The world is gray.
I fucking broke my eyes.
I blink a few times, but all that succeeds in doing is pushing more water out. Despite adding a monotone filter to everything, it doesn’t seem like anything else is wrong. No blurriness or dark spots. So, this is my cool, rare ability? Well, shit. [Eyes of Time] said I would be able to watch Time. Somehow, I thought it would be a little more exciting than a gray lens.
I raise my hand to- I jerk backwards in shock. What the fuck was that? Was I… shedding? I stare at my arm. It both looks and feels normal, but I definitely saw something coming off of me. After a moment’s brief hesitation, I decide to start small.
I crook my finger slowly and resist the urge to freeze like a spooked deer when gray particles come off of it. I squint to try and get a better look, but they are really small, like little grains of fine sand. Wait, sands of Time?
I experience a brief surge of competitive pride at figuring that part out. Who am I even competing against? The System seems to be urging me to be afraid of falling behind other people, but it seems like that ship has sailed. The only one here is me.
When I got distracted and stopped moving, the sand swirling around my finger also settled. Now that I know what I’m looking for, I can kind of see a thin layer of slightly darker gray outlining my skin. I look around again at the now-gray cube I’m in. If all the gray is sand, then the air is chock full of it. For a second I wonder how I’m going to breathe, but just as quickly I realize I’ve been doing fine since I activated the ability.
Actually… I concentrate on my nose and do my best to take rapid, quick breaths. Yes! I can faintly see darker lines of sand being drawn in and carried out with my breaths. Although I can see the sand moving in, I don’t feel anything in my airways. I watch the sand leaving me. It seems to spread out in the air, returning to the sort of solid permeation of air rather than settling down to the ground. Does that mean gravity doesn’t affect- why do I feel lightheaded?
Shit, maybe there is a negative to breathing in the san-
You fucking idiot, you’re making yourself hyperventilate.
Oh. Duh. I immediately give up on the forced breathing I was doing and try to relax. I reach for my Grandpa’s pocket watch - the noise of shattering glass on cobblestones - never mind that. I sit upright and place a hand on my chest and one on my stomach and focus on pushing air through and out of my stomach. The sand in the air scatters and swirls while I move but soon dilutes back out into the air. I do my best to tune it out and focus on my breathing. It would be really stupid if I died immediately after my first act of magic because I got too excited.
A few minutes later, I slouch back and drag a hand through my hair. “Hah,” I sigh. This might be the first time I’ve ever felt grateful that I’ve hyperventilated before. It’s definitely much easier to deal with when the associated emotion that typically causes it is absent, though.
I stretch out my hand and begin dragging my fingers through the air. It’s pretty, in a way. I feel no resistance, but I can see the path that my arm takes drawn out in front of me for a brief moment before it fades. I try to cup my hand around some of the darker currents, but the sand doesn’t seem to care for being held.
Pretty? Yes. Cool? I’ll admit it, yeah.
Useful?
Not that I can see.
Am I just being dumb? I can see this sand clear as a mildly overcast day, but I have no idea what to do with it. I can’t feel it, or grab it or stop it or whatever you are supposed to use it for. The empty [Time] bank on my sheet implies I can store it, but if literally breathing it in doesn’t get it to my Status Sheet then I don’t know how to do that. Unless…
I hesitate for a moment, but there’s no one around. Meaning, there’s no one to see me look stupid.
I open my arms as wide as I can and spread my fingers wide. I spin my arms in giant circles as fast as my fucking synovial-fluid surrounded joints can handle and churn up as much sand as possible.
Then, I lean forwards into the darkest part and take a giant bite of it.
…
Yeah, I didn’t think that was going to work.
Did I miss something in my status? Unless they require an active input from me, the System boxes disappear as soon as I stop paying attention to them. In the void, if I thought hard enough then the System responded. If I can just think at it, it would be nicer than having to say the names of my abilities every time I want to use them like I’m in an anime.
‘Status.’
Name: Kira Uhrmacher
Level: 1
Race: Human
Affinity: Time
HP: 20/20
Mana: 35/41
Time: 0/44
Stats:
STR 8
END 9
PER 12
INT 18
VIT 10
WIL 4
AGI 12
WIS 16
Titles: [N/A]
Traits: [Passed Down Through the Centuries], [Nothing But Time], [In a Split Second]
Abilities:
Passive: [Weight of Time], [Split Second]
Active: [Eyes of Time]
Skills:
[Meditation] (New)
Nice. I look at my Time stat and the faint flicker of hope that my efforts were working and I just couldn’t feel it dies out. And my mana has gone down by six, which makes sense since I activated [Eyes of Time], useless mana drain that it is.
