The weight of loneliness had been my constant companion for as long as I could remember. It was a silent burden, one that settles in your chest and gnaws at your soul. But on that fateful afternoon, as I walked home from school, little did I know that my life was about to change in ways I could never have imagined.
The sun's warmth enveloped me, and the cool fall breeze tousled my hair, a soothing combination after a grueling week of exams. As I continued to walk, my eyes wandered over the scenery around me. It was a simple route, with nondescript suburban houses lining either side of the road and the same trees offering their colorful leaves to the world.
I let out a heavy sigh, the pressure building in my chest like it always did. I hated that feeling, that emptiness, but I'd never found a way to get rid of it. I tried everything from sports to clubs to studying. Nothing ever worked, and the more I thought about it, the more hopeless it seemed.
But it was okay. I'd just learned to accept it, to live with it, even though the crushing weight of loneliness was almost too much to bear sometimes.
My gaze dropped to the slightly cracked concrete sidewalk, and the thoughts in my head scattered like leaves caught by the wind. What's this?
I stopped in my tracks and knelt to get a better look.
It looked like a box, one that was made of a smooth black metal. Its sides were perfectly flat, and its edges were sharp, giving the object a strangely futuristic feel.
Cautiously, I reached out and picked up the mysterious box. It was lighter than I'd expected, and when I flipped it over, a series of glowing blue lights illuminated one of its sides.
I blinked a few times. This was pretty weird. What was something like this doing here? And how had no one else noticed it?
I looked around at the pedestrians walking by; their focus was on simply going home or perhaps to work. Some wore casual clothing. It was highly surprising and suspicious that no one bothered with it.
Maybe it belonged to one of my neighbors? Or perhaps it was something someone had left behind?
I was still trying to make sense of it all when I suddenly heard a voice.
"Hello there, young man," the voice said.
I yelped and spun around, my heart pounding in my chest from the sudden voice. "Who said that?!"
"I did," the voice replied. "And please, do not be afraid."
I turned in a circle, but there was no one else near me. Just people walking by, but no one was focused on me. "What? Who are you?"
"That is not important," the voice said, a strange sense of calm in its tone. "What is important is that you are the first to find the box."
I frowned, still scanning the area. "The box?"
"Yes, the one you are holding," the voice explained.
I looked down at the strange object in my hand, a chill running down my spine. "This box?"
"Precisely," the voice replied.
A mixture of curiosity and fear bubbled inside me. "What do you mean by 'first'?"
"I have been looking for someone like you for a very long time," the voice said. "I believe you have the potential to be the next Author of Life."
"Author of Life?" I asked.
"Yes, the one who will create and maintain the universe within the box," the voice said.
My brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"I apologize for being so vague, but please trust me," the voice replied. "All will become clear soon enough. For now, I need you to take the box home with you and keep it safe."
I shook my head. "Wait, what? How is any of this supposed to make sense? And how am I supposed to trust a disembodied voice?"
I spun around once more, and again, there was nobody paying me any mind. They all appeared to be background characters, and not in a self-absorbed way, they really did appear to be NPCs.
"I know it is a lot to ask," the voice said, its calm tone unwavering. "But I assure you, everything will be explained. All I need is for you to hold onto the box and bring it home. I need to make sure the box is in a safe location."
I bit my lip, my mind racing. On the one hand, this was all kinds of weird and probably dangerous.
"Why should I listen to you?" I asked with a wavering voice
Suddenly, time seemed to stop. The people near me were frozen, and the birds above me were stuck in mid-air. What the hell was going on?
"I believe this should be enough evidence for you to realize the importance of the object you have in your hands." The box in my arms began to give off a subtle "hum," that was pleasant to the ears. I could feel an odd sensation within my chest, and my intuition yelled at me to trust the strange voice.
I walked around a few yards in disbelief that time had really stopped. I reached out and touched a man on his shoulder but the fabric he was wearing didn't budge even a little.
Okay, so this was something special. I was still in disbelief, but if this wasn't some dream, if this was real, then I should at least hear out what the voice had to say.
"Is this some sort of strange dream?"
"I can assure you this is no dream. This is real." The voice carried a weight of authority, and I didn't notice it before, but it sounded robotic, as if it were a computer talking to me.
I stared in the distance, taking in the weight of what was happening. I gave myself a pinch on the arm and winced in pain. It looked like there was nothing to do but to accept that this was reality as much as it was hard to believe.
