He took a deep breath and tried to pry the box open. He was already exerting so much force that veins started to pop out of his arms. The wound that had stopped bleeding earlier, opened once again.
Blood began to drip from his hand then it landed on the box. Cail didn't notice it due to the angle, but once the blood touched the the box, it vanished.
Then, the box snapped open.
Cail almost flung it because of the recoil. He looked down, and upon seeing his hand, he cursed, "Fuck!" He put the box down and rushed to the bathroom again to wash off the blood.
It was a lot of blood, way more than when Blackie scratched him. If somebody see's this, they'll probably think that Cail tried to end it all.
This time, he found an old cloth to wrap his hand. After bandaging it, he returned to the living room and saw the box still in place.
Hmm, was it just him, or did the room feel colder than before?
He ignored it. It was raining after all so it was damp. He approached the box. Earlier, it felt like he was going to pop a vein trying to open it, but now, it opened with ease.
"Was it rusted before?" he asked, perplexed.
He looked at the contents inside the box. The word that appeared in his mind was mysticism. That's the only way he could describe the trinkets inside.
He recalled a female classmate of his who believed in astrology, clairvoyance, and witchcraft. This looked like something someone like her would own. They didn't send the wrong package, did they?
He didn't bother calling the seller or the shipping company. He had tried that before when the package was delayed. The company gave the usual, "It's not our fault," and the seller didn't even answer his calls.
He picked up a very eye-catching ring from the box. It was chunky, with a flat, unknown red stone at the center. It looked old, like an antique. He examined it more closely and noticed something inside the stone. He shook it and sure enough, a liquid-like substance sloshed inside it.
He returned the ring to the box and examined the rest of the contents. Everything was a mess. The necklaces tangled and trinkets were jumbled together.
What caught his attention was a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He picked it up and ran his fingers along the frame.
Delicate vine engravings wrapped around the frame. The glasses had an elegant, sophisticated vibe. Their round lenses had tiny gem gears on each corner, like the small gears on the wrist watch for adjusting time.
They were neatly placed and didn't bulge out. From a distance, you wouldn't even notice anything unusual.
Cail instantly fell in love with them. He took off his thick black-rimmed glasses and tried the golden-rimmed ones on.
His eyes widened. He'd thought they were just fashion glasses because of the thin lenses. He never expected them to have prescription, and they also fit him perfectly.
He turned on his front camera and looked at himself. Clicking his tongue, he grinned. "Damn, I look handsome."
After admiring himself, he carefully set the glasses aside. "It's mine," he murmured as he shifted through the rest of the items.
Nothing else really caught his interest. He stared at the trinkets and thought, "Hmm... It looks like someone's fashion jewelry."
"Not really my thing, but they do look pretty chic. Should I sell them? Some cosplayers might like this kind of exaggerated style."
Cail was broke. He had already maxed out his 7,000 nu, and now, those sneakers had turned out to be a scam. Selling the jewelry might be his best shot at getting something back.
He didn't think any of it was real. The whole situation screamed scam, so he assumed everything inside was fake. The glasses might've been a good find, but he figured someone probably just discarded them. Glasses are expensive, sure, but once your prescription changes, they're pretty much useless.
Thinking of his mother, he shook his head. "She won't wear anything that isn't branded, forget it. I should just sell this."
He packed the jewelry back into the box and hung the golden-rimmed glasses on his collar. He went upstairs to his room and slid the box under his bed. The glasses, while stylish, it felt a little too flashy for every day use, so he placed them on his bedside table.
Jumping into bed, he rolled around and chanted, "Friday night, Friday night! No class tomorrow!"
Outside, the rain still poured heavily. Cail stared blankly at the ceiling.
He yawned. "Why do I feel sleepy?" he murmured and grabbed his phone. "Must be the rain. This type of weather is suitable for sleeping." He set an alarm, 10:00 PM. He plan to nap before doing his all-night gaming session.
After turning the alarm volume all the way up, he placed his phone bedside his pillow.
He closed his eyes as he listened to the calming sound of the rain. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.
...
"Hmm, Sir ▇▇▇▇▇▇, if you wish to avoid Illunis, this sword isn't enough."
Cail could barely discern anything. His senses seemed to be block with something. Only the silhouettes of his surroundings were visible.
He found himself in what appeared to be a store.
The store had rows of wooden shelves filled with peculiar items. On the left corner is a counter that looked older than the building itself. Behind it stood a man. His facial features were obscured, but Cail could make out his black hair and the fact that he was wearing a white vintage suit.
The man behind the counter was speaking to someone. The voice of the man in black cloak was filled with desperation, "But what should I do?! That's a God! I regret it! I shouldn't have plotted revenge, right? To the Gods, we're no more than ants. The death of my family is probably as insignificant to him as us stepping on ants!"
He clutched the sword case, eyes fixed on the man behind the counter.
"If this isn't enough, can I still live?! What should I do?"
The man behind the counter simply listened, not interrupting. After a moment, Cail felt a smile tug on that man's lips, Cail could sense it despite not seeing his face.
"Sir ▇▇▇▇▇▇, you've misunderstood." The man adjusted his glasses.
Cail noticed the man's golden-rimmed glasses, which seemed oddly familiar.
The man behind the counter continued, "I admire your courage. But now, seeing your edge dulling, I'm beginning to hesitate."
The man in the black cloak was confused, "What do you mean?"
The man behind the counter took the sword case back. He stood up and scanned the shelf behind him. Grabbing a box, he placed it in front of the black cloaked man.
The man sat back. He opened the box, revealing its contents... Cail couldn't see what's inside, but the man in the black cloak appeared to be stunned.
"Sir ▇▇▇▇▇▇, why can't we be more ambitious?" The man wearing the white suit smiled, "You see, what would you do... if you're given a power to kill a God?"
The man's voice echoed like a devil tempting the damned.
...
CRASH! BOOM!
Cail snapped awake. His blurry eyes scanned the room. It was dark and his only source of illumination was the lightning that's flashing through his window.
He hastily grabbed his phone and groaned. "Damn, it's already 12 AM!"