left of the place she hid herself in.
Briefly, she wondered in amazement what were the Systems’ limits, for each time she thought she had seen all it could do, she had always been surprised once more. The surroundings had been destroyed by her magic, her soul’s powers. Her powers were such that they always profoundly left the environnement scarred beyond measure. The Systems took that assumption and threw it off her shoulders. Before her eyes, under its administration, nature and life retook their rights, until nothing was left of the destruction.
Then, the notification she had been waiting for arrived.
Ding! You have a (unnamed) child. Do you wish to keep it as your own ?
YES / NO
She slowly breathed in, aware that the decision will shape her future in a way few could. It’s not like she had wanted to have a child, after all. When the [pregnancy] notification hit her, close to nine months ago, she simply took some medicine and believed the ways were still the same as before it came. How could she have known the Systems valued newborns even more than Ascensions ?
There. She could even see one of the new notification explaining why.
She sighed, aware that her thoughts were dangling and dancing out of her control. She was a high ranked-ego that confronted the apocalypse early on and came out ahead. She should have been at the frontlines, battling the last phases of the Challenge like she had been doing for five years. Was she fit to be a parent ? A mother ?
She was barely thirty. Maybe if it still had been the old world, but even then… Her parents would’ve no doubt make her life a living hell about it, even if she’d cut them off her life. They had been the kind of ultra-conservative people set in their ways. Not that they were bad, of course. Nonetheless, she was happy not to have them bothering her life anymore. Maybe more than she should be, even.
But thinking about her parents only made her more apprehensive about the child. The boy, she corrected herself, carefully picking him up even though she was exhausted. She had not been fighting for once, but delivering. Who would have thought that even with a superhuman body, it would be so hard ? And let’s not to talk about her magic going off rails.
The boy is crying, she noticed. Pretty loudly too. It confirmed her how out of it she had been. Maybe she shouldn’t make such a decision in her state.
But at the same time… She swallowed. At the same time, she probably wouldn’t have enough time afterwards. As an Awakened Ego of a newly integrated Planet, there would have much to do for her.
Was it even relevant to think about it ? Deep down, she already made her choice, she knew that. Hence why she’d come all this way to be alone the moment she received the [Delivery] notification.
But still. Her teeth slightly bit her lower lip, and she felt moisture gather into the corner of her eyes. She raised her head towards the sky, and chose to admire the night sky. It was full of stars.
As usual, it soothed her enough to face ahead.
No, she thought.
And that was it.
Fifteen years post-apocalypse.
“Sirius, this is Kamari. Kamari, this is Sirius. Starting from now, you two will share the bedroom and every goddamned chore I’ll assign you.” Lorelei, the woman who sheltered him, said upon the entrance, not even a minute after she greeted him. She left them alone without saying anything else, and they stared at each other, dumbfounded.
The girl in front of him was thin, thinner than Lorelei and him. Shadows stretched around her eyes, contrasting her almost white-skin and her clear eyes. Long, tarnished hairs hid the rest of her face and brushed against the ground. “Seriously ? Crazy woman,” he muttered as he turned from her and went after his guardian. What in the Systems ? She had left him for days, without even a notice, and the moment she’d come back, she pulled that off ? With a girl that looked like she went through a hellfire ?
No. Sirius refused to submit yet again to another one of her ideas. He would put some sense in that old hag even if he had to scream off his lungs to do so.
But surprisingly, a small giggle stopped him on his tracks. “She really is crazy, isn’t she ?” the pale girl said, a small smile on her lips. “She appeared out of nowhere, two days ago. Said I was in deep shit, told me to behave so she could save me…” Her smile cracked. “They told me to go with her… even though she could've saved them too.”
He saw tears rolling down her cheeks, heard the shake in her voice, and his anger subsided. “Bet she didn’t even let you rest for more than a moment, too.” The girl, Kamari, rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, and nodded. “The hell she didn’t,” she agreed. “How did you meet her ?”
He shrugged. “Don’t remember. One day she wasn’t there, the next day she was.”
