[Analyzation of planet Earth complete. Low biomass discovered. G- grade energy. G- grade mass. Insufficient energy to initiate into the multiverse. Adjusting...]
Multiverse? Energy? G-grade? Confusion gripped Richter as he glanced at Mindy and Joseph. Richter's heart slammed in his chest when he saw Mindy curled into a fetal position, trembling at the base of her bubble with her hands clamped over her ears and her eyes shut tight. Richter could barely make out Joseph, who was furiously pounding against the walls of his prison, begging Mind to get up. Richter placed an unsettled hand against the translucent wall of light, testing it out against his better judgment.
"H-Hey!" he yelled, his voice cracking under the pressure. "Are you guys alright?" Yet Richter barely registered their responses as he trailed a trembling hand down the smooth surface of the sphere. Other than the hint of translucent orange color, the material felt like glass, and crackled with energy when his bare hand touched it. Richter felt a wave of dizziness wash over him as he pulled his hand back and stumbled against the wall of his prison. The pulsating energy swam through his body quickly from the point of entry, but fizzled out after he broke contact.
This whole experience felt like some twisted nightmare. His thoughts raced for an answer; he was still asleep in his warm bed, and this entire shit-show of a morning was just the bucket of KFC he had eaten before he fell asleep last night. That would make more sense than what he was witnessing right now. Besides, he had just read an article not long ago about a correlation between vivid dreams and eating too much too close to bedtime. This was all just the chicken talking here; none of this could really be happening
"RICHTER! Snap the fuck out of it! Mindy’s losing it, man! Talk to her; help me get her up!" Joseph screamed back in response, his frantic voice jolting Ritcher from his internal argument.
Richter stared wide eyed at Joseph, his eyes panning from one friend and back to the other, struggling to come up with a response. "I... I can't... I just..." he stuttered. Joseph's expression darkened, frustration etching his features, as he abandoned his futile conversation with Richter to focus his attention on Mindy. Her last attempt at words had become garbled and unintelligible, and she had dropped her hands limply to her sides, seeming to have fallen asleep.
Richter found his footing and managed to push himself upright, touching the wall for a brief moment. The energy shot through him again causing him to wince, but he quickly pulled away, freeing himself from the sphere’s invisible grip. The static of the electric pulses on Richter's skin dwindled away, leaving only a faint tingling sensation in his fingertips – it was suddenly a terrifying indicator that this was truly real. Richter shook his head violently, forcefully pushing away all other thoughts so he could focus on what was unfolding in front of him.
Mustering all the strength he could find, Richter roared, "I don’t know what the hell's going on, but we're going to get through this! I swear-" But Richter hadn’t even finished his sentence when another orange text flickered before his eyes, cutting his words short. The robotic voice echoed once more in his mind as he scanned the text.
[System adjustment complete. Suitable biomass discovered. Merging planets with planet Earth momentarily. Adjusted energy D- Grade. Adjusted mass D- Grade. Scanning for qualified tutorial candidates...]
All at once, a torrential flood of screens appeared in his vision, shutting out his friends from his view.
[Scanning qualifications of Human Richter Alma]
***
[Physical Attributes: ABOVE AVERAGE]
[Mental Attributes: AVERAGE]
[UNIQUE Skills/Advantages: NEGLIDGEABLE]
* None notable
[Observed Strengths: AVERAGE]
- Shows high loyalty to allies
- Persistent in pursuing goals
- Capable of thinking outside the box
[Observed Weaknesses: AVERAGE]
- Impulsive behavior
- Susceptible to high pressure situations
[Observed Ability to Adapt: ABOVE AVERAGE]
- Struggles with rapid change but can eventually adjust
- Unsure when facing unknown challenges but shows potential for growth
[Overall Potential Score: AVERAGE]
***
[Calculating Tutorial Eligibility…]
The vibrant orange barrier encircling Richter emitted a pulsating glow. It felt as though a needle was gradually prodding him, starting at his feet and intensifying as the orange hue deepened. The uncomfortable sensation crawled through his body as it hit each juncture of his bones. The microbursts of pain seemed to last forever, but when the sensation reached his chest, it vanished all at once.
