“Sitting across from me, not in a chair like one would expect, but just hovering there, his feet a few inches off the ground, was a young, teenage boy. He was clothed in an exquisite black tuxedo paired with a silver tie, contrasting his hair which was just as neglected and long as mine, a mirror to a better, younger me. He sipped a small, white, porcelain cup of tea, which did not seem to have any tea in it, as far as I could tell. Below him was a shadow that seemed much darker than it should have been. The smoke had dissipated, having been slowly sucked inwards to the spot the boy now relaxed in. The gas had just disappeared immediately after touching a part of his body. In my state, still so shocked to the depth of my being, I had assumed him to be some higher power. He tipped his head to look at the floor. “No, no, of course I’m not God. How could I claim to be a concept so far beneath me?” He asked rhetorically, as if it was supposed to make perfect sense to me. I tapped him roughly on the shoulder a few times to see if my hand would pass through him; it did not, unfortunately, but he made no reaction to it.

  “Beneath you? Are you trying to say you’re above the concept of God itself? I mean, you’re a kid, no matter how you got in here and made me…see these things-that is you, right? You’re doing it? It’s sick to make me feel like that–How are you, you know, floating though? Optical illusion, or some shi-”

  “Well, it doesn’t concern you either way what I am, although you could refer to me as the system, even though I am merely something created by it just as you were. My form is merely a construct and I could be something else if you would prefer it. I do have to inform you, however, that this is real,” the ‘system’ interrupted harshly.

  “The fuck do you mean, by ‘this is real,’ do you think I’m that stupid? Are you working for them? Wait, are you trying to be like a genie in a bottle, light a cigarette with the lighter and I appear, and all that shit?” I retorted mockingly, regretting how I moments before had believed it wholeheartedly.

  “You should understand this already, apostle’s child. Think your father could use a bit more torment for not fulfilling his duty? I suppose it is hard enough to be of the lineage,” They queried, examining their fingernails for no apparent reason other than boredom. I remained too shocked to reply. “Either way, what if I had a way to stop you from continuing this cycle? Make it so you wouldn’t need to end your life just yet? Come on, don’t act like you aren’t interested…”

  Without warning or any wait for me to answer him, the world around me shifted. A cold, iron grip clamped down on my shoulder. My head whipped around, and what I saw made my heart freeze—a hand, inky black, clamped around me, its touch like ice against my skin. The hand was unnatural, frigid and inhuman, covered in skin that seemed to twist and coil like fabric, woven with dark spirals and intricate designs. A stark black star was centered on its back, bold and intimidating, like an emblem of national pride. That’s an actual fucking hand, touching my shoulder, grabbing me. What the literal hell…

  “At least take me out to dinner first…” I tried, hoping my voice sounded more confident than I felt. The hand’s grip tightened immediately, enough to pull a sharp yelp from me.

  And then I noticed—it wasn’t connected to any arm, any body. A disembodied hand was crushing my shoulder, bone grinding under the pressure, just managing to frighten me even more. Before I could think, the fingers dug deeper, twisting painfully, and I screamed as my shoulder popped out of place. I was being pulled backward, everything around me dissolving. My vision swirled, darkness clawing at the edges, until I could only shut my eyes. My ears popped, a sensation both disorienting and grounding, before I felt the distinct shift in air, finally daring to open my eyes.

  “Goodbyeeee!”

  Light flooded my vision—intense, bright, and unyielding. The room was blinding, like I’d been thrown under a spotlight, and I shielded my eyes with a trembling hand, squinting to take in my surroundings. A strange beige carpet stretched beneath my feet, thick and sweltering like layers of wool stacked and fused together. My feet sank slightly as if the floor would swallow me whole. I could…feel the carpet. Around me, bright, vibrant music played—something light, jazzy, the kind of music you’d hear in an elevator or a waiting room. The beat was slow, and I could almost feel my guard lowering against my will. Wherever I may be now, I could just feel that the boy was still there.

