In a world of pervading void, an emptiness paradoxical in its very existence, an ethereal figure emerged. Another followed, just as silently.
"Who was that boy, Askriel?"
The question had no origin, yet it rippled through the endless dark.
"Why does he know so much? He seems ordinary, but his mortal shell does not deceive me, Askriel."
"Durtenell, do not waste breath on trifles," came the second voice; calm, absolute, resonant. "He is a boy–special, yes, but irrelevant to the verdict of the Pantheon. Permanence takes effect immediately. The choices are made. We merely oversee and oversee we shall merely do…"
Their presences ebbed away, leaving the void to fold into itself once more.
*****
It was another dull night. Andrew, sprawled on his narrow bed in a cramped apartment, scrolled through the Net as if it were the only thing keeping him tethered to existence. It had long become a ritual; his escape, his habit, his numbing comfort.
The dim glow of his phone was the room's lone source of light, cutting through shadows thick with quiet melancholia.
His thumb froze on the next video. Nothing special at first glance, yet strangely captivating: a slideshow about abilities.
For someone like Andrew–obsessed with fantasy, desperate to forget reality–it was exactly the kind of distraction he welcomed.
< Regeneration
Flight
Summoning
Nullification
Absorption
Copycat
Shapeshifting
Adaption
Self-Causality Manipulation
Enhancement
Pyrokinesis
Visionary
Rift
Clairvoyant
Negation
Remember… only two. Choose wisely, O chosen one.>>
Andrew leaned closer, intrigued. Normally, this kind of post was just background noise, but there was… something. A tone beneath the words that amused him.
Eager, he swiped. This slide detailed each ability's limitations:
< Regeneration – Requires conscious control.
Flight – No limitations.
Summoning – Must remain within reality's framework.
Nullification – Works only against abilities.
Absorption – Three uses only.
Copycat – Ten percent success rate.
Shapeshifting – Only into creatures at least 100kg heavier or 20kg lighter.
Adaption – Unpredictable. Caution advised.
Self-Causality Manipulation – "The strings of fate begin to weave around you. How audacious you were…"
Enhancement – "Remember your humanity."
Pyrokinesis – Range limited to one kilometer.
Visionary – Requires Self-Causality Manipulation.
Rift – Five percent failure chance.
Clairvoyant – Only fragmented glimpses of the future.
Negation – Cancels your other power as well.
Choose with caution. The next slide contains passive traits.>>
Andrew's interest grew, fed by the bitterness of his day: the scolding at work, the girl he'd hoped for walking by with someone else, the rent looming unpaid, the guilt of postponing his visit to his ailing grandmother... the only family he had.
Three heartbreaks this month… not their fault, just mine for falling for the wrong people. Tiring. At least I'm not suicidal… hahaha.
The laugh never touched his face. His expression stayed flat, the bearing of a man already hollow.
And so, once more, he sank deeper into fantasy.
< Fated – Fortune or misfortune. Both belong to you.
Random increment (all stats) – May be minor, may be drastic.
Random increment (reflexes) – May be minor, may be drastic.
Tailored Equipment – Crafted to aid your chosen powers.
Sacrifice – At the end, you will burn brighter than the sun.
Corruption – God's power invites God's madness.
Rebirth – One use.
Now, decide, chosen one… the horizon stares back at you.>>
'Interesting,' Andrew mused, massaging his temple. 'What's my choice? Decisions, decisions…'
For a moment, he even forgot it was a slideshow. The gravity of it drew him in.
Still, after minutes of deliberation, he smirked. Why the hell am I stressing over this?
He tapped the comments, eager to see others' opinions. Thousands of them. Paragraphs upon paragraphs of strangers arguing their case, dissecting combinations with the fervor of philosophers.
