The waves were crashing against the fine sand. Endlessly, the ocean tried to sweep the rest of the world into its depths. It had to rember the ti of the flood, when it was the sole master.
Priam was ecstatic, contemplating the power of nature. The warm wind and late afternoon sun ward his body. A simple white T-shirt and sky-blue swimming shorts clothed the young man.
Eyes gazing at the horizon, Priam wondered about the aning of his life. After six years at university, he was about to finish his science studies. Now, he had to choose a profession that would allow him to survive until retirent. Teacher, engineer or researcher. These were the three main paths open to him.
None of them made him dream.
It was a hot sumr's day, and Priam wondered where he belonged.
"Lost in thought, handso?"
Priam smiled as he turned around. Victoire was nimbly scaling the blockhaus on which he was perched. The Atlantic coast of south-west France was covered with these remnants of the Second World War. These massive concrete blocks had sheltered Germans waiting for the Allies to land.
The young man stood up to help his girlfriend finish her climb. Grabbing her outstretched hand, he pulled the young woman to him.
Turning to the sun, he smiled, "I wonder what to do with my life."
"Vast question," replied Victoire as she sat down on the edge of the blockhaus. Her legs hanging in the air, lit by the sun, she was beautiful. Priam sat down beside her and drew her against him.
"It's easy for you. You're going to finish dical school and help others. That's noble..."
Victoire turned to Priam. "You don't have to be noble, you know?"
"Yeah. I like my fellow n, but not enough to dedicate myself to them, I guess."
Victoire laughed. Priam smiled upon hearing it.
"Still, you take good care of . I've known a lot of assholes, and you're not one of them."
"You're not a stranger, that's why. You're my girlfriend, and I have a responsibility to you. You make happy. I want to make you happy too."
Victoire stared at the horizon without answering. After a minute, she sighed.
"I make you happy... You sure about that?"
Priam looked at her, astonished. "Of course. I love being with you!"
"It's not the sa. I like being with our friends," she said, pointing to the group of about ten people a hundred ters from them. They were playing beach volleyball, and one of them scored. Their cheers reached the couple. "When I'm with you, it's different. I feel complete. I feel listened to. Most of all, I'm never tired of your presence. That's not how you feel about ."
"..." Priam remained silent. He respected his girlfriend too much to lie to her. She was right, of course. He liked being with his friends, but sotis he was weary. He liked being with Victoire, but sotis he needed to be alone.
No, it's more than that. Sotis, his girlfriend's presence annoyed him. Irritated him.
Because I'm not in love. He dated Victoire because she was the prettiest girl in the group. Intelligent, cheerful and generous, she had it all. Everyone wanted to be with her, so Priam ca on to her.
To be like everyone else.
Like a wolf wearing a mask among sheep.
All his life, he'd worn a mask. The good student in front of his teachers. The funny guy before his friends. The perfect boyfriend to his girlfriends.
He was reserved with strangers because he didn't know what mask to wear. How to please them as much as possible? How to be accepted? How to be loved?
Priam wanted to be the ocean: with a dream and the power to make it co true. The waves crashed relentlessly on the sand, for Poseidon's domain never tired. Priam was sotis tired. Tired of wearing his mask, he sought solitude. At such tis, the proximity of others disturbed him.
He was so lonely.
The sun was setting over the horizon. As if waiting for the green ray, Victoire's breath quickened. Just as the sun was about to disappear, she let slip the thought that had been weighing on her heart.
"Do you love ?"
For a mont, Priam hated her. He loved sunsets. He loved the simple nature that never judged him. He loved the calm. Victoire's question destroyed that calm. For he knew the answer.
Priam opened his mouth, a half-lie on the tip of his tongue. The sun disappeared, and a green flash reached his eyes. Priam winked. A second passed. Then two. The ray remained green.
"Wha..."
Humanity has been chosen by the Seven Great Concepts.
Congratulations!
The Tutorial is about to begin.
Complete it to find your starting place in a new Universe.
Choose your level of difficulty.
Ti: 60 seconds.
Victoire was trembling in his arms. Eyes fixed on the blue writing that invaded his vision, Priam felt his heart quicken.
"What the... You see that too?" asked Victoire.
"The blue text? Yes."
"Shit. Lets find the others!"
It made Priam laugh as he had never heard Victoire swear, but he had to admit that the situation was exceptional. He reread the text.
"No Vic. No one is going to help us in less than a minute."
Priam didn't take drugs, and he knew he wasn't dreaming. The System had a kind of persuasiveness that infused these few lines. Instinctively, he knew it was all true. He could try to deny reality... Or he could embrace change. ntally, he concentrated on the end of the introduction.
"What are the levels of difficulty?" he asked. An entity powerful enough to stop the sun had to be able to answer him. If it wanted to.
There are seven levels of difficulty.
Free, Easy, Normal, Hard, Perilous, Nightmare.
Ti: 50 seconds.
Priam sighed with relief.
"What is the difference between the different levels? Their survival rate? Are there so prerequisites?"
A higher difficulty level gives access to greater rewards.
Survival rates depend on the species and the individual. The System does not yet have information on your species' chances of survival.
There are no prerequisites.
Ti: 40 seconds.
"... What level of difficulty do we take?" asked Victoire.
Priam looked at the young woman with new eyes. "You're taking this in stride," he remarked.
"You adapted even faster than ."
"Im amazing, right?"
"Stop trying to reassure . We'll make it together or die together," said Victoire. The world had just changed irrevocably, but Priam couldn't help finding her beautiful.
"So?" she asked, smiling. She seed to be reading his mind.
"... What's the seventh level of difficulty?" asked Priam. The answer cited seven levels of difficulty and listed six. Priam was intrigued.
The seventh difficulty level is Impossible.
Ti: 25 seconds.
"Is it really impossible?" If so, he wasn't foolish enough to let his curiosity kill him.
Nothing is impossible.
Ti: 20 seconds.
A lot of risk, but a chance of survival... and certainly rewards worthy of the challenge.
"What happens if I pass this level of difficulty?"
You'll have the opportunity to be free.
To be you.
Ti: 15 seconds.
The warm wind continued to caress Priam's skin. Ahead of him, the green ray continued to illuminate his eyes. The phenonon described the last ray of sunlight as it disappeared over the horizon. These Concepts had succeeded in freezing the sun. Perhaps they had simply manipulated the electromagnetic wave? Or were they controlling ti?
Whatever the process, these Concepts were divine. A new wave hit the sand, and Priam's heart raced. He'd found an answer.
"I'm going to take the Impossible difficulty," he announced simultaneously to Victoire, Concepts and himself.
"... Im with you," Victoire murmured before kissing him.
Tutorial - Selected difficulty level :
Impossible.
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