Aiden sat at his desk, eyes fixed on the open leather-bound book. The symbols danced across the pages, shifting ever so slightly each time he glanced away and back again. He'd spent most of the night poring over it, trying to make sense of the indecipherable script. Despite his lack of sleep, he couldn't shake the feeling that the book was somehow alive, aware of his attempts to understand it.
The morning sun streamed through his bedroom window, casting a warm glow over the cluttered space. His phone buzzed, snapping him out of his trance. A message from Jake lit up the screen.
> Jake: Hey man, up for a game later?
Aiden hesitated before replying.
> Aiden: Sure, might be good to get out for a bit.
> Jake: Sweet! Meet at the court around 3?
> Aiden: Sounds good.
He needed the distraction. Whatever was happening to him, maybe some normalcy would help clear his head. He grabbed his backpack and stuffed the book inside, unable to leave it behind.
Downstairs, his mom was tidying up the kitchen.
"Morning, honey. You're up early for a Sunday," she said with a smile.
"Couldn't sleep," Aiden replied, pouring himself a bowl of cereal.
She glanced at him, concern flickering across her face. "Everything alright? You seem a bit... off lately."
He forced a smile. "Yeah, just school stuff. Nothing major."
"Well, if you ever want to talk about it..."
"I know, Mom. Thanks."
He ate quickly, eager to get outside. The walls of the house felt like they were closing in, the familiar surroundings now somehow foreign. As he stepped out into the crisp air, he took a deep breath, the scent of freshly cut grass filling his lungs.
He decided to take the long route to the basketball court, hoping the walk would help clear his mind. As he passed the old oak tree at the end of his street, he noticed the leaves flickering between green and gold, as if caught between seasons.
"That's... strange," he muttered.
He reached out to touch a leaf, and for a brief moment, his surroundings shimmered. Lines of code overlaid his vision—the tree, the sidewalk, even the air itself appeared as a complex web of symbols and numbers.
Aiden stumbled back, his heart racing. The world returned to normal, but the image was seared into his mind.
"What is happening to me?"
He heard the distant chirping of birds, but their songs were distorted, echoing like a glitching audio file. Shaking his head, he pressed on.
At the corner store, he went in to grab a bottle of water. The fluorescent lights inside hummed loudly, and the refrigerators vibrated with an unsettling frequency.
"Morning, Aiden," Mr. Patel greeted from behind the counter.
"Morning," Aiden replied, grabbing a bottle from the cooler.
As he paid, the cash register screen flickered, displaying random characters before returning to the total.
"Must be this old thing acting up again," Mr. Patel chuckled.
"Yeah, probably," Aiden said, trying to sound casual.
Stepping back outside, he squinted at the sky. The clouds moved unnaturally fast, and the sun seemed to glitch, momentarily splitting into two before merging back together.
"This can't be real," he whispered.
He considered calling Jake to cancel but decided against it. Maybe his friend could provide a sense of normality.
When he arrived at the basketball court, Jake was already there, shooting hoops.
"About time you showed up!" Jake called out with a grin.
"Yeah, sorry. Took the scenic route," Aiden replied.
They played for a while, the rhythmic bounce of the ball grounding Aiden. He began to relax, the earlier anomalies fading from immediate concern.
"You're off your game today," Jake teased after making an easy layup past him.
"Just distracted, I guess."
"Something you wanna talk about?"
Aiden hesitated. "Have you... noticed anything weird lately?"
"Weird like what?"
"Like things not working right. Glitches, I guess."
Jake laughed. "You mean like when my Xbox freezes in the middle of a match? All the time."
"Yeah, but not just electronics. Like reality glitches."
Jake gave him a curious look. "Dude, you binge-watching sci-fi again?"
Aiden sighed. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."
"Hey, I'm just messing with you. Seriously, what's up?"
Before he could answer, a sudden gust of wind swept across the court, carrying with it a flurry of leaves that swirled unnaturally around them.
"Whoa, where did that come from?" Jake exclaimed, shielding his eyes.
Aiden watched as the leaves moved in a perfect spiral, defying the chaotic nature of the wind. Within the swirling pattern, he glimpsed the same symbols from the book.
He reached out instinctively, and the leaves halted mid-air before gently floating to the ground.
"Okay, that was freaky," Jake said, looking unsettled.
Aiden forced a laugh. "Must be a mini-tornado or something."
"Yeah... maybe."
An awkward silence settled between them.
"Actually, I should probably head home," Aiden said abruptly.
"Already? We just got started."
"Sorry, I forgot I have this thing I need to do."
Jake looked at him with concern. "You sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, I'm good. I'll catch you later."
Aiden grabbed his backpack and hurried away, leaving Jake standing alone on the court.
As he walked, he could feel the energy around him intensifying. Streetlights flickered even though it was daytime, and snippets of conversations from passersby sounded warped, like a scratched record.
Desperate for answers, he found himself heading toward the only place that might offer some—a small, obscure shop on the edge of town called "The Byte."
