I was riding the escalator up to the third floor of the Lakewood Shopping Mall when the world ended. It took longer than you would have thought for me to notice. The place was already a madhouse. Things were so packed that despite the fact that I'd taken extra time to get ready, most of the men didn't notice me. Though normally that would have been a relief, tonight I felt a little affronted.
I must be losing my touch, I sighed inwardly, but I didn't believe it.
Truthfully, it only mattered what Ryan thought of my outfit. Even if I hadn't taken the extra time to tease my curly blonde hair or picked out the perfect sheer black top to go with my tartan skirt, he'd always think I was pretty. That's why he was the best.
Truthfully, I was enjoying the break in the crowds that the escalator up was giving me. So, I used it to check through my Insta notifications when the first rift opened on the ground floor. I glanced at it for a moment. With the weird lighting effects, though, I just assumed it was some cheap giveaway with all the balloons falling from the ceiling, and I quickly tuned it out.
You're almost done, Anna, I told myself, willing my heels to take pity on my aching calves, but they refused to help me out. Just one more thing for Ryan, and you can go home and wrap presents.
That part, at least, I looked forward to. Most of my friends had already complained about that part in our group chat, but I tuned out that negativity. I loved every chance I could get to be crafty and put those extra touches on things.
Thankfully, I'd done most of my shopping weeks before and was just looking around for a few more things when it happened. Mostly, that meant Ryan. I'd gotten him two gifts already, but neither of them seemed quite right.
It's not that he's even hard to shop for, I thought with a sigh.
The real problem, of course, wasn't that I couldn't find him things that he wanted. It was that none of them were good enough, not for him. I knew what he wanted,of course. It was the same thing that all men wanted. However, unless his present this year involved a proposal, there was no way he was getting it. I wasn't that kind of girl.
Waiting for marriage might be a bit much, but I'm going to need a ring at least, I told myself. I'm certainly worth that much.
As I neared the top of the escalator two guys going the opposite direction made no secret of checking me out. I'm sure they think I'm worth that much, I told myself, pretending not to notice their eyes as I glided past them, even if they never stood a chance.
When I reached the top of the escalator and walked toward a cologne store that caught my eye, the screaming had only just started. However, I could barely hear it above the general din that permeated the whole shopping complex. At least, that was the case until the second rift opened. It opened in the dome that spanned the central plaza only twenty or thirty feet from me and was impossible to miss.
It spread like a spiderweb of glowing cracks, and for a moment, I thought that the whole ceiling was going to cave in. Instead, any rubble the chaos created was sucked into the throbbing red void beyond it. Instead, orbs that looked like shimmering red soap bubbles drifted down from the yawning void and spread amongst the mall.
Oh, so those weren't balloons, I realized. That realization didn't make me decide whether I should grab one of the ones floating down toward me. What do they do, though? Are they dangerous? What's going on?
I could see monsters of some sort and violence surging on the first floor now. That sent a jolt of fear through me, but I still had no idea if that was because of these orbs or in spite of them. I'll just wait to see what everyone else does, I decided as I set my bags down. I had no idea what was going on now, but a handful of Christmas presents didn't seem worth holding when I might need to run for my life soon.
The man closest to me, who grabbed one first, shimmered with power for a moment. I saw the words 'Class Selection, Warrior!' flicker over my vision before vanishing. I didn't really want to be a warrior, but now that I saw he was safe, I could no longer contain my curiosity. So, I grabbed for the next one that was coming down toward me.
"Wait!" The stranger yelled, but it was too late. Even as his voice rang in my ears, my fingers grabbed onto the orb, it burst at my touch like a soap bubble, and time froze solid.
Inside the orb had been a little golden disk, and now it floated there in my hands. It was somewhere between a clock or an orrery and contained a number of different whirling rings and arms. It hung there between my outstretched hands, seemingly unperturbed by the rising tide of chaos that was frozen around it.
Analyzing the thing wrote silently across my vision in a way that should have been impossible. Analyzing.
Strength > Weak
Speed > Above Average
Fortitude > Fragile
Intelligence > Clever
Empathy > High
Morality > Just
Purity > Virgin
Potential > Significant
Worthiness > Acceptable. Calculation of demonic form canceled. Calculating optimum class. Analyzing, stand by.
I had no idea what was going on, but those words sent a chill through me. Demonic form? What in the hell is this thing talking about? I wondered.
No sooner did I think those thoughts than a different voice that definitely didn't belong to me came into her head. My dear Anastasia, the world has ended, and the new one has yet to be born. Rejoice! By grasping your future directly, you have the chance to shape it. Those who are too cowardly to do so will not be given a similar opportunity. At least, not until they have the opportunity to triumph over the adversity that is about to befall all of you.
Adversity? I asked as the golden orb continued to whirl and click. I just want to celebrate Christmas with my boyfriend! We didn't do anything to deserve this!
Evil might not stain your hands, the voice answered, but the world is drowning in it. It fills the gutters and pools in every city and home. Even those who are not guilty of commission are guilty of omission, and now, the only way to wash away that darkness is with blood.
I-I don't want to spill blood! I raged. I don't want to kill anyone.
Then I will grant you your wish, the voice said, sounding magnanimous as the outer ring of the orb clicked into place and stopped moving.
Prohibition: This soul may no longer kill, and harming without good reason is similarly unthinkable. Bonus: All abilities increase in power by 100% when used in the service of others.
Alignment > verified
Talents > analyzed
Class assignment > Healer
As the word healer sprang into existence, I felt a surge of energy flow through me. Then, the second ring of the golden orb locked into place in a complicated-looking configuration that seemed to align with the outer ring. Now, only the inner core continued to whirl, but it seemed like all of the energy from the first two rings had been transferred there. As a result, it moved faster than ever.
Healer? I wondered. Even before I fully finished the thought, though, more words sprang onto the screen to explain.
Healer: Support class - Common. A healer assists those around her, using her own essence to heal their wounds and restore their strength. Raising the dead is impossible. However, healers of significant power can reattach or even regrow severed limbs and heal complex diseases like cancer. Neophytes are restricted to smaller wounds, boosts, and status conditions.
Some of these powers can be used inversely to harm your opponents instead of assisting your allies. These attacks use up significantly more essence.
You have chosen what you do not wish to do, but that is no replacement for what you wish for, the voice said next. What is your heart's desire?
I knew the answer to that, of course, but still, I hesitated because it was embarrassing to say the words. That didn't seem to be a problem for the little orb. As soon as I thought about Ryan, the inner core froze solid, aligning with the first two.
Then, as I watched, the thing shrank and shot into my chest, vanishing completely. I thought that it might have found me unworthy after all, but there was no pain. It was just gone. Instead, more words flickered across my vision.
Heart's Desire: Reunite with Ryan and live happily ever after. Bonus: All actions taken toward this goal increase in power by 100%.
Then, just like that, before I had the time to really take in everything that had happened, time unfroze. It was like it never even happened. The voice was gone, the orb was gone, and in its place was a cascade of falling orbs, milling shoppers, and a rising chorus of screams.
Taking all that in, all I could do was say, "We're all going to die in here, aren't we?" to myself. I couldn't help it. The violence was rising, my heart was hammering, and the fact that I had absolutely no idea how I was going to get back to Ryan was tearing me up inside.