I’m about to look away and thus dismiss the status box when my eyes snag on the (New) notification. Since when do I have [Meditation]?
‘Meditation.’
[Meditation] [Common] [Tier 1]: You have learnt to tune out the distractions happening around you and rely on purposeful breathing techniques to restore your state of being.
* For the duration of this skill passive MP regeneration is increased by 100%
* For the duration of this skill passive HP regeneration is increased by 50%
* For the duration of this skill [PER] is reduced by 100%, with increasing debuffs as duration increases
* For the duration of this skill [notifications] are automatically muted
* This skill cannot be used in combat
I narrow my eyes as I read through the skill description. It's kind of weird that I got my first [Common] after I already had [Legendary] and [Rare]. I must have received this for calming myself out of hyperventilating, considering it mentions ‘purposeful breathing techniques’. I guess Skills are System improvements on things I do. I didn’t automatically slip into meditation when I said the name either, so I must have to actually perform the actions required for the skill to trigger. By [notifications], does it mean the System boxes? Actually, since I woke up here, every box I’ve seen I’ve had to prompt for. That doesn’t really sound like something that’s meant to be an alert.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
A sick suspicion starts to form in my gut. ‘Notifications.’
You have [14] unread notifications!
[notification] setting: [muted]
[notification] Log:
You have learnt the skill [Meditation]! Good job!
The subspace arena for SAD opened [00:01:30:00] ago. You should go now!
The subspace arena for SAD opened [00:01:15:00] ago. You should go now!
The subspace arena for SAD opened [00:01:00:00] ago. Wake up!
The subspace arena for SAD opened [00:00:45:00] ago. Wake up!
The subspace arena for SAD opened [00:00:30:00] ago. Wake up!
The subspace arena for SAD opened [00:00:15:00] ago. Sensors detect you are unconscious. Wake up!
The subspace arena for SAD is now open. Have fun!
The subspace arena for SAD will open in [00:00:05:00]. Get ready!
The subspace arena for SAD will open in [00:00:30:00]. Use this time to prepare!
You have gained the ability [Eyes of Time]! Lucky you!
You have gained the ability [Split Second]! Lucky you!
You have gained the ability [Weight of Time]! Lucky you!
You have gained the affinity [Time]! Yay!
That sick suspicion turns into a hole as I realize I’ve been missing out on what were essentially alarms to wake me up. Why the fuck is the setting on muted? ‘Notification setting.’
[notification] setting: [muted]
This setting blocks all standard System pop-ups except quest completion and death notifications.
Would you like to [unmute] [notifications]? [Y/N]
‘Yes.’
NOTE: The System has detected you are trying to [unmute] your [notifications]. This NOTE serves as a warning that the default [notification] setting for [Humans] is [muted]. This is the default setting for all species labeled as [easily distractible]. The System cannot guarantee that your [feeble] mind will not lose focus in a dangerous situation. The System only wants what is best for you.
Continue to [unmute] [notifications]? [Y/N]
My right eye begins to twitch. ‘For the love of God, Yes.’
[notification] setting: [unmuted]
NOTE: The System does not, has not, and will not claim to be a god. Any allusions to godhood are imagined on your part and cannot be used as evidence. Anything you think you may have heard or seen about the System being or acting godlike should be considered a sign of mental illness or in extreme cases a mental breakdown. This NOTE does not serve as an admission that the System acts, has acted, or will ever act as a god.
I rear back slightly as I read the NOTE, even though I said I was going to ignore them. I wasn’t trying to say the System was a god, it was just a saying. Although, I haven’t really put much thought into what the System is. It feels like an AI and repeatedly refers to species and the universe, so I’ve been thinking about it as some sort of alien tech that somehow got into my head. What was that saying, “any sufficiently advanced tech is indistinguishable from magic”?
I move my finger slightly and watch the sands swirling around it. Nah, this shit is definitely magic. Useless, not at all time travelery, and once again, fucking useless, but magic. I’d also much rather think about the System as a magic alien AI hybrid than a god.
