A Board Game

Seventeen. Luck reached this milestone today, though the irony wasn't lost on him- it marked not just his birthday but also the day that he wished to face the Trial of One. A self proclaimed death sentence.

Seated at the back of a public bus, Luck awaited the arrival his destination: the local agency tasked with conducting the trial in his area

He glanced at the passing streets.

"Deserted, as usual" He sighed.

Since the enactment of the trial law decades before his birth, the population had dwindled significantly. Every individual aged 17 or older was mandated to undergo a challenge imposed by the government. 

This trial, administered by an AI , was tailored to each individual, presenting challenges of varying difficulty. Though one could choose the time to undertake it, they had to be at least 17 years old and devoid of a Resonance at that time. If you had a Resonance then you were required to take it.

A Resonance, the embodiment of one's soul, epitomized everything unique and special about them. It would manifest for individuals when they reached 17, and before they reached 30. However those who failed to manifest a Resonance faced a grim fate-They were hunted and killed. Their constantly shifting souls couldn't sustain themselves; instead they involuntarily drained the soul force of those around them. This was why they were hunted, and partially why Luck found himself without a mother.

As the bus glided across the rode smoothly, he recalled the events that his dad had once described to him.

His mother were among the rare few with a deformed soul. They weren't aware of this however they suspected it when his father growing weaker by each passing day they spent together. It was then that they imposed rules on their lives, including avoiding pregnancy. But fate seemed to have other planes, as by the time they enacted these precautions, it was too late; unbeknownst to them, Luck was already being conceived.

His mother wasn't able to receive proper health care due to her being deformed. So she hid away in the solitude of her house, while his father was out working, making meager money to provide.

To save her baby, Luck's mother forcibly suppressed her involuntary consumption of other souls. This feat was deemed impossible, but Luck had been told that a mother could accomplish the impossible when it concerned their children. As her pregnancy progressed, she grew increasingly ill reaching a point where she could barely move from her bed. But despite her declining health, she still summoned the last remnants of her strength to deliver him before passing away shortly after.

In short, Luck was a miracle baby, defying the odds of his precarious birth. He shouldn't have survived birth, he shouldn't have even been conceived, but through it all, he was lucky and he survived. Or rather... he was unlucky, as death would have been a mercy for him given that his childhood was not a very bright one.

His father raised him until he was eight, he was kind from what Luck could remember and he always used to talk about Luck's mom with enthusiasm and masked sadness. Despite the lack of a mothers warmth his father did a great job making sure Luck was raised properly, these times were filled with happiness however as soon as Luck turned eight all he remember was being dumped at an orphanage where he would spend the rest of his time. 

The bus abruptly jolted to a stop, and a voice crackled from a speaker:

"Arriving at Solstone Government Center." 

Shaking his head out of old events, he stepped off the buss.

He could have faced the trial when his resonance actually emerged but he clung to this desperate and pathetic excuse for death. 

Up until now, he had merely survive to evade the prospect of death. But was this existence truly living?

Without real motives, dreams or hope, he just drifted aimlessly.

And so here he stood.

***

Luck approached the receptionist stationed near the entrance inside the building. She was engrossed in her phone, paying him no mind until he coughed awkwardly, prompting a fleeting glance in his direction. 

"State your purpose of arrival," she said, finally lifting her gaze from the screen.

"Um, I'm here to take the Trial of One," he replied nervously.

Setting aside her phone, she regarded him seriously. "Are you sure you want to take it, kid? You look pretty young. Have you even awakened your Resonance?"

He slowly shook his head in response to her second question. "Listen uh Mrs... Lady, I just want to take the test and get it over with please."

With a reluctant sigh, she motioned for him to hand over his paperwork, stored in his bag. After a quick scan of the material, she handed him some documents. "Sign here, here, and here," she instructed pointing to various spots on the paper before going back on her phone.

After a moment of stillness, she glanced up. "Well, what are you waiting for? I thought you wanted to get it over with?"

Blushing with embarrassment, he scratched the back of his head. "...I don't have a signature."

***

After teaching him how to write a signature he placed the paper down.

Luck hesitated for a moment, his hand hovering over the pen. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread that gnawed at his insides. Did he really want to go through with this? Did he even have a choice?

With a resigned sigh, he forced himself to sign the documents, each stroke a painful reminder of the life he sought to escape. As he handed them back to the receptionist, he could feel her pitying gaze on him, but he didn't dare meet her eyes.

"Good luck," she said softly, her words falling like a weight on his shoulders.

Luck mumbled a half-hearted thanks and made his way through the labyrinthine corridors of the Solstone Government Center. The air felt heavy with anticipation, but all he could think about was the darkness that awaited him.

Luck approached the door labeled "Trial of One." Each step felt like trudging through mud, dragging him closer to his inevitable destiny. He hesitated, his hand quivering as it reached for the doorknob.

For a moment, he toyed with the idea of retreat, escaping from the trial and the uncertain future that lay beyond that threshold. Yet, he couldn't shake the memory of the relentless emptiness that had plagued him, the oppressive gloom that had propelled him to this juncture.

With a heavyhearted exhale, he pushed open the door and ventured into the unknown. The chamber beyond was shrouded in dimness, casting elongated shadows across the floor. A solitary chair occupied the room's center, its back turned toward a featureless wall.

He settled into the chair, a tentative sense of ease washing over him. But before he could fully relax, a sudden jolt coursed through his body, shattering any semblance of comfort.