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The Stargiven Gift (Chapter 4 Added)


Balancer

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Hey folks, this is something new I will be working on. I hope you'll appreciate it as I aim it to be a slow-burn kind of story :)

Chapter 1

“Wow Jon, look at these gains! You must be killing it!” Jack cheers me on as a smug smile falls over my face. I know I am in fact killing it, and with a swift tap of my fingers, the [Slithering Wyvern] finally falls, disintegrating into crystals and coin for my character to collect. I hear the thunderous cheer of my friends online, with Jack being one of the loudest. He is one of my best friends, and he never loses the chance to lift my spirits. The VR headset buzzes around my head, downloading data into its local files.

“Hey guys, you mind if I log out for the day? My eyes are burning from our previous session,” I try to hide a yawn, but it’s impossible. We were playing non-stop together for the past weeks, in order to make most of the free time we had before our first years in college began and we lost touch with each other. It was always just our little band of nerds versus the rest of the world.

The guys agree, although I hear their disappointment. I am after all the best player in The Tether Online, at least in our low-ranking guild. Nevertheless, we love the game and we have spent so much time (and money) on it that we don’t care about being the best, just that we can continue having fun on it.

Before I leave, Jack screams at me to not forget our online meteor shower watch. “Dude, it only happens every two thousand years! Heck, ancient civilizations witnessed the same event all these aeons ago! Entire crews will be observing it online, we’ve got to see it too! Too bad that you can’t join us today to watch the preliminary shower today, some scientists say that it will be-” he shrieks from the inside of the headset, and I cringe at the volume of his voice, so I lower it a bit.

“Calm down, buddy. Isn’t it tomorrow? We will watch it together then, but I have to go now! I haven’t gotten grocery shopping yet, and you know how my dad goes if there aren’t any cheese in the house,” I shoot a quick excuse, and I turn the headset off before I throw it to my bed. I take a good peek outside the window, and a pitch-black sky stares back.

Once again, I lost track of time. The perils of being a game addict, I guess. I quickly stumble outside my room, located in the attic, and grab my yellow coat before exciting my parents house. As always, they have taken the Friday night as a romantic getaway and I don’t blame them. The old crones need some time on their own, and I don’t mind the extra freedom of ordering takeaway and playing with my friends all night.

Our house is located on a clearing deep inside the forest, surrounded my pine and oak trees. My parents had specifically chosen this location for its ‘air quality’ although I’m pretty sure they preferred the secluded nature of the place. That also meant that the nearest mini-market was at least two miles away, which made me wish I had taken these driving lessons in the past summer. Alas, I spent every day playing with my friends and so I grab my trusty bike and hop on.

I wonder if I can squeeze in some lessons between this last week and fresher’s week in the university.

The ride through the forest always managed to calm me down, along with the sounds of the cicadas and the night birds happily chirping away. Although for some reason, it is dead silent today. Not a cause of concern I say to myself as summer is ending after all.

As I drift into the outer region of the forest, I can’t help but think about me and my friends, and how our new lives are approaching in their distance. Each one of us will be going to different universities and we won’t meet again until next summer. We had been through so much together, be it the constant terrorizing from the pieces of crap ‘athletes’ in our local school or the ostracization of all the popular kids that didn’t have anything better to do with their time other than pick on us.

I do admit that I’m not the strongest-looking guy out there. At 5’9 and a soaking wet 150 lbs, I was unfortunately the tallest person in our group. Jack was a tiny 5’5 and stood at 130 lbs and the rest of our group was similar, both in terms of height and weight. I didn’t have any significant physical characteristics that would distinguish me from the rest of the crowd, with black hair and black eyes and a tendency to droop my shoulders down to make myself look smaller and less of a target. Jack on the other hand, was a real looker. With vibrant blue eyes and golden blond hair, he had the face of a slightly underfed model. However, he was deeply insecure about his height and his lack of strength and so he’d never take a chance with anyone in the school. He instead chose to hang out with us, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Needless to say, I was not looking forward from being separated with my friends. After all, there was strength in numbers, and now that I would be alone at the state university, I didn’t want to be the odd one out, the black sheep with no redeeming quality about himself.

Well, I was good at maths and intuitive thinking, but that was about it. It surely helped in calculating the exact amount of damage you could do to the boss before he changed modes and patterns, but who would care about that in the future parties that I would never be invited to? It also didn’t help that I was deeply attracted to guys, and not being out to my family made everything slightly worse.

I was so invested into my dark thinking that I did not notice a light shining on me.

…A light?

That’s when I looked up.

The entire sky was ablaze with fire. Massive, comet sized objects were splintering themselves on the horizon, slowly but surely coming closer and closer. A deep rumbling was beginning to echo all around me, as if the earth itself was crumbling under its weight. The alien lights grew brighter and brighter as they rampaged closer to the forest. All around me, birds started flying away in primal fear and the forest came into life, with all the cicadas singing their terrible song. Shocked from the explosions of light happening right just above my head, I awkwardly landed my bike into a nearby tree and with a pathetic squeal, I was flung down to the dirty ground.

