RUDI

Approximately 600,000 years ago, humans were the rulers of the milky way galaxy. They occupied every corner and ruled over every other race in the galaxy. At some point, they became arrogant, believing that they could do anything.

They invaded other galaxies and conquered some of them, but they couldn't conquer stronger ones. They decided to create a new weapon that would give them an edge. And that's when the 'Paradise Project' was created.

The idea was to create matter of thin air. To be more specific, they were trying to convert already existing matter into something else, for example, turning rocks into food. Their aim was to basically have infinite supplies.

After years of research and testing, they created a blueprint for the whole system. The core of the machine was some sort of wormhole. It worked by simply yeeting something into the wormhole. The object gets shredded and converted into simple energy which is used as fuel by the main machine. The machine uses that energy to create something out of thin air. It works sort of like a 3d printer.

That was how it was supposed to work but unfortunately, things went wrong during the testing phase. The wormhole they created was unstable and became a portal which sucked everyone participating in the project. The safety equipments and machines they used were not useful at all. It was like trying to stop a flash flood with a wall made of paper.

What the scientists saw at the other side could only be called a nightmare. It was some sort of alternate dimension where anything on your mind gets manifested into reality. It also causes intrusive thoughts to fill your mind, simultaneously causing even more things to manifest and making it hard to control your urges and desires. The things manifested from thoughts were hostile to humans.

The wormhole kept absorbing matter around it. The humans were powerless against its suction force and were helplessly devoured. It didn't stop until it devoured the entire milky way galaxy(which is the main base of the human race and where the project was done). It then stabilised and the portal closed. As for how the humans survived in the nightmare dimension, that remains to be seen.

Anyways, lets go back to the story.

Aiden finally made it home. His house was a simple house with a living room, a kitchen and two bedrooms. There was also a small wooden shed outside with a deep pit, used as a toilet. It was a medieval house type, like every other house in the town. The town was definitely one of the less technologically advanced ones.

"I'm home", he says as he opens the door. 'It seems like we have some guests, oh, it's Rudi's parents. Wait a minute, if his parents are here, then that means.....'

He then storms to his room, not bothering to greet any of the adults in the living room.

*bam*

"Rudi, don't touch any of my books!", he says as he comes barging through the door.

"I don't care about your shitty books. I'm just eating food for fuck's sake. It was an accident last time!", Rudi, a boy about the same age as Aiden says with visible frustration. "Do you have any idea how many times my mom warned me to not cause trouble for you?"

The boy had dark brown hair and blue eyes. He was missing one of his front teeth and was wearing a short-sleeved white shirt and brown pants. The boy was Aiden's neighbour and childhood friend.

Aiden then smiles smugly, saying "Your mom is amazing"

"Don't bring my mom into this. I'm warning you"

"Okay okay, peace. I was just joking". Aiden then decides to change the subject "So what have you been up to this past month, did any interesting thing happen?"

"You won't believe it, my grandpa finally agreed to let me take part in the entrance test for the army!".

"There's something I don't understand, why would you ever want to leave the safety of your home and join the army?. To make matters worse, you're trying to join the scouts, which has the highest mortality rate in all the army branches", Aiden asks, genuinely puzzled.

"Because I'm sick and tired of living in this small town. I want to go to the big cities with those tall buildings they call 'skyscrapers'. The members of the army get paid really well. Besides, my ability is perfect for a scout".

Rudi's ability allows him to link his mind with other living things. This allows him to see what they are seeing and also communicate with them telepathically. So in theory, he could link himself to an animal and send it to scout ahead for him. Of course it had some limitations such as range.

"Wait a minute, why do you need your grandfather's permission in order to join the army?. I thought anyone could join as long as they are an awakened(the term used to call those with supernatural abilities)"

Rudi sighs before answering. "The reason is because my grandfather is a higher-up in the army. He could use his connections to stop me from entering". He pauses for a moment before continuing. "It's all because my father was his illegitimate child. He doesn't want to associate with him as it would ruin his reputation. That's why my father asked him if it's okay for me to join, so that there wouldn't be any problems in the future. As long as I don't associate with him, he won't bother me".

Rudi clenches his fist, vowing in his mind, saying 'I swear I will make you proud father. I'll achieve so much that you won't feel inferior to your half-siblings. I'll also move you away from this shitty town and buy you a house in those big cities".

Aiden notices his clenched fists and decided to ease the mood, so he says "Damn, I know how much you hate the idea of me having a relationship with your mom but I didn't know you hated it this much. You look like you were planning a thousand ways to kill me".

"Fuck you!". Rudi then sighs, before continuing: "You know what, why don't you come with us to the entrance exam. It would be me, you and my dad. And before you say anything!, my mom has work to do so she won't be joining us. Anyways, what was I saying again?...Oh right, I heard it's being held in a big city. Maybe after you see one of those cities, you would understand what you're missing and how shitty our lives are".

"Okay, that sounds fun. I got nothing to do so I might as well join you guys. When are the exams being held?"

"Two months from now"

"Okay, it's settled then".

They chatted for another hour before Rudi and his parents left. With nothing to do, Aiden picked up a book and started reading. He loves reading novels.