The melodious chirping of birds seeped through the open window, creating a serene ambiance in the room. A figure, around the age of 13 lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling with their right arm draped over their forehead, eyes closed.
BEEP BEEP BEEP
An alarm rang next to the individual on the nightstand, prompting a swift response. The figure reached for the phone, eyes closed, silencing the persistent noise.
Yet, even though the individual's eyes were closed they were still able to perceive the environment in a unique way. Every object exhibited a colored wireframe appearance. A grid of lines taking form and creating the contours or outline of an object, and the more organic the object the more complex the grid.
Turning their attention behind the blue wireframed curtains revealed the golden hues of the rising sun, akin to a misty golden energy. This was the form light took for this individual when their eyes were closed.
The figure lazily sat up swinging their feet over the bed's edge to open the curtains to allow the warm sunlight to permeate through and illuminate the once poorly lit room. An unnecessary action as they had no problem with seeing in the dark.
Letting out a yawn, the individual turned around and headed towards the door of their room opening it. The wooden door squeaked followed by the clanging of wood on wood. The individual looked towards a sign on the door. On the sign was a name, 'Atlas', written in flame-shaped letters.
Atlas lets out a sigh when the sign of his name was crooked and reached up and adjust the sign.
Entering the bathroom across from his room, Atlas grabs his toothbrush and toothpaste and applies the toothpaste on the bristles.
Atlas slowly pried his eyes open, revealing the vibrant colors of the Earth. Blue like the ocean, patches of green and brown resembling continents, and specks of white for the clouds. Just like the Earth, the iris of Atlas's eyes rotated which could make anyone freak if they were to look at them. A characteristic that was far from natural which made him feel different from other people.
As he stared at himself in the mirror with his rotating Earth like irises he couldn't get over how girlish his looks were at first glance, due to his androgynous features which consisted of medium-length dark brown dreadlocks, long lashes, a delicate nose, and full lips with almond tone skin.
Once Atlas was done brushing his teeth he got into the warm water to shower. After 15 minutes he got out and dried himself with the towel that was already hung in the bathroom and headed back into his room to get dressed grabbing a white t-shirt, a black hoodie, and black cargo pants from his closet.
He then slipped on a pair of socks followed by black sneakers. The whole outfit was baggy on him since he liked wearing baggy clothes.
Finally, he grabbed his phone from the nightstand and put it in his pocket while he grabbed a headband-looking object about the size of a finger that he put around his head to keep his locs from blocking his vision.
He turned to the mirror hung up on the back of his room door to check out his outfit and just shrugged his shoulders thinking that it was decent.
Walking over to his room door, Atlas hears the hurried steps of someone descending the stairs fast from behind prompting a shake of his head.
He opens the door, takes a deep breath in, and smiles smelling the delicious aroma of breakfast being cooked downstairs. He could smell eggs, pancakes, bacon, and buttered toast. His mouth began to salivate at the smell of bacon.
Atlas quickly descends the stairs to the left of his room screaming "Bacoooonnn!" on the way down.
Around the last three steps, he places his right hand on the railing using the momentum to twist his body over and land on the floor facing the kitchen where his adoptive parents are.
The man at the table, James, greeted him with a deep fatherly voice, "Well if it isn't the little Blaze. It's about time you got down here, slowpoke."
Atlas shook his head when James addressed him by their last name 'Blaze' and also that he called him slowpoke. He observed the slightly out-of-breath James taking a sip from his mug filled with coffee. Atlas was able to tell that it wasn't long before he got down here.
"Slowpoke? Pops, you got here not even a minute earlier than me,' Atlas retorted, a playful banter flowing between them.
James's short jet-black hair was parted and combed in a comb-over style with a connected beard and mustache on his jawline. The man's build wasn't too athletic but was a bit toned and had fair skin. A clear contrast from his and Atlas's almond tone skin.
Amber, the woman at the stove cooking bacon with long brown curly hair, joined the greeting, "Good morning, Atlas." Heading over to the table to plate the cooked bacon.
Atlas goes to respond to Amber,
"Good Mor-." He stopped mid-sentence as he felt a slight headache when he locked eyes with her. A familiar sensation that lets him know that the passive ability of his eyes has taken effect.
Amber's eyes turned dull and unfocused, and her grip on the hot pan loosened. Grease from the bacon that was still in the pan was leaning toward her.
Without even thinking Atlas grabs the hot pan. His left eye squinches and a painful hiss leaves his lips as he quickly guides the pan to the table. The brief sound of his palm sizzling echoed through the air followed by the pan hitting the table.
The moment his eyes left Amber's her dull eyes went back to her normal hazel eyes and once Amber realized what had happened she gasped in shock.
"Oh my God, Atlas. I'm so sorry." She grabs his hand to look at the burn.
"It's alright, Ma," Atlas answers the woman keeping his eyes closed. "I'll be fine, don't worry."
"Honey, where the hell is your ring?" James asked Amber who realized that Amber's second ring which they usually have on just in case of Atlas's mind compulsion ability was not there. They always had it with them ever since they found Atlas on their doorstep.
"I...I took it off briefly to prepare breakfast ." She answered James while holding Atlas's injured hand with trembling hands.
"Ma, you should get the ring," Atlas says to Amber with his eyes closed seeing the wireframe figure of the woman. "Look, I'll be fine." He continues as the injury on his hand begins to quickly heal and disappear as if it wasn't even there.
Amber nods wiping away the tears at the edge of her eyes with the back of her hand and quickly goes to the kitchen to grab the two rings she left on the counter. The mind compulsion blocker ring she puts on her middle finger and her wedding ring which she placed on her ring finger.
When the rings were back on Amber's finger Atlas took the opportunity to open his eyes again revealing his rotating irises.
Just as the trio settled for breakfast, a subtle shift in the atmosphere caught Atlas's attention.
"Is everything okay?"' he inquired, noticing a shared look between his adoptive parents.
"Let's finish eating first," James replied, glancing at Amber before returning his gaze to Atlas. "We'll talk after breakfast."
Atlas shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat. After the satisfying meal, Amber took the chance to raise the topic they had been withholding.
James placed a briefcase on the table, pulled out a black metallic obsidian cube object, and placed it on the table accompanied by a letter.
Atlas looked at the objects with curiosity, and a sigh escaped Amber's lips. "When we first found you, there was only that black box, two rings, and a letter, which explained briefly why you were placed on our doorsteps by your biological parents."
"Oh..." Atlas responded, uncertain about how to feel.
James took over saying, "At the end of the letter, it mentioned that the moment you turn 13, we are to give you this obsidian cube."
Atlas stares at the cube in front of him once he hears it was from his biological parents. He didn't know how exactly to feel or what to expect from it.
What was this cube left behind by his biological parents?
Amber reassured Atlas in a loving and caring voice seeing the anxious look in his eyes.
"Atlas, even though you were left with us. Your parents truly loved you. That much we do know."
Reaching out, he felt the cool, slick surface of the cube, similar to a 6x6 Rubik's cube in size.
"What is it?" Atlas pondered, examining the different sides of the cube in his hands, feeling an inexplicable connection to it.
"Your guess is as good as mine," James replied, raising his hands in a gesture of uncertainty. "We've had it in our possession for 13 years, and we're just as curious as you are."
Atlas emitted a hum between curiosity and fascination.
Closing his eyes, he was greeted by a black flame with a white glow emanating from the middle of the cube. Each flicker sent out a pulse, akin to a heartbeat, inducing a trance-like state where all external sounds faded away.
It took a few minutes before Atlas snapped out of the trance, his grip loosening, causing the obsidian cube to fall onto the table.