Evan's hands trembled as he stared at the device, the metallic edges reflecting the dim light of his bedroom. It was sleek, a mix of cold steel and strange, luminous symbols etched along its surface. The weight of the object seemed to press down on him, its power pulling him deeper into its mystery. He had no idea how it had ended up beneath his bed, but the moment he touched it, a shiver ran through him.
He had seen gadgets before—phones, laptops, toys—but nothing like this. This wasn't just technology; it felt...alive.
The glow intensified as Evan held it, and before he could fully process what was happening, a voice, mechanical yet hauntingly human, echoed in his mind.
"Task one: Retrieve what was taken from you. Reward: A step toward your new life."
Evan recoiled, his heart racing. What the hell was this? A prank? A glitch in his mind? But no—this was something real. Something more.
His body shook with a mix of confusion and desperation. He had nothing left. His mother, long gone, her absence a gaping hole he could never fill. His father, a shadow of regret, too drunk to even remember his name most days. The constant bullying. The mocking laughter. His life was a nightmare stitched together by broken promises and endless heartbreak.
He had tried, so hard. To be better. To escape. But nothing ever worked. He was always the outsider, always the poor kid with no future.
And now this? A mysterious device offering him a chance to change it all?
"Retrieve what was taken from you…" Evan repeated the words aloud. What had been taken from him?
His dignity? His chance at happiness?
The answer was elusive, but the device's promise lingered in his mind, burning through the fog of his uncertainty. Maybe this was his chance. The first spark of something other than darkness.
With shaky hands, Evan made his decision. He couldn't let this opportunity slip through his fingers, even if he didn't fully understand it.
"I'll do it," he whispered, though he wasn't entirely sure what he was agreeing to.
The device pulsed once, and a series of symbols flashed across its surface. Then, an electric surge of energy raced through Evan's body, making his heart pound as the world around him blurred for a moment.
And then, just like that, the device powered down.
A silence enveloped the room. Evan's breath came in shallow gasps as he processed the moment.
Had he done it right?
The glow faded. The weight of the world still clung to him, but the promise—the hope—was now locked inside him like an unspoken vow.
He had taken the first step. He was in this. The device was real.
And whatever came next, he would face it.
---