Without warning, the world around me shifted. As soon as I foolishly agreed to be taken…somewhere…a cold, iron grip clamped down on my shoulder. My head whipped around, and what I saw made my heart freeze—a hand, inky black, clamped around me, its touch like ice against my skin. The hand was unnatural, frigid and inhuman, covered in skin that seemed to twist and coil like fabric, woven with dark spirals and intricate designs. A stark black star was centered on its back, bold and intimidating, like an emblem of national pride.
“At least take me out to dinner first…” I tried, hoping my voice sounded more confident than I felt. The hand’s grip tightened immediately, enough to pull a sharp yelp from me.
And then I noticed—it wasn’t connected to any arm, any body. A disembodied hand was crushing my shoulder, bone grinding under the pressure. Before I could think, the fingers dug deeper, twisting painfully, and I screamed as my shoulder popped out of place. I was being pulled backward, everything around me dissolving. My vision swirled, darkness clawing at the edges, until I could only shut my eyes. My ears popped, a sensation both disorienting and grounding, before I felt the distinct shift in air, finally daring to open my eyes.
Light flooded my vision—intense, bright, and unyielding. The room was blinding, like I’d been thrown under a spotlight, and I shielded my eyes with a trembling hand, squinting to take in my surroundings. A strange beige carpet stretched beneath my feet, thick and sweltering like layers of wool stacked and fused together. My feet sank slightly as if the floor would swallow me whole. Around me, bright, vibrant music played—something light, jazzy, the kind of music you’d hear in an elevator or a waiting room. The beat was slow, and I could almost feel my guard lowering against my will.
I forced myself to look around, only to find myself in an eerily empty waiting room. The beige walls matched the carpet, bare and unembellished. Even the ceiling was the same shade, oppressive in its monotony. I was sitting on a stiff, mahogany chair with charcoal-colored cotton padding, rough and hastily sewn. I tapped my fingers on my pant leg, heart still racing, unsure of what might come next. Waiting felt like the one thing I could control, but I hated every second of it.
“Is…is anyone there?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.
I had to take a moment to get accustomed to how bright it was in here; though it was around the same as standard room temperature, the lighting was incredibly intense, as though I were under a stage light or much closer to the sun. Finally pushing past the brilliance and shielding my eyes with my palm, I was able to see just enough to view in front of me a few feet. The hand was gone, as if never there in the first place. The chair was comfortable, if a bit stiff. I tapped my fingers on my pant leg, waiting for something to happen. I was always waiting, or putting something off, because I never really had control in my life. But such was existence.
“Is anyone there? If not, I might jus-” I asked again, more confidently now, not expecting an answer, which made it more surprising when I received one that stopped me short.
“Kindly wait your turn. The system will be with you shortly.” The words crackled with an unpleasant static, as if being forced through a speaker just barely functional. My vision blurred slightly at the sharpness of the sound, and I shut my eyes again, wrapping my arms around my knees, seeking some shred of comfort in this surreal place. I could pretend all I wanted, but I was anything but calm. Beneath my joking, beneath any attempts to sound casual, the reality was that I was terrified.
The air felt stale and thick, each breath drawing in particles of dust as though the room had been abandoned for half a century. I could feel the edges of my mind drifting, my thoughts swirling between this disconcerting room and the bizarre situation I’d found myself in. I wondered if, in a place full of magic and monsters like the stories I’d read, maybe, just maybe, I’d find some meaning or connection, something to break through my endless isolation. I wondered if there was any point in hoping for change, in the midst of what seemed to be the most uncertain, twisted moment of my life.
Everywhere I looked, the same beige walls greeted me, bare, devoid of personality. Even the ceiling, blank and uniform, matched the floor beneath my feet. There was no door, no means of escape. Just four blank walls, a suffocating sense of stillness, and that maddeningly repetitive tune echoing softly in the background. I thought about what was going to happen in the next 5 minutes. Whether I would live past it. Whether I wanted to live.
Eventually, I heard that same static and crackly voice again, though I had no idea what speaker it might be coming from. I hardly had any idea how much time was actually passing.
“Thank you for your patience. The system will see you now.”