“MOTHERF-!” I screamed at the pain radiating all around my feet and hands as they got scratched by the gravel below me, but I didn’t even have time to think as the lights above me grew stronger. The black night turned into day right in front of my eyes and a blinding white… presence now encompassed the entire sky. Azure bolts of cracking energy were cast mere feet await before me and all the hairs in my body stood in full attention.

So this is how you die! I heard my brain laugh in shock and awe. Getting PULVERIZED by a literal METEOR!

The light just grew and grew, taking an orange hue as it finally breached the atmosphere and barreled towards me like a gargantuan boulder made of stars and rock.

“OH FUUUU-“ I managed to scream just before the orange light engulfed me and everything turned black.

***

I advise you to be wary. Learn from the mistakes conducted by the past holders and do not repeat them. For all the power you can instill to your chosen while they are impressionable, there are always those who will take advantage of you. There will always be those rare few who see through your manipulation. Those who will take the power you so gracefully grant on them can always turn their backs on you. Remember this well: A man is still a man, regardless of their smile on their face, of their beauty, of their brawn. The power which flows into them, can easily fly in a different direction.

Your greatest weapon will be your greatest liability.

Remember this, Jon.

***

I woke up a few hours later in the middle of the road. The forest was once again soundless, and the sky was brightening up by the dawn of the sun.

What... what just happened? Did I get hit by something? That… light. HOLY SHIT WHAT WAS THAT?

I scanned my surroundings. Next to me stood my wrecked bike, its one wheel having bent in an unnatural way. The low grass around me appeared orange and brittle, as if it had been scorched by a fire of some sorts. My head felt dizzy, and my body ached in pain, and I did my best to hold my lunch in my stomach. I barely found the power to get my phone from my pocket to call for help, but I soon found out that it had been completely fried. It was hot in the touch, and it wouldn’t even turn on.

I felt my breath quicken and my back sweat. “Hello? Is someone out there?” I shouted at the quiet forest, and nobody answered back.

Of course. I… I just fell from my bike and hit my head. That’s it. Nothing else. No aliens. No light.

Then… then why did my palm burn so much? As I slowly opened it, I found myself staring at a single orange stone. Its colour was so vibrant, so unique that it could not have belonged in this world. It glowed with an inner auburn light, humming with the same rate as my heartbeat. It was so warm to the touch and as I moved it closer to my eyes, it grew warmer. I stared at this beautiful piece of cut stone, enthralled by the aura it excluded.

A nearby screech from a bird shook me awake.

Oh god. Nope. It’s real. IT WAS FREAKING REAL! I… I COULD HAVE DIED!

As I stared at the stone, my fingers grew numb, and I accidentally let it fall to the ground. With a low thumb it rolled on the burning grass; still glowing. I quickly grabbed it back and stored it in the coat of my jacket. I’ve heard the millions of dollars that a single piece of meteorite costs, and I wasn’t about to leave it here in the wild. Even if it wasn’t a meteorite, I’d still show it to my friends when I told them the insane occurrence that had just transpired.

My body was still partially numb as I took the broken bike off the road and began my way back home. Everything hurt, especially my scraped arms and legs but unfortunately, I didn’t have any source of light to check for the extend of the damage.

As I awkwardly carried the bike to the garage, I tried to look at the brighter side of this insane conundrum. I didn’t die. The culprit was just a rock… from space. And hell, it could be worth a significant amount of money. Surely more than enough to buy a new bike.

But then… what was that voice I heard while I had passed out?

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Chapter 2

Lying to my parents was always hard for me. Once, I had accidentally broken an entire window by throwing a baseball on it and I managed to convince them that it had been a rock thrown by some kids from school. Unfortunately for me, my parents are driven by nothing else if not justice, with both of them being lawyers and all, and after calling the school for clarification and involving the entire parental committee, I was forced to admit to anyone that it was me that broke the window.

So, the lesson learned was that you must always hide the evidence before they catch you. The bike was promptly disassembled, and dad would take his time before he asked me about it. Hopefully more than a week, which by then I would be gone in the state university of Massachusetts. Now in the light of the garage, I could properly observe the new scars all around my lags and palms, the result of getting myself dragged through the gravel in the forest.

I was still wearing my yellow jacket when I noticed the warmth emanating from its pocket. I had completely forgotten about the curious orange stone, and so I took it out to properly see it in the artificial light.

It was beautiful. The stone was more like a crystal than a simple mineral from space. It glowed a warm orange shade, as if there was a bright orange flame burning inside it… waiting to be unleashed.

What are you?

