"Hey, Alek, have you thought about your future?" Sandra asked while they had lunch at the academy.
Despite exponential advancements in technology, students still had to attend academies to gain knowledge—from the basics to advanced levels. The Wandering Cantor Academy, where Alek had been enrolled for five years, wasn't just any institution. Its focus lay in merging digital mechanics and cybernetics, training students to create machines powered by advanced software, autonomous systems, and intelligent structures.
Although it had rules, the academy's teaching method was surprisingly flexible. Attending classes wasn't mandatory as long as students met a minimum quota of exams or presented projects that showcased their learning. For many, this system was a golden opportunity to develop ideas without the usual restrictions of traditional education.
Another thing that made the Cantor unique was its independence from Velmont City. Unlike other academies, here social status meant nothing—a rule imposed by its first director nearly two centuries ago. In these halls, talent, effort, and creativity were the only things that mattered, regardless of origin or lineage.
Alek set his utensils down on the tray and stared thoughtfully out the cafeteria's window. Sandra's question echoed in his mind. What waited for him beyond the academy? Sure, he could keep up his career as a professional gamer, but that wouldn't last long—not with younger, sharper players rising every day. He could also focus on developing domestic AIs. His prototype, Therbo, was one of a kind: an AI capable of adapting and evolving based on its user's personality.
"Well, I think…" he began, but his words trailed off.
The atmosphere around him shifted. His classmates froze mid-motion, the cafeteria lights flickered, and a dull ache bloomed in his chest. Alek sighed. He had re-entered.
"Guess I don't really know," he said at last, more to himself than anyone else. "I'll figure it out eventually. I know Thiago plans to work in industrial mechanics over in the city's defense sector. What about you, Sandra?"
His classmate, frozen in time along with the rest of the academy, didn't answer. Alek took another bite, unfazed, as if interruptions like these were part of the routine.
"Well then… time to keep experimenting," he muttered, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
Getting out of the academy was easy. If he had a hovercraft, he could fly over the city and explore from above. But as a regular guy, walking was the only option.
=====
"What kind of flower are you?"
Alek eyed the vegetation with curiosity. Every time he entered, it felt like stepping into a different world. The fauna was just as bizarre. He'd discovered that aggressive species were rare; docile creatures were far more common in the city.
Then something caught his eye.
"Dude, you're ugly as hell," he muttered, frowning.
In front of him, a strange creature—a mix between a mountain rooster and a giant earthworm—was casually licking the wall of a grocery store.
Alek sighed and kept walking. His goal this time was to expand his known territory, jotting down any anomalies in his notebook. He had noticed that some animals tended to stay within specific areas, a trait typical of predators. Since those were relatively few, he needed to inspect every corner carefully to avoid danger zones.
On previous trips, aside from the lizard and orangutan—likely hunters—he had spotted from afar three tigers that emitted poisonous gas, horses with elemental attributes, a herd of cows buffed like they lived on steroids, massive flocks of scavenger birds, and most impressively, a gigantic flying whale. And yet, he had only scratched the surface of the city. Who knew what lived beyond?
As the days passed in this realm, Alek started adjusting to the shifting climate. Though the city had a forcefield, it seemed useless against this world's storms. While sheltering under the roof of an abandoned building, his thoughts drifted.
"If this world gives people special abilities… maybe I've got something too," he mumbled.
It was worth a try. Nothing to lose.
"Come on… lightning… fire… shield… flight… increased resistance…"
Nothing.
"Uhh… flash?"
The moment the word left his mouth, his body launched forward at ridiculous speed, slamming into a wall inside the building.
"Ugh… haha… hahahaha, ouch," he groaned, holding his sore face.
He stayed on the floor for a few seconds, processing what had just happened. Well… at least now he knew he had a power. Although clearly, he'd need to learn how to control it.
After several attempts, he figured out he didn't have to say the word aloud—just thinking it was enough. During the activation of his "Flash," at first it felt like teleportation over short distances. But in truth, his body was being hurled like a bullet in the direction he aimed. The maximum distance before deactivation was around 15 meters, but it was more than enough for a quick getaway during exploration.
How long had it been… a week? Two?
No clue.
He'd stopped trying to count. His internal clock was more lost than he'd be in a trivia contest about world history. But judging by his stomach, it had been about ten days of eating weird fruits, drinking water that tasted like dead batteries, and dodging things with more teeth than sense.
And still…
"This is freaking awesome," he whispered, climbing a half-collapsed structure that looked like an abandoned parking garage.
No sun. No moon. Just a sky dotted with fixed stars and a glowing white orb hanging like a cheap prop in a badly lit school play.
He lay down under a twisted tree that smelled like rust and vanilla. Weird, he knew—but nothing in this place made sense. It felt like a rule-free video game, like a drunk dev had modded reality. Everything was strange, dangerous, beautiful. He saw a herd of muscular cows fighting a flamingo with a dragon's head. Today? An electric storm where the lightning fell… upward. How could he not be hooked?
He leaned against a wall and pulled out his notebook.
"Entry 49: Another failed exploration. The tower to the east was empty… I think. Heard footsteps, saw no one. Tattoo's still the same. Creatures ignore me—except that one time with the worm-rooster thing… I really need a better weapon than a rock. My hands are blistered."
He closed the notebook. Looked up. The white orb was there—always just about to go out… but never did. There was no night here. Just bizarre versions of day. He should have been scared.
But he wasn't.
It was like living inside a playable nightmare. And he was good at those.
He walked to the edge of the structure. From there, he could see a part of the city he hadn't explored yet. Ruins, rusted antennas, vegetation swallowing everything. No signal, of course. But he liked to imagine someone once tried to call for help.
Spoiler: didn't work.
Then, a vibration. That familiar, strange sensation—as if something squeezed his soul in an invisible fist. His stomach turned.
"Seriously? Now? I was just about to check out that dome that looks like a giant skull."
No answer. There never was.
The pressure grew. Vision blurred. Everything lagged like reality was buffering.
Then—a mental snap.
He was back.
In the cafeteria.
Sandra was mid-sentence, her spoon halfway to her mouth.
"…have you thought about your future?"
Great question, Sandra.
I just came back from a dimension with reverse lightning, flaming horses, and a possible godlike entity treating me like a chew toy. But sure—let's talk five-year plans.
"I guess I'll figure it out," he said, like not even half a second had passed.
She nodded. He chuckled internally. He loved the absurdity of it all.
He set down his tray and calmly headed to the bathroom. Stared at himself in the mirror. Everything looked the same. Eyes, face, hair. The tattoo on his arm, unchanged. Gears etched into his skin. Not moving. Not growing. Not vanishing.
He didn't mind.
He wrapped the bandage back over it.
Glanced at the mirror once more.
"Head high, Alek. You're winging it, but damn—you're doing it in style. Pioneer of a new world, haha."
He smiled.