That wasn’t entirely true. He remembered a great, deep black. Endless points of light. The feeling of being cold and warm. He shook his head to focus, and sighed. “Looks like she decided to take in another stray.” Dark humour didn't do much, but he was surprised to see her eyes sprinkled at his attempt. “Sorry to impose,” she responded.
This time, they sighed in sync. “Okay,” Sirius said, clapping his cheeks as an idea sprouted in his mind. A devious, mischievous idea. “My room is too small for two, even if we sleep together. But her room… that’s another thing. We just have to devise a plan to corner her and make her agree. You in ?”
She hummed. “That looks like a bad idea. She’s crazy strong, you know ?” “Oh, it is. And I do.”
Another small smile replaced her forlorn face, inviting his own. “I’m in.”
Twenty years post-apocalypse.
“This is such a terrible idea,” she whispered. “The worse,” he agreed. “Do you have everything ? Weapons, maps, electronics ?” She nodded, and he showed her his bag full of food and clothes, smiling at her. She responded in kind, grabbing his hand.
His cheeks suddenly heated, but thankfully, the darkness of the night hid it for him. They watched the burning house together, letting its warmth fill them to their core. Trepidation and adrenaline coursed their veins for what they prepared to do. Disbelief, too.
For five years, they lived there. They shared almost everything, space, food, clothes, training, gifts, and emotions. It went even farther for Sirius, because he had lived his whole life there, knowing only those woods. He knew nothing of the cities, of the Systems presence in government or of the elitist society the world had become. He wanted to discover it all. And so did Kamari.
So they made a choice. They profited off the absence of their guardian, and burned the house for the message as much as for the symbolism. “No turning back now,” Kamari softly said.
She is so pretty, Sirius realised. Her skin glowed under the light of the fire, and her usually bland eyes were filled with embers. Her black hair almost seemed to disappear in the dark, making her face even more stand out. She turned her gaze to him, and even in the dark, he could sense her huge, excited smile. “Let’s go,” he murmured.
They left together, running and laughing through the woods, under the stars. They were young, and didn’t know what was ahead of them. They didn’t understand the dangers of the roads, they had been sheltered from the wars and the wilderness and the violent politics of a post-apocalyptic Earth. It didn't matter to them. They had each other.
They did not sense the inscrutable gray gaze of the woman on them, watching from afar, perfectly squatted on the thin branches of a tree.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Twenty-five years post-apocalypse.
Screams. Sirius’s mind was invaded by screams. And he could do absolutely nothing about it. Kamari’s hand was clamped on his, and layers of sweat covered her entire naked body. He wasn’t much better. He’d ripped off his clothes earlier that day -in a weak attempt to cover her in damp cloth- and though he certainly wasn’t in as much pain as her, the anxiety alone threatened to crush him.
The screams subsided a little, allowing her to breathe in, deeply. Sirius wanted to say something, anything, but his throat remained tight and his mind could barely produce any words.
“You are doing very well, Lady Michaels,” the old nurse gently said, maybe for the hundredth time. “He’s nearly there. I know how much it hurts, right now, but the worst has passed. The efforts you’ll give from now on will be your last.”
Very gently, Sirius absentmindedly thought. Very conventionally.
Not that he knew much about conventional. He grew up in the middle of the woods, for the system’s sake. Yet, even to his warped sense of sociability, her words seemed… affable. Not cold, but passionless. Like she said them all her life, and that she stopped believing them.
Even in her state, Kamari must’ve thought the same thing he did, because her growl resonated in the tiny room like angry thunder on a stormy night. A vicious curse made its way halfway through her mouth, but then, her body twisted in an awful bend, her legs shaking, the curse transforming into a broken sob. Sirius felt his hand being crushed in the crisp of her fingers.
Like his companion, he wanted nothing more than to see that stranger gone, but without her, they both would’ve been in a much sorrier state.
The delivery was hard, but as she had calmly explained to them, the System had kept their baby safe for nine months, and in the same timeframe, had subtly intervened in Kamari’s body so it would already be adapted to the process. The risk of permanent injury, death or scaring was not low, it was close to null. Even in the numb state Sirius was in, he could recognise the soft, yet unyielding, power of the Systems, overseeing the entire thing. It would ensure neither Kamari nor the baby would be in serious danger.