The subspace arena for SAD opened [00:01:45:00] ago. You should go now!
Fuck, I'm trying! Based on the numbers I've been seeing, it's been at least thirty minutes since I woke up and I have more questions now than when I started. Plus, I already activated my ability didn't I? Maybe I also need to deactivate it to show I'm 'competent' with it. I don’t have anything else right now to use my mana on, but I’d also rather not waste it for visual effects. I check my status quickly to see what my mana is at.
MP: 27/41
Yikes. I’ve been sitting here pondering for too long. I take a moment to prepare myself for the pain - which I’m not sure will hit upon deactivation, but I’d rather not be blindsided again - then think, ‘Eyes of Time.’
[Eyes of Time] [Rare] [Tier 1]: You are familiar with the paths Time takes. You have gained the ability to watch as it eddies and swirls through your surroundings. What mysteries does it hide amongst its sands?
* This ability comes from the Affinity [Time]
* Mana Cost (1/min)
I blink a few times, waiting for my eyesight to return to normal.
… and waiting some more, because nothing seems to be happening. I’m confused. This is clearly an active ability, so there has to be some way to deactivate it. Have I permanently lost all color vision? No, at some point I’m going to run out of mana. That can’t be the answer, though.
When I first activated the ability, it hurt my eyes. Like, felt like my eyes were getting dissolved hurt. I drag my hand across my face where I can still feel some wetness, then I look at my fingers. I can’t see color at the moment, but it’s definitely darker than tears would be. Tentatively, I raise my finger to my mouth and lick some of the liquid off.
The bitter taste of iron fills my mouth. That’s blood alright.
Why would my ability make me bleed? It mentions the mana cost, so if there was a health cost or life drain kind of thing going on I would think that would be mentioned as well.
Haltingly, I raise my hands and begin probing around my eyes. The very nature of the problem means I can’t see if there is anything wrong, so I have to rely on touch.
It feels slightly firmer than I expected underneath my eyes, almost like there is something under the skin. I poke the one on the left side of my face, trying desperately not to think of parasites and things getting too close to my eye.
I feel something twitch in my left eye before the gray filter I’ve been looking through splits in two halfway across the left side of my vision and then recedes on either side. I can practically feel it sliding across my left eyeball.
Color returns on that side and for a moment I have the disorientating view of being able to see something with my right eye that isn’t there on my left before I feel a twitch in my right eye too and my two overlapping fields of vision equalize.
Objective [Legally Required Minimum Display of Competency] complete! Looks like you’re competent! Who could have predicted this?
[comprehension] challenge complete! Now that that’s out of the way, you can finally undergo SAD! What? You thought you were already doing SAD?
Data shows that most [egotistical] species do not react well to being asked to prove themselves to the bare minimum standards. The System lied to encourage you! You’re welcome!
Data for what is commonly referred to as baby SAD is available! You have finished ahead of 26% of participants! Yay!
You are now going to be teleported directly to the subspace arena for the 1st stage of SAD. If you prepare now, you’ll have an easier time there!
NOTE: The System and its processes are commonly referred to by many unauthorized names. This NOTE serves as notice that the System does not and has not officially adopted the designation of “baby SAD” for pre-SAD tests. The usage of such terminology is purely to increase understanding in pre-Integration species. Feel grateful.
Beginning teleportation in [8] seconds…
Wait, what? I stand up in a panic. I’m pretty sure I just figured out that the System is fucking modifying my body, I’m not ready for whatever insane thing is next!
[7]
Right, of course, the System waits for no woman. You knew this, Kira. I look around to see what I can grab before I get ‘transported’.
[6]
Except, I’m in an empty fucking cube and there’s nothing to grab.
[5]
How the hell am I supposed to prepare then?
[4]
My mana’s not even full. I check it - it’s still at 27 which is just barely over half.
[3]
Who am I kidding, it’s not like having a full mana tank would have helped me anyways. My Time’s also empty too, mostly because I have no idea how to fill it and it doesn’t seem to have a passive regen like HP and MP seem to.
[2]
There’s no point in worrying (not that that ever stopped me). Instead, I settle into my best approximation of a runner’s stance. I am in no way a runner, though, so I basically bend my knees slightly and brace myself.
[1]
I really hope teleporting doesn’t hurt.
[commencing teleportation]
With a *WHOOMPH* that I feel in my bones more than I hear, I disappear.