It’s 0736. 4 minutes before the alarm goes off. Jeremiah is already awake, having failed to get much sleep last night. Again. But he stays still, to allow Hai to get some sleep. Best for one of them to be well-rested at least.

It’s 0740. The alarm barely goes off before he shuts it off. Rising out of bed, he begins his morning routine. Heads for the kitchen to start boiling some coffee. While It’s brewing, get some minor stretching in.

It’s 0750. Drink the first cup of the day and play some music while beginning his morning workout. Today is leg day. Jeremiah makes sure to wear headphones and do exercises outside on the balcony. Gets a good view of the neighborhood. Admires the upper-class housing after he’s done.

It’s 0830. Hai is awake. Looks sleepy, her hair is a mess, and is wearing his shirt which is two sizes too big. Still can’t help himself but smile when he sees her. “Hey, beautiful.” She just gives a disgruntled groan. Never really was a morning person. Drinks his second cup of coffee while Hai begins to cook herself some food. Goes into the bathroom for a quick shave and a shower.

It’s 0845. Jeremiah dresses in the clothes he laid out last night. A simple but durable suit with a purple tie. Hai has news on. Jeremiah ignores it, knowing something bad is happening more than likely. It’s always one disaster or political mishap like any other. They get repetitive after a few years.

It’s 0855. Jeremiah takes a bite out of Hai’s breakfast, something she takes offense to. He laughs. She pouts. A small kiss is enough to get a smile out of her. He grabs his keys, his glasses, and his third cup of coffee before heading out. “I love you!” He wait’s at the door for a response. “Love you, too!” Bit hard to understand with food in her mouth.

It’s 0900. Jeremiah has left his house. Heads for his office in the downtown area. He’ll be 10 minutes early if the traffic is as slow as usual. Tunes into a radio station that plays his favorite music during the drive.

It’s 0923. Traffic’s normal. Music is normal. His coffee has run out. Normal.

It’s 0940. Jeremiah has arrived at his office’s parking lot. Stepping out of the car, he takes a second to admire the skyscraper on this clear day. The size almost matches his paycheck. Almost. He waves at the security guard, Wilma. She nods, vigilant as always. Stepping into an elevator, Jeremiah heads for the top floors. A good therapist needs a room almost as high as his work value.

It’s 0950. Theodore is at the front desk, hard at work. It’s a simple job, taking calls and organizing customers' schedules, but he gets paid a quality salary for quality work. Something he understands. He hands Jeremiah his daily appointments as he walks past. “Mornin’.” It makes him a bit of a workaholic though. “Good morning, Theodore.” Jeremiah takes a seat in his office, ready for the day. It helps Theodore leave a cup of coffee on his desk.

It’s 1000. He only has 3 appointments today. Getting close to the holidays, most customers begin to focus on travel plans or festivals. So, some of his usual customers have taken a leave of absence for the moment. Unfortunately, as a couple will take the time to regress over all the progress they made in their sessions. A rare few might progress without his help though. But that’s alright. Jeremiah wouldn’t be a good therapist if he couldn’t work past some customers’ bad habits.

It’s 1013. Jeremiah has been going through some emails and filing paperwork before his next appointment. He has run out of coffee.

It’s 1025. His first appointment is almost here. A quick bathroom break so as not to interrupt the session. Also, get another cup of coffee.

It’s 1030. The customer is not here. As to be expected.

It’s 1033. The customer has arrived at last. Will start her session a little later to not lose her allotted time. “Good morning Hazina, how are you doing today?” She mumbles a greeting, unaidable to hear. Keeps her distance. Still need to work on her confidence it would appear. At least she managed to speak. Better than how they started a couple of weeks ago. “Alright, let's begin. Can you tell me how your week has been?”.

