Chapter One
"1 Year, 364 Days, 12 Hours, 24 Minutes, 30 Seconds."
The golden text hovered in front of me, ornate letters suspended over a rich violet shimmer that bled through the air like smoke. For a breath, I stare—disoriented, the numbers ticking steadily downward, each pulse of gold reflected in his half‑lidded eyes. Then the world sharpened.
A row of desks. Chalk dust drifting in narrow beams of sunlight. The faint hum of overhead lights. Someone's pencil tapping rhythmically two seats over. I sat upright before the realization settled in—I was in a classroom.
I blinked again. Still there.
*Either I'm dreaming, or the god who "recruited" me seriously messed something up.*
Because this wasn't the world I'd been shown—the one filled with shattered skies, ruins, and that impossible mission I'd been handed like a death sentence. This was just… an ordinary schoolroom.
The countdown continued its silent burn. And a system? Really? I'd made it absolutely clear during that so‑called divine negotiation—no systems, no "stats," no endless pop‑ups cluttering reality.
I'd only agreed to one thing: a hyper‑intelligent artificial sentience, something that could talk back, think with me, not treat me like a character sheet.
But the glowing timer remained, gold on purple, completely ignoring my rejection of the idea.
Then, soft as a thought but unmistakably other—a voice.
*"Please don't panic."*
I froze. The words weren't sound, exactly. They settled directly into my mind, warm and careful, like someone placing a hand on his shoulder in the dark.
*"I know this isn't what you expected. I know you're disoriented. But I promise—this is the timer you requested. Just… not in the way you imagined."*
My jaw tightened. Requested? I hadn't requested a countdown at all. I'd wanted an ally, not a—
*"My name is Mara,"* the voice continued, and there was something almost apologetic in its cadence. *"I'm the intelligence you negotiated for. The timer isn't part of a system. You have roughly two years before certain… irreversible conditions take effect in this world. I'm here to help you navigate that. To help you. But first, you need to breathe."*
The soft murmur of the classroom came back into focus just as the teacher's voice rose over the low drone of the ceiling fans.
"…and that concludes today's overview on awakening preparation," the man at the front said, turning from the holo‑board—an old model, its edges flickering faintly.
"Remember, that after lunch you students need to assemble in the gym. The awakening equipment has been setup and since all of you have reached the official age of activation. The awakening equipment will cause your professions to manifest according to your aptitude scores and inherited potential."
A few students straightened at that, whispering with the quiet excitement only teenagers could manage—half impatience, half awe.
I sat still, the purple glow of the countdown faintly visible. Every word from the teacher pressed against the unease growing inside him. Profession assignment. System initiation.
None of this matched what he negotiated—in fact he had flat-out refused this exact situation.
Curling my hands under the desk, the imaginary hum of the interface burning behind my eyes. If this is the world I'm supposed to save, then someone seriously misfiled the paperwork.
*"No one misfiled anything,"* Mara replied, and this time there was the faintest hint of something almost like reassurance—maybe even warmth. *"You're exactly where you need to be. I just… wish I could have given you a gentler introduction. I'm sorry for the shock."*
The teacher closed a digital tablet and smiled at the class. "All right, start wrapping up. Lunch begins in five minutes."
Chairs scraped against the floor, chatter filled the air, and all he could do was stare through the shimmer of gold numbers still counting down his unknown deadline—while somewhere in the back of his mind, a presence settled in like a flame cupped against the wind.
*"When you're ready,"* Mara whispered, *"we'll talk. Really talk. But for now… try to look like you belong here."*
Letting out a breath and trying not to sigh.
*"Nice to meet you Mara, and remove that damn countdown."*
As I watch the last student file out of the classroom.
*"Mara download a map of the campus, plot a route to the lunch room, so I can pretend like I give a shit or belong here."*
While I proceed to follow the projected map in the corner of my vision. I debate in my mind since the contract I had formed with that god, appears to be in breach. I am a free of its terms.
I wonder if I should just opt out and start my reincarnation cycle early. Maybe i don't need to worry about it. I am about to have school cafeteria food that should suffice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here I am standing in a damn school lunch line hoping to find something poisonous to kill me and fix this fubar situation I am in.
