The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm glow over the quiet suburban streets as Marcus trudged home from school. The rhythmic sound of his sneakers tapping against the sidewalk was the only noise that accompanied him, a constant in his otherwise mundane world. He wasn't tired, not exactly, but his mind felt heavy, weighed down by the day's lessons, his thoughts swirling in a haze of monotony. His backpack, slung over one shoulder, seemed to get heavier with each step, the straps digging uncomfortably...
It was the same walk every day—nothing ever changed. The same houses. The same trees. The same cracked sidewalk that always seemed to have a way of tripping him up.
And then, there it was.
In the middle of the sidewalk, lying unceremoniously near the edge of a cracked pavement, was a small, bright red button.
Marcus paused, his feet stopping instinctively as his eyes locked onto the button. It seemed out of place, like a random object dropped in the middle of nowhere for no reason. But what struck him most was how it called to him, a strange, almost magnetic pull he couldn't ignore. His gaze lingered on it for a moment, confusion and curiosity battling in his mind.
It was an ordinary button—about the size of a coin. Nothing special about it. But there was something about it, a feeling that Marcus couldn't shake. He crouched down and hesitantly reached for it, his fingers brushing the smooth surface.
"Is this some kind of joke?" he muttered to himself, glancing around to see if anyone was watching.
No one was there.
His fingers tightened around the button, and without really thinking, he pressed it.
At first, nothing happened. A few seconds passed in which nothing changed, the world around him still as ordinary as ever. He half-expected something ridiculous, like a trap, or a prank, but there was no immediate explosion or sudden flashing lights.
But then, the ground beneath his feet trembled.
Before he could even react, the world around him seemed to twist, as if reality itself was folding in on itself. The air turned cold, and a deep, eerie silence engulfed everything. A rush of vertigo overtook him, and in a split second, the familiar world he knew vanished.
He was no longer standing on the sidewalk.
Instead, Marcus found himself in an empty, black void.
He gasped, his heartbeat racing. He tried to move, but his body felt weightless, like he was floating in space, unable to touch anything. There was no ground, no walls, no sky—just an infinite, empty void. His breaths came faster now, panic beginning to rise within him. His throat tightened as he reached out into the endless dark, feeling nothing.
"What's happening?" he whispered to himself, his voice swallowed by the vast emptiness. There was no sound, no echo.
Suddenly, a strange sensation filled the air—a faint, distant hum, almost like a vibration deep within the void. His eyes darted around, trying to find some sign of life, some indication of where he was. Then, in the distance, he saw something. A shape.
It was massive, its form shifting in and out of clarity like an illusion. As it came closer, Marcus could barely comprehend its size. It was… huge—larger than any creature he had ever imagined, its presence overwhelming. The being seemed to shimmer, its features impossibly large and incomprehensible, like something between a human and a god.
The being's voice echoed in his mind, deep and resonant, like thunder in a storm.
"Do not be afraid, child. You have been chosen."
Marcus's heart pounded, his legs shaking. He couldn't understand what was happening. Was this some kind of dream? Some elaborate illusion? Or was it real?
The giant being continued, its voice calming yet forceful.
"Those who press the button are to be reborn in different worlds, in different realities. You have been brought here to receive your gift. Your new purpose."
Marcus's mind raced, unable to process what the being was saying. Reborn? Gift? New purpose?
Before he could voice his confusion, a strange, glowing wheel appeared before him. It spun with an otherworldly energy, its colors shifting in an endless cycle of possibilities.
"This," the giant being explained, "is the Wheel of Destiny. It determines the powers you will receive in your new life."
The wheel spun faster now, its colors blurring into a whirlwind of light. Marcus could feel something deep inside him stirring—an instinct, a knowing that surged within him. He didn't understand it, but the sensation was undeniable.
As the wheel slowed, the being raised its hand and spoke again.
"You," the giant being declared, pointing to a man standing near the front of the group, "will be granted the power of Pyrokinetics. You will control fire with your will."
The man, a tall individual with dark hair and a confident grin, clenched his fists. As soon as the words left the being's lips, his hands ignited with blazing flames. His eyes widened in surprise, then quickly filled with excitement. "This is amazing!" he shouted, his voice tinged with awe and disbelief. He waved his hands and the flames followed, dancing in the air.
"You," the being said, turning to a young woman with piercing green eyes, "will have the power of Telekinesis. You will move objects with your mind."
The woman's hands shook as she focused, and the very air around her rippled with energy. Slowly, a rock in front of her floated into the air. She gasped, eyes wide, as she made the rock hover higher, pushing it back and forth with a flick of her wrist. "Incredible…" she whispered, a smile creeping across her face.
The being then turned to a short, wiry man standing near the edge of the group. "And you," the being continued, "will be granted the power of Invisibility. You will fade from sight at will."
The man's eyes widened in disbelief as he glanced at his hands, which were still visible. But as he concentrated, his body began to shimmer and vanish, slowly disappearing until there was nothing left but the faint outline of his silhouette. He grinned in amazement. "This is insane…"
The being smiled—if it could be said to smile—its features shifting as it addressed the rest of them. One by one, the powers were given to each person in the group. A woman received superhuman strength, another person gained the ability to manipulate the weather, and a man was granted the power of telepathy. Their reactions varied from awe to sheer joy.
Then, the being turned to Marcus.
"Marcus, your gift is Power Creation," the being declared. "You will have the ability to create powers for others, to bring them into existence. But be warned—each power you create will have consequences."
Marcus stood frozen. His mind struggled to comprehend what he had just heard. Power creation? He barely understood what that meant. He felt a strange surge inside him, as if his very being was being filled with energy, a vast pool of possibilities and choices. He wanted to ask more questions, to demand answers, but before he could form the words, the being raised its hand, and everything around them began to distort.
The void around them began to shift again. The group was being pulled in different directions, the space around them warping, stretching, and finally… everything dissolved into light.
"Your time here is over. You are to be sent to your new worlds. Farewell," the being's voice echoed one final time before everything went white.
Marcus squeezed his eyes shut against the blinding light, and when he opened them again, he was no longer in the void. He stood in a completely new world, surrounded by the others who had been brought here just like him.