As Ezra stared at the old creepy box, he couldn't help but question his life choices up until now. He had done a lot of stupid things but this, this took the crown.
He sighed and picked up the box that was about the size of a big book and shook it aggressively, something heavy tumbled inside.
"Seems like it isn't empty at least… I would have to force it open" he examined the small padlock on the black wooden box and sighed.
He couldn't believe he was actually doing what he was doing right now. He had gotten the box from a mysterious guy online.
The guy had contacted him privately after he had playfully posted about wanting to give up everything and start a new life in a new world, actually it wasn't really much of a joke since his present life was extremely pathetic.
He was currently 29 years old, and still staying with his father. A college drop out that couldn't get any job, spending most of his time watching anime and reading manga. He is what some would call the textbook definition of a failure.
Ezra wasn't always like this but after the death of his mother it really knocked him off course, and now he couldn't even recognize himself.
Everyday felt repetitive and empty with the only thing giving him any form of pleasure was the fantasy world in the books and manga he read.
He reached for the hammer beside the scattered comic books.
'I wonder what's inside'
He knew there was no way this could be real but he was still curious why someone would go this far for a prank. At first he thought maybe the mystery man wanted money but all he asked for was his location and that same night this box was left outside his front door.
Hitting it with all his might three times was all it took to destroy the padlock. His father worked the night shift on this particular night, so he didn't have to worry about the sound drawing any attention.
As the lock fell to the floor, he felt a rush of anticipation and a little fear.
"What if it's a bomb?"
He tried guessing, but he knew there was no way a bomb could fit this box… right?
He exhaled and flipped open the lid.
The moment he did that his eyes widened as he stared at the revolver sitting on a white envelope.
His mind was filled with dread,
"It-it's a gun!" He picked it up and judging by the weight it wasn't fake.
His breathing became short and uneven as he considered the meaning of this.
He was fairly smart so his first thought was that he was being framed. He quickly tossed it back into the box and then rushed to the window to see if there was anyone watching him.
"Fuck!... I already touched it,"
He rushed back to the gun and wiped off his prints using his shirt, but what was the use, if the police were to burst in right now and find a gun in his house it wouldn't matter if his prints were still on it. If this gun had been used in committing some kind of horrible crime and it was found with him that would be all the evidence they would need.
'wait… I still I have the chats'
When he opened his messages all their previous messages had disappeared and there was only one left.
"Once the seal has been broken there is no going back"
His mind sank.
He sent a few messages threatening the mysterious person but there was no reply. By now beads of sweat had gathered on his face.
"I'm sure the police can restore the messages… everything will be fine" he tried to reassure himself but with the way he shivered, it was obvious he didn't believe a word he said.
After almost an hour of hiding under the table and waiting, nothing had happened.
He crawled out and once again checked the window before returning to the box.
'maybe I still have some time'
He hesitantly opened the box, he couldn't just leave it here until someone came for it.
Even if Ezra hadn't handled a gun before it wasn't difficult to open the bullet chamber. There was only one bullet left.
'So it really is a real gun' he confirmed and placed it on the floor before picking up the envelope.
It had a violet wax seal with a weird symbol on it. It looked like a closed eyelid, with a swirling eclipse surrounding the eye. The deep violet hue gave it an otherworldly glow. The seal was ominous in every way forcing Ezra to hesitate for a moment.
In that moment he remembered the last message the mysterious person sent.
"I have to see what is written here, it might help me understand the situation… or I can just go out and bury the gun"
He pondered on it for a few seconds before asking himself what exactly he was afraid of, there's no way breaking a seal could harm him.
"Fuck it"
He broke the seal and opened the envelope. The lights flickered a bit, casting an eerie atmosphere in the room.
He paused before reading the content,
"Faith, faith in the unknown, A true believer shall sacrifice that which cannot be replaced, I give my life to the first light that burns for all eternity"
There was silence as Ezra finished reading the short letter.
Ezra chuckled, slowly grasping the content of the letter.
"What the hell,"
The chuckle soon turned to heavy laughter.
"This- this is priceless, they expect me to kill myself?" He laughed even harder before tossing the letter aside.
"Who the hell would think of something so stupid,"
Suddenly a loud voice commanded in his mind
'DO IT!'