Rise Up: A System Love Story

A shiny, gold sphere floated up and stopped at a closed window. Its body flickered and moved from side to side.

"Master, can we intervene?" the male voice asked as it watched a young, raven-haired boy endure slaps and punches by an older man.

"Not yet," a female voice answered. "We'll have to wait a little longer," the boy said, his gold skin covered in fresh cuts and bruises. Some were open and had blood oozing from them.

"But master, that bad man could kill him," the sphere whined.

"Mind your tone," the female voice demanded.

"I'm sorry, master," the sphere flickered and said as it moved away from the window.

The setting sun shone through the cream-colored curtains, making long shadows on the carpeted floor and white walls. Evan groaned and slowly opened his emerald-green eyes. Tears streamed down his pale cheeks when he noticed black and blue marks had formed on his exposed skin. The smell of alcohol was faint but still hung in the air.

"I wish my father would stop drinking," the boy whispered. "My body hurts like hell," he grumbled. The youngster whimpered while he slowly sat up and leaned against the pillows.

Evan rubbed his eyes and squinted as a faint glow appeared in a corner of the room. At first, he thought it was car headlights. The issue was that the yellow glow was on a wall that no light from outside could reach. The only source of light in his bedroom was a small lamp that sat on a square, wooden nightstand next to the bed. Evan sat still and watched the blob that was in the corner.

"I might be seeing things," Evan mumbled. "I swear that thing is moving," he said to himself. He slid off the bed and cautiously took a couple of steps toward the glowing ball of light. Evan stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a low hum from the strange light.

Evan reached out his small hand but quickly pulled it away when a male voice said, "Stop staring, mortal,"

"What the hell?" The raven-haired boy cursed. "That thing just spoke," he said, taking two steps away.

"I am not a thing!" the sphere said in irritation, moving towards the boy, who stared unblinking at it. Evan took a quick glance at his bedroom door before returning his gaze to the gold, floating sphere.

"Okay, who or what are you?" Evan asked in a whisper.

"I am simply a wanderer or guide who travels from world to world," the glowing sphere replied, its body shimmering.

Evan rubbed the back of his neck, trying to process everything. "What is your function?" he asked.

"To observe and help unfortunate souls like yourself by transporting them to new worlds so they have better lives," the sphere replied.

"What do I call you?" Evan asked.

"I have many names," the blob said. "I usually let my charges choose my name," it said.

"Um, Zeo," Evan said. "Where would I be taken to?" he asked.

"First, what kind of world would you like?" Zeo asked.

Evan deliberated carefully before responding. "I want a world where there is a system that helps you grow stronger," he stated. "I desire a magical world." "I want a world where wrongdoers are charged, tried, and jailed" and "a world where its people care about each other," he said. Evan heard a hum coming from the sphere.

"Do you want it to be similar to your world?" "Earthlike?" Zeo asked.

"Yes, but with people who can use magic, shapeshift, etc.," Evan said. "You earn your coins and other items by completing daily tasks and doing challenges," he said.

The gold sphere hummed once more before moving towards the boy. "We must go before the bad man comes back," Zeo said. "Don't I need to pack?" Evan asked.

"You will be provided with everything you need when we get there," the voice answered. Glancing back at his dimly lit room, he sighed softly. Evan turned around and followed the sphere out of the open window. A warm glow surrounded Evan's body and then disappeared. "You will now be invisible to the naked eye," Zeo said. "So cool!" Evan said excitedly.

The sphere hovered above the concrete ground in front of a silver portal. "Follow me inside," it ordered. Evan hesitated for only thirty seconds before he stepped through. There was total blackness everywhere. He heard only the sound of his breathing and Zeo's low, mechanical hum. "Close your eyes and relax," Zeo said. Evan closed his eyes and felt his body slowly drop onto something flat and soft. "If you had a power, what would it be?" Zeo asked.

"Only one, or can I choose multiple?" Evan asked.

"One would be easier," Zeo said.

"Maybe use my thoughts to attack, bind, and heal," Evan said.

"Ah, a unique power," Zeo said, making happy whirling sounds.

It felt like time just stopped for Evan. There was no smell or light in the portal. He was surrounded by pitch darkness. It unnerved him at times.

"You need to calm your breathing," Zeo instructed. "Or you'll be exhausted when we arrive," he said.

"I don't like being in the dark where I can't see or smell what's around me," Evan said. Next to him, the sound of heartbeats began.

"Keep your eyes closed, breathe, and listen to the sounds around you," Zeo instructed.

"When will we get there?" Evan asked.

"Time is irrelevant in the portal," Zeo explained.

"That's comforting," Evan said with a huff.

Evan's routine was sleeping, meditating, and staring into the nothingness. The only thing that comforted him were the interactions that Zeo had with him. Other times, he heard Zeo discussing things with a woman.

"Who were you talking to?" Evan asked one time.

"My master," Zeo answered.

"You have someone to whom you report?" Evan asked.

"Technically, yes," Zeo said. "Just like a boss in your world,"

It shocked Evan that something so complex like a talking sphere would have a boss. "I guess everything has someone that they report to," he thought to himself. Evan closed his eyes once more and waited for their journey to end.

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