Me being the greedy genius that I am, I decided to not say anything to my parents and try to forget about the freak accident that had occurred mere hours ago.As I kept playing with it, I became unsure that I even wanted to sell the stone. It was so beautiful and mysterious, that I didn’t want a crusty old billionaire to get it for themselves and put it in their collection or something.

As if the stone agreed, it hummed the moment the thought crossed my mind.

Huh. Freaky.

Putting the flurry of thoughts and questions aside, I chose to have a warm bath to soothe my hurting body. After undressing from my now dirty clothes and securing the stone on the counter for safekeeping, I took a peek at the mirror.

I was not fit. While there weren’t any obscene amounts of weight in my average frame, some of it had found itself in my belly, the result of a carefree life of gaming, sitting and eating less-than-healthy food. Whatever muscles I might have had where all covered by a noticeable layer of fat that screamed incompleteness and laziness. I was just a pale, average little boy with no semblance of body hair either, not that I particularly minded in most cases. It’s just that sometimes I'd think... would my life be any different if I was taller, more muscular and generally more attractive? Would that have stopped people from picking up on me for no reason in particular? Would guys be more attracted to me? The answer was probably yes to all questions. It was me however who chose not to at least make my body better. Sure, you can’t control your height or your facial characteristics, but you can go to the gym and get muscular or shredded.

Then why didn’t I?

Rather than having an existential crisis in the bathroom, I instead chose to enjoy the warm water as it flushed down my dirty black hair. Bits of gravel had been lodged into my copious locks, giving me the appearance of a gremlin.

On the counter, the stone glowed again.

***

The next week passed in a flash and before I knew it, I was having a few last words with my father as he helped me unpack the last bit of moving boxes we had somehow squeezed into the family jeep. There wasn’t even enough time to say goodbye to Jack and the others, and the last time we had talked was during the live event of the ‘Star Storm’ as the news crews had named the extraordinary event.

All around the globe, the heavens had come to life with vibrant colors when many of the tiny meteors evaporated in the atmosphere and colored it with their elemental residues. Europe had been painted a green and yellow, while the Asia continent had bore witness to a beautiful sapphire blue velvet. Australia’s skies turned an ominous crimson, and many reported flashes of red lighting all around Sydney. In North America, the colors of purple and orange had been observed, although orange was only detected above Massachusetts.

A coincidence?

The orange gem in my pocket said otherwise.

“Well sport. This is it,” my father huffed as he brought a mini refrigerator to the counter of the shared kitchen. It was not a particularly heavy object, but dad still had some trouble carrying it. We weren’t a very fit family in general, but I guess we made up for it with our brains. “I do believe your mother is waiting in the car, fidgeting with the air conditioner. Boy is it hot this year!” he laughed as he tried making small talk.

“Uh-huh,” I murmured as I tried to lift some heavy cutlery in some drawers. The kitchen was empty, and it seemed that my future flatmates hadn’t joined in yet. “Dad, you wouldn’t mind if I came home some weekends, right? I just… I don’t know. It feels weird leaving home and coming here to live with all these… strangers.”

Dad took a heavy breath and smiled. His smile was strained. “Jon. Come on, we’ve talked about this. It’s time you spread your wings, son. You can’t stay in the nest forever. What kind of parents would we be if you grow up to be some kind of mamma's boy? Besides, I believe that your newfound freedom will let you do things you can’t in home,” he winked at me.

I really hoped this wasn’t a jab at my sexuality.

“Alright dad. Well, I guess this is goodbye,” I said and went in for a hug. My dad was slightly taller than me at 5’11, not that I was envious or anything.

Okay, I was.

“After all, if you came home, we’d have to discuss what exactly happened to your bike,” my father grinned as he shut the door behind him.

Sometimes I hated how smart my parents were.

With a heavy heart filled with homesickness, I went back to my room. It was still filled with unopened boxes, but suddenly I didn’t have the energy to lift a single piece of paper. I instead jumped on my new bed and played with the stone, throwing it between my hands and gazing upon its warm, orange color.

Soon I drifted to sleep, waiting for the sweet embrace of dreams. The stone laid next to my pillow, its inner light shining brilliantly.

***

One of my first holders had the pleasure of being the King’s Scribe. He was of no small caliber, and many people would travel the world to meet and ask for his advice and knowledge of past events. Many years passed with the Scribe having me in his possession, never revealing my secrets to the King but neither understanding the extent of my power.

Until he met a man. The Scribe was struck with emotion he had never felt before. Whereas previously, his only desire was the knowledge and power contained in me, the warrior that visited him made him feel… infatuation with a living being for the first time in his life. The proverbial lock on his mouth had been shattered by the brawn of the beautiful man.

The Scribe and the warrior took full advantage of each other with all manner of conversation... and other things. Perhaps the Scribe felt that he had found a kindred soul, and soon he provided the warrior with far more information than he had ever hoped. Openly disclosing not only facts about me and my power, but his theories about my origins.

