The office was suffocating, a dull hum of slow, outdated computers filling the air. Tio could barely see his screen through the thick smudge of fingerprints and dust on the old, bulging monitor. His fingers moved sluggishly over the keyboard, the dull tap of keys the only break in the monotony.
In the center of the room, the boss sat slumped in his oversized leather chair, his stomach spilling out from beneath his shirt, as he stuffed another doughnut into his mouth. He barely chewed before he started barking orders, his voice grating like nails on a chalkboard.
"What are you all doing? Don't slow me down!" the boss roared, spraying crumbs across his desk. His face flushed with anger, but Tio knew better than to respond. The boss always had a way of yapping endlessly, his words laced with venom, but his actions amounted to nothing more than sitting and supervising.
Tio glanced around the room, noticing the weary faces of his coworkers, their eyes glazed over with exhaustion. They had been working nonstop for a week, trapped within the four walls of the office, their only rest taken at their stations. The once vibrant office now felt like a prison, with no escape in sight.
Tio's thoughts drifted back to his family, the constant demands for money, the endless cycle of working to provide for those who never lifted a finger to help themselves. It felt like a noose tightening around his neck.
With a heavy sigh, Tio resolved to bite the bullet. It sucked to be him, but what choice did he have? He needed this job, no matter how soul-crushing it was. The boss's yapping faded into the background as Tio retreated into his thoughts, counting down the hours until he could finally escape this nightmare, if only for a short while.
As the hours dragged on, the gray light of day faded into the deep blues and purples of night. The office, once filled with the dim buzz of activity, grew quieter as the weight of exhaustion pressed down on the workers. One by one, they began to falter. Some slumped in their chairs, heads drooping towards their keyboards, while others collapsed onto the cold, unforgiving floor, their bodies unable to bear the strain of overwork any longer.
The supervisor, true to form, had long since left the building, his chair still spinning from his hasty exit. He didn't care about the state of his workers, only checking the CCTV cameras from the comfort of his home to ensure that no one was slacking off. His absence was a stark reminder of how little he valued the people who kept the company running.
Tio glanced around the room, his heart sinking as he saw the dark circles under his coworkers' eyes, now darker and more pronounced than before. Their faces, once filled with life, were now hollowed out, their eyes glassy and unfocused. The air was thick with the stench of sweat and despair, a tangible reminder of the relentless grind they were subjected to day in and day out.
Tio felt a lump forming in his throat, the pressure of it all becoming too much to bear. His vision blurred as tears welled up in his eyes, spilling over before he could stop them. He had been holding it in for so long, but now the dam had broken.
"I can't take this anymore," Tio whispered to himself, his voice trembling as he buried his face in his hands. The tears flowed freely now, each one a small release of the pain and frustration that had been building inside him. He cried for himself, for his coworkers, and for the cruel reality they were trapped in. In that moment, the weight of it all felt unbearable, and Tio was unsure how much longer he could endure this torment.
After days of grueling, nonstop work, the only nourishment they had were instant noodles, soda, and the occasional energy bar. Each meal was a quick, hollow affair, with no time or energy to enjoy anything more substantial. The routine had stripped away every semblance of humanity, reducing them to machines driven by fatigue and caffeine.
But tonight was different. Tonight, the air was charged with a sense of anticipation. After seven long, torturous days, they would finally be allowed to leave. As the clock inched closer to the end of their shift, a wave of relief began to wash over the workers. Tio, who had been slouched in his chair, feeling like a shadow of his former self, forced himself to stand. His legs wobbled beneath him, and his face was a reflection of the exhaustion that had settled deep into his bones. His eye bags had grown so dark they almost looked like bruises, and his skin was pale, almost ghostly.
But despite his disheveled appearance, a small smile tugged at the corners of Tio's lips. He glanced at the clock one last time, and when it struck the hour, he exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Finally... freedom," he whispered to himself as he stepped out into the cool night air. The stars twinkled overhead, and for the first time in days, Tio felt a weight lift from his shoulders. His heart, so heavy just hours before, now felt lighter, buoyed by the simple joy of being free from the relentless grind. He smiled—a genuine, tired, but content smile—grateful for this brief moment of peace, knowing that it would have to sustain him until the cycle began again.
Tio walked down the dark, empty streets, the quiet of the night a stark contrast to the chaos of the past week. Despite the exhaustion weighing heavily on his body, a faint smile remained on his lips. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he was free. The air was cool against his skin, and with each step, he could feel the tension leaving his body, replaced by a fragile sense of peace.
But then, in an instant, that peace was shattered. A loud bang echoed through the empty street, piercing the silence like a knife. Tio barely had time to register the sound before a sharp, searing pain exploded in his head. His vision blurred, the world around him slowing to a crawl as he fell to his knees.
"What... is this?" Tio thought, confusion and disbelief flooding his mind. His body felt like it was moving through molasses, and he could feel the warmth of his blood trickling down the side of his face, pooling on the cold pavement beneath him.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened. "This is so cruel... why?" he thought, his heart breaking as the realization of what was happening hit him. He tried to speak, to cry out, but his voice was lost, choked by the overwhelming pain and sorrow.