"Alright, I'll take it home," I said with a tone of uncertainty. "May I at least ask where you are?"
"You will know in due time," the voice said. "For now, it is enough to know that I am with you."
With those words, the lights on the box faded, and time returned to normal. Pedestrians continued to make their way, and the birds in the sky were once more flapping their wings.
My heart was pounding, and I felt a strange mix of fear and curiosity coursing through my veins.
I took a deep breath and continued on my way home. The journey home was rather uneventful. I put the mysterious box-like object into my backpack and entered a store where I bought a few snacks.
When I made it home, I went straight to my room and closed the door. My mind was reeling from what had happened so far.
I pulled the box out from my backpack and inspected every inch of it. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. It was smooth and sleek, and it still had a faint hum that was barely audible. It was also surprisingly light, despite its size. It felt as weightless as air.
"What are you?" I asked aloud, examining the object.
"I am a small part of the Box of Dimensions," the voice said, startling me.
I yelped and dropped the box. "Where did you come from?"
"I have been with you since you picked me up," the voice explained.
"So, you're not just a voice?"
"No, I am so much more than that," the voice replied. "But it is not the time for you to learn everything about me just yet. For now, you must simply trust that I am here to help you."
"I don't understand," I said, shaking my head. "Why me? Why did you choose me? Also, why did no one notice this strange object? It looked otherworldly. It should have garnered attention, yet no one bothered with it."
"Because you are the one who is destined to become the Author of Life," the voice said.
"What does that mean?"
"You will be tasked with creating and maintaining a new universe within the box," the voice said, its tone calm and reassuring. "It will be your responsibility to give life to everything in that universe, to ensure that it thrives and grows."
"Wait, what?" I asked, my head spinning.
"Why do I have to do something like that?"
"Because you are the only one who can," the voice replied.
"But I'm just a normal kid! How am I supposed to do something so important?"
"I know it is a lot to ask of you, but I believe you are the one who is meant to do this," the voice said. "You have a kind heart, a strong will, and a powerful imagination. I know you will be able to create a beautiful and vibrant universe."
I stared at the box, my mind racing.
I was overwhelmed and confused. I had no experience whatsoever in creating and maintaining universes. The closest I had to doing that was playing those strange "god games" on my computer, where you managed entire civilizations as a god while balancing economies, NPC worshipers, and so on, but even then, I didn't play them too in-depth.
I also once had an ant farm of Western Harvester ants. The colony grew to a fairly large size, which required considerable effort to manage the population. I suppose I had some experience in managing certain types of civilizations and building worlds, but what the voice was saying seemed like a big deal! And it was all real.
"What do I need to do exactly?" I asked, a sense of unease rising inside me.
"I will teach you everything you need to know," the voice replied. "For now, the best thing you can do is rest and prepare yourself."
I paused and racked my brain trying to figure out what to say and think. "So are you saying that I will become a god of some sort?"
"Precisely. As I mentioned before, you will have a great responsibility." I rubbed my chin in thought, pondering and reflecting on the strange encounter so far. "Is there at least a free trial of sorts before I subscribe?"
"No."
I hung my head in defeat. Well, there went that option. I had no choice but to commit.
"What if I decline?" I asked. For a brief moment, there was silence. I felt as if the voice had disappeared, but eventually, after what felt like an eternity, it replied, "The responsibility in becoming the Author of Life is so immense that your reality will crumble if you decline. The benefits, however, outweigh the costs. I urge you to accept."
Great, so it was either accept or watch everything fall apart. No big deal.
"And what are these so-called 'benefits?'"
"You will learn over time." The voice went silent once again. "Well then, I suppose I have no choice then. I will accept and become... what did you call it? The Author of Life?"
"Correct. One more thing must be done before we make it official. Prick your finger on one of the sharp edges and drip your blood inside the empty space."
"What? No way, that'll hurt!" I recoiled in fear. "Don't be afraid, it will only hurt briefly," the voice replied. I cringed at the idea, but I reluctantly hovered my index finger on a sharp corner of the box, and after about a minute, I pressed down gently, and drops of blood fell under the wooden desk I had the box on.
I held my finger on the empty space and a few drops fell inside.
"Great. That is all. You are officially the Author of Life." The box gave an incredibly bright glow that filled up my entire room until it subsided after about five minutes. "You may rest for now. We work on it soon."
What a strange day. I had no idea how interesting my life would become.