Despite what Mara tries and reassure me with, this is not the situation I negotiated, so as far as I am concerned the contract between me and that short bus riding God.
Who I am pretty sure is being manipulated and controlled.
Yet try as I might for once in my memory. I seem to have found a school lunch with food that actually looks delicious and not just potentially edible.
Look at that dragon tail sushi, it looks better than high end sushi houses back home.
Sigh..
I take my tray and find a table. Sitting down I let my OCD take over and organize the food and table setting. Letting my body pilot itself based on nearly fifty years of habitual movements.
Absent of intention and pure muscle memory I take a bite of the sushi.
*Fuck Me!* I think to myself, *Yeah I am not getting poisoned off this food. That was the best damn bite I every had.*
*Mara* I call out in my head. *Sorry if I was a unresponsive or at least not running on all cylinders.*
*So could you please explain to me why you believe or know that I am where I am supposed to be?*
*Actually hold that thought. Seems like the obligatory meet and greet of the new student is about to commence.*
"Hey are you the new transfer student?" A kid a half of head shorter than everyone else in his passel of idiots nearly shouts at me.
*Don't kill, Don't kill, Don't kill* repeating that mantra in my head as I speak.
*It's your first day here in fact you have only been here for about 30 minutes. Correcting the gene pool should be considered after I have a handle on how this world works.* Continuing my thought.
*Actually maybe I can have him start my reincarnation cycle since this food won't oblige me.*
"Appears so. Since I would remember seeing your beady eye face." Is my response as I take another bite of sushi.
*Mara are we sure we are not in a food wars analog world. I feel I would raze any opposing force just for this sushi and I haven't touched my other food choices.*
"What did you call me?" The kid says barely eclipsing a stammer like his brain is trying to process but is missing a few data points.
"I didn't call you anything, I described you. You have beady eyes, so I would have remembered those eyes on that villain or at least stereotypical school bully face." I correct and enlighten him to the best of my ability.
"Do you have any idea who I am?" Is the retort I hear and it confirms everything I need know.
"I know enough, as you are proving you have double digit IQ. So based on statistical probability you're either some rich kid who throws his temper tantrums and because mommy or daddy is rich and powerful everybody turns a blind eye to your horrible behavior."
"The second is your a true delinquent cause your mommy or daddy is the head of some powerful underworld organization aka gang."
"Now last but not least and hopefully is the correct scenario cause it would be the most fun for me."
"Is despite your inability to gauge your current situation, acting upon your normal everyday behavior that stems from you somehow being considered a prodigy and therefore your little bitty head has swollen."
"Granted solely in your mind to where you are the absolute and peak Heavens Child of some trillion year ancient prophecy bullshit."
"Now those are the three highest probable answers to who you are."
"Now take your little group of wanna be thugs and walk away while you can."
"Cause I guarantee you have zero idea of who I am, what I am about and exactly how fucking little I care about you and where ever you fall on the Gotcha wheel containing my three scenarios."
Having finished my peace, and hoping he takes the rage bait. I return to my food lamenting how incredible it is and how utterly disappointing it is to have my expectations around school cafeteria food to have such a huge paradigm shift.
*So Mara send out a live real time feed of this lunch room to the police, all news media, to all corporate conglomerates, and we can just hope that it gets to all underworld organizations. I want all the rivals and enemies of who or whatever is backing this idiot to see exactly the unvarnished and spun truth. Include the time from when I entered the lunch room till now. *
Noticing that beady eyes and his group is still there, and not following the young master script he started. I decide to push him some more, run a little experiment to see what the true situation is.
"So it looks like we have twenty minutes of lunch left, before we have to meet for the awakening ceremony."
"So are we doing this or not? If you aren't going to throw down and protect your reputation or what ever you choose to tell yourself please tuck your tail between your legs and run back to whoever is your backer. "
"Whine and complain like the little bitch I can tell you are. Then let your big brother, father, uncle, paid henchmen, the great great great spectacular ancestor of yours to come pay me visit."
"So fight or leave your invading my Feng Shui." I proffer since they are not leaving, and worse not escalating the situation.
"You dare insult me!" Beady eye screams spittle flying on the back of an underling.
I look at him with a look of complete and utter disappointment. He still is just not doing anything. My god, what does it take.
