There was nothing special about Vyuzka.
At least, that's what everyone thought.
To his classmates, he was the quiet kid who sat near the window, never raising his hand, never speaking unless called on. He walked with an even pace, eyes always calm, expression unreadable. A ghost in the background of ordinary life.
But beneath that still surface—beneath the silence—was a storm.
Vyuzka was always watching. Thinking. Calculating. He memorized faces, read intentions, and dissected patterns in human behavior as if it were a game. A boring game he mastered long ago.
He didn't speak much because he didn't need to. The world was dull, predictable. A machine repeating itself every day.
He craved something more.
Something… thrilling.
And then, on a day like any other, the sky shattered.
It wasn't thunder that cracked the sky. It wasn't an earthquake that shook the buildings. It was a voice. A voice that came from everywhere and nowhere at once. Not through speakers. Not through devices. It echoed directly into their minds.
[The Trials of Existence begin now.]
Silence fell across cities. Phones dropped. Conversations froze. The world itself seemed to hold its breath.
[To all humans: entertain the Great Beings watching from beyond. This is your test. Survive… or perish.]
Panic erupted.
But as the world descended into chaos, Vyuzka sat alone in the back of his classroom, staring out the window.
A strange screen blinked into existence before him.
[Initializing System Interface…]
[Welcome, Candidate.]
[Your Trial begins now.]
His heart didn't race. His hands didn't shake.
Instead, he smiled.
Finally, the world was no longer boring.
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