The morning light hit Aldrich's face like a slap. His eyelids fluttered open, the world spinning in a haze. He groaned, feeling like he'd only closed his eyes a second ago. His body felt heavy, like it had been dragged through mud. What... what happened last night? His mind was a blur. There was a sharp pain in his forehead, but it wasn't just from the lingering tiredness. It felt... different.
"Big brother!" Elle's voice broke through the fog. "You're gonna be late!"
Aldrich blinked a few times, trying to focus. Elle was standing at the edge of his bed, a little frown on her face as she crossed her arms, her usual playful teasing turning into quiet concern.
"Wha—what time is it?" Aldrich muttered, his voice thick with sleep, and it took a second for the words to come out properly.
"Past six," Elle replied, a mixture of amusement and annoyance in her tone. "You're such a weirdo. How do you always oversleep?"
Panic gripped Aldrich's chest. Six? He scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping over the blanket, his heart racing. Crap, crap, crap!
His head still throbbed from something he couldn't quite remember, but there wasn't time to figure it out now. He ran into the cramped bathroom, splashing water on his face to shake off the last remnants of sleep. His hands were shaky as he brushed his teeth and threw on his work clothes, his thoughts still clinging to the strange sensation from the night before. The blue light, the electric shock... but it felt like a dream. Didn't it?
Aldrich glanced in the mirror, seeing his reflection—disheveled hair, half-closed eyes, and the faintest trace of worry in his expression. But there wasn't time for that. He had to leave.
"Mom, Dad, I'm heading out," he called as he passed through the living room, barely registering their presence.
Aileen, his mother, didn't even look up from the kitchen counter, but her voice followed him: "Don't forget to—"
"I know, I know," Aldrich interrupted, already halfway to the door. "Have a good day." He didn't want to hear the usual lecture. Not today.
Elle's voice followed him from the hallway. "Weirdo," she muttered under her breath, but Aldrich didn't react. He didn't have the energy for it.
The bus ride to work was as uncomfortable as always. The cramped seats, the hum of the engine, the chatter of strangers—it all felt like noise. His mind kept wandering back to the strange feeling from the night before, the flicker of blue light, the shock that had rattled his entire body. Was it real? Was it just his mind playing tricks on him after a long day?
His stomach churned a little as he thought back. What the hell was that?
Aldrich pulled out his phone, absentmindedly messaging Elle. "Did you turn off my computer?"
A few seconds later, she replied: "Yeah, I did. Here's a pic of your screen..."
Aldrich stared at the picture she sent. The screen showed the Grasp of the Undying keystone, along with the Conditioning and Second Wind minor runes. His heart skipped a beat. Was this... Was this still there? Hadn't he been customizing runes last night? Or was it a memory from some strange dream?
Shit, I forgot to turn it off. He texted back quickly. "Turn it off. Now."
Elle replied almost instantly: "Done!"
Aldrich sighed in relief, but just as quickly, he felt something... strange. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The air around him seemed to vibrate, and for a second, it was like the world had gone completely still. His breath caught in his throat as he felt a current of energy flow through him, like something unseen was pulling at him.
He looked around, panicked, but no one else seemed to notice. His hands trembled as the bus rumbled beneath him. What the hell is going on?
And then—it hit him.
A sharp jolt shot through his body, and he froze. His breath caught in his chest, and the world around him seemed to vanish. For a split second, everything was dark, and all he could see in his mind's eye were the glowing runes: Grasp of the Undying, Conditioning, and Second Wind. They weren't just on his screen anymore; they were inside him, searing themselves into his very being. The runes burned in his mind, and he felt an overwhelming sense of power, of something beyond his reach—but so close, so real.
A voice boomed inside his head, deep and unearthly:
"Do not waste this chance and make all time count. The world needs you."
The words reverberated through him, their weight pressing on his chest. He couldn't breathe. What is this?
His heart raced, and he fought to shake off the sensation, to get his bearings. His body felt like it was going to explode from the inside out. This wasn't just a dream. This wasn't something he could ignore.
"C'mon, Aldrich. Wake up," he muttered to himself, shaking his head violently as the voice faded away, leaving only the overwhelming rush of his own heartbeat. He was hyperventilating now, but he forced himself to breathe. It was just... it was nothing. He tried to convince himself.
The bus was still moving. People were still chatting. The world kept turning.
But Aldrich couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. Deep down, something inside him felt different—he wasn't sure how, but the voice, the power—it felt real. His mind raced. Was it the runes? The blue light? Was he going crazy?
Shaking his head, he clutched the straps of the bus seat in front of him, his knuckles turning white. "No... it's all just nonsense," he whispered, trying to steady his breath. "Just a stupid coincidence."
But deep down, a small, frightened part of him wondered... if it wasn't.