  “Before I ask where the fuck I am, what do you mean by torment? Are you legitimately the devil?! Is my dad in Hell?” I remembered briefly what I had wished him to do at one time, to be just there. “Oh shit, is that what he meant by you’ll be safe? Did he want me to die before ever seeing you?” I questioned, outraged at the very idea, but still not just a little unsure at how this boy got in and how he was hovering.

  “I have no memory of whatever conversation you speak of,” the system sighed. “I am but one appendage of the greater system, not the ‘devil,’ or whatever filth you humans have come up with,” he replied, as though that answered everything.

  “An appendage of what now? Wait… but you can actually torture my dead dad, though? I don’t know why I believe that but I’m so inclined as to doing so…And I’m a…what now?” The weight of the words hit me the moment they left my mouth, and I found myself in a state where belief came just a little easier than usual.

  Whatever its motivation may be, desperation drove me to speak, my voice trembling as I tried to sound as calm and respectful as possible. “I-I apologize for my earlier outburst! Is that what you’re upset about? I didn't mean to downplay the significance of the integration! What is the integration by the way?! Why are you here? Was the lighter that important?” For some reason, my panicked brain decided that using the poshest accent I could muster would help, as though formality would appease whatever was causing this. “Praise be to the…system?” I called out, my voice a little hoarse from the pain of an awful accent attempt. I curled back into a ball again fearfully, relieved but unbelievably stressed.

  “You confuse me, human. Still, good, good, you should be grateful for me clearing your status effects,” the boy intoned. His voice was childish but his demeanor certainly wasn’t. I muttered absentmindedly, unsure of what exactly I was saying, stomach churning with nerves, while scratching at my head and recovering from the shock of the pain. I can’t live without understanding what future lies ahead of me. I can’t live at all…but I might have to for a bit longer at this rate.

  I forced myself to look around, only to find myself in an eerily empty waiting room. The beige walls matched the carpet, bare and unembellished. Even the ceiling was the same shade, oppressive in its monotony. I was sitting on a stiff, mahogany chair with charcoal-colored cotton padding, rough and hastily sewn. I could feel the chair too, I felt it underneath me, I felt the cushions under my arms, and I kept feeling it when I patted it rapidly to check. When I looked back, I found that the boy, or system appendage as it had called itself, had gone.

  “Okay. Okay. Okay!” I exclaimed, my voice rising exponentially, coming out breathy and livid.

  I tapped my fingers on my pant leg, heart still racing, unsure of what might come next. Waiting felt like the one thing I could control, but I hated every second of it.

  “Is…is anyone there?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.

  I had to take a moment to get accustomed to how bright it was in here; though it was around the same as standard room temperature, the lighting was incredibly intense, as though I were under a stage light or much closer to the sun. Finally pushing past the brilliance and shielding my eyes with my palm, I was able to see just enough to view in front of me a few feet. The hand was gone, as if never there in the first place. The chair was comfortable, if a bit stiff. I tapped my fingers on my pant leg, waiting for something to happen. I was always waiting, or putting something off, because I never really had control in my life. But such was existence.

  “Is anyone there? If not, I might jus-” I asked again, more confidently now, not expecting an answer, which made it more surprising when I received one that stopped me short.

  “Kindly wait your turn. The system will be with you shortly.” The words crackled with an unpleasant static, as if being forced through a speaker just barely functional. My vision blurred slightly at the sharpness of the sound, and I shut my eyes again, wrapping my arms around my knees, seeking some shred of comfort in this place. I could pretend all I wanted, but I was anything but calm. Beneath my joking, beneath any attempts to sound casual, the reality was that I was terrified.

  The air felt stale and thick, each breath drawing in particles of dust as though the room had been abandoned for half a century. I could feel the edges of my mind drifting, my thoughts swirling between this disconcerting room and the bizarre situation I’d found myself in. I wondered if, in a place full of magic and monsters like the stories I’d read, maybe, just maybe, I’d find some meaning or connection, something to break through my endless isolation. I wondered if there was any point in hoping for change, in the midst of what seemed to be the most uncertain, twisted moment of my life.