His heart skipped several beats as sudden silence enveloped him, accompanied only by his raspy breaths. In an instant, a new prompt materialized before his eyes, the digital bits cascading from every corner of his field of vision. Richter's hair stood on end as he fixed his gaze upon the blood-red message.
[DENIED.]
Richter only had a moment to peer at the new prompt before an overwhelming presence descended upon his sphere. It felt as if there was some sort of invisible, monstrous entity taking him into its embrace. A blast of searing heat followed, accompanied by a sharp, deafening noise that invaded his ears and drove him to his knees. His entire body plummeted like an anchor on a fishing line, sending him crashing onto the bottom of the sphere. His knees bore the brunt of the impact, and the grisly crunch of shattering bone rang through the air. The remainder of his body crumpled as his face collided with the curved surface, tearing the skin above his right eyebrow.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
The flood of heat and pain suddenly skyrocketed into a raging inferno as the pressure only continued to grow. It felt as though molten lava was being injected into his bloodstream. Richter screamed and writhed in agony as the pain ate away at his nerve endings. It was like a parasite hitched a ride on a speeding train, and it traversed every corner of his body in mere moments. The torment consumed him before finally settling at its ultimate destination – the beating core of his existence.
Richter was paralyzed as the presence slithered in and out of his blood stream with every push and pull of his heart. All he could hear was the thrum of his own heartbeat in his ears as he felt the burn of the presence chewing at his soul. His body screamed at him to surrender. Just cut the line, and end the unrelenting torture on his entire existence.
Through the haze of the torment clouding his vision, Richter managed a shaky turn of his head and caught sight of his friends. A passing wave of relief and surprise washed off him as they seemed unharmed. The office was gone, the building a broken wreckage of its once glorious architectural achievements. Yet, there stood his friends – alive and untouched by the chaos. In spite of his pain, even knowing he faced certain death, Richter found a glimmer of solace that his friends appeared to at least be spared by what was going on.
Something caught his eye though… As Richter's eyes landed on Joseph, the hands on the analog wristband of Richter's father’s old watch slowed, no longer ticking in time with the rest of the world as Richter glanced from it back to his friend. For a brief moment, pain became secondary as Richter saw something he had never seen before – sheer horror etched onto Joseph's face as he stared back at Richter, unblinking and utterly shaken. That image would be forever seared into his memory as he watched Joseph punch at his sphere, over and over again demanding him to fight as Richter held his gaze.
Richter saw a reflection of his own anguish mirrored back at him in those stormy blue eyes of his best friend. Those eyes that once sparkled with laughter and mischief and sought out the best in everyone, now only held fear and anguish. Richter's heart fractured as the cruel realization dawned upon him: that his best friend was bearing witness to his death. To be selfishly honest, he was thankful that it was him, and not Joseph or Mindy. There was no way he would have been able to move past watching the two of them suffer. It was just better this way.
*THUMP!*
*ERROR! Reattempting scan...*
*ERROR!*
*ERROR!*
*ERROR!*
[ANOMALY DETECTED. NEUTRALIZING THREAT.]
With each failed attempt, the pain surged with terrifying force, causing the protective bubble's red glow to burn even brighter, immobilizing Richter once again in its crushing embrace – unable to take even a shallow breath. Indescribable pain saturated his being, like a hydraulic press relentlessly crushing his soul. Richter cried out, his vision gradually succumbing to darkness as his eyes glazed over the ghastly text boxes invaded his vision over and over again, popping up everywhere he turned his eyes. Neutralizing? So… I really am? I… I don’t… want to die.
*THUMP!* *THUMP!* *THUMP!*
The errors continued their assault, their tempo synced with Richter's shallow, strangled breaths. Each struck like a sledgehammer against his mind, validating his belief in his impending doom. At this point, even his most primal instincts begged him to surrender to the bubble's authority, and just allow the presence within him to course through him, and free him from the shackles of this penitentiary.
Yet, something even deeper than instincts resonated within him. It was as if a long-dormant force had been roused – fueled by his anguish, desperation, and rage. With each crushing blow from the sphere, something felt different, like he was suddenly drawing the energy instead of the orb draining him. This newfound power seemed to have a conscious will of its own, pushing back against the system's attempts to neutralize him.
