Weston City, December 23, 8 PM.
The city was illuminated with the glow of streetlights, casting a bright radiance upon the night. However, the usual flashing, colorful lights were absent, as tomorrow was Christmas, the only day of the year when such lights adorned the city. While most buildings remained dark, a small village stood out with a few houses adorned with flickering lights. Among them, there was one house that surpassed them all, bursting with an extravagant display of Christmas decorations. Inside, a floating statue of Santa Claus was surrounded by an array of twinkling lights. The bedroom was filled with Christmas toys, and a man knelt, whispering softly in a prayerful tone.
"Dear Santa, I know that humans have given up on believing in you and Christmas over the past ten years," the man began, his voice filled with hope. "But I still believe in you and in the magic of Christmas. I will never give up on Christmas."
After concluding his prayer, the man was about to rise when he heard a soft voice in the room.
"Do you want to spread the joy of Christmas?" the voice asked gently.
Startled, the man shouted, "Whoa, who's there?" His eyes darted around the room, searching for the source of the voice.
Despite his efforts, the man saw nothing. "Maybe I'm hearing things," he muttered, shaking his head.
Just as he was about to dismiss it as his imagination, the voice spoke again, louder this time. "Do you want to spread the joy of Christmas?"
This time, the man heard it clearly and called out, "I heard you this time! Whoever you are, come out now!" He scanned the room, waiting for a response, but there was only silence.
"I...," the man began, unsure of what to say, but before he could finish, the voice interrupted him once more.
"I said, do you want to spread the joy of Christmas!" The voice boomed, causing the entire house to tremble.
Taken aback by the powerful voice and the shaking of his surroundings, the man struggled to maintain his balance. "Whoa!"
After a few seconds, the house ceased its violent shaking, and the man cautiously surveyed the room once more. Determined, he spoke up, "Whoever you are, yes, I want to spread the joy of Christmas, but I want to see who you are first."
In response to his words, several seconds passed before a swirl of golden pixie dust materialized before him with a resounding "Boom!" When the dust settled, a tall, plump figure emerged from the golden haze, a tall fat man, with a white beard white hair, a white and red coat, and pants, a strong smell of beer coming from the mysterious man, a large red sack, and a couple of empty and full beer bottles on the side, The man's shock turned to awe as he realized it was Santa Claus himself.
"Santa!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.
Grumbling and with a nosebleed, Santa struggled to get up with the man's assistance. Once on his feet, Santa emitted a grateful sigh. "Thanks," he muttered, rubbing his sore nose.
Curiosity piqued, the man asked, concern lacing his voice, "What happened to you?"
Santa gingerly sat on the edge of the man's bed, causing it to creak under his weight. "Because no one believes in Christmas anymore, So I'm losing my power and it began to slowly fade away," Santa explained.
Sympathy welled up within the man as he carefully listened. He helped Santa settle onto the bed, causing it to sag precariously. "But I believe in you, and I'm sure there are others who still believe in you," he reassured Santa.
Santa's gaze met the man's, and a flicker of hope gleamed in his eyes. He reached out his hand, and as if by magic, a golden shimmer surrounded a bottle of beer, pulling it into his grasp. The man was taken aback by the unexpected display of supernatural power, but before he could utter a word, Santa spoke again.
"Sure, some people still believe, but thanks to you, I'm still alive," Santa said, taking a swig from the beer bottle.
The man's confusion grew, and he couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "How am I keeping you alive?" he inquired, his voice tinged with concern.
Santa wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and explained, "For the past ten years, I've been losing my power. As people stopped believing in me and the spirit of Christmas, my strength dwindled, and I started slowly dying, But every year, when you prayed, a glimmer of my power remained, keeping me alive."
The revelation hit the man like a thunderbolt, realizing that the weight of Santa's existence now rested upon his prayers. "What will happen if I stop praying?" he asked, his voice trembling with the weight of responsibility.
"If you stop praying, I will vanish from this world, and something dire will befall this world," Santa replied solemnly, his eyes filled with both gratitude and a hint of sadness. "That's why I thought it would be better to pass on the duty to someone else, and that someone is you."
A surge of determination filled the man's heart as he spoke proudly, "I will gladly take on the mantle of the new Santa!"
Santa extended his hand once more, and this time, his magical sack floated toward him at a slow, deliberate pace. With his hand plunged inside, Santa retrieved a small, radiant ball of multicolored lights of red, green, blue, white, and more.
"Max, This is a special gift, I created for this moment"
Santa flicked the ball toward the man, and it seamlessly melded into his being.
In an instant, a transformation began to unfold within the man's body. He felt a strange energy coursing through him, causing his stature to grow until he stood at a towering seven feet tall. His eyes gleamed with a light blue hue, and his clothes strained and burst under the newfound power, revealing a chiseled, godlike physique adorned with an eight-pack, bulging biceps, and a long, bushy beard. His once short hair had transformed into flowing, white locks cascading down his back.
"Whoa! What's happening to me?" the man exclaimed.
"I'm huge, powerful feeling" astonished by the extraordinary change in his appearance. He flexed his muscles and marveled at his majestic beard.
-The Christmas System has been bound to a new host.-
Within his mind, a voice echoed, declaring.
Realizing the voice in his head, the man turned his attention to Santa. "I heard a voice... Is that the special gift you mentioned?"
Santa nodded with a warm smile. "Indeed, that system will aid you on your Christmas journey. It possesses knowledge and capabilities far surpassing mine, although I have spent billions of years perfecting my power and spreading joy, it helps you grow faster than I did."
As Santa finished speaking, the pixie dust enveloped his legs, causing them to gradually vanish. "Whoa, Santa, what's happening?" the man asked, concern etched on his face.
Santa glanced at his fading legs and then back at the man. "I suppose this is the end for me. I'm leaving this world to join Mary," he said, his voice filled with a mixture of contentment and anticipation.
In the face of Santa's departure, the man's voice trembled with a sense of loss. "No, Santa!"
"I have a few more things to warn you about before I go," Santa continued, his tone urgent. The man focused intently, absorbing every word.
"To unlock more of my power, you must continue To unlock more of my power, you must continue to spread the joy of Christmas," Santa cautioned, his voice growing faint as his form gradually faded away. "With the assistance of the system, you will gain different powers, but remember, mine will always be the most potent."
Max focuses on what the old Santa was saying.
"You need to find back my old companions or new companies, to also help you"
The pixie dust had already reached Santa's chest.
"One more important thing, there will be a monster coming after you, Christmas, and children"
"But the one you have to hide until you become more powerful is"
"Kram..."
Santa's words echoed in the man's mind as he watched his beloved Santa Claus vanish before his eyes. "Farewell, Santa," he whispered, his deep and powerful voice filled with a mix of sadness and determination.
Standing tall and resolute, Max, now fully aware of his destiny, walked toward the window, the floor booming with each step. He gazed out at the starlit sky, his heart filled with a profound sense of purpose.
"This is my calling now," Max declared, his voice reverberating through the room. "I will carry on Santa's legacy with all my might."
As he embraced his newfound role, Max couldn't help but feel a tinge of worry. "I hope I don't encounter the threats Santa warned me about," he muttered, his tone tinged with a touch of melancholy.
With his massive physique and commanding presence, Max strode forward, each footstep leaving an indelible mark on the floor beneath him. "The responsibility falls upon me now," he acknowledged with a sigh, his determination unwavering.
Max's destiny as the new Santa had been sealed, and he embarked on his journey to spread the magic and joy of Christmas to a world that desperately needed it.