  Everywhere I looked, the same beige walls greeted me, bare, devoid of personality. Even the ceiling, blank and uniform, matched the floor beneath my feet. There was no door, no means of escape. Just four blank walls, a suffocating sense of stillness, and that maddeningly repetitive tune echoing softly in the background. I thought about what was going to happen in the next 5 minutes. Whether I would live past it. Whether I wanted to live.

  I slammed my fists into the walls with anguish and distress, disheartenedly searching for anywhere I could escape from, any way out, yet none appeared to me, the walls only reverberating the shock back to my aching palms.

  What the boy had said about my ‘status effects’ must have referred to alcohol, tobacco, as well as pill consumption and pangs, since I felt the effect of none of them. I surrendered, falling back into my seat, back into place, where they wanted me to be. Eventually, I heard that same static and crackly voice again, though I had no idea what speaker it might be coming from. I hardly had any idea how much time was actually passing.

  “Thank you for your patience. The system will see you now.”

  I certainly hadn’t been patient, which I knew, yet immediately at the conclusion of the sentence from the speaker, I was in a different room, but with the same chair underneath me. I hugged myself to protect myself against a chilly draft in this new room, frost tingling my arms. Thankfully, it was darker, so I could see much more easily. The flooring was hardwood, like that of many apartments I had ‘enjoyed’ living in, the walls also seemed wooden, made of logs or thick branches, giving the whole environment a ‘cabin in the woods’ type of feeling. It was pleasant, even if it was chilly; I liked the cold a bit anyway, the air always feels fresher when cold in my opinion. Directly in front of me sat a wooden desk, the type you may see a teacher sitting at or maybe just one you would have in your bedroom. I never had a desk of my own but I’d certainly wanted one. I reached out to touch it and felt its base in reality as well; I could definitely feel the wood grain, right beneath my fingertips. So…I’m just here now. I might just actually just be here now, with a companion tagging along for a nice, friendly chat. A floating eyeball with no pupil, about the size of a fucking watermelon. The entire eyeball looked as if it were tattooed black, with intersecting lines of red and gold wrapping it like a cage.

  “Welcome, welcome! Greetings, mortal! I am glad you could see me on such short notice!” The voice echoed directly inside my head, an enthusiastic yet still…emotionless, static tone that made my skin crawl.

  “What…are you? Where am I” The question left my lips in a low murmur, more a reaction than a request, as I grappled with the absurdity of what I was facing. I didn’t jump quite yet, I’d experienced enough horror to not be as scared quite as easily. “More importantly—how can you speak? You’re an eyeball. But then again, here I am, in a cabin, who knows where.” My mind flooded with questions, too many to articulate, my voice failing to mask the edge of desperation.

  “All will be answered in due time, though time is something you lack. You have ten minutes to ask questions and make your selections,” it intoned, the detached tone adding to my rising anxiety.

  “Alright…Could you please answer those then?”

  "Of course, of course, my friend. As an omnipotent and omniscient being, I am capable of creating temporary forms and voices to communicate with enlightened species across the multiverse." The voice continued to resonate in my head, mechanical yet disturbingly clear, as though it bypassed my ears entirely.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Fine, you’re so strong, huh? Fix me up here then. Can you?” I begged, pointing urgently at my head.

  “I have no reason to help you in such a way, to show such favoritism, nor am I sure exactly what you refer to. I can give you the option to solve it yourself if you so wish, however.” I wasn’t sure how exactly to respond, since I had no idea what would be an adequate rebuttal.

  "Since you’re likely about to ask what ‘enlightened’ refers to, I’ll clarify. It encompasses those species with a heightened intelligence compared to others, those capable of grasping larger realities and influencing their own path. Typically, they possess qualities that allow them to impact multiversal structure in more meaningful ways." The eyeball informed me.

