I was on top of the world.
As the lead scientist of my own business, "Black Company," and a former multimillionaire at the tender age of fourteen, I felt unstoppable. My intellect had outpaced everyone I had ever met, and my genius had paved the way for technological breakthroughs the world had yet to fully comprehend. I had wealth, influence, and power—all of it earned through sheer intelligence and an iron will.
But that was before today.
Today, I stood before the doors of my laboratory, a place where only the brightest minds worked under me. They were the elite, the pinnacle of human ingenuity, each carefully chosen to assist me in revolutionizing the world. It should have been another day of progress, another step toward the future I was building.
Yet, as I opened the door, the acrid scent of iron filled my nostrils, and my breath hitched. My stomach churned, and the world seemed to tilt as my eyes took in the scene before me.
A massacre.
The greatest minds of my generation, my team—lay lifeless, strewn across the floor in a grotesque display of blood and ruin. Their bodies twisted unnaturally, faces frozen in expressions of terror and agony. Machines beeped their final sounds, screens flickered in and out, and overhead lights cast eerie shadows over the carnage.
My mind raced, depicting scenarios in my head, searching for answers. Who could have done this? How? Why? My heart pounded as I stepped forward, my breath shallow and erratic. Then, a voice—inhuman, vast, and filled with an authority beyond comprehension—broke through the silence.
"What does it mean to be human?"
The words vibrated through my very being, and I turned to face the source. A figure stood before me, devoid of features, its form a shifting void of blackness. It was humanoid in shape but utterly alien in presence. The very air around it seemed to bend, as if reality itself struggled to accommodate its existence.
"Who are you?" My voice was firm, but my hands trembled.
"A god. Or something close enough that your mind need not worry about the distinction."
My jaw clenched. This was beyond anything I had ever encountered. "Why? Why did you do this?"
The figure tilted its head as if considering. "Because I am curious. You see yourself as superior, a god among men. But tell me, what does it mean to be human?"
I opened my mouth, racing with theories, but before I could formulate an answer, the world exploded in pain.
A force, unseen yet undeniable, struck me. With all my deciphering mind I didn't even have time to react. My vision blurred, and an unbearable weight crushed me. My thoughts, usually so quick, felt sluggish. My limbs refused to move. A cold realization set in: I was dying.
"Pathetic," the figure said, disappointment dripping from its tone. "You couldn't even struggle."
And then, nothing.
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Undetermined Time Later..
Gasping, I jolted upright, my body drenched in sweat. My fingers clutched at my chest, but there was no wound, no pain. My heart pounded, my breath ragged but my mind stood firm, to it's best of ability making sense of what had just happened.
I was alive. But how?
I forced myself to focus, scanning my surroundings. I was in a bedroom my old bedroom. Yet, something felt... off. The air was different. The silence too deep.
Stumbling out of bed, I approached the mirror attached to the door. My reflection stared back, but it wasn't quite me. My golden-blond hair was flawless, my skin perfect, my deep blue eyes sharper than I had ever seen them before. I looked like an idealized version of myself without the countless hours of sleep missed and slightly younger maybe by a year.
No. This wasn't right.
I was dead. I had died I'm sure of it. And yet, I was here.
A new world? A second chance?
Whatever had happened, one thing was certain.
'I refused to die like cattle again' I thought, my eyes narrowing as I had already begun thinking of way to adjust to my new world.
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Luz's Pov
I drummed my fingers against my desk, my eyes flickering between the clock and the window. Summer break was finally starting soon. Not that it mattered much. It wasn't like I had any grand summer plans, no epic adventures or wild vacations. No, I had something far worse looming over me.
Reality Check Camp.
My mom who hadn't notice me walking in on her had been looking at the flyer just the other day. A summer camp designed to help kids like me—kids who were "too weird," kids who needed to learn how to be "normal." She hadn't said it outright, yet, but I knew what she was thinking. She wanted me to fit in, to stop embarrassing myself, to stop getting in trouble for the things that made me... well, me.
I sighed and slumped further into my seat as I overheard a few students talking nearby.
"Ugh, I can't wait for summer. Just one more week."
"Yeah, I'm heading to the beach with my cousins."
"My parents are making me go to some dumb summer camp. 'Reality Check' or whatever."
I tensed at that. So I wasn't the only one being forced into this nightmare. Not that it made me feel any better.
I glanced at my sketchbook, filled with doodles of fantasy creatures, witches, and worlds that only existed in my imagination. I wanted to be anywhere but here. Anywhere but stuck in a world that didn't understand me. A world that wanted to change me.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, I packed up my things and trudged out into the hallway. The other students moved in clusters, laughing and chatting with their friends. I walked alone, as usual.
Outcast. Weirdo. Dreamer.
Those were the words they used for me. But maybe, just maybe, I didn't belong in this world after all.
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Authors Note:
Not planning to actually write this quite yet since I have plenty of fics to write but heres and Idea and if you guys enjoy I may continue. Btw Ive heard other fic Idea and would love to make them as soon as I get the time!