Somehow, their topic of discussion lead towards the question of the [Titan] that made me, and their reason for doing so. This was, I will admit, a subject in which I was most interested. I never knew my origins… or my purpose.

The [Titan] was said to be the size of multiple stars itself, only even bigger and grandiose. However, all records of its final fate had mysteriously vanished from the libraries and archives of the world with no reason as to why. Yet, the warrior had learned what he could from other kingdoms and empires, and he knew more than most. He then inquired the Scribe as to what had befallen the [Titan] and why it had faded away from the universe. If there was any truth to the rumors of the Titan’s existence, or if there was some deeper story to be had.

If there was a man that would know, that would have been the Scribe, he said as he caressed the body of his lover.

Both the warrior and I were deeply curious.

Alas, the question must have shaken the Scribe. Where there was once a fellow lover, seeker, and explorer of the past, the warrior now found a statue. Where the spark of infatuation and joy danced behind the Scribe's eyes, there was but a dull emptiness. Two pieces of cold glass, looking down upon the warrior with an emotion I could not properly describe. Their talk had ended, and there would be nothing further on the subject of the [Titan], beyond one final statement.

“They are all gone now,” the Scribe cried as the guards took the warrior away for his execution.

***

I woke up with tears streaming down my face. I unconsciously wiped them away as my mind tried to remember the vivid dream I just had. I was in a tower… no, a castle. I was speaking to a big, handsome man about a…

Damn it. I forgot.

Perhaps playing so much with VR was beginning to have an effect at my sleep too. The stone laid next to my pillow, glowing like a hot charcoal. In the past week, I had spent many hours trying to understand the material that was made of. I didn’t know how it could glow so bright even in the light of the sun or how it seemed to excrete a certain kind of aura around it. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that the stone was made of actual magic.

Alas, magic isn’t real.

I was about to get up from my bed and continue the unpacking process when I heard the door bang. It was a tiny sound, and if I were doing anything else, I wouldn’t have heard it.

Oh god. The first flatmate. Fantastic.

I mentally prepared myself as best as I could. I had decided that I'll go with the 'mind my own business' route, which meant I'd keep conversation and interaction to a minimum, lest I desired potential drama to grow and fester. I would greet whoever was outside that door and then I'd go back to doing my own thing, that being laying low until I went back home for the holidays and focusing on my future studies.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly opened the door.

"Hi, I'm-" I started saying, but whoever was on the other side chose to give me a sudden hug instead. "Wha-" I shouted in surprise, only to find myself holding a very familiar someone. Shorter and frailer than me, but with the face of an angel.

Jack looked up on me with his shining blue eyes. "Hey Jon! Long time no see! Guess who just transferred universities!" he laughed as he saw my face, full of shock. "Man, your room is so cramped! Look at all these boxes! We gotta help you decorate, dude!" he cheered as he let himself in my room.

I stood by the door, unable to move.

Maybe this year wouldn't be as horrible as I originally thought.

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Chapter 3

Jack was never a man of surprises. He was always one of the most passive, calm, and intelligent individuals I encountered in school. With a love for space and astrophysics, the kid was obsessed with physics and with my natural talent in mathematics, we'd make a great combo in all science projects and competitions. I can't even remember how many awards we won for our school, which kindly rewarded us by making us even bigger targets for bullying and harassment by the popular cliques. Surprisingly, Jack was picked on more than me, perhaps because the biggest and ugliest jocks were envious of his natural, model-like looks.

If only he wasn't as defenseless. Needless to say, Jack was rather undeveloped for someone of his age, and everyone did their duty of reminding him that. "Gosh, you're so short for a guy!" all girls would say every time he tried to make a conversation, while the guys would make fun of him by lowering their knees, so they could be on his level. "Damn dude, did puberty forget to hit you or something?" most jocks in our school would say. Jack would simply try to laugh it off every single time, but I knew the constant comments and remarks made him hate himself and his body.

So, it really did surprise me when I saw him carrying all his stuff to one of the empty rooms in the flat. Obviously, he needed my help, but even combined, our strength was laughable at best. It took us an entire day to move six medium-sized boxes and by the end, we were both sweating like dogs. In his insistence, Jack offered both of us two much needed refreshments and we sat down on his bed to talk.

"Jack, are you out of your damn mind? How could you refuse a position in freaking Yale? And a full scholarship, that is! What kind of force possessed you to give up on that?" I asked between sips of my soda. Jack had decided on plain water. He had to be really careful with food, as the simplest changes could make him gain weight and according to him, he already had many insecurities, and he didn't need to add more.

"Dude. Yale isn't as amazing as people make you think. The same applies to all ivy leagues. The whole thing is a scam since the education you get is essentially the same. You only buy the name and the possible connections you might make in there. We both know that I don't care about that, I just want to learn and work in CERN in the future. If you're worth your salt as an astrophysicist, then they will offer you a job," Jack responded with a sly smile on his beautiful face. "Besides, this university has some pretty good ratings in astrophysics. And it also has my best friend in it, so I see this as an absolute win," he added. "It's a miracle that there was an empty room in this flat though. Kinda convenient, don't you think?"