  I struggled to process this flood of information, my head throbbing. "So…you’re suggesting other life exists? Aliens? Are you an alien?" My mouth was dry, ignoring any reality that I’d drank water just before.

  "You would, technically, be considered an 'alien' to many others. And yes, many forms of life exist beyond your world—including others of your species." There was a pause, a stillness in the air before it continued. "However, much of what you may ask is forbidden for you to remember afterward. The purpose of this conversation is not to fill you with knowledge but to guide your upcoming choices. All enlightened species undergo similar encounters, though they seldom retain details beyond instinctive impressions. Even in that, I suppose that I must have messed up this encounter. You likely saw a different form of me back at your place of origin which caused this confusion."

  I nodded slowly, trying to absorb this bizarre revelation. "I see…sort of? You’re the same thing as that kid? So…what about the other questions I asked in the beginning?"

  “I can speak because, simply, I can do anything. If I felt like it, you would be dead now, and while you have aggravated the greater hivemind by referring to this as but a figment of your imagination, you repented quickly enough. And this place you’re seeing? It’s a temporary construct shaped to fit what most relaxes you, to ease and clear your mind in preparation for the choices ahead. Now, if you’re out of questions, we’ll proceed to your selections. Just 8 minutes remain, so answer quickly, without hesitation. There aren’t that many, if that’s what worries you.”

  I blinked, taken aback. "Wait—no. I think I have more questions, actually."

  The being seemed to emit a sigh, almost bored, more true emotion than it had shown up to now. "Then ask them, young one."

  “Do you want to wipe us out? As a species?”

  “No, although few of the original organisms on your planet will survive much longer.”

  I swallowed, choosing my words carefully. "So…is this it? Has all of humanity, all of Earth’s history…just led up to this—this mass extinction event?"

  "Indeed, I suppose. Human history on Earth has culminated in this trial, although knowledge you hold of what is to come is only in fragments compared to what is true. You could consider it an extinction event, as many will be unable to survive it. I must separate those capable of handling the next stages by assigning tests to weed out the unfit. Surely, you can understand that much. Yes? Great. Soon, teleportation points will appear across your planet, and the planet will be adjusted to suit stronger beings by absorbing nearby planetary objects devoid of life. Those unable to reach these points, due to lack of physical capability or otherwise, will be deemed unworthy and will perish. Exceptions may be granted to those with extraordinary potential."

  The words fell heavily between us, like stones tossed into a vast chasm. As the being continued speaking, it shifted, the eye bobbing slightly on the desk before it flopped down, a wet thud echoing as thick, iridescent slime oozed out, leaving a glistening trail. It rolled toward me with a peculiar, lazy purpose, dragging itself closer as though to emphasize each phrase.

  My throat tightened, the horror of the situation sinking in. "Why are you doing this to us?" I burst out, voice strained. "We were fine on our own—who gave you the right?"

  A pause lingered in the air, the eyeball’s form pulsating as if it were considering my words. When it responded, its tone was maddeningly calm, indifferent. "You are insignificant. A collection of matter arranged by forces far greater than you, subject to the will of those who wield true power."

  My throat constricted painfully, as though some unseen hand had seized it, forcing a painful, splintering semi-repetition of its words. "I…am…noth-noth—nothing." Blood trickled down my lips yet again, the metallic taste flooding my mouth, and I could feel it slipping down my chin.

  "I am…at the—whims…of you," I croaked, words scraping out like broken glass, my entire body rebelling at each syllable. More blood trickled from my mouth as I forced the final line. "I am at the will of anything greater than myself." Strangely, these last words rolled out almost easily in comparison, a bitter familiarity coating them as I realized they echoed my own sense of smallness in this monstrous multiverse.

  "Good," it hummed, a note of approval in its voice, "you understand. Five minutes remain." How was time passing so quickly?

