Universal Auditory Perception

With a flash of golden light, the scene in front of him began to fade. Alex felt himself being pulled back through space. The disorienting rush of sensations passed, and when he opened his eyes, he was back.

He was in his hotel room, lying on the bed. Suddenly, his hands shot to his head, fingers tangling in his hair as an excruciating pain shot through his skull.

His senses were magnified. Every sound, every shift of air, every vibration, the noise, the endless hum of life, the rush of energy, all slammed into his brain at once.

[Alex!] Lily's voice pierced through the madness, urgent and sharp. At the same time, she cut off all of his senses. The world went silent with a bang.

Alex's body jerked upright from the bed, chest heaving as he gasped for air, his skin soaked in sweat. His eyes were bloodshot and disoriented as he struggled to form words.

"Wha… what the fuck was that?" he croaked, his voice thick and hoarse.

[It's okay, just breathe, Alex,] Lily said in a soothing tone. [Listen to me carefully. When the energy assimilated with your body, it changed your physical and mental characteristics to a level beyond mortal comprehension. Your senses… they've been enhanced. You can now perceive things far beyond even to the boundaries of this Universe.]

Alex took a few deep breaths, trying to steady himself. His mind was still confused by the overload of information, but he forced his focus.

"What should I do?" he asked, his voice shaky.

[Concentrate,] Lily replied. [Your brain will take time to adapt. I will slowly release the seal. Just concentrate and try to focus on one thing. Don't let it overwhelm you.]

He closed his eyes, steadying himself with the sound of his own breath, slow and steady. As Lily began to release the seal on his senses, a wave of sensation crashed into him again. But this time, it wasn't the chaos of everything all at once. He focused, starting with his room.

First, he tuned in to the sounds around him. He could hear the faint, steady breathing of the people in the room next door. He heard their heartbeats, their whispers, every little movement they made. Then, his senses reached out further. He could hear the muffled sounds of couples in love, the soft rustle of sheets, the moans and sighs of intimacy.

His heartbeat quickened. He pushed the sound of the couple aside and focused. He could hear the staff at the front desk greeting guests, the hum of the casino lights, the clinking of glasses, the shuffle of cards. His mind painted pictures, mapping out the room and visualizing the people moving through it, as if he were sitting right next to them, seeing their every gesture. The sounds of the bustling hotel filled his mind, but he focused on each one, isolating them.

Then, Alex's senses expanded. He heard the sounds of the street outside, the tires of cars grinding against the pavement, the hum of engines, the distant honking of horns. His perception enveloped the planet. He could hear the rustling of leaves in a forest on the other side of the world. He could hear the faintest tremors of life across the entire planet.

The sound of nature was overwhelming, yet beautiful. He could feel the vibrations beneath him, the pulse of the Earth itself. His mind reached deeper, sensing the molten magma moving beneath the Earth's crust, the slow shift of tectonic plates. He could feel the weight of the planet's gravitational pull, its constant hum.

[Good. Now, go further,] Lily encouraged.

His senses reached outward to the vastness of space. His awareness rolled beyond Earth, feeling the warmth of the Sun and the cold of distant planets. His hearing expanded further, stretching beyond Earth's boundaries. He felt the soft, steady hum of the Sun's radiation, the subtle shift of planets as they orbited. The sounds of space were different, vibrations moving through the void, far from the noise of human life.

But as his senses continued to stretch outward, Alex's mind began to spin. He could hear the movements of distant stars, the burst of supernovae exploding far beyond the edge of the galaxy. It was too much again. The noise became too chaotic, too intense.

A sharp gasp escaped his lips as his breathing grew ragged. "Hhh... gasp... cough... cough... gasp... wheeze... pant..." Alex's chest heaved, his lungs fighting for air as he coughed violently, trying to catch his breath. The universe felt like it was crashing into him, a massive wave of sensory information.

[Focus, Alex,] Lily's voice rang out again. [Can you do it again? This time, control it. You can choose what to sense.]

He wiped the sweat from his brow and reached for the bottled water beside the bed. After drinking some and calming his breath, he resolved to try again.

"Got it," he muttered, determination replacing the panic in his voice. "I'll try."

He closed his eyes again and focused, trying to ignore the constant flood of information. Slowly, he concentrated on one thing, the sound of a bird singing in the distance, somewhere far away. He heard it clearly, its sweet song echoing through the woods. He held onto that sound, letting it fill his senses and drown out the rest.

Alex could feel the pressure again, but this time, he could choose what to focus on. A planet in the distance, with life on it, more and more planets with sounds of life. A passing comet, and distant ships traveling through the galaxy.

"We are not alone after all. There's life out there."

[Good, you're doing it,] Lily's voice sounded clearly happy. [You're learning to control it. Keep going.]

Alex took a deep breath. The universe was still there, vast and endless but for the first time, he was in control. He could choose what to sense, Alex smiled slightly. He felt amazing. He could feel the universe, hear it in ways he never could before.

"It's amazing that I can do this."

[Indeed. Good job, Alex.] ^-^

"It's like tuning a radio; each channel gives different sounds. I wonder how Superman does it, it looks so easy for him in the movie," Alex muttered.

[Superman practiced too, you know. He's had it since he was a child,] Lily corrected.

"Is he better than me? I mastered it in just several hours… haha!" Alex bragged.

[You are beyond him in terms of power and privilege. You could visit his universe someday, but he cannot break out of his. Unless, of course, you wanted to bring him.]

"Ugh. Why would I?" Alex replied dismissively.

[You could learn from him, you kno.. hey! Where are you looking?!] Lily exclaimed, slightly embarrassed.

"Uhh, sorry, I was just trying to see if I have x-ray vision too," Alex said with an awkward laugh.

[That's rude!] Lily snapped.

Alex scratched the back of his neck, grinning. "Right… I'll, uh, try not to invade anyone's privacy again."

Lily and Alex spent the rest of the night chatting.

Unknowingly, the sky began to brighten.