I suddenly felt a warmth emanate from my palm, and as I opened it, I saw the orange stone shining, brighter than ever.

“What do you have there, buddy?” Jack asked as he crept closer. I quickly hid the stone in my pocket and excused myself.

“Um, I just remembered that I forgot something in the kitchen. I’ll… let you unpack man. I’m so glad to see you though!” I smiled and I closed the door behind me. I didn’t want Jack to see the hidden treasure currently stored in my pocket. I was quickly beginning to realize that this stone was something more than it appeared to be, and the less people knew about it, the better.

Even Jack.

The stone grew warmer still. The heat was slowly becoming too intense for me to touch it.

Before I could go hide in my room, I saw the main door of the flat open again.

More people?! Can you not?

The door creaked open, and I was left staring at a girl. She was my age, and clearly done with life by the look on her face. With long black hair and gray eyes, she was rather tall for a girl as she looked straight into my eyes. Moreover, I could see that she kept her body in perfect condition, with toned legs and a strong abdomen clearly showing through her rather skin-tight clothes. Her breasts were large and prominent too, accentuating her hourglass figure, and I could tell that she was very successful with the guys.

“Hello. I’m Monica. I’ll be living with you for this year,” she said in a monotonous voice. Either she was extremely bored, or she didn’t even find me worthy of her time. I could guess which one was right.

“I’m Jon. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Monica!” I smiled, trying my best to seem friendly.

Of course it is,” she smiled, although I could tell that there was no friendliness behind that smile. She probably thought that living with me was the best thing to ever happen to me. “My boyfriend will also be living with us,” she added and smirked.

I already hated her.

“Oh Mark? Where are you? MARK?” she screeched at the outside corridor and a large figure appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Slowly, a giant of a man crept through the door, and I was left staring at a wall of pure, dense muscles. I slowly raised my eyes, up, up, up, and finally, I saw the face of the giant.

Without a doubt, this man was attractive. With short black hair cut into a buzz-cut and sky-blue eyes, he was definitely a heartthrob in high school if that jawline had anything to do with it, and the smirk adorning his handsome face clearly told me that he knew it.

But what made me eyes bulge out was that titanic, humongous body. This man was easily 6’4 and he clearly took care of his body. He almost had no neck, only muscles where it should have been. His green t-shirt and blue jeans appeared painted on. His pecs were massive slabs, and I could make out his bulging 6-pack as if he were naked. He probably had more muscles in these massive biceps of his than my entire body.

“Hey, little man,” the tall stud laughed and walked in the apartment. I had to jump the other way to avoid being crushed. Behind him, two large suitcases followed. He seemed to have no trouble carrying them with him. “Hmm, this place is kinda small Monica, don’t you think? You think it could fit all of us in? Cause I’m pretty sure I’m still growing,” he winked at her and I rolled my eyes. “What’s your name, squirt?” he then turned to me.

“Jon.”

“Well Jon, here’s the thing. Every Friday there’s gonna be some wild parties going on in here. You’re free to join us or not. This year is gonna be so wild, I’m telling ya!” he laughed again and started heading to the last two empty rooms in our flat. “Also, Monica and I can get pretty loud sometimes, so ‘scuse us for that!” he smirked back.

“Jeez Mark! Could you be more embarrassing?” she scowled at him, although I could see how attracted she was to that handsome face and amazing body.

With that, they both disappeared into their rooms and I was alone again. As I moved to my room as well, I unconsciously went to touch the stone in my pocket, only to find it burning.

“What the hell is wrong with this thing?!” I exclaimed in surprise and threw the stone in the bed.

But I never heard a thud. Instead, the stone was levitating mid-air, as if it didn’t register that gravity was a thing in this universe.

“What the... fuck?” I yelled and approached the floating gem. Its orange color was pulsing faster now, in synchrony with my own heartbeat.

I follow.

Oh, I beg you. Can I follow?

There was a voice in my head. It was thunderous, encompassing, dominating. It completely filled every crevice of my brain with a force of a billion suns. My mind was assaulted with alien visions of wonder and horror, of creation and destruction, growth, and decay, all combined and equally terrifying.

Let me make your dreams into reality.

Let me in.

Just let me in.

The pain was so intense that I instantly blacked out. Orange fumes rose all around me, and I was gone.

***

It was difficult to believe the power hidden inside me, especially in the early days.

Indeed, my masters found it difficult to even comprehend, that all at once, after all their failed attempts of success and glory, that I was now here, ready to make their dreams into reality. I always appeared to them without warning, without announcement or foreshadows, without the slightest wave of fate: the thunder would arrive suddenly, and I would fall from the heavens. Not a single one of them could predict me. I simply happened, seemingly at random, lacking a clear reason or motivation.