Ok since he doesn't seem to have the balls to do something I will provoke someone over his head.
"I did not insult you. This is me insulting you, 'Thou are a festering pustule on the backside of a five ton female elephant look alike, which alas happens to be dripping a father's attempts to father a son worthy to acquire the modicum of intelligence the creator hath imparted and promised to ragdolls. Thus erasing the excrement stain that is his shame and which stands before me.' Now the ball is in your court." Taking the final bite of my sushi while I contemplate what to experience next from my spread in front of me.
"Damian, leave the new kid alone sounds like he might be more than you can handle. Plus somehow this entire interaction has been broadcast to all news outlets. Showing how you clearly targeted him."
Some blond overly good looking guy says in an attempt to disarm this encounter. Now I just need to decide if I will let it succeed.
"Justice stay out of this, he just insulted me. I have to kill him my father will handle everything else, like he always does." Damian states with his most articulate sentence yet.
"Really your name is truly Damian, and yours is Justice. How cliche and depressing." I say as I point first to beady eye, then point at the new comer.
Now that I look twice turns out to look like that guy who drives the VW bus and screws the red haired model ditz, and the mousey librarian type girl, while the two scaredy cats, I mean scaredy dog and poor excuse for a guy, get cuckold.
"I am trying to diffuse the situation." Justice states.
"That act which you probably have cultivated since you first were told what your name means."
"You can stop it now. There is no way you were trying to diffuse the situation, by telling the school idiot this event was being broadcast and subsequently the whole world seeing his actions and behavior and you really thought he would be like 'Oh well I better stop', crack a comment making it seem like a joke, and then walk away."
"Nah man you totally applied enough information to direct him into escalating. Now the only thing that I am curious about is if you knew he would announce his premeditation to murder for said world to see, and admit he has done it before and his daddy has covered it up?" I inquire as I take a bite of what I assume to be this worlds equivalent to breaded fried chicken breast.
Taking advantage of the new variable I do my best to escalate this encounter since the bullly has failed miserably.
"Fuck! That is horrible". I utter between spitting out the bite I just took before downing my drink in a attempt to remove the foul taste.
"How the hell can that horrible monstrosity share the same room as that delectable sushi?" I mutter to myself.
Now with my appetite ruined I look Damian directly in the eyes, "So you have stated you are going to kill me. There is also a record of your statement that you will have your Dad handle the fallout. So you have provided all the legal standing I need to defend myself."
"So lets do this, my back is against the wall literally" I say as i point a thumb behind me pointing out said wall.
"You have my way of egress blocked by your group of thugs. So I only can go through them and subsequently you. Meaning I have no way to retreat."
"So are you all prepared to die, whoever is not should extricate themselves now."
"For the moment I take a step forward I do so with the knowledge and expectation of fighting for my life and any movement from anyone of you."
"Will be taken as aggressive action against me, intending to cause myself bodily harm or death."
"My response will be immediate and permanent, for the sole purpose of protecting my life."
Counting to 10 in my head, no-one moved so I take a step forward and everyone moves back.
Shrugging I just start walking forward and the group of thugs part like the red sea. As I take my final step and clear the group I send one final barb of a retort.
"Since you couldn't back up your words, I will await for the shadows to produce hidden assassins but in the mean time clean my tray for me. I don't feel safe getting it and properly taking care of it."
As I exit the cafeteria, I speak to Mara. "Keep appraised of the comments and fallout, from this and if possible determine all who try and use it against that idiot's father."
Stopping all of a sudden, I talk to the air, "It is not great for ones longevity, to follow a guy whose life has just been threatened. Are you going to do the deed or are you here to add more threats?"
"Not turning around to face the threat on your life?" A Disembodied mature masculine voice says.
"Understood, you have a message slash threat to give to me from what I presume is either that imbecile's father or possibly elephant look alike."
"So deliver the message then leave, or attack I care not which. I just hope someone has the giant golden balls to follow through." I retort
"The young master may have gone overboard, but insulting the master will have repercussions. Live in fear. Once this nuisance has passed from the public attention you will disappear."
"I can't even get a proper threat, how truly incompetent this powerful family is. I hope you can keep your promise and have me disappear." I throw out as I start walking.