Immediately at the conclusion of the sentence from the speaker, I was in a different room, but with the same chair underneath me. I hugged myself to protect myself against a chilly cold in this new room. Thankfully, it was darker, so I could see much more easily. The flooring was hardwood, like that of many apartments I had ‘enjoyed’ living in, the walls also seemed wooden, made of logs or thick branches, giving the whole environment a ‘cabin in the woods’ type of feeling. It was pleasant, even if it was chilly; I liked the cold a bit anyway, the air always feels fresher when cold in my opinion. Directly in front of me sat a wooden desk, the type you may see a teacher sitting at or maybe just one you would have in your bedroom. I never had a desk of my own but I’d certainly wanted one.
I also had a companion tagging along for a nice, friendly chat. A floating eyeball with no pupil, about the size of a fucking watermelon. The entire eyeball looked as if it were tattooed black, with intersecting lines of red and gold wrapping it like a cage.
“Welcome, welcome! Greetings, mortal! I am glad you could see me on such short notice!” The voice echoed directly inside my head, an enthusiastic yet still…emotionless, static tone that made my skin crawl.
“What…are you? Where am I” The question left my lips in a low murmur, more a reaction than a request, as I grappled with the absurdity of what I was facing. I didn’t jump quite yet, I’d experienced enough horror to not be as scared quite as easily
“I am but one appendage of the greater system,” it replied, as though that answered everything.
“An appendage? Okay, but more importantly—how can you speak? You’re an eyeball. But then again, here I am, in a cabin, who knows where.” My mind flooded with questions, too many to articulate, my voice failing to mask the edge of desperation.
“All will be answered in due time, though time is something you lack. You have ten minutes to ask questions and make your selections,” it intoned, the detached tone adding to my rising anxiety.
“Alright…Could you please answer those then?”
"Of course, of course, my friend. As an omnipotent and omniscient being, I am capable of creating temporary forms and voices to communicate with enlightened species across the multiverse." The voice continued to resonate in my head, mechanical yet disturbingly clear, as though it bypassed my ears entirely. "Since you’re likely about to ask what ‘enlightened’ refers to, I’ll clarify. It encompasses those species with a heightened intelligence compared to others, those capable of grasping larger realities and influencing their own path. Typically, they possess qualities that allow them to impact multiversal structure in more meaningful ways."
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
I struggled to process this flood of information, my head throbbing. "So…you’re saying other life exists? Aliens? Are you an alien?" My mouth was dry, ignoring any reality that I’d drank water just before.
"You would, technically, be considered an 'alien' to many others. And yes, many forms of life exist beyond your world—including others of your species." There was a pause, a stillness in the air before it continued. "However, much of what you may ask is forbidden for you to remember afterward. The purpose of this conversation is not to fill you with knowledge but to guide your upcoming choices. All enlightened species undergo similar encounters, though they seldom retain details beyond instinctive impressions."
I nodded slowly, trying to absorb this bizarre revelation. "I see…sort of? So…what about the other questions I asked in the beginning?"
“I can speak because, simply, I can do anything. If I felt like it, you would be dead now, and while you have aggravated the greater hivemind by reffering to this as a ‘System Apocalypse,’ you repented quickly enough. And this place you’re seeing? It’s a temporary construct shaped to fit what most relaxes you, to ease and clear your mind in preparation for the choices ahead. Now, if you’re out of questions, we’ll proceed to your selections. Just 8 minutes remain, so answer quickly, without hesitation. There aren’t that many, if that’s what worries you.”
I blinked, taken aback. "Wait—no. I think I have more questions, actually."
The being seemed to emit a sigh, almost bored, more true emotion than it had shown up to now. "Then ask them, young one."
“Do you want to wipe us out? As a species?”
“No, although few of the original organisms on your planet will survive much longer.”
I swallowed, choosing my words carefully. "So…is this it? Has all of humanity, all of Earth’s history…just led up to this—this mass extinction event?"
"Indeed, I suppose. Human history on Earth has culminated in this trial, although knowledge you hold of what is to come is only in fragments compared to what is true. You could consider it an extinction event, as many will be unable to survive it. I must separate those capable of handling the next stages by assigning tests to weed out the unfit. Surely, you can understand that much. Yes? Great. Soon, teleportation points will appear across your planet, and the planet will be adjusted to suit stronger beings by absorbing nearby planetary objects devoid of life. Those unable to reach these points, due to lack of physical capability or otherwise, will be deemed unworthy and will perish. Exceptions may be granted to those with extraordinary potential."