It’s 1133. Hazina has started crying. It took some time, but they managed to dig up some buried insecurities. Identified some parental issues. It was difficult, but progress was progress. Something to work on in the next session. Jeremiah hands her some tissues, congratulates her on the breakthrough, and agrees to see her at the next session. She nods, smiles in for the first time he’s known her, and goes on her way. She already prepaid for the next two sessions, so money doesn’t need to be discussed. “I’ll be getting some lunch. Want anything Theodor?” He’s already chewing on some pasta. “Nothin’ boss.” As expected, but Jeremiah always asks all the same.

It’s 1143. Jeremiah is at the building’s small convenience store. Some fresh fruit, cheese, and chocolate bar should be good enough for now. Should go well with a cup of coffee. Carson, the store’s new hire, waved hello. A friendly kid who might be a bit stiff though. “Have a good day so far Mr. Farley?” Jeremiah nodded. “As good as it can be. Still alive, so I think I’m doing a good job at this whole therapist thing.” Carson gives a charitable laugh.

It’s 1223. Jeremiah is back in his front desk room. The next customer is already here. Good. It’s Joy, who’s chatting up Theodor. He seems receptive, but that’s natural. Joy is rather attractive. Unfortunately, it seems she’s having difficulty progressing down the therapy she’s paying for. “Good afternoon, Miss Joy. It’s nice to see you here so early. Please, step into my office while I file some paperwork with Theodor here.”  Her eyes dim a bit as she makes eye contact with Jeremiah. “Of course. Can’t waste the money I spent right?” She smiles, batting her eyelashes at Theadore before heading in. It isn’t until the door closes that Theodor looks at Jeremiah. He swallows. Jeremiah’s lips are a firm line instead of the usual small smile.

It’s 1230. Jeremiah is back in his office, flipping through the paperwork. He needs to update his notes, seeing as Miss Joy has not only stagnated but possibly regressed as her therapy sessions have continued. Flirting with his assistant right before the session was not a good sign. Not to mention the poor discipline Theodor showed after being forewarned wasn’t ideal. Miss Joy, ignorant or uncaring of the situation, flaunts her figure in an ‘innocent’ and ‘casual’ manner. Finishing his updates, he adjusts his glasses and stares her down. Miss Joy shifts in place. “So, Miss Joy, having a good day do far? It would appear that you feel rather invigorated today. Tell me, how many partners have you had in the last 48 hours?”

It’s 1306. Jeremiah pinches the bridge of his nose. Things are much worse than he had hoped. Miss Joy has not only gone back to her sexual deviancy but increased the number of encounters past what they had been when they first started. Knowing that It’s more than likely she came in hopes of seducing him or Theodor, rather than actual therapy. Failing that, she terminated further sessions and stormed out of the room. Addicts of any kind were always the more difficult patients Jeremiah had. A man of self-discipline such as him had a hard time empathizing with them even on a professional level most of the time. Jeremiah sighed. It was better this way. You can’t fix someone who wants to stay broken.

It’s 1336. Canceling her appointments, reimbursing her prepaid sessions, and informing Miss Joy’s parents about the failed therapy took some time. The pair were disappointed and blamed Jeremiah for the current situation. Being cordial and cooperative, Jeremiah internally sighed. As always, the party partially at fault deflected and put the responsibility on anyone but themselves. As was to be expected. Eventually, they hang up. Good. Need to prepare for the next customer.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

It’s 1400. The third and final appointment has arrived. The police officer brings Mr. Muhamed in chains like always. He uncuffs the man and then leaves, nodding at Jeremiah before leaving. Mr. Muhamed lays on the chaise lounge, a ‘therapist’s couch as he liked to call it, entirely relaxed. “Aye doc, how ya been?” Jeremiah adjusts his glasses. “Not as good as you have been it would seem. It would appear you’re making a quick ‘recovery’; wouldn’t you say?” He rolls his head, a trickster's smile on his face. “What can I say? You’re a better therapist than people think ya are.” Jeremiah just stares Mr. Muhamad down for a minute. He didn’t like the man. A known criminal with enough money to reduce a life sentence into mandatory therapy and constant ‘observation’. But he was nothing if not professional. “So, we were talking about your high school days, right?”