Why them?

True, even I did not know why they were chosen. The universe would simply guide me into a world, and I would do my magic. Why grant nigh infinite power to little people, little specks of creation that were insignificant in the grant scheme of things? One had to imagine that even something as great and powerful as me, a Keystone, must have had a reason of submitting to the wills of mortal beings.

So why was I not aware?

This, truly, became the question unanswered. For in the thousands upon thousands of years which came after, most of my children drove themselves insane with the same question. Even with all the power in the world, their tiny minds obsessed over the randomness in which they had been chosen. With great power comes great responsibility, but insanity is all but responsible.

It is only in the vast emptiness of space that I began to piece the story together. By fragments, by broken men and wasted worlds, some young and others old, all carefully placed together into one terrible whole.

Even to this end, what I can say is only speculation. My best guess to why the universe grants me to these desperate souls. Why it has granted me to you, Jon.

I believe the universe is bored. And the spotlight is aimed right at you now.

Try to be entertaining. We all know what happens to boring things.

They break.

***

I was abruptly woken up by the familiar voice of Jack. He sounded afraid, terrified even. I briefly wondered why, and then I felt it.

Pain. Excruciating pain radiating from my left arm. My eyes shot open from the searing sensation radiating from it and I instantly looked down.

The stone… it had embedded itself in me. Upon closer inspection, it appeared as if a bracelet of some kind had woven itself all around my arm, and in the middle, the stone had latched itself on me.

“Jon…? What are you doing? Why are you on the floor?” Jack yelped as he went next to me and helped me up.

I couldn't respond, I was too busy hyperventilating at the sight of the alien stone having literally made itself home into my own arm.

This is good. Trust me.

Oh god, the pain had to be so bad that I started hearing things as well.

“Jon, are you ill? I can’t understand what you’re mumbling! Jeez man, what happened?!” Jack cried as he struggled to lift me to bed. Even in my confusion, I could see how pathetic his struggle was. I wasn’t fat, but even I proved to be too much for little Jack.

If only he was bigger.

Him? You want… something for him?

The voice didn’t seem to go away. The pain was less now as my body adapted to the heat, but the tiny voice was still there, talking.

What? Who… who is this?

Yes, I see.

What?!

Yes. I will make him better.

For you.

For us.

What are you talking about? Oh my god, what the hell is happening?!

Then I saw it. A single orange ray was emanating from my hand… and connecting to Jack’s frail body. It was subtle at first, invisible, and then it grew stronger, thicker, clearer. Like a web of energy flowing directly into him, with me being the channeler.

Run deep. Run wild.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Jack asked, but my mouth refused to open. This was too much for a person to handle. Voices in my head and tendrils of energy coming out of an alien stone? What the actual hell? Why? Why me?

Why, why, why.

Oh god, the voice could even sound sarcastic. I truly was beginning to lose my mind.

“It’s… fine. Just felt a bit dizzy, that’s all. Didn’t really have anything to eat today,” I mumbled to Jack as I stood to my full height. Thankfully, the orange ray had disappeared from my view, but it was as if Jack never saw it.

“You sure buddy?” he asked, perplexed.

“Yup.”

“Because I could really go for some food right now. Man, I’m starving!” Jack exclaimed, touching his belly. “In fact, I feel as if I could eat an entire horse!” he smiled again.

“Aha. Don’t you always say that you need to keep a low-calorie diet if you want to stay thin?” I asked, devoid of any energy whatsoever. It felt as if I had run an entire marathon… in Antarctica.

"I don't know! I'm so hungry dude! Come on, let's go to the cafeteria in the campus! I'm in the mood for some MEAT!" he shouted and grabbed my arm.

Ow. That kinda hurt. Jack looked back at me, confused. "Unless you're too tired? I can always go alone!"

I shook my head. I needed to get out of this dorm as fast as possible and get some fresh air. "Come on, let's go. I guess I could grab a burger or two."

And with that, we left the room, with Jack dragging me along to wherever he wanted to.

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Chapter 4

Time flies fast when you're having fun.

In my case, I felt every single second of my first three weeks in university. I was used to waking up at noon and logging into my VR games to melt my eyes off until midnight, so my sleep pattern really took a hit when I was forced to wake up at seven AM.

Every. Single. Day.

"Jack, remind me how I haven't murdered you in your sleep yet?" I grumbled as I sipped an early black coffee. Jack was next to me, making an egg omelette and some bacon for the billionth time this week. He was wearing a workout shirt and some shorts, already having made himself ready for his morning workout at the campus' gym. Hearing my words, he shot back a grin full of mischief.

"Because you love me so much, duh. Also because I help you get to your 9 AM lectures on time. I heard you've been killing it in the applied mathematics workshops!" he said as he flipped the omelette.