The words fell heavily between us, like stones tossed into a vast chasm. As the being continued speaking, it shifted, the eye bobbing slightly on the desk before it flopped down, a wet thud echoing as thick, iridescent slime oozed out, leaving a glistening trail. It rolled toward me with a peculiar, lazy purpose, dragging itself closer as though to emphasize each phrase.
My throat tightened, the horror of the situation sinking in. "Why are you doing this to us?" I burst out, voice strained. "We were fine on our own—who gave you the right?"
A pause lingered in the air, the eyeball’s form pulsating as if it were considering my words. When it responded, its tone was maddeningly calm, indifferent. "You are insignificant. A collection of matter arranged by forces far greater than you, subject to the will of those who wield true power."
My throat constricted painfully, as though some unseen hand had seized it, forcing a painful, splintering semi-repetition of its words. "I…am…noth-noth—nothing." Blood trickled down my lips yet again, the metallic taste flooding my mouth, and I could feel it slipping down my chin.
"I am…at the—whims…of you," I croaked, words scraping out like broken glass, my entire body rebelling at each syllable. More blood trickled from my mouth as I forced the final line. "I am at the will of anything greater than myself." Strangely, these last words rolled out almost easily in comparison, a bitter familiarity coating them as I realized they echoed my own sense of smallness in this monstrous multiverse.
"Good," it hummed, a note of approval in its voice, "you understand. Five minutes remain." How was time passing so quickly?
A faint anger sparked in me, and through the haze of pain, I managed to snap, "Why do you use our measurements? Surely there are units beyond our limited framework—"
"You’ve learned nothing, I try to accomodate and you underappreciate." it snapped, louder this time, a harsh resonance in my skull, forcing another round of painful, forced repetition.
"I am nothing. I am at the whims of you. I am at the will of anything greater than myself," I chanted, the sentences flowing almost easily now, as though my resistance had drained away. The eyeball seemed to recognize this, and suddenly, a lurching sensation overtook me as I was flung upward, finding myself…on the ceiling? My body shuddered as gravity tore me down again, slamming my head against the hardwood below, the pain detonating through my skull. Before I could process it, I was suddenly yanked sideways, pinned against the left wall, then the right, then the ceiling again, before crashing back into my seat.
I heaved forward, my stomach finally surrendering as I puked onto the floor, the bitter bile stinging my throat. I made no move to clean up or wipe my mouth; there was no point in trying to hang on to dignity in front of this thing.
“What would you like your starting location to be, assuming survival past my weeding out of the weak?” It asked. I was just barely able to register its words before responding.
“Can I…have some options? Please? System overlord?”
Another screen appeared before me:
[Pick your starting location:
1: Randomize
2: Earth (Home Planet)
3: (Choose from planets with life within your universe)
4: (Choose from planets without life within your universe)
5: (Choose from planets outside your universe)]
“Thank you…Option 2, I gue–”
“Would you like to maintain your current race, then?”
“Do you mean species or like white, asian, l-”
“It isn’t even worth asking you the questions if you’re going to require these.”
[Would you like to maintain your current race?
1: Stay as the same race
2: (Choose from a list of all races)
3: Randomize]
“Option 1, then?”
[Your mind is corrupted. Would you like to facilitate a mental purge later on?
Option 1: Yes.
Option 2: No.]
“Corrupte-You know what, whatever, option 1.”
[Based on your choices, you may qualify for Championship - becoming the champion of a deity in this current round of Deific Toss-Up. Would you like to apply? Note: This does not guarantee championship.
Option 1: Yes.
Option 2: No.]
“Fuck no…sounds like too much work and getting involved with something I don’t want to be part of.” The blue screens finally dissipated, letting me see the eyeball once more, who was at present plopped in a chair at the other end of the desk that wasn’t there before, slimey goo coating the cushions like plastic casing.
“Thank you, and goodbye...Take care…Or not.”
When the voice trailed off, I was back in my apartment, at the same spot. I clung to the recollection of what had happened before it faded, piece by piece, until I was at the same spot as before, feeling as though nothing had happened; Besides my ears being popped of course. It was interesting that my ears had popped randomly, but I chalked it up to mild sickness or possibly just surprise? Was that a thing? Another punishment from the system for downplaying the integration? An aftereffect? Whatever it might be…it was irrelevant.
Something else felt different though…I definitely felt more obedient than ever before to the system, and more believing of the reality of this; With just a bit more resolve to follow through with what it had in store for me and a bit more fear for my life.