When her waters had suddenly broken, the systems restituting the toddler back into its rightful place, it left both of them in shock. A swarm of notifications had followed the abrupt change of her body, and not even an hour later, the woman had showed up, wearing her gentle smile like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Well, okay. Birth was perhaps the most natural thing in the world, but they both had been fighting a panic attack right up until she came, and then, they simply exploded. They had naturally first tried to get rid of her, but when they saw her public information, they forced themselves to stop.
Kamari and Sirius were dumber than most people, but they weren’t dumb enough to antagonise a [System Enforcer]. But reading the open information had been enough to push them over the edge, their anger swelling and thundering.
No time to properly process those feelings, though. Soon after, the labor began.
Hence, the screams. For countless, endless hours. Sirius had not been paying attention to their surroundings, but he was pretty sure to have seen the sun set twice, through the dirty window of their makeshift birthroom.
By the end of it, Kamari was silently weeping, relief and exhaustion mixing in her face.
“Congratulations, Lady Michaels, Lord Michaels. It’s a girl,” the nurse said, carefully holding a tiny package in her arm.
The words brought some clarity in Sirius’s fogged mind. But even before he could register them, alien voices and dancing words appeared to his senses.
Ding! You have a (unnamed) child. Do you wish to raise them as their parents or not ? The Systems will take good care of your offspring in the case of your refusal.
Note: either one of those decisions are irrevocable.
YES / NO
“It is as you’ve read. You do not have to keep the child,” the woman began to calmly explain. “The Systems understand that a child is sometimes too much of a burden for biological parents to carry, and have developed multiple alternatives for…”
Systems be damned. Sirius’s mind went blank, and his body moved before he could think better of it. The slap echoed in the room, interrupting her speech, and the enforcer’s eyes widened in shock.
“Fuck you,” Kamari spat, “give her to me. Now.”
Both of them were tired, full of doubts and in more trouble that was probably safe for a baby. But they knew what they wanted. Right now, nothing would be more unbearable than separating themselves from a member of their family. Sirius thought yes probably at the same time Kamari did, because another notification came up as soon as he did.
Congratulations! With the birth of your first child, you’ve officially joined the Family System. As companions, you’ll have access to more Systems facilities and better opportunities to properly support your child. It is in the policies of the System to support any newborn in integrated worlds, as the call for strong Egos never ceases to grow. By supporting Families early on, the Systems encourage the participating in the war effort of your universe.
Ding! Title earned: [Family—Father. (I)]
Effect: Passively gain Points the longer your child lives and flourishes. Allow you to save up [unknown] for your child’s coming-of-age.
Note: this Title is upgradable.
While he processed the new information he just learned, Kamari was given their daughter, her tired arms shaking from the effort. Sirius saw her hands possessively hug the tiny figure. Daughter.
He had a daughter. No.
They had a daughter.
The realization made him faint. He swallowed. The icy shivers of fear ran down his back, and he suddenly felt so very scared. What if he was a bad father ? What if he failed as a parental figure ? What if he couldn’t protect her ? What if she died because of one of the ridiculous System’s challenges ? What if… ?
“Sirius,” Kam sobbed.
His eyes fell on the two of them. A tiny, tiny finger was clamped on his companion’s hand and soft cries were coming from her mouth. Her eyes met his, and they mirrored each other’s expressions of anxiety. “We’ll do this together,” he finally managed to say. “As long as we’re together, we’ll be okay.”
She nodded, but before she could reply anything, another wave of notifications hit them.
!SYSTEMS ERROR! Individuals are not recorded in the Ego System. Proceed scanning.
Result: Souls not awakened.
Warning: Systems’ assistance is only provided for systems-integrated Egos. If individuals choose not to awaken their souls, [Title] and other support granted by the Systems will be lost.
Sirius frowned, barely following what the Systems wanted to tell them. He looked around for clarification, but the woman was gone. As if she had never been there in the beginning. “What the…” The Systems didn’t let him finish his curse before showing up once more.