  A faint anger sparked in me, and through the haze of pain, I managed to snap, "Why do you use our measurements? Surely there are units beyond our limited framework—"

  "You’ve learned nothing, I try to accommodate and you underappreciate." it snapped, louder this time, a harsh resonance in my skull, forcing another round of painful, forced repetition.

  "I am nothing. I am at the whims of you. I am at the will of anything greater than myself," I chanted, the sentences flowing almost easily now, as though my resistance had drained away. The eyeball seemed to recognize this, and suddenly, a lurching sensation overtook me as I was flung upward, finding myself…on the ceiling? My body shuddered as gravity tore me down again, slamming my head against the hardwood below, the pain detonating through my skull. Before I could process it, I was suddenly yanked sideways, pinned against the left wall, then the right, then the ceiling again, before crashing back into my seat. I felt a strong pressure on the front of my throat.

  I heaved forward, my stomach finally surrendering as I hurled onto the floor, the bitter bile stinging. I made no move to clean up or wipe my mouth; there was no point in trying to hang on to dignity in front of this thing.

  “What would you like your starting location to be, assuming survival past my weeding out of the weak?” It asked. I was just barely able to register its words before responding.

  “Can I…have some options? Please? System overlord?”

  Another screen appeared before me:

  [Pick your starting location:

  1: Randomize

  2: Earth (Home Planet)

  3: (Choose from planets with life within your universe)

  4: (Choose from planets without life within your universe)

  5: (Choose from planets outside your universe)]

  “Thank you…Option 2, I gue–”

  “Would you like to maintain your current race, then?”

  “Do you mean species or like White, Asian, l-”

  “It isn’t even worth asking you the questions if you’re going to require these notifications. It should be rather self explanatory.”

  [Would you like to maintain your current race?

  1: Stay as the same race

  2: (Choose from a list of all races)

  3: Randomize]

  “Option 1, then?”

  [Your mind is corrupted. Would you like to facilitate a mental purge later on?

  Option 1: Yes.

  Option 2: No.]

  Option 1.

  [Based on your choices, you may qualify for Championship - becoming the champion of a deity in this current round of Deific Toss-Up. Would you like to apply? Note: This does not guarantee championship nor does it disqualify you if purposefully selected.

  Option 1: Yes.

  Option 2: No.]

  Option 2. The blue screens finally dissipated, letting me see the eyeball once more, who was at present plopped in a chair at the other end of the desk that wasn’t there before, slimy goo coating the cushions like plastic casing.

  “Thank you, and goodbye...That is all…Take care…Or not.”

  When the voice trailed off, I was back in my apartment, at the same spot. I clung to the recollection of what had happened before it faded, piece by piece, until I was at the same spot as before, feeling as though nothing had happened after the little boy had been there; Besides my ears being popped of course. It was interesting that my ears had popped randomly, but I chalked it up to mild sickness or possibly just surprise? Was that a thing? Another punishment from the system for downplaying the integration? An aftereffect? Whatever it might be…it was irrelevant.

  Something else felt different though…I definitely felt more obedient than ever before to the system, and more believing of the reality of this, but that would fall away soon enough, I was sure; With just a bit more resolve to follow through with what it had in store for me and a bit more fear for my life. I also didn’t feel under the effects of the alcohol I had drunk before, which made my bad decision making more my fault than anything else.

  Another screen popped up in front of me, irritating as ever. I couldn’t help but hope something exciting would happen soon, though. I was desperate for action. My body trembled with restlessness, craving movement, craving anything to break the monotony. I’m an apostle of God, after all, they had come in person to contact me. Was I about to be whisked away to some fantasy world? Face off with a dragon, save a princess? I wouldn’t mind—well, actually, I would. It wouldn’t exactly be easy to fend off a massive lizard with wings that can breathe scorching flames.

  [Your body is now undergoing core adjustments to attune you to the system. Please wait as these changes and full planetary adjustments may take several hours.]