As he collapsed fully onto the ground, his cheek pressed against the unforgiving concrete, Tio felt the last remnants of warmth leave his body. His blood spread out around him, staining the street a deep, dark red. The cold began to seep into his bones, and he knew—this was the end.
"I guess... this is goodbye," Tio whispered, his voice barely a breath. His vision dimmed, but in those final moments, memories flashed before his eyes, vivid and bright against the encroaching darkness. He saw his sister, the one person who had ever truly loved him, her face full of life and innocence.
"Brother, brother! I miss you, brother!" Her voice echoed in his mind, her small arms reaching out for him, a beacon of light in his final moments. Tio's lips curled into a faint, bittersweet smile, a tear slipping down his cheek as he held onto that memory.
His sister's face was the last thing he saw as the darkness claimed him, his body now pale and lifeless on the cold, empty street. The world continued on, indifferent to the tragedy that had unfolded, as Tio's blood slowly dried on the pavement, a silent testimony to the cruel end of a life that had fought so hard for just a glimmer of freedom.
Suddenly, everything changed. Just as the cold darkness of the street had claimed him, a blinding glow enveloped Tio, pulling him from the brink of death. It was as if the world had been wiped away, replaced by a radiant light that grew brighter and brighter until it consumed everything.
When the light finally faded, Tio found himself lying on his back, staring up at a sky so blue and clear it seemed unreal. The air around him was cool and refreshing, carrying the scent of wildflowers and the soft rustle of leaves. As he blinked, his eyes slowly adjusted to the light, revealing a scene of breathtaking beauty.
He was in a vast, green meadow, stretching out in all directions, with lush grass swaying gently in the breeze. Wildflowers in every color imaginable dotted the landscape, their petals dancing in the wind like tiny bursts of joy. The meadow was encircled by tall, ancient trees, their leaves shimmering with a soft, golden glow as if touched by magic. The sun hung low in the sky, casting warm, golden rays across the land, bathing everything in a soft, ethereal light.
Tio sat up slowly, his senses overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the world around him. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud, squinting against the brightness. "Why is everything so bright?"
He paused, suddenly aware that the crushing exhaustion and pain that had plagued him just moments ago were gone. In their place was a feeling of lightness, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He took a deep breath, marveling at how clear and fresh the air felt in his lungs. "Whoa... I feel like all my stress has been wiped away. I can see clearly again!" he exclaimed, joy and relief bubbling up inside him.
He flung his hands out in a spontaneous gesture of happiness, but something felt off. His voice sounded different—higher, softer, more youthful. Tio froze, confusion flooding his mind. "Wait... what? I sound like a 14-year-old girl!"
His heart raced as he brought his hands closer to his face, and what he saw made his breath catch in his throat. His hands were no longer rough and calloused from years of hard work. Instead, they were small, delicate, and pale, with skin that was impossibly smooth and soft.
Panic rising, Tio scrambled to his feet—or rather, floated—realizing that he was hovering a few inches above the ground. His movements were effortless, as if gravity itself no longer had a hold on him. He looked down at himself, only to find that he was no longer wearing his old, worn-out clothes. Instead, he was dressed in a glowing, ethereal white dress, the fabric shimmering like stardust. It clung to his new, smaller frame in a way that felt both foreign and strangely comforting, its edges gently rippling in the breeze as if alive.
"Whoa..." he whispered, his voice filled with a mixture of awe and disbelief. The dress seemed to be made of light itself, radiating a gentle warmth that wrapped around him like a comforting embrace. He touched the fabric with his newfound hands, marveling at its softness and the way it seemed to pulse with a life of its own.
The realization hit him like a wave—this wasn't just a dream or an illusion. He had been transformed, reborn in this strange, beautiful world. And with that realization came a sense of wonder, tinged with a hint of fear. What had happened to him? Why was he here? And most importantly, who—or what—had he become?
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, the gentle breeze carried the distant sound of laughter, soft and melodic, echoing through the meadow. The world around him seemed alive with magic, the very air humming with an energy that was both unfamiliar and exhilarating.
For the first time in a long while, Tio—or whoever he had become—felt something stir within him. It was a sense of possibility, of hope, as if this strange, new world held answers to questions he hadn't even thought to ask. And as he floated there, bathed in the soft glow of his ethereal transformation, he couldn't help but wonder if this was the beginning of something extraordinary.
As she floated there, still trying to grasp the reality of her new form, a sudden flash of light appeared in her vision. An interface, almost like something out of a video game, materialized before her eyes. The words "Status: God of Creation – Zina" were displayed in glowing letters.
"What… I'm Zina now?" she whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief. Her mind raced with questions. Who was Zina? How did i become this?
Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, the system responded, its voice calm and emotionless: "You were an unknown entity, but you are now the god of creation."
Her heart pounded in her chest as she processed the words. "A god… of creation?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. It sounded surreal, like something out of the games she used to play. The idea of having such immense power felt both thrilling and terrifying. As she hovered in the air, her thoughts spiraled, the realization of what this all meant slowly sinking in.
But before she could fully comprehend it, the world around her began to shift and blur, as if reality itself was bending to the whims of this newfound power.