Rupture of Reality

Aiden's morning began like any other, with the harsh rays of sunlight fighting their way through the drapes, signaling the start of another monotonous day. As the clock ticked 9:30 AM, a sense of dread filled the air, not because of what the day held, but because of what it didn't—a sense of purpose.

Just another half-hour before he had to get up for his sports class. He sighed, lazily stretching his limbs, still numb from sleep. His life was an unending sequence of days, each more monotonous than the last, punctuated by a routine he found increasingly suffocating.

Today, like most days, he had university classes. In the sports department, not out of passion, but because it seemed the path of least resistance, having once harbored a fascination for the human body, and not being too bad at sports. He vaguely enjoyed the classes, mainly because they offered a chance to meet up with friends, and some professors managed to make the classes interesting, though they were few.

After a morning swimming class, Aiden decided to skip the following theoretical ones. "What's the point?" he wondered.

"Spending hours sitting, listening to someone who doesn't want to be there, trying to teach me something, among two hundred students, when I could be doing the same at home, alone?"

This thought comforted him in his decision to go home early. The apartment he had, a small 15 sqm, was his sanctuary. It was where he could escape reality, if only for a few hours, and immerse himself in passions that would stimulate him for a time, before finding new ones.

The door to his small 15 sqm apartment opened with a familiar creak, announcing Aiden's return to his personal refuge. The young man let out a sigh of relief as he closed the door behind him, shedding the invisible weight of the outside world. This studio, modest though it was, was his sanctuary, a space of freedom where he could lose himself in his passions.

The main room, serving both as a bedroom, living room, and study space, was a direct reflection of Aiden's curious and somewhat chaotic spirit. Piles of books were stacked in corners, sometimes sprawling onto the floor. These included a variety of subjects: from fantasy novels to psychology textbooks, light novels, and mythology.

Next to the window, a cluttered desk served as both a workstation and a place for reflection. Scattered notes, pens, and an old PC coexisted, bearing witness to nights spent researching, writing, or simply daydreaming. Despite the apparent mess, there was a sort of order in the chaos, with each item having its own story, its own purpose in Aiden's life.

The opposite corner of the room housed a digital piano, with an acoustic guitar on a stand next to it, its wood shining under the apartment's dim light.

The rest of the space was occupied by various sports equipment: dumbbells, a rolled-up yoga mat, and even a punching bag hanging from a ceiling beam.

Despite the apartment's small size, every square inch was imbued with Aiden's essence. The disorder wasn't a sign of negligence (well, maybe a little), but rather the physical manifestation of his thirst for knowledge, his constant search for stimulation and novelty.

Upon returning, he collapsed onto his bed, surrounded by piles of books. Aiden lost himself in stories of distant worlds, magic, and adventures, where routine and monotony were foreign concepts. He dreamed of living extraordinary adventures, uncovering forgotten secrets, and mastering supernatural powers.

"If only..." he sighed, opening the last novel he had started.

Hours passed, the sun slowly setting on the horizon, tinting his room with golden light. Aiden was completely absorbed in his reading, each page turn taking him further from the surrounding reality. He didn't notice the sky darkening unnaturally, nor the urgent news starting to flood social media and television channels.

It was only when a huge dull noise shook the building, followed by a blinding light that seemed to cover the entire world, that he looked up from his book.

"What's happening?"

His thought was cut off by a strange sensation, as if something powerful was invading him, making its way through every fiber of his being. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

Aiden sprang to his feet, his heart racing. He rushed to the window, pushing aside the curtains with a sharp gesture. Outside, the world seemed to have changed. The sky was streaked with luminous veins, a spectacle both beautiful and apocalyptic. People on the street seemed confused, terrified, some pointing at the sky, others falling to their knees as if in prayer. What he saw next froze him in place: the sky itself seemed to tear open, a halo of light pulsating at the spot where reality appeared to fracture. Where the fissure was, one could see inside what might resemble the universe.

Then, just as suddenly, something powerful invaded him. It wasn't painful, but it was overwhelming, as if a cosmic force was trying to make its way through his body. He felt an energy he had never known before spreading within him, electrifying every fiber of his being.

Aiden wanted to scream, but no sound came out. He wanted to run, but his legs refused to move. And as this power filled him, his body emitted a strange energy, glowing with an ethereal light. It was both terrifying and exhilarating.

The world around him faded as the light engulfed the entire world.

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Author : This webnovel is taking part in the writing competition. I'm counting on you to give me feedback to help improve it, and also to vote with power stone and collection to help me get as far as I can! Thanks <3< p>