  I read the message over several times, each pass bringing a growing sense of disappointment. I’d hoped for something more, but that seemed good either way. Stretching my arms out in front of me, I locked my fingers together and gave a long, slow yawn. A few faint cracks sounded from my knuckles before I let my arms drop back, relaxing once more.

  “Maybe I should, like, clean this up,” I murmured, my gaze falling on the watery blood still smeared across the floor, slowly dripping down and staining it with dark red splotches. I really should reset myself of my old habits and deal with the mess, rather than putting it off like I usually do, even if it wasn’t all that urgent. New world, new me, after all. Maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe habits never die. Maybe possessions would be meaningless in whatever new world I was about to get myself into.

  “Or… I could go outside,” I mused aloud, shifting my weight slightly as the thought hung there, half-formed. “Would there be a Hydra? A Minotaur? Maybe a gun pointed at me?” My voice dropped into a dry chuckle. “Or something stronger, knowing my luck…”

  My thoughts wandered elsewhere. I began to dwell on the fact that maybe, just maybe, somehow, this was happening, the world was over, that I could…My thoughts kept wandering, meandering in a strange path that even I couldn’t determine the direction of.

  As abruptly and inexplicably as everything else tonight, the countertop in front of me began to disintegrate. It didn’t crack or crumble—it simply started to fade, the surface dissolving from the top down in an eerily slow progression. Pieces of it seemed to flicker out of existence like a glitching image, leaving behind only a small heap of dark ash that settled softly onto the floor.

  Before I could fully process the sight, the ash followed suit, vanishing into thin air as though it had never been…Not a single trace remained. My stomach twisted with unease, the room suddenly feeling far less solid than it had moments ago, the floor feeling as if it might fall out from under me at any moment.

  Spinning around so fast that I almost tripped over my own foot, nearly wrenching my neck in the process, I saw something alarming: my entire apartment was completely empty. Everything—every single item I owned—was gone. Only the floor, ceiling, walls, and lights remained. Well, that was before the floor started to disappear too. And the walls. And, eventually, everything else. Just…no longer in this plane of existence.

  I clung to the light fixture, having jumped up to it in horror, only for it to dissolve in my hands. I fell. And fell. And fell some more. I shouted. And screamed. And fought with myself to not leave my insides somewhere else–my throat oddly hurt a bit already.

  Before I could fully grasp what was happening, my tailbone slammed into something hard—rocks. Jagged, uneven rocks that sent a sharp pain shooting up my spine. I winced, rubbing my sore backside, and for a brief moment, I wondered if I'd broken something. At the same time, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed, thinking about how I must’ve looked—some fool who had fallen out of the sky, now sitting on the ground, clutching his aching rear. On second thought, probably nothing broken but likely some bruising was there.

  There definitely hadn’t been any rocks here before, just cracked old pavement, and sure, the building resting atop it was dilapidated enough to almost resemble rubble, but it wasn’t this. Not jagged, uneven stones jutting out of the ground like they’d erupted from the earth itself.

  I crouched to inspect the area, brushing my fingers lightly against the rough surface of one stone. The texture was real, cold and grainy beneath my touch, as if it had been here for centuries rather than minutes. My eyes darted in every direction, scanning for some sign of why or how this bizarre transformation had taken place. Was this another one of the system’s tricks? A petty jab at my earlier comment, maybe, or just another inexplicable shift in the world around me?

  Even if it may have resembled rocks in its sorry state, it wasn’t…this. I decided to investigate, looking around in any direction I could to find why this dramatic change had happened, or if the system just wanted to play a trick on me again for my earlier comment.

  [Planets with life have consumed nearby planets and minor planetary objects excluding moons without life within their respective solar systems. Layouts have been meticulously adjusted to accommodate the new configurations. Towering structures have either been leveled to the ground or completely obliterated. Attunement processes of enlightened races are nearing their final stages. Illicit knowledge obtained from external sources prior to integration will be swiftly and efficiently purged. Enlightened races have been scattered at random throughout their improved planets.]”