Chapter 6
Souta's hand trembled as it brushed the surface of the orb. The moment his fingers made contact, a blinding light erupted. He groaned, shielding his eyes, the brightness almost unbearable. "Urghh..." he muttered, stumbling backward as the light washed over him.
Then, suddenly, it vanished.
He opened his eyes and found himself standing in an endless, blank space. The emptiness stretched in all directions, neither sky nor ground, only a void of pale white. And there, in the distance, he saw a familiar figure. His father.
"Dad!" Souta shouted, his voice echoing unnaturally through the void. He ran toward the figure, but as he did, the space around him folded in, closing shut like a curtain. Darkness swallowed everything.
Then, words appeared before him, floating in midair like glowing neon:
SYSTEM ACTIVE
Day 1
Souta blinked. He tried to speak, but no sound came out. He felt disoriented, his body heavy and unreal.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in his own room. The orb rested in his hand, its surface shimmering, black void now replaced with a crystal-blue glow, like fragments of the sky condensed into a sphere. Wisps of faint smoke rose from it, curling into the air.
"What... what is this?" Souta whispered, staring in disbelief. His hand felt warm from the orb's energy, and a strange, humming pulse thrummed against his skin.
A knock sounded at the door. "Souta, your friends Nao and Ryou are here," his mother called.
He quickly hid the orb under his pillow and straightened his shirt. "Wait, Mom," he murmured, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. He opened the door and descended to the first floor.
Nao immediately hugged him. "How are you now?" she asked softly.
"I'm... alright," Souta replied, forcing a smile. "Just a bit sad, that's all."
Ryou gave him a brief nod. "I hope you're okay. That's what matters."
His mother stepped forward, worry clear in her voice. "Have you eaten anything yet? I can make some afternoon snacks."
"Yes, please! Thank you," Ryou said immediately.
Nao elbowed him playfully. "Ryou!"
"I'm sorry about his behavior, Mrs. Ishikawa," Ryou added quickly.
Souta's mother waved it off with a warm smile. "It's fine. I'm baking anyway for the bakery."
While his mother prepared snacks in the kitchen, the three of them sat and talked. Ryou and Nao shared stories from school and life, but Souta's mind drifted. He kept thinking about the orb, the vision of his father, and the blank space he had seen.
Eventually, Nao and Ryou said their goodbyes, and Souta's mother returned to the bakery. The house felt quiet. Souta distracted himself with games, trying to push the strange events from his mind, until night fell. Exhaustion weighed on him, and he fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.
Hours later, he woke with a jolt. Pain throbbed through his body. "What... what is happening to me?" he muttered, panic rising. "Am I... in sleep paralysis?"
Suddenly, a glitchy, translucent screen appeared before his eyes, hovering in the air like a hologram.
"WHAT IS THIS?!" Souta shouted.
The system flickered, text rolling across it:
2:59 AM
FAILURE TO ROLL AN ABILITY WILL CAUSE DISTRACTION WARNING. WARNING.
Souta's heart raced. "What... am I dreaming?" he asked aloud. The warning repeated faintly in the background, like a hum he couldn't ignore.
A countdown appeared on the screen.
10 seconds remaining until 3:00 AM
9...
"WHAT?!" Souta yelled, panic rising.
8...
"I... I need to roll!" he shouted.
7...
He slammed his hands against the invisible air, trying to focus.
Then the system began rolling abilities:
1 in 65: Photographic Memory
1 in 15: Weak Regeneration
1 in 5: Enhanced Focus
Souta frowned. "Is this some kind of random roll? I've played games like this a hundred times... alright, what should I pick?"
The system's timer ticked down:
30 seconds remaining to choose an ability.
Souta tried to move, but his body felt heavy, almost frozen. "I... I can speak at least. Maybe I should pick Photographic Memory since it's the rare one," he muttered.
He pointed, selecting the option.
Congratulations! Ability acquired. Please click Apply.
Souta's fingers moved automatically, clicking the virtual button. A sudden warmth surged into his brain, spreading across his temples. Nausea flickered for a moment, but then it vanished. He felt... different. Stronger, sharper, as though his mind had opened.
Another line appeared on the screen:
3:00 AM
You have 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 48 seconds to choose another ability.
Souta blinked. "Wait... I can pick again? It's 3 AM? I thought the deadline was at midnight." He shrugged and rolled the abilities again.
The system displayed:
1 in 3: Basic Reflexes
1 in 25: Fast Learner
1 in 65: Photographic Memory
Souta's eyes widened. "Photographic Memory... again? That's... lucky, I guess. What happens if I choose it?"
Photographic Memory added to inventory.
Souta grinned faintly, relief washing over him. "So I have an inventory now, instead of just improving it... nice."
The system vanished as quickly as it appeared. Souta's chest heaved, his breath shallow and fast. "I... I can't believe this," he muttered to himself, leaning against the wall. "Is this even real... or am I dreaming?"
He lifted his hand and slapped himself across the cheek. Pain shot through his skin, sharp and undeniable. "Okay... okay, it's real. It's definitely real."
He rubbed his cheek, still trying to calm down. Then, a new worry struck him. "Wait... how do I even access it again? What's it even called? Do I... do I have to click something on my body? Bite it like... Titan? Or maybe swing into it like Spider-Man?!"
A small laugh escaped him, nervous and shaky. He pressed his face into his hands for a moment, trying to think. Then, suddenly, it clicked. "System... activate!" he said aloud.
Immediately, the interface appeared in front of him. Blue light shimmered faintly as panels floated in midair. He could see:
Rolls
Abilities
Inventory
Locked Area
Souta stared at the options in awe. He hesitated, then clicked on the locked area. Nothing. "Of course... locked," he muttered.
He frowned, staring at the remaining panels. "How do I even know all the abilities listed here? I can't see them all."
He clicked Rolls, and a small timer appeared. Numbers counted down, but no abilities rolled yet. He clicked Abilities, and only one ability was unlocked: Photographic Memory.
Checking his Inventory, he saw the ability listed once. He muttered to himself, "Okay... but what does this even do? I can't... I can't even use it yet."
Souta flopped back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. The room felt impossibly quiet, the kind of quiet that made his mind race. Darkness seemed to pool behind his eyelids.
And then a voice cut through the silence, soft yet clear:
"Souta..."
His eyes snapped open. For a moment, he froze, unsure if it had been real or imagined.
The next thing he knew, sunlight poured through his window. His alarm clock read 7:30 AM.
He bolted upright. "Saturday... thank God." His heart still pounded, but at least it was morning.
Souta's gaze fell to the bedside table and there it was. The crystal-blue orb, glowing faintly, resting where he had left it. His breath caught. He quickly hid it under a cloth, but curiosity gnawed at him.
"What even is this thing?" he muttered, gently tapping it. He tried to smash it, but it was impossibly hard, solid as stone. He frowned, then leaned over his laptop. Maybe...just maybe...he could find something online.
He typed: "Orb of Everything."
Zero results. Nothing. Not a single article, forum, or post. It was as if the world itself had no record of it.
Souta sank back into his chair, rubbing his face. "So... I have no clue what I'm dealing with. Great. Just... great."
He let the orb sit for now, moving it to a safer corner of the room. But the questions burned in his mind. Why did it speak to him? Why did he suddenly gain abilities? And... most importantly... what was it really capable of?
He sat quietly for a while, thinking, staring at the glowing crystal orb, its light reflecting off the walls. For the first time since his father's death, he felt the weight of responsibility press down on him. Whatever this orb was... it was dangerous. And it was now his.
To be continued...