John leaned back. "You ever think," he said casually, "that we're all just stuck in some kind of story? Like we're waiting for something to happen, but we don't know what it is?"
Gabriel drank his beer and looked at his friend. Something about that question—uttered so carelessly—landed in his heart like a stone thrown into a still pond.
"I think," Gabriel said slowly, "that some stories don't begin with a bang, or a flash of lightning. Sometimes they start with silence. With a joke. With a monkey in a mirror."
As the night deepened, their conversation meandered through realms of speculation and absurdity, each theory more fantastical than the last. Time, it seemed, was but a fleeting companion. As the night wore on and their wallets grew lighter, they agreed to part ways—not out of drunkenness or fatigue, but because the owner, a stout man with a perpetual scowl, approached their table. "Closing time," he grumbled, his tone brokering no argument. Reluctantly, Gabriel and John gathered their belongings, stepping out into the cool embrace of the night.
Both friends parted ways, and Gabriel walked the streets alone. The streets were eerily quiet, the usual bustle of the city subdued under the blanket of darkness. Gabriel's steps were unsteady, the effects of the night's indulgence evident in his gait. Yet, amidst the tranquility, something unusual caught his eye—a faint, azure glow flickering in the distance.
The peculiar blue light began to swirl before him. At first, he thought it a trick of the alcohol, but the light grew in intensity and clarity, defying explanation.
"What the? " Gabriel was confused, he knew he was drunk, but not to the point that he would see visions of blue swirly things. He prauded himself for holding his liquor, but what was this situation before him? "Can't be the alcohol". He thought.
Had it been another occasion where he was thinking straight, he would have been long gone. But his usual caution was dulled by the alcohol's influence, and curiosity overcame him. He stepped closer to the ethereal glow..
When he was about to touch the blue light, a strange object shot forth from the light, landing at his feet with a soft thud. It was a dagger, rusted and unremarkable. Yet, as his fingers closed around its hilt, the metal melted into a searing liquid, engulfing his hand in excruciating pain. His vision blurred, and the world around him spun into darkness.
The hot liquid disappeared as if it had been absorbed into his body. The moment he passed out, his body fell toward the blue light, and when his flesh made contact with that light, his body exploded in a red mist, and only his clothes remained.
Gabriel Novar disappeared without a trace, with only his clothes being found. His disappearance will forever puzzle the minds of his friends and family, and especially the minds of urban legend hunters and many others, for years to come.
....
....
....
As Gabriel slept peacefully. His stomach churned, yet he refused to face the waking world. The alarm had not yet sounded, so he still slept, for he felt warm and cozy. But then came a sound, a low, insistent hum, foreign and mechanical. He flailed weakly, seeking to silence it, but his hands passed through empty air. A voice, cold and unyielding, began to count down.
He opened one eye with great difficulty, for he felt as if his eyelids weighed a few tons. Before him hovered a translucent panel, its edges shimmering with an eerie blue light. The countdown had reached four. Images flickered upon the screen—small, grotesque creatures and children of varied races. But what was most striking was not only the countdown that had already dropped to three, but the word "CHOSE" emblazoned in crimson letters.
His mind, still clouded with the remnants of sleep, struggled to comprehend the situation before him. The countdown dropped to two, and in a panic, Gabriel reached out and pressed upon the face of the first child he saw on the screen. The moment his finger made contact, the countdown ceased. The silence that followed was deafening.
Suddenly, he became aware of his surroundings-or, rather, the lack thereof. The void was absolute; he was adrift in an endless expanse of darkness. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound emerged. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, yet he had no body to house it. His thoughts raced, but his mind was a prisoner of the void.
As his despair at the prospect of living like this started to creep in, the panel in front of him made a sound, its tone mechanical and indifferent. "Congratulations," it announced, "you have chosen to be born in the House of Aren."
"Born?" Gabriel thought, though he could not voice the question. "What do you mean?"
The voice continued, unperturbed. "Initializing process." "Unknown artifact detected." "Unable to remove." "Error." "Error." "Process complete." "Have a nice life."
A sudden sensation of motion seized him. He felt as though he were falling, or perhaps rising—he could not tell.. "What is this? I feel so light... Am I flying? Where... where am I?" His thoughts tumbled, frantic and unsteady. "Darkness... everywhere, dark to dark. I can't see, can't move." A flicker of light pierced the void, distant at first, but it rushed toward him with terrifying speed. "Light?... Why is it getting closer... fast, too fast! No! stop! NO! WHAAAAAAAAA!"
"Congratulations, my lady," an old voice said, her tone warm and welcoming. "It's a boy."