Jacob lay in the narrow cell, surrounded by darkness and silence. The weight of his words with his parents and the consequences he would face in the future overwhelmed him completely. He felt a knot in his stomach and a deep pain in his chest.
Tears began to trickle down his cheeks as he relived in his mind the images of his family and friends, the farewell voices from that accursed day. He felt emotionally shattered, unable to find solace in this desolate place.
He closed his eyes tightly, trying to block out the tormenting thoughts. But he couldn't escape reality. He knew that from now on all he wanted was to sever all ties with his family, but a question glimmered in his mind, what would he do in the future?
"Maybe it would be better for everyone if I died... They would feel guilt and pressure from their words, that would be for the best..." Jacob lay in his cell, submerged in a sea of thoughts and worries. Silence reigned in the oppressive atmosphere. Suddenly, a sound resonated in his ears, like the tinkling of something falling to the floor. As he looked up, his eyes met a surprising sight.
"What is that?" A dark crystal ball lay in the middle of his cell as if someone had thrown it. But all these thoughts were discarded upon seeing the space between the bars and the size of this ball.
Unable to do anything else and wanting to find joy in those dark feelings, he walked towards the ball and picked it up with his still sore right hand from the blows earlier this afternoon.
A slight coldness spread around the ball, but as time passed, the temperature of the ball became icier. Jacob wanted to let it go, but the ball wouldn't leave his hand no matter how hard he tried.
The right hand with which Jacob held the ball began to release some kind of gravity. But miraculously, it only affected his hand when suddenly, the wounds on his bruised knuckles that had dried up a few hours ago started to bleed.
But the amount that came out of his right hand was far from normal to the point that Jacob could feel his blood coursing through his veins and eventually exiting through his knuckles. Suddenly, as if the ball had been affected by his blood, it turned a strong red color in the center, dimly illuminating Jacob's surroundings.
However, Jacob's blood continued to be drawn by the orb, and just when he thought he was about to lose consciousness, trying to scream and ask for help, the bright red ball fell to the floor, and Jacob's body collapsed in response.
The weakness that brought Jacob down was very evident to a certain extent; he felt very heavy in every part of his body. By evident, he meant that it was due to having lost a lot of blood, but the heaviness was not normal even if he were bleeding out.
"What the hell is this thing?" Jacob, drenched in cold sweat, wondered to himself with uncertainty.
Jacob was stunned. He knew with certainty that this ball had never been in the room, after being locked in this cell for more than twenty-four hours.
Just as Jacob was about to call for help, the weakness in his body began to fade little by little, and when he could finally move each of his limbs, he sat not far from that glowing ball that had been spinning incessantly.
When Jacob was about to throw a shoe at it, the ball floated in the air and approached his side. The ball had stopped spinning and was there, levitating silently in front of him.
Jacob stared at the red ball in the air. His first instant reaction was to lightly push it with a shoe, and in response, the ball recoiled slightly before returning to its original position.
His next action was not very intelligent after a strange ball had taken his blood and left him lying on the floor. Jacob touched the ball again, but this time only with his index finger.
Yet, the ball still did not respond.
Then, after much hesitation, he took the ball in his hands, but Jacob could feel that the ball resisted being held. And just as Jacob was about to examine it more closely, an electric sound started coming from inside the ball.
"What the hell is this thing?"
Jacob brought the ball closer to his ears and heard the faint electric sound, bewildered. He fell silent for a moment, with no sounds from the outside.
In an instant, the ball began to flicker. Jacob looked inside the ball and could see small strange platforms.
"Could this be a magical orb?" Jacob wondered when suddenly an electric shock ran through his entire body, leaving him petrified. The orb in Jacob's hand floated again in the air, at eye level, while slowly rotating.
By that point, Jacob couldn't scream or move; sweat ran down his body.
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!
Jacob heard the noises as if they were inside his head. Although the squeaks weren't loud or bothersome, they definitely didn't seem like something that could come from a floating orb.
However, the squeaks were pleasing to the ear, as if the sound could reach the depths of his entire body.
The room seemed to transform into an ethereal stage, where the laws of logic and reality blurred. The orb emanated a vibrant and mysterious energy, filling the cell with an atmosphere of awe and wonder.
Jacob reached out his hand towards the orb, feeling an electric current run through his skin as he touched its surface. A sense of transcendence enveloped him, as if he were on the verge of an incredible discovery.
The orb, as if it had a life of its own, began to glow brighter. Jacob could perceive a soft and melodious whisper in the air, as if the orb were speaking to him in an unknown but understandable language.
Golden letters appeared in front of the orb suddenly, and it wasn't difficult for Jacob to read them—well, at least he could do that much. Along with the letters, an emotionless voice of undefined gender sounded.
"[...Host confirmed!]"
"[...Checking host's condition...]"
"[...Ready!]"
"...Scanning target's status... Checking!]"
"[...Initiating support program.]"
All those messages shone in front of the orb, and the voice sounded in Jacob's head in a magical way.
"Who's there?"
"Am I going crazy?" Jacob asked in a not-so-loud voice.
At this point, Jacob forced himself to stand up and move his legs a little, confirming that his body and brain were functioning properly.
"[...Confirmed!]"
"[...Owner successfully configured!]"
"[...Message recorded and can only be played once!]"
When the message ended, the orb cast an illusory shadow in the corner of the room. It wore a large black robe that covered its entire body, making it impossible to determine its appearance. The height of the mysterious figure was around two meters, and it held a staff in its right hand.
Jacob was paralyzed, staring at the figure in the corner. Swallowing saliva, he was about to ask when it spoke softly, "You are the owner of the orb... The first one to use it, by the way. I never thought that the orb would choose you specifically..."
"With a slight desire to prove the truth, on the brink of madness... No, on the brink of suicide."
"You have two choices that will define your existence and your annihilation. Take the orb and make use of it, it will teach you extraordinary things and grant magnificent rewards. Considering that you have nothing left in your heart for this place, I ask you, what else do you have to lose?"
"The trials will be very simple... You are the emperor, and I am your judge. The trials come with rewards that will help you in this deplorable life."
"But on the other hand, if you reject the orb, you will fall into oblivion. If you live, you can live; if you die, you never truly lived in your reality... Interpret my words as you wish."
"What is your choice...? Little creation." The explanation of the strange figure was very clear, and Jacob understood it perfectly.
"A path that can take me away from this reality..." Jacob murmured with deep thoughts, but after recalling what had happened in the afternoon, he immediately said, "I... want the orb."
"Very well, I expected nothing less from someone like you..."
"Now you are the owner of the orb. The orb will decide when you will fly and where you will go..."
"Make wise choices; each move will bring disasters or save lives... Well, as a reminder, only you can see the orb. You can leave it wherever you want. If for some reason you lose it, just call it with your mind, and the orb will be in your hands."
"It's time for me to go, but remember, everyone wants to escape their reality, but that sometimes entails serious sacrifices."
At this moment, the orb flew back into Jacob's hands, and the golden letters outside the orb shone.
"[...Ready to travel!]"
"[Worlds of your choice:
World A: The Hunger Games
Difficulty level: ☆☆☆
...
World B: Apollo 18.
Difficulty level: ☆☆☆☆
...
World C: The Prototype
Difficulty level: ☆☆☆☆
...
World D: Sweet Home
Difficulty level: ☆☆☆☆☆
"What the hell is this orb...?" Jacob asked himself while looking at the letters on the orb.
The magical scene, difficult to explain under human logic, left an indelible mark on Johan's mind. The desire to disappear from this world was so great that everything that wouldn't logically make sense was ignored by him due to his emotional state. In the end, who would care about his death?