Not Interested

The year was 1999.

Society was freaking out about their computers malfunctioning for the new millennia.

The Internet was in its infancy and the future prospects of humanity looked bright as various advances in technology, medicine and science announced a new era.

Large wars and conflicts were a thing of the past and peace and prosperity were the trademarks of the current world.

One such product of this happy era was Noah.

Noah, however, didn't have the happiest past.

In the 'golden age' of air flight, regulations on airlines weren't put in place.

Due to this, malfunctions in airplanes were often overlooked, and as a result, the plane that Noah's parents boarded ended in a disaster, crashing in the deep expanses of the ocean.

When help came a few days later, the victims of the plane crash already drowned.

Seeing disastrous events on TV was something, but teenage Noah watching a reporter speaking about one such catastrophe that directly involved him was different.

"They're...fine..." Noah turned off the television and went to his room.

That night, he slept soundly, convinced that a knock on the door would wake him, and he'd open it only to find his parents standing on the other side.

The knock never came.

That was 3 years ago.

Noah couldn't put his mind on studies anymore and ended up dropping out at the mere age of 17.

After all this time, he learned to be indifferent, but it was hard to say whether he was truly so or was just hiding his true feelings.

These years of feeling this way turned him numb, but on his 18th birthday, he decided to change.

He started running.

At first, it was extremely tiring and hard.

But the more he did, the more he grew fond of this repetitive and monotonous exercise, where he didn't have to think about anything else.

He wasn't able to develop any deep attachment to people during his school years, so he had very few friends, but he always took the time to make small talk and be as kind as possible.

Recently, he started growing some plants.

He liked the feeling of being responsible for a life and having something to wake up for every day so he could make sure to water them properly.

Having a reason to wake up every morning and move from his bed made it so that he couldn't start having unpleasant thoughts.

He lived in the suburbs of a large metropolis and liked the calm atmosphere compared to the hustle downtown.

There was a really good bakery hidden in one of the alleys, and Noah always bought bread from them.

At 18, he inherited all of his deceased parent's money, so had enough money to take care of his needs before finding a job in the future.

He was now standing in front of that very bakery.

Suddenly, the space in front of him twisted and turned, and out of the distortions, a person came out.

It was a man.

He was wearing a strange white suit that coated his entire body.

He was very tall and muscular and towered over most humans.

Otherwise, his features were ordinary.

Noah was astonished but he maintained a poker face.

The man looked around the alley and then stared at him before asking, "Are you, Noah? You have been invited to the Standard Academy, an honorable and..."

'Noah? That's me..' Noah ignored the rest of the man's words and said, "Can you wait a second?"

He looked to the aunty running the bakery and she was collapsed on the floor.

"Aunty? Aunty?!" Noah called out and then noticed her breathing was regular and she was just asleep.

'I think she was really tired...'

Noah took out 2 whole wheat loaves of bread and put the money on the counter.

He then turned back to the strange man and asked, "Did you want anything?"

The man replied, "You have been invited to the Standard Academy. An honorable institution that fosters the future leaders of the Multiverse!"

"Not interested." Noah waved his hand.

The strange man looked dumbfounded and stuttered, "B-but, you're the first person from a Grade-9 world to be chosen in millions of years, you can-

"Not interested."

The strange man chuckled and said, "Well, you've got no choice in the matter..."

Suddenly, the space around Noah distorted itself and he felt disoriented.