"Harder."
"Hit him harder!"
"This crazy fucker—"
The alley stank of piss and rotting garbage. Fists flew. Five boys had one pinned to the wall. Arms pumped, boots thudded, breath came ragged.
Blood spilled from his nose and mouth—he couldn't tell anymore. He swung back when he could. Wild, clumsy punches.
One last kick drove the air from his lungs. He folded like a cut puppet. The others stepped back, panting.
Blood coated his teeth. His left eye was nearly swollen shut. His body shook.
But he laughed.
A dry, cracked sound—too high, too hollow.
Then he raised his head to the sky and whispered,
"Ten."
A chime echoed in the back of his skull—silent to everyone else.
[ SYSTEM UPDATE ]
Name: Darian
Age : 14
Points: 10
Unlocked Worlds: None
The boys stared down at him. One—the tallest—stepped back and muttered, "This is hopeless..."
Then added, low and bitter:
"Just stay away from her."
In Darian's palm, crushed and torn, lay a small white flower.
She'd given it to him that morning. He still wasn't sure why. But he'd held onto it all day.
Now it was bruised and bloodied, clinging to his skin like it was afraid to fall.
He looked at it, chest heaving. Then, through a cracked smile:
"I have feelings. It's important. For my heart."
Later
He woke with the taste of metal in his mouth and dried blood crusted across his face. The moon was high. The alley was empty. Cold air bit at his skin.
"How long was I out?" he mumbled. His ribs answered before he could move.
He staggered to his feet. Clothes torn. Bones buzzing. Pain everywhere.
But a crooked smile tugged at his lips.
He looked around—graffiti, rot, a shattered bottle by the dumpster.
He ran.
Through dead streets and flickering lights. Blood cracking dry on his skin.
By the time he reached his block, he was soaked in sweat. His building loomed like a crooked gravestone. Paint peeled. The buzzer hadn't worked in years.
He fumbled with his keys. Finally got the door open.
Inside, the hallway stank of mold and piss. Lights flickered overhead like they were afraid of the dark.
"Darian?"
He froze.
"Are you home, sweetie?"
Her voice came from the living room—soft, brittle as old glass.
His jaw clenched.
"Yeah, Grandma," he called. "I'm back."
"Could you come here, baby? I dropped my pills again…"
She sat slouched in her chair. Blindfold crooked. Skin pale. The oxygen machine hummed like a mechanical priest delivering last rites.
Her hands searched the carpet.
"Darian, honey?"
"I got it." He picked up the bottle and set it in her lap.
"Oh... thank you, sweetie. You're always so good to me..." Her fingers brushed his arm, feather-light.
"I'll be in my room."
"Alright, love. Dinner's in the fridge if you're hungry."
[ WORLD STIMULATION SYSTEM ]
Points: 10
Begin First Stimulation?
WARNING: All accumulated points will reset upon entry.
Confirm? (Yes/No)
"...Yes."
[ CONFIRMED ]
Points: 0 / ∞
Three holographic panels bloomed before him, like burning pages torn from a book of creation.
Information streamed past his eyes.
Thousands of lines.
Thousands of lives.
Each floated like a puppet.
He scanned the options.
Some shimmered with gold and crimson—ancient bloodlines, storied names. Others barely had color—orphans, commoners.
And beside each: a price.
Arcane Bloodline – 1,000,000–3,000,000 Points
Born into an ancient lineage. Power in your blood.
Pros: Natural talent, vast resources, elite education.
Cons: You can't afford this.
Noble House – 150,000-1,000,000 Points
A name. A title. A place in the world.
Pros: Authority, training, status.
Cons: Still far out of reach.
Commoner – Free
Born into dirt and anonymity.
Pros: None.
Cons: Everything. No wealth. No training. High risk of death. No refunds.
SELECT START AGE
Default: 20.
Each year younger costs 10 points.
The slider ticked backward.
19: -10. 18: -20. All the way to 0.
He smirked.
"Two hundred points to start from birth…"
More time. More roots. But he had nothing.
"Twenty it is."
He confirmed.
The interface flickered—then vanished.
Silence.
Thick. Black. Like the universe forgot how to breathe.
Then something opened.
A door carved in golden madness.
It creaked.
And the world swallowed him whole.