!SYSTEMS ERROR! Individuals (Sirius Michaels) and (Kamari Michaels) both possess strong souls. Probabilities for a pinnacle Ego in their offspring: 97.19%.
Note: Potential should not be wasted. (Sirius Michaels)’s and (Kamari Michaels)’s souls will be forcefully awakened by the end of the timer.
9:59
Silence stretched between them. This time, the flashy words couldn’t have been clearer. “Well,” he awkwardly began, “at least, the Systems didn’t screw us over, for once.” Kamari said nothing for a second, then she nervously bursted out giggling. Some weeks ago, they both had decided to join the Ego System and awaken. They had been on their way to a City to find a System Awakening Building when the [Delivery] notification hit them. Seemed like the Systems found them too slow and took matters in its own hands. Engrenages. Whatever.
He gave her a tired smile, then his eyes landed on the tiny body in her arms.
“Do you want me to… ?”
“Oh. Yeah. Thanks.”
His movements were clumsy, he had never done this before, had never even heard about how to take care of such a fragile creature. But the Systems were there. It had not left the room, their power subtly guiding Sirius body to properly handle his baby. In fact, the Systems had completely cleaned the room of any dirty spots.
She had her eyes wide open, staring right up at him. Her mom’s eyes, he noticed. A clear, piercing blue. The realization made him shudder.
“We should probably find some clothes.” She stretched her arms and moved to a sitting position, closing her legs. “Yeah,” he mumbled, gently playing with his daughter’s tiny closed hands with his fingertips. “At least that enforcer brought some tissues to cover her. She won’t get cold.”
“The Systems better cover for her food, too,” Kam grumbled. “My body is in no shape to give her what she needs. And it’s not like we can go to a grocery store and buy what we want, broke as we are.”
He grimaced, well aware of those facts. If push came to shove, then they’ll fall back on their usual “tricks”, but that was an option neither of them wanted to take.
6:37
Eventually, Sirius sat next to her, and they cuddled together, watching the timer going down.
“What about ‘Sora’ ?” She slowly asked. “Means ‘Sky’ in my parents’ old language.”
He raised an eyebrow. Kamari almost never talked about her blood family. Nonetheless, he liked it.
“Sora Michaels,” he muttered. “Sounds good.”
Ding! You have named your child. (Sora Michaels) has joined your [Family]. The Systems eagerly await your Ascension, and your child’s own.
+1 Point.
Sirius blinked, then relaxed. The Systems didn’t seem to throw any more « !ERRORS! » at them. Maybe, after the awakening, he’ll finally have some rest. Somehow, he doubted that. Both he and his companion couldn’t spend a few weeks without stirring some troubles, but hopefully, once they entered the EGO ladders, the rewards would be worth those troubles.
So, he relaxed. A sudden daughter was a challenge, sure, and not an easy one. But the Systems rewarded challenges, as shown with the [Title] it expressly gave them. He had never heard of Points, but [Titles] were rare and held power. Besides, as long as he was with his companion - the person he swore to share his Path with, his serment recorded by the Companionship System - things would be fine.
0:58
As the timer slowly came to an end, an incongruous sound bubbled out of their daughter. She was tucked in both of their arms, her tiny body protected by layers of cloth and their bodies.
It was a sound made of naive hope, infinite tenderness and soft strength.
It was joyous laughter.
Far, far away in time.
A ripple through space, time, void and soul. A ripple carrying an immense amount of potential, and such soft feelings that they menaced to influence everything [It] had worked on for so long.
The ripple spread, far and wide, unstoppable. Few could sense it, even among the fully completed. Fewer could understand its meaning.
It traveled beyond the borders of the Systems, beyond any places the living had ever reached. It dove deep down the universe… then went even deeper.
Until it reached its destination, its intended ears, then simply ceased its message. But echoes of it still resonated.
Eyes opened. A glare that has rested for countless eons, never to flicker or to stir in its timeless slumber, finally rose.
It squinted at the echoes, searching… something. Trying to recognise it. Then tiny shades of happiness nuanced the profound eeriness of the gaze.
It was a sound of measureless, innocent joy.