Andrew chuckled. Humans and their endless opinions…
*****
@Fraggydrew: Personally, I would say the Copycat and Enhancement are one of the best choices here, if not the best. Just think about it, despite the limitation of Copycat that makes the success rate only ten percent, there is no cool down time for every activation… so, that means you can technically spam it with a single moment. They might as well not have placed the limitations. As for Enhancement, obviously, this is meant to serve as an utility ability. No thorough limitations were given to Enhancement, my dear people, we aren't limited to enhancing the physical body nor other physical things… we can also enhance abstractions, my dear brethrens… What better combination could there possibly be? Enhancement is already overpowered on its own due to the lack of any limitations–a warning can't be considered a limitation, obviously–and you still have Copycat to copy anything… not just abilities, anything… Hahahahaha, before me, no abilities shall experience a lousy usage. I shall use you to the maximum potential. As for the passive traits, Sacrifice isn't an option for me, let's see…Hmmmmm, Tailored Equipment. All the other options are either filled with uncertainty or ain't even worth it. Thanks for reading. Hahahaha
Andrew took his hand away from his temple and placed it entirely on his forehead, partially obstructing his own vision.
'So much thought process into such a simple matter… But they are making a valid point, to be honest. What other combination out here can give Fraggydrew a run for his money? There are potentially a lot considering the amount of comments here… Let's see who else can make a solid point.' Andrew took his hand from his forehead and began scrolling through the comments section.
The most comments he saw were merely people choosing their own abilities and traits, no essay, just a choice.
@Dersght: Flight, Enhancement and Random increment on all stats. Hmm🤔, I chose randomly.
@Sgtyh3456245gg: Regeneration, Rift and Random increment to reflexes. I'd be a headache to fight😂
@Dragonbeater: Pyrikinesis, Summoning and Corruption. Don't ask questions. These are my choices😌
Andrew continued to read several more comments like these for a couple minutes straight and he was already beginning to feel bored. He was ready to make his choice when he came across a rather interesting comment.
@Venerable_Uranus: Understandable that y'all are making the choices you are making, in fact, no matter what manner you look at these combinations of abilities, it does always seem to make the user overpowered. In this thorough randomness, there seems to be a vague fairness. All powers seem to be balanced… Hmmmm, what should I choose? Visionary would have been an enticing choice but its limitation being Self-Casuality Manipulation is a true limitation. Y'all don't seem to notice the fact that Self-Casuality Manipulation has one of the worst limitations out of all the abilities. You quite literally become a thrall of fate, an apparition that knows nothing but the verdicts of fate. No free will. You become nothing. I feel like it's better to choose other abilities, at least, you'd still retain your individuality. Sincerely, Visionary is a broken ability, nigh-reality warping is what we are talking about here, guys… unfortunately, the trade-off is something terrible too. So, my choice would certainly be Enhancement, Adaption and Tailored Equipment. Yeah, I'm aware of the risks of Adaption but at least, I know that I might still remain myself unlike with Visionary and Self-Casuality Manipulation.
Andrew finished reading and fell into a short contemplation before clicking on the replies of the comment that @Venerable_Uranus made. There were over thirty under it.
@gigglefiller: Bro, chill! This is a random post. What's all these paragraphs? Bruh😭, just make your choice and move on.
@Demarcus16: Reasonable actually. I would have gone for Visionary, unfortunately, it's paired with terrible limitation. I chose Negation and Summoning… oh yeah, and Random increment on all stats.
So many similar comments was all there was in there. After some minutes Andrew decided that he wasn't that interested anymore. This was his problem. Nothing ever caught his interest for a long time, always so short.
*****
Finally, after scrolling long enough, Andrew sighed, typed his own answer, and sent it off.
The hollow silence returned.
Bored again. Always bored.
And then, his phone rang.
An unknown number.
Andrew froze, staring at it. His silvery-grey pupils glinted in the phone's glow. His pale face and long grey hair lent him a ghostly aspect–just as people had mocked back in school.
Nineteen years old. Nowhere in life. And yet… someone was calling him at this hour.
He hesitated, then accepted.
A voice thundered through immediately; vast, commanding, searing into his thoughts.
"EVENING, CHOSEN. YOUR DECISION HAS BEEN JUDGED BY THE SUPREME PANTHEON. FROM THIS MOMENT, ANDREW STARFIELD, YOU BEAR THE MANTLE OF A GOD. REJOICE, FOR YOU ARE NO LONGER MORTAL!"
"…Huh?"
It was all he could say, that was all anyone would say in his position.