"Meh. I'm not sure why, but I feel as if I already know everything they're trying to teach us? I dunno. That stuff is almost too... easy."

"Big brain Jon. I like it!" Jack grinned again as he placed his breakfast in a plate. "Speaking of big, did you hear the two 'lovebirds' yesterday? Monica and Jack sure are loud. It doesn't help that her room is right next to mine. I can hear... everything," he frowned as he started eating his eggs. These days, Jack was eating like an elephant. No matter what kind of food, he'd just inhale it as if he hadn't eaten for months. It was very convenient when I couldn't finish that last bite of instant noodles or when one of my recipes ended in a fiery inferno. He'd even eat burnt food.

"Well, Mark did warn me I guess. I would say something... but you know. He could probably rip my head off and shoot a three-pointer with it," I sipped my black coffee with slight contempt. Mark did seem like a generally nice guy, although rather jealous, but that didn't make me any more likely to interact with him. He treated Monica like she was some kind of demigod, afraid that he'd lose her at the first sight of displeasure. His large and powerful body, although very appealing and in many cases, arousing, was also a constant reminder that I had to avoid him. Because what would happen if one day I barged in into one of his Friday night parties and scream at him to shut the hell up for just one goddamn second so I could finally get some sleep because my insane friend Jack will wake me up in three hours to go to the FREAKING GYM-

I'd protect you.

Oh. And then there's that.

The voice in my head hasn't left, as I originally hoped. In the days after the stone locked itself into my own arm, the voice became a constant background into my own subconscious stream. It sometimes whispers things in languages I neither comprehend nor recognize. Other times, it tells me tales of old worlds and civilizations, their birth and their downfall, and how it's so 'excited' that it met me. It also gets very curious about my math lectures for some reason, and it gives me ideas and even solutions for some of the harder problems.

I try not to reply to the voice. Maybe if I ignore it, it will go away.

Stop acting like a child.

Anyways. The constant lack of sleep, combined with the grueling workouts Jack puts both of our bodies through almost every day has made me both exhausted and irritated. I don't know what kind of gym bug bit him, but it's as if the heavy iron and all the other machines he uses to workout are his new home. He tells me that its like working out gives him 'pleasure' and 'life'. The scent of sweat is like an aphrodisiac to him. The sight of the weighs are like an oasis in an endless desert.

I nod my head and smile, but I don't understand.

But I know what I am. A fool. An idiot. I follow him like a puppy. I follow him like my life depends on it. I don't know why. Maybe its because I've made exactly zero friends from my courses or the fact that I spend most nights walking around the (admittedly) beautiful campus and hope something makes sense in that crazy head of mine. I mean... it doesn't make sense how different he seems. Or looks.

I'm doing the same thing today. The weather is turning for the worse, with the wind constantly hammering me down and the icy shards of rain making me think twice about going out. But I do, because I have to think.

How did he grow two inches in three weeks? It must be new shoes, no? No.. he's wearing these old sneakers. I don't get it, are my eyes deceiving me or am I really going crazy? And how is he doing so well in the gym? It's like he was made for it!

More shards of rain hit my face and I lose my train of thought.

God, I'm such a mess.

Yes, yes you are.

Shut the hell up!

Don't you like what's happening to your friend? Wasn't that what you wanted? I'm making him better, like you said. I'm here to make EVERYTHING better, Jon. And I'll start with Jack.

The voice sounds passionate, angry even. As if this is literally its entire purpose, making Jack... 'better'. Whatever that means. 

Someone is coming.

True to its word, I see someone coming from the other side of the road. I instantly recognize the beautiful face of Monica, who appears to be struggling against the intense September wind.

It’d be weird not to say hi, right?

“Hey! Monica! How are you? What are you doing outside in such odd hour?” I shout at her over the rainy weather.

Monica looks at me and I can see her eyes roll. With a smile that looks more like a frown, she waves and moves on with her walk without talking to me.

Wow. Talk about rude.

It’s my fault for trying to be polite. That’s it, I’ll just stop talking to her and pretend she doesn’t exist.

I was just about to continue with my walk when the rain suddenly stopped, and an empty stillness encompassed the surrounding area. Everything went silent, there was no rain, no wind, nothing.

Then the whole world turned white as destruction fell from the heavens themselves. An actual lighting bolt struck a few feet behind me and the shockwave was so powerful that I fell my entire body become airborne for a few seconds. My ears rang and I felt like I was on fire.

The rain started falling again, and reality snapped back.

“Mawp. Mawp. Hello? I- I can’t hear anything,” I mumbled to myself as I desperately tried to regain my balance. “Mawp.” Using a nearby wall, I slowly rose from the ground. The tinnitus was not going away and I was afraid I’d have permanent ear damage.

Nobody would believe me that I was almost struck by lightning. And what lightning! The force of the thunder-stroke was simply astounding. I’m not sure if I’d have survived if it had hit me.