The surrounding area evolved into waves of radiant light as if the celestial forces descended to deliver divine retribution. Richter felt the strain within his very bones under the enormous pressure until he felt them crack and splinter. Red completely enveloped his vision as if his eyes had imploded and he was seeing the color from the inside out. Richter clenched his fist, his nails drawing blood from the flesh of his palms as he fought against the incomprehensible pain.
Summoning every bit of strength he had left, Richter raised his bloodied, trembling hand toward Joseph. The gesture appeared feeble in the face of relentless waves, yet it served as a powerful proclamation—one that the raging heavens above understood far more deeply than words could ever express:
Defiance.
*ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR*...
*ERROR* *ERROR* *ERROR*…
*ERROR* *ERROR*…
…
Something shifted inside of him as something clicked into place like sliding a latch, locking into place. His heart - no, his entire essence thrummed in his ears as if it were a chorus, humming with power. He saw nothing of the outside world and lived in a moment of curiosity as he became one with his existence. He could see and understand every part of himself, down to the very molecule. He could see paths and branches that looked like twisted veins forming inside of himself, an ethereal white glow at the core of his being. To his surprise, he witnessed several strange new paths, deviating from the others and awakening parts of himself that had been forced into slumber.
As Richter slowly delved deeper into himself, following through the virtual doors the light had unlocked, his prison's relentless onslaught suddenly ceased entirely. The angry red glow of the bubble gradually shimmered into a warm, crystal clear blue. Strangely enough, the bubble gave off an almost comforting presence, as if it had somehow become a protective barrier rather than a torturing chamber.
The shift in power didn’t go unnoticed. Outside, the sky bellowed in defiance as a colossal, white bolt of electricity plummeted earthward, smashing against Richter’s sphere. The bubbles energy skyrocketed as the lightning struck, and the bolt ricocheted off the bubbles surface with ease.
The heavens, enraged by its failure, roared as it delivered another onslaught; this time with fire trimmed, red bolts of lightning — each containing enough force to shatter the world itself. They struck Richter’s protective bubble with claps of thunderous explosions. The relentless strikes caused thin cracks to spider web across its surface. Though damaged, the sphere still shined a brilliant blue, seeming defiant against the heavens' rage.
The onslaught only continued, seeming to grow even stronger as more bolts struck the sphere again and again. The bubble creaked and groaned as each strike caused more cracks to race across its surface. Eventually, the sphere couldn’t take any more, and it shattered. And in that instant, time itself seemed to grind to a complete standstill.
Now unprotected in the volatile remnants of his world, a flash of blue light blinded him as searing pain ripped through his body. And like a page being torn from the spine of a spiral notebook, Richter felt the last thread of connection he had with himself get torn away in a single, blinding moment. As Richter saw darkness envelop his vision, all he could do was close his eyes to accept his fate, and pray that his friend's death was easier than his had been.
*THUMP*
Richter cautiously opened his eyes, only to be greeted by an enveloping darkness. His vision was consumed by the void, and his senses were numb. Desperately, he attempted to glance downwards in search of his own body, but all he discovered was the sheer absence of it. Despite the strange situation, a sense of tranquility washed over him. Embraced by the serenity, he waited for what lay ahead, grateful that at least the pain was gone. The passage of time soon became meaningless to him; had he been in the void for a day, a week, months, or even years? He simply couldn't tell.
So he slept.
Time either stretched endlessly or stood still – Richter couldn't discern which it was, nor did he care. Finally at ease and enveloped in peacefulness, the endearing feeling quenched his ever-present thirst for solace.
A soft but steady hum of energy materialized from the darkness, akin to a computer awakening from slumber. Opening his eyes to the perpetual absence of light as he had done countless times before – or so it appeared – Richter sensed a change. A click sounded and a familiar text screen materialized before him – a sight he assumed vanished along with his world's destruction.
The message appeared in an electric blue hue rather than the abrasive orange that previously evoked anger and pain. After an indeterminate period of being suspended in darkness, a robotic and emotionless voice echoed through the vast expanse as it reminded Richter that he was still alive—and infuriated.
*Anomaly neutralization failed. Protocol BL-0000 initiated. Welcome to the Multiverse, Chosen Initiate*