The evening was calm, the kind of calm that made Tau feel both at ease and completely out of place. He walked slowly along the cracked sidewalk, his hands jammed deep into the pockets of his jacket, head slightly tilted down as he tried to avoid eye contact with passersby. The city lights flickered above him, giving the night an almost magical glow. But magic wasn't something Tau believed in.
"Magic," he muttered under his breath, kicking a small stone into the gutter. "What a joke."
His eyes wandered aimlessly until something caught his attention. A small crowd had gathered just ahead, their excited voices cutting through the quiet of the street. Curiosity tugged at him, and before he could stop himself, he glanced over.
There, in the middle of the group, stood a man about Tau's age, maybe a little older. He wore an expensive jacket and a smug grin, holding his hand high for everyone to see. A bracelet adorned his wrist, but it wasn't just any bracelet—it shimmered with a soft, rhythmic glow, pulsating like a heartbeat.
The Jewel.
"Watch this," the man said, his voice dripping with confidence. With a flick of his wrist, a stream of water materialized from thin air, swirling around him like a living snake before splashing harmlessly onto the ground.
The women around him gasped in delight, clapping and laughing. The man grinned wider, clearly enjoying the attention.
Tau stopped in his tracks, watching from a distance. His fists clenched inside his pockets.
"Show-off," he muttered, though he couldn't pull his eyes away from the display. The Jewel's glow, the effortless power, the admiration—it was everything Tau didn't have and never thought he would.
As the man conjured another watery spectacle, Tau shook his head and turned away, his pace quickening. He didn't need to see any more.
"Jewels," he said under his breath as he walked. "Always showing off, always making sure the rest of us know just how useless we are."
The word lingered in his mind, heavy and bitter. Jewels. They weren't just jewelry. They were power, status, the ultimate proof that someone mattered in this world.
But not everyone could have one.
Tau continued down the street, his thoughts spiraling. Jewels weren't handed out to just anyone. You needed authority to awaken one. It wasn't something you could see or touch, but it lived inside your heart, or so people said. If your authority was strong enough, a Jewel would appear, granting you a random ability tied to your emotions.
"Authority," Tau scoffed, kicking at another stone. "What the hell does that even mean?"
It wasn't like anyone explained it. Was it courage? Determination? Some unmeasurable force that decided who was worthy and who wasn't?
Tau knew exactly where he stood. At twenty years old, he had no authority, no Jewel, no abilities. Just an ordinary life in an extraordinary world.
He reached his apartment, a small, cramped space on the edge of town. It wasn't much, but it was all he could afford. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and flicked on the light, throwing his jacket onto a chair.
"Another day, another reminder of how useless I am," he mumbled, collapsing onto the bed.
The room was silent except for the faint hum of the fridge in the corner. Tau stared at the ceiling, his mind still on the man with the bracelet.
"What would it feel like?" he wondered aloud. "To have power? To actually matter?"
He sighed, turning onto his side. "Not like it'll ever happen to me. Authority? Yeah, right."
The words felt hollow, even to him. He closed his eyes, trying to push the thoughts away, but they clung to him like a shadow.
Before long, sleep took him.
---
Tau stood in an endless void, the air thick and heavy. He couldn't see the ground beneath his feet, but it felt solid and cold. The darkness pressed in around him, suffocating and endless, until a faint light appeared in the distance.
He squinted, trying to make out what it was. The light grew brighter, and from it emerged a figure—a woman.
She moved gracefully, her silhouette outlined by the glow. Her face was hidden in shadow, her features obscured, but her presence was undeniable.
"Who… who are you?" Tau called out, his voice echoing in the emptiness.
The woman didn't answer. She simply extended her hand toward him, palm open, as if inviting him closer.
Tau hesitated, his heart pounding in his chest. "What do you want?" he asked, taking a small step forward.
Still, no response. The woman's hand remained outstretched, her form bathed in light.
As he took another step, the light intensified, growing brighter and brighter until it consumed everything. Tau raised his hands to shield his eyes, but it was no use. The world around him dissolved into a blinding glow—
---
He woke with a start, his breath coming in short gasps.
His room was dark, but something wasn't right. A faint glow illuminated the space around him, pulsing softly like a heartbeat.
Tau sat up, his eyes darting around. "What the…?"
He turned his head to the left and froze.
On his finger was a ring—a simple band, unadorned yet glowing with an otherworldly light. The glow seemed to shift and dance, casting strange shadows onto the walls.
"No way," he whispered, his voice trembling. He reached out with his other hand, touching the ring cautiously.
It was warm to the touch, almost alive. A surge of energy coursed through him, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe.
"This… this can't be real," he said, his voice rising. "It's a Jewel. I have a Jewel!"
He leapt out of bed, staring at the ring in disbelief. His heart raced as he turned his hand, watching the light reflect in his eyes.
"I did it!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the small apartment. "I finally have one!"
He laughed, a wild, uncontrollable sound that was equal parts joy and disbelief. For years, he had felt invisible, powerless, stuck in the shadows of others. But now, everything was different.
He didn't know what kind of ability the Jewel would grant him, but he didn't care. The mere fact that he had one was enough.
"This changes everything," he said, his grin widening. "I'm not invisible anymore. I'm not useless."
He collapsed back onto the bed, still staring at the ring. The glow dimmed slightly, as if settling into place, but it never faded completely.
As the adrenaline began to wear off, one thought lingered in his mind:
"Who was that woman?"
He didn't have an answer, but he knew one thing for certain. His life would never be the same.