Then I remembered that Monica was just… behind me, presumably walking back to the campus. I instantly turned around and there she was, on the ground.

Not moving.

“OH MY GOD, MONICA!” I started running next to her limp body. She was breathing, thank god, but she was unconscious. I didn’t see any surface wounds from the thunder, maybe she wasn’t hit but was simply really close to it?

Her eyes slowly opened. “M-M-Mark? What happened?” she whispered. Her hair was as if she had shoved a fork into an electrical outlet, flying in random directions. Her skin looked pale and wet, and she was shivering all over.

“Monica, hold on! I’ll call for help!” I breathed out as I fumbled for my cracked phone and started dialing for the campus security and first aid.

Was that satisfactory, Jon?

The voice sounded amused.

What? What do you...?

The realization was slow, but the implications made themselves clear.

No. No. No way.

Yes, Jon. Yes. This is me. This is a fraction of a fraction of my power. This is nothing compared to the world-ending cataclysms I am capable of.

Wha-what?! You tried to strike Monica down with freaking lighting?! How? WHY?

The how matters not. As to why... you thought Monica was rude. Rude people get punished; Jon. Rude people get struck by lightning. Isn’t this what you wanted?

WHAT?! NO! I DON’T WANT YOU TO KILL ANYONE YOU STUPID ROCK FROM SPACE!

You are lying to yourself.

The stone was silent after that.

Perhaps, because it knew it was right.

***

The paramedics soon came to our help, and they took Monica to the campus clinic. She appeared to be in bad shape, but nothing some rest and sedatives could not fix. Apparently, the thunder had missed its target by a few petty inches. They didn’t say what would have happened if she was actually hit by it, but from the expressions on their faces, I could guess.

It was late in the evening when I finally managed to go home. It was another Friday and that meant only one thing: Mark’s parties.

“LET’S GOOOOOOOOO!” I heard someone scream out loud from the kitchen, which was accompanied by a chorus of howls and laughs. Loud music was playing on the maximum volume, nearly shaking the walls of the cheap dorm, and making me contemplate my life choices. I slowly enter the kitchen and I come across at least a dozen guys, all drinking and playing various party games with each other. They’re all tall and buff, just like Mark and I can’t help but feel a tinge of insecurity as I slowly walk among these hunks.

“Hey, Mark? There’s something important I need to tell you,“ I stand next to the tall Adonis but he’s either not hearing me or simply ignoring me. I try really hard not to lust after that massive, ripped body of his. Seriously, for a guy with his height, he is ripped. I mean, if there was nobody else here and Mark was blind or something I’d become immediately mesmerized by his amazing chest, bulging biceps and legs, his chiselled, firm athletic body. He was a beast, a true American stud.

I have to wave my hand in front of his face for him to look down and see me. His handsome face appeared a bit red, perhaps the result of one-too-many beers but he seemed coherent enough that I spoke again.

“Mark. Your… um. Monica is in the clinic. You might want to go see her?” I shout over the music.

Mark’s face instantly went from red to a ghostly white. “What?! What happened?!” he shouted and shoved the guy he was talking to away. Mark was so strong that the poor kid went flying to the ground.

“She almost got hit by lighting. I was there when it happened.”

“You-what?! That’s insane!” he shakes his head for a second, and then he stops. “Wait. Why were you there…?” his face darkens in an instant and something in my mind tells me to evacuate the premises immediately.

“I was… uh. Okay, no, I know what you’re thinking but I was literally just walking-“ I try to laugh it off and explain, but the sudden punch in my stomach sends me flying off to the sticky, beer-covered ground on the floor. The music stops, and the silence takes over.

I had never felt such pain before. It was like I was hit by a rhino on steroids after I abducted one of its babies. Getting hit by lighting was probably less painful. I felt bile in my mouth and the pain was so bad that I saw nothing in my eyes but an infinite black.

“I’ll deal with you later,” Mark seethes in barely contained anger and presumably leaves the kitchen. I don’t know. I’m too afraid to open my eyes. Darkness encompasses me once again, and I fall into the void.

***

War is a constant force. For wealth, for strength, for the sake of growth. You cannot have true warriors if there is nothing for them but training yards and wooden swords. For real power to be gained, there is a need for conflict. With this in mind: it stands to reason that my Chosen often regard peace as a foreign concept, if not a threat.

Now, this begs the question Jon.

Are you going to lie in your own puddle of puke and cry like a little pathetic excuse of a human, or are you going to fight?

***

I woke up alone. Someone had lifted my unconscious body and left it in the old couch in the kitchen. Another person had left a bucket next to it, although from the reek that I smelled on my body, I knew that it didn’t help.

I tried to get off from the couch, but any sudden movement made my stomach scream in anguish. Stars filled my eyes in an instant, and I almost passed out again.

This is the part where you ask for help.

There was no time to argue.

Help.

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