System: Become More Than Human

"Watch your step, Loser!" a voice echoed in the corridor.

Alex was walking through the school halls, just minding his own business and trying to ignore those mean words. He was used to hearing them every day.

He reached up to adjust his glasses, even though they were already pretty beaten up. He knew what was coming next.

Alex's situation was far from ideal. He stood out in the classroom for more reasons than one, and the subtle cues were enough for anyone to understand his challenging circumstances.

Firstly, his physical stature set him apart. He was undoubtedly the skinniest kid in the class, a result of persistent malnutrition.

This fact, evident in his physique, wasn't lost on his classmates, and they never missed an opportunity to remind him of it.

Moreover, Alex's appearance wasn't helped by the state of his eyeglasses. Lacking the means to afford new ones, he resorted to makeshift repairs using whatever he could scrounge up, like bits of string and tape.

It was far from a stylish solution, and to be honest, it didn't do him any favors in the looks department. 

Just as the bully was about to try to trip him, Alex decided to respond in his own way.

Why not go out with style, right?

"Hey Billy, guess the number of fingers!" Alex teased, raising his middle finger.

His bully, Billy Inkos, was pissed. People around them laughed, and Billy charged at Alex, hitting him in the stomach as hard as he could, and then shoving him. In all the commotion, Alex braced himself for the hit and got thrown against the wall.

"What's going on?" a student gasped, watching the fight on the last day of school.

Curious students gathered, and one concerned student went to check on the mess. When the dust settled, and they saw Alex with his messy dark hair, the student acted like they didn't care. They were used to seeing this kind of thing, and they weren't interested because it was just that loser.

Alex picked up his broken glasses and sighed. 'Not again... I guess I should have taken off my glasses before this happened.'

Even in his situation, Alex was proud of himself for at least annoying one of his many bullies.

Leaving school, Alex walked past his chatting classmates, feeling like he didn't belong with their goodbyes and laughter.

'That's right, it's finally the last day of school. I can finally go home for the next three months and focus on what I'd like to do... play video games!

I can decide what I want to do after, whether I go back to normal school or try to apply for a hunter's badge'.

Reaching his modest single-room apartment, granted by the government due to his orphan status, Alex set to work. His room, barely fitting a bed and a desk, housed his few possessions and a government-issued TV, which he used to play games on.

There was a small box left to him from his parents' possessions. Alex had fond memories of his mom and dad; they were always kind and caring, treating Alex as well as they could, given their lack of funds and status.

From what Alex can remember, they constantly tried to instill in him the belief that he was stronger than people thought and that he would one day be a great person.

In his mind, he always had a feeling that his parents were some of the most powerful people on the planet, but for unknown reasons, they kept themselves isolated and never revealed their past to anyone, not even Alex.

One day, his parents left and never came back. After a few weeks of not knowing what happened to them, a person whom Alex had never met knocked on their near-broken-down door and told Alex that his parents were dead and that he would never see them again.

Heartbroken and confused, Alex tried to ask more questions, but the seemingly uninterested man just shrugged and said that he would receive a package containing his parents' leftover possessions and a new place to stay, which apparently is typical for orphans. 

Alex was six years old when this happened.

'Man, what a terrible time to remember my past,' Alex thought aloud.

Alex was now ten years old. He was used to living alone and isolated, with no friends. 

No one wanted to befriend someone of his status, as it would expose them to potential ridicule and bullying just by associating with Alex. 

The parents were even colder than the children, speaking in hushed tones and keeping their kids away from Alex, as though he were a contagious disease they feared might spread.

Now out of school, and at his apartment, Alex looked towards his parents' box of possessions. He fondly caressed the borders of a frame that contained their picture, where his dad was carrying Alex proudly high in the air, while his mother smiled while hugging his father.

Among the other possessions were small items such as accessories, shoes, a pair of shorts, a hairbrush, and a ring. 

The thing that always kept Alex turning back to the box was the ring. He never remembered seeing this ring before.

His parents never wore any rings, not even their wedding rings, so where did this ring come from?

Why was this part of their possessions if he had never seen it before?

Placing the items neatly back into the box, Alex rested on his bed, donned his headphones, and tuned in to a station that recounted a pivotal event in Earth's history. It chronicled a war with the Spinners that had raged on for over 400 days, a grueling conflict that had left an indelible mark on the world over 20 years ago.

During the war, many were forced to flee their homes, leaving behind their belongings and assets as they sought safety from the relentless battles. The war had ravaged cities, reducing them to rubble, and the landscapes bore permanent scars from the intense conflict.

Earth's inhabitants had lived in constant fear and uncertainty, with the ever-present threat of the Spinners looming over them. Food had become scarce, and the greedy merchants had shamelessly increased their prices, taking advantage of the chaos under the guise of war.

The announcer told the stories of families torn apart, of communities coming together to support one another in the face of adversity, and of the sacrifices made by countless individuals to protect their planet. 

And then, just as abruptly as they had arrived, the Spinners had vanished from Earth, leaving behind a world forever changed. The reasons for their sudden departure remained a mystery, shrouded in uncertainty.

It was as though the alien invaders had achieved their goals or found a new purpose elsewhere, leaving humanity to pick up the pieces and rebuild their shattered world.

As Alex listened to the details of this historical account, he picked up his broken glasses and, as always, attempted to fix them. In frustration, he accidentally pushed too hard, shattering one of the lenses and cutting his thumb on the glass.

The gash was large, and a lot of blood started to drip from his finger, dribbling over his palm and beginning to drip onto his parents' box of possessions.

Panicking, Alex quickly grabbed a rag to try and remove the bloodstain.

Alex didn't care about many things, but he cared about this box, probably more than his own life.

It was the only thing he had left from the time when he was truly happy. Alex successfully absorbed the blood that fell on top of the box with the rag, but he wanted to be thorough. 

Alex learned what osmosis was through school, how, through some godly miracle, liquids could be absorbed through certain surfaces and could spread. 

Alex gingerly lifted the flaps that functioned as the box's lid, only to discover more blood staining the cardboard on the underside. It was a disconcerting sight, as blood continued to drip steadily onto the accessories nestled below.

Alex took all the belongings out of the box and continued to wipe the blood with the rag. 

When complete, Alex huffed, thinking about how silly his obsession with this box was.

'I guess I really need to grow up. How will I ever get stronger and eventually find a girlfriend if I'm still attached to a box of soulless things?'

Alex moved to grab each accessory to wipe off any remaining blood before placing them neatly back into the box. He first started with the picture frame, cleaned it up, and placed it at the bottom of the box.

Next, he grabbed some of the clothing apparel, noticing that nothing had dripped on them, and placed it back. 

Finally, he grabbed the ring, but when he did, something strange occurred. The ring violently shook!

The ring fell from Alex's hand, and he stared at it, but it was no longer moving. 

'Must have been my imagination… man, I'm tired, and thinking of my past really puts me in a sh*tty state of mind.'

As Alex bent down to pick up the ring, he noticed a special shine to the ring, which he had never noticed before.

As he placed the ring in his hand, little did he know that the ring was absorbing the leftover blood on Alex's palm…

Alex placed the ring back into the box, closed the box, and decided to rest before starting his marathon of video games. 

Since Alex had no one else to talk to or do anything with, he spent all day and night cramped in his small apartment, playing games until his eyes could no longer stay open. That night, after 13 hours of gaming, Alex put the gaming controller down and went to lie on his bed. 

Alex had a strange habit of sleeping since his parents passed away. He would hug the box of possessions while sleeping, as he felt it was soothing and helped him dream of nicer things.

While Alex was in a deep sleep, the box trembled as though it were caught in an earthquake.