The shop was known among local tech enthusiasts for its rare gadgets and obscure hardware. If anyone knew about strange glitches, it might be the owner, an eccentric man named Murphy.
A bell chimed as Aiden stepped inside, the scent of electronics and coffee filling the air.
"Well, this is a rare sight. Aiden, isn't it?" Murphy greeted from behind a cluttered counter.
"Hi, Murphy. I was wondering if I could ask you something."
"Sure thing. Looking for a vintage motherboard? Got some new ones in stock."
"Actually, it's about... glitches. In reality."
Murphy raised an eyebrow. "Glitches? You've piqued my interest."
Aiden glanced around to make sure they were alone. "I know it sounds crazy, but I've been seeing things. Like the world is... not functioning properly."
Murphy leaned in closer. "Go on."
"I saw code—actual code—overlaid on everything. And it's like I can affect it somehow."
Instead of laughing or dismissing him, Murphy nodded slowly. "I was wondering when you'd start noticing."
"You know what's happening to me?"
"To an extent. There are stories, whispers of people who can interact with the underlying structure of our reality. Most folks brush it off as conspiracy theories or sci-fi nonsense."
Aiden felt a glimmer of hope. "Do you know why it's happening?"
"I have my theories. Some believe that our world is a simulation, and certain individuals can manipulate its code. Kind of like hackers in a universal program."
"How do I control it? It's starting to freak me out."
Murphy scratched his beard thoughtfully. "Control comes with understanding. Maybe start by studying code—programming languages, algorithms. Bridge the gap between what you see and what you know."
Aiden considered this. "I found this old book with strange symbols. It reacts to me somehow."
"Sounds like you stumbled upon something special. Bring it by sometime; I'd love to take a look."
"Thanks, I might just do that."
As Aiden turned to leave, Murphy called after him. "Be careful, kid. Playing with the fabric of reality is risky business. Not everyone you'd meet shares good intentions."
Aiden nodded, the weight of the warning settling in.
Back on the street, he felt slightly more at ease. At least someone else acknowledged that what he was experiencing might be real.
On his way home, he decided to cut through the park. The afternoon sun cast long shadows, and the playground was nearly empty. As he walked past the swings, he heard a faint humming sound.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure sitting on a bench—a girl around his age, sketching in a notebook. Something about her seemed familiar.
He glanced at her drawing and noticed it was filled with symbols similar to those in his book.
She looked up and met his gaze. "Interesting, isn't it?"
"Excuse me?" Aiden replied.
"The patterns. The way they connect everything."
"You can see them too?"
She smiled softly. "More than see them. I can feel them."
"Who are you?"
"Name's Maya," she said, extending a hand.
"Aiden," he said, shaking her hand.
"I've been waiting to meet someone like you," Maya continued. "You're awakening."
"Awakening? You mean you know what's going on?"
"I've been through it. I can help you understand."
Relief washed over him. "That would be amazing. I feel like I'm losing my mind."
"You're not. There's so much to explain, but we have to be careful. Not everyone is friendly toward our kind."
"You mean like faceless figures? Dark entities?"
Her expression darkened. "So you've encountered them. They're called Nulls. They seek to suppress anomalies like us."
"Why?"
"They thrive on maintaining the status quo of the code. We're variables they can't control."
Aiden felt a chill. "How do we stop them?"
"By learning to harness your abilities. There's a place where others like us gather to train—a safe haven."
"Where is it?"
"I can take you there, but we need to move quickly. The more your powers manifest, the easier it is for them to track you."
He hesitated, but the urge for answers overshadowed his doubts. "Okay. Let's go."
As they left the park, Aiden couldn't shake the feeling that he was stepping deeper into a world from which there was no turning back. But with Maya's guidance, perhaps he could finally make sense of it all.
They walked in silence until they reached a discreet entrance tucked between two buildings. Symbols were etched above the doorframe, barely noticeable.
"This is it," Maya said, opening the door to reveal a dimly lit staircase leading underground.
Aiden took a deep breath. "After you."
As they descended, the air grew warmer, and the faint sounds of murmured conversations reached his ears. They emerged into a vast subterranean space filled with people, screens displaying streams of code, and holographic projections.
"Welcome to the Etheric Assembly," Maya announced.
Dozens of eyes turned toward them, and a tall figure stepped forward—a man with silver hair and an aura of authority.
"Maya, you've brought us a new Initiate," he said.
"Yes, Master Kael. This is Aiden."
Aiden felt a mix of awe and apprehension. "Uh, hi."
Kael regarded him with piercing eyes. "We've been expecting you."
"You have?"
"Your awakening has not gone unnoticed. There is much you need to learn, and time is of the essence."
Aiden glanced at Maya, who gave him an encouraging nod.
"Come," Kael said, turning away. "Your training begins now."
As Aiden followed, he felt a surge of determination. This was the start of a new chapter—one where he might finally understand his place in this coded reality.