It’s 1600. “Have a good day doc, will ya? You seem a bit stressed.” Mr. Muhammed laughs as he was led out of the room in cuffs. Jeremiah just sat in his office for a minute. Releasing a steady breath, he found the last two hours disappointing as always. Besides allotting an additional hour-long session than he was legally required, they had been a waste of time. Instead of any actual therapy, Mr. Muhamad only told pointless stories with unsettling undertones. Hints or lies about murders he did or did not do. Not to mention his habit of sneezing into his hands. They both knew he had just done that to antagonize Jeremiah. He was ever looking forward to never having to see the criminal again. A likely possibility, as the charges held against him were being ‘revaluated’. Which led to a likely possibility of him going scot-free.  Rich prick. Jeremiah needed a cup of coffee.

It’s 1615. He sent Theodor home early, as there would be no need for him to stay later. Also, an excuse to give him some time to think about how he performed that day. Admirably, until Ms. Joy came along.  Can’t have employees encourage any of his customers' bad habIt’s. Especially the ones they had come to treat for ‘specific’ addictions. All he needed to do was file the proper paperwork and arrange his schedule for the next week.

It’s 1635. He waved goodbye to Wilma, a new cup of coffee in hand. Carson had been kind enough to already have a new batch brewing when he came by. Good kid. Now Jeremiah just had the gym and then he’d be done for the day.

It’s 1655. Traffic was normal. He’d missed the rush, so that was good. Just needed to change clothing. Jeremiah waved to Evie, the owner of the small gym. She only nodded, as she was busy bench pressing a considerable amount of weight. Greater than her bodyweight? Impressive as always.

It’s 1700. In his gym clothes, Jeremiah continues from his morning routine.

It’s 1800. Workouts over. Slight burn but no pain. Just a quick stretch and he was home free.

It’s 1810. He waves at Evie as he leaves. She only nods once again, currently sprinting on a treadmill. Always the athlete she was. 

It’s 1830. He’s back home. Hai is still at work. Best to shower and be presentable before she’s back.

It’s 1900. Showers over and Jeremiah looks handsome if he says so himself. Still have time to cook up a good meal. Make her day.

It’s 1913. Hai is home. She looks exhausted, mentally speaking. Always struggles to maintain her business as a physical therapist, so It’s not surprising. Something Jeremiah can’t help but chuckle at the thought of. Most wouldn’t expect your therapist to be walking around with a cane, especially one so relatively young. Still hasn’t made her quit yet. She’s admiring the food ravenously, allowing her to be hugged from behind by Jeremiah. She flinches and tenses up. He knows she doesn’t like surprise contact, but he knows she needs this. She insisted as much. It is a minute before she relaxes. Jeremiah squeezes her a bit before pulling out a chair for them to eat.

It’s 1946. The pair talked about their day, grievances had, bIt’s of cheer, and other minor topics as well. Overall, they both had pleasant days with only the occasional hiccup. Or that’s how Jeremiah explained it. He felt no need to burden her with his issues. She had more than enough to deal with on her own. After they finished their meal, Jeremiah smiled as he cleaned and prepared the table for his favorite part. Hai sighs. She never liked playing board games as much as him. Jeremiah always wanted to play for far longer than her.

It’s 2052. It was over an hour before Hai managed to put a stop to the onslaught of games Jeremiah was subjecting her to. Now it was her turn for entertainment. Jeremiah sighs. Time to watch a random channel for the next couple of minutes or hours. At least he had his coffee.

It’s 2201. It was a wrestling show. And it left Jeremiah bored out of his mind. But at least Hai enjoyed it. And now it was time to shower and prepare for bed. Well, Hai was getting a shower, Jeremiah was already ready to sleep like always.  As unlikely as he was to get any.

