Monday rolled around and I walked to school. The weather was nice and the sun was shining. I was in a good mood. As I was walking, I heard someone call my name.
"Hey, Thomas," a voice called out from behind me. I turned around to see a girl with auburn hair and green eyes. She was smiling.
"Hey, Miranda," I replied. "What's up?"
"I was wondering if you'd like to walk to school together," she said. She was wearing a short skirt and a white blouse.
I nodded and said, "Sure, let's go."
We started walking and she asked, "So, how was your weekend?"
"It was alright," I said. "I enjoyed our time together. How was yours?"
"Mine was good. I had fun too. I'm glad we hung out."
"Yeah, me too."
We continued to talk and laugh as we walked to school. It was nice to have someone to talk to on the way to school. As we walked, we noticed Kyle and a girl named Sarah walking in front of us.
"Hey, Kyle!" Miranda called out.
Kyle turned around and smiled. "Wow, Thomas. Quite the ladies man aren't you?" he joked.
I laughed and said, "Shut up."
We all laughed and continued to walk to school. When we arrived, Miranda and Sarah went to their lockers. I walked with Kyle to my locker.
"I can't believe it, dude," Kyle said. "You're actually hanging out with Miranda. That's awesome. She's one of the prettiest girls in school. Well, I guess it makes sense since you had quite the glow up recently. I mean that literally by the way. Your face is radiating. Is that some skin product you're wearing?"
I was at a loss for words so I simply agreed and said, "uh, yeah it's a new skincare product."
After some banter we parted ways and I walked to class and sat in my seat. Miranda was in the class too and she waved at me. I waved back and smiled. I couldn't believe that I was actually hanging out with her. It was amazing.
Class began and the teacher started the lesson. I paid attention and took notes. The class was biology and we continued learning about the origin of life.
The teacher asked, "Can anyone tell me what happened during the first stage of the evolution of life on Earth?"
I raised my hand and the teacher pointed to me. "Yes, Thomas?"
"During the first stage of evolution, life on Earth was simple. It was composed of single-celled organisms called prokaryotes. These were the first living organisms to appear on Earth. They were very small and lacked a nucleus," I replied.
"Very good, Thomas. That is correct."
Class went on and I felt more and more confident. I was really starting to enjoy myself. I was actually excited to learn. The bell rang and class was over. I walked out of the classroom and went to math, which during regular days came after biology
I took my seat and waited for class to start. A few minutes later, the teacher walked in and began the lesson.
"Alright class, