Sam Foster woke with a start. His bed, cheap, spring-riddled, but familiar was the same as ever, yet something was palpably wrong. He couldn't place it at first. The air felt heavier, as though infused with something he couldn’t see. A slight hum resonated in the distance, not a sound but a sensation, like static grazing his skin.

He rubbed his eyes, yawning, and reached for his phone on the nightstand. It didn’t light up.

“What the—” Sam muttered, pressing the power button harder. Nothing. He glanced at the charging cord, only to find the LED indicator on the outlet strip was dark. No power.

A blackout, maybe? He swung his legs off the bed, scratching his head as he shuffled to the window. Pulling back the curtain, Sam expected the familiar sight of his quiet suburban street lampposts glowing faintly, the neighbor’s porch light always left on overnight.

Instead, there was darkness. Not just an absence of light, but an unnatural emptiness. The stars above seemed too bright, too vivid, as though they were closer than they had any right to be.

Sam’s unease deepened. He grabbed his flashlight from a drawer, clicked the button, and... nothing.

He froze.

A thin line of text materialized in his vision, glowing faintly like a heads-up display in a video game.

Tutorial Initiating... Welcome, User.

Your current location is calibrated to Zone 1-A. Movement is restricted to a radius of 100 meters until tutorial completion.

Sam blinked hard. The text didn’t disappear.

“Alright, what is this? Am I dreaming?” His voice sounded louder than usual in the stillness of his room. He reached up to his face, trying to swat away whatever was projecting the text. His hand passed through nothing but air.

The text flickered slightly.

Current objectives:

Move freely within your designated tutorial zone.

Interact with your environment to discover key changes.

Warning: All technological devices are inoperative. Use caution.

Before he could process the message, a translucent map expanded into his view. A glowing blue circle indicated his house, surrounded by a pulsing boundary line that appeared to encompass his backyard, driveway, and part of the neighbor’s yard.

“What the hell?” Sam stepped back instinctively, the map vanishing as he moved. The text remained.

He stepped into his kitchen, flicking the light switch out of reflex. Of course, nothing happened. His fridge was silent, the hum of its compressor missing. He yanked it open anyway, the food inside bathed in an eerie natural glow from the outside.

"Alright, blackout and... hallucinations?" he muttered. Sam fumbled for his gas stove’s igniter, twisting the knob to see if it would at least spark.

No flame.

“No way...” Sam gritted his teeth. “What the hell is happening?”

The text updated again, accompanied by a faint chime.

Tutorial Tip: Magic has replaced traditional energy systems. Most modern technology is nonfunctional. Learn to harness mana for basic survival and convenience.

Sam froze. His mechanic’s brain, accustomed to fixing engines and diagnosing faulty circuits, rebelled at the suggestion. Magic? Mana? This was either a cruel prank or he’d lost his mind.

“Alright,” he said, forcing calm into his voice. “Let’s test the boundaries of this thing.”

He stepped outside. The cool morning air greeted him, carrying a faint, unfamiliar scent. The street was eerily silent, devoid of the usual early-morning sounds, no distant car engines, no hum of HVAC units. Even the birds seemed quieter, their chirps fewer and far between.

As he walked toward the edge of his property, an invisible force stopped him. It wasn’t a hard barrier; it was more like wading into thick molasses. The resistance grew as he tried to push forward until he physically couldn’t move another step.

“Great,” Sam muttered, turning back toward the house. “Trapped in my own backyard.”

The tutorial screen updated again.

Objective complete: Movement limitations understood.

Next objective: Attempt basic mana manipulation.

“Mana manipulation,” Sam scoffed. “Sure. Let me just wave my hands like a wizard.”

But the text blinked insistently.

Instructions:

Focus on the air around you. Feel the flow of energy.

Attempt to gather mana into your hands.

Sam sighed. If this was a dream, there was no harm in playing along. He held out his hands, palms up, and tried to focus on... whatever it was he was supposed to feel. At first, there was nothing. Just the steady beat of his heart and the faint hum that had accompanied him since waking.

But then, something shifted. A warmth tingled at his fingertips, like static electricity building without the shock. It wasn’t strong, but it was there a faint, pulsing rhythm that resonated with his breathing.

“What the fuck..” Sam whispered. He concentrated harder, and the warmth grew, forming a faint glow in his palms. His eyes widened.

The HUD updated immediately.

Objective complete: Basic mana gathered.

Congratulations! You’ve unlocked your first skill: Mana Light.

To activate: Channel mana into your palm.

Sam’s glow fizzled out as his concentration broke. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He tried again, this time focusing on channeling the strange energy into a single point. The glow reappeared, stronger this time, until it coalesced into a soft orb of light hovering just above his hand. It bathed his surroundings in a pale blue hue.

Sam’s lips parted in awe, but the wonder was short-lived as a sharp pang shot through his arm, forcing him to drop the light.

Warning: Overexertion detected. Mana reserves low.

The HUD blinked a new notification.

Tutorial paused: Rest to recover mana.

Sam leaned against the wall of his house, rubbing his temples. “So... no power, no cars, no phones. Just magic.”

“Alright,” he muttered to himself, staring at his hands. “Let’s figure this out.”

The HUD blinked again, ready to guide him to his next objective.

The HUD flickered gently, its glow illuminating the dim porch like a restless presence waiting for his attention. Sam exhaled deeply, trying to ground himself amidst the surrealness of his situation.

Next Objective: Learn Mana Efficiency.

Goal: Channel mana to sustain light for 30 seconds.

Tip: Focus on gradual energy flow. Avoid sudden surges.

Sam wiped the sweat forming on his brow. The idea of "mana efficiency" felt absurd; he was a mechanic, not some wizard from a fantasy novel. Still, if this was his new reality, there was no point in ignoring it. "Okay, gradual energy flow," he muttered. "Like fine-tuning an engine."

He sat cross-legged on the porch and closed his eyes, hands resting on his knees. Slowly, he tried to focus on the subtle hum he’d felt earlier, the strange warmth in the air. It came more easily this time, a soft rhythm syncing with his heartbeat. The glow returned to his palms, steadier now but faint.

“Slow,” Sam murmured to himself, imagining the flow of energy like gasoline through a fuel line. He pictured a steady stream, no leaks or bursts, just enough to ignite the spark.

The light in his hands brightened and stabilized. It hovered like a small flame, casting a calm blue glow around him. He felt a surge of triumph as the HUD updated.

Objective complete: Mana efficiency achieved.

Reward: Mana capacity increased by 10%.

"Capacity?" Sam frowned. His eyes darted to a new bar that had appeared in the corner of his vision, a thin arc labeled Mana Pool. It was only partially filled, the rest a dull gray. As he watched, the bar ticked upward slightly, the dim blue segment growing bit by bit.

“That’s... something,” Sam said. He extinguished the light, shaking out his hands. The strain wasn’t as sharp this time, but he still felt the effort lingering in his muscles.

The HUD updated again.

Next Objective: Create a Mana Anchor.

Goal: Use mana to bind an object to your energy signature.

Tip: Choose a small, simple object to start.

Sam looked around. The world outside his tutorial boundary was still eerily still, but within the confines of his yard, everything seemed normal. His gaze landed on a smooth stone near the flowerbed. He picked it up, its cool surface grounding him.

“Bind this to... my energy signature? How do I even—” Before he could finish the thought, the HUD displayed a new instruction.

Step 1: Focus on the object. Visualize it as an extension of yourself.

Step 2: Channel mana into the object slowly.

Sam turned the stone over in his hands. "Alright, stone, you're about to be... whatever this is." He closed his eyes again, reaching for the now-familiar hum of mana. It felt different this time, more deliberate, like a stream rerouted into a narrower channel. He pushed the energy toward the stone, envisioning it as part of him.

At first, nothing happened. Then the stone began to vibrate faintly, a subtle warmth spreading from his palm. A soft glow radiated from the object, and Sam felt a peculiar connection, as though a thread now linked him to the stone.

The HUD pinged.

Objective complete: Mana Anchor created.

Reward: Basic Anchor functionality unlocked.

The stone’s glow faded, but the sense of connection remained. Sam raised an eyebrow, tossing it a few inches into the air and catching it. “Alright, not bad for a rock. What does ‘Anchor functionality’ even mean?”

The HUD provided an explanation.

Anchor Functionality:

Recall Anchor: Instantly retrieve the object to your hand using mana.

Stability Boost: Anchored objects resist environmental interference.

Experiment with other functionalities as you progress.

Sam gave a low whistle. "Okay, rock. You're officially useful." He set it down and stepped back. “Let’s see if this works.”

He focused on the stone, reaching for the thread of mana connecting them. As he concentrated, the stone lifted off the ground, hovering slightly before snapping into his palm. The effort drained a sliver from his mana bar, but the action was fluid, almost instinctive.

“This might actually be... useful,” Sam admitted. He tucked the stone into his pocket, feeling oddly reassured by its weight.

The HUD chimed again, but this time, the message was different.

Tutorial update: Environmental changes detected. Investigate your surroundings.

Sam tensed. He glanced toward the boundary of his one-acre bubble, half-expecting to see something lurking beyond. The stillness persisted, but the air felt heavier, the hum of energy around him growing louder.

“What now?” Sam muttered. He stepped off the porch, scanning the yard for anything out of place.

A faint shimmer appeared at the edge of the tutorial boundary, like heat waves rising from pavement. Sam approached cautiously, stopping a few feet from the invisible barrier. The shimmer coalesced into a glowing sphere, its surface swirling with shifting patterns of light.

The HUD updated.

Mana Node detected.

Interact with the Mana Node to expand your tutorial zone.

Warning: Interaction requires substantial mana reserves. Rest if necessary.

Sam eyed the node warily. It was beautiful in a way, like a floating crystal ball made of liquid light, but the warning about "substantial reserves" gave him pause. He checked his mana bar, which was still far from full.

“Rest, huh?” Sam muttered. He sat on the grass, leaning back on his hands. The faint warmth of the morning sun felt reassuring against his skin, even as the alien strangeness of the situation loomed large.

He closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing. The hum of mana in the air seemed to ebb and flow, syncing with the rise and fall of his chest. Gradually, he felt his reserves replenishing, the blue bar in his vision creeping upward.

When the bar was nearly full, Sam stood, brushing dirt off his jeans. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got, glowing ball of mystery.”

He extended a hand toward the node, focusing on the flow of mana. The connection was immediate and overwhelming, a surge of energy rushing through him like a river breaking its dam. The force was almost too much to handle, but he gritted his teeth, holding steady as the node pulsed in response.

The barrier around his tutorial zone flickered. Then, with a soundless ripple, it expanded outward, doubling in size. Sam staggered back, breathing hard as the HUD updated.

Objective complete: Zone expansion achieved.

Reward: Tutorial unlocked: Basic Crafting.

Sam dropped to his knees, exhaustion hitting him like a freight train. His mana bar was nearly empty, but the rush of success dulled the fatigue. He looked around at his expanded territory, the possibilities slowly sinking in.

The HUD blinked again, a new objective appearing.

Next Objective: Gather resources for Basic Crafting.

Goal: Collect wood, stone, and plant fibers.

Tip: Tools can be enhanced using mana.

Sam let out a breathless laugh. “So, what now? Am I in a survival game?”