It’s 2227. Hai and Jeremiah are both in bed. Hai falls asleep rather quickly. Jeremiah is still awake.

It’s 2356. Jeremiah is still awake.

It’s 0326. Jeremiah slept for a couple of hours. He’s awake again.

It’s 0531. Jeremiah slept for a couple of hours. He’s awake again.

It’s 0723. Jeremiah slept for a couple of hours. He’s awake again.

It’s 0736. 4 minutes before the alarm goes off. Jeremiah is already awake, having failed to get much sleep last night. Again. But he stays still, to allow Hai to get some sleep. Best for one of them to be well-rested at least.

And so, Jeremiah repeats his day once again. It can be a monotonous lifestyle at times. But it is a good one, in Jeremiah’s expert opinion. He had a house, a girl, and a fat paycheck. Adhere to a schedule, do the necessary tasks to stay healthy and financially stable, and he would be set for life. Adjusting his tie, he’s ready to face the world once again, completing his morning routine as always.

Walking into the living room, he’s about to say goodbye to Hai when something on the TV caught his attention. There was always something wrong going on around the world. But very few times were any of the anchormen or women in a disheveled state. They appeared to be in a panic that they barely managed to control. The scrolling red letters saying Emergency Broadcast only added to the stressed atmosphere.

“...governments worldwide are requesting all citizens stay calm under these harrowing times. Recently, as of this morning, instantaneous disappearances began to occur. Men and women of varying ages and nationalities have been vanished, with some being documented in video format. Please observe.”

The channel cuts to a game of soccer being played, one filled with to the brim with people. A casual event, that is suddenly interrupted. One moment all is normal, the next people disappear. There is no fanfare or physical evidence of anything occurring. As if someone edited a film with people and one without. Instantaneous. Players and various people in the stands were gone, one by one. People appear confused but the video is cut before the panic sets in.

The channel is back to the woman. It takes a moment for her to react, as she was slightly hyperventilating. She flinches and seems to remember where she is, looking into the camera. “Due to this sudden loss of individuals, various accidents have occurred in increasing numbers. Vehicular crashes, spontaneous fires, and other potentially fatal incidents are widespread. Emergency personnel has also been afflicted, so all medical and governmental agencies are stretched thin. Riots have also begun to spread due to fear and paranoia. 

“While the number of spontaneous disappearances is occurring, please refrain from panicking as the number of accidents will only-“

The anchorwoman didn’t finish, as she simply disappeared. The camera stayed on the spot she once sat. A scream could be heard, then the news channel cuts to an emergency brake. Hai is already flipping through the channels. The same thing repeats on every news outlet. Some show videos of people disappearing, others have the people disappearing on camera. It's not too long before the chaos leaves the television and can be heard from outside.

Looking out the window, pillars of fire can be seen rising into the sky. Jeremiah rushes forward out to the balcony to get a better look. Numerous emergency sounds go off, littler with crashing noises mixed in the neighborhood. People crowd the streets, some in terror and others under clear injury. A loud winding sound pierces the air. Looking up, Jeremiah can only watch as a plane spins into the ground. The explosion rocks the area even at a noticeable distance.   

He turns, checking on Hai. She’s breathing, hyperventilating really, clutching her cane. Jeremiah rushes over. Intent on providing comfort and security. He didn’t know what was going on, how could he, but he did know what to do. Find a safe place, protect Hai, and make sure they can both survive. He reaches her, hand outstretched. Her eyes meet his. Full of fear, confusion, and tears.

For a moment, Jeremiah thinks he will reach. He thinks he'll manage to get them both out of this predicament safely. He thinks a lot of things. But what he didn’t think of, was passing through where Hai was and touching nothing. Only a blank canvas of setting surrounding him. His house, his girlfriend, and his reality are all noticeably absent.

All except for one small little window appearing before his eyes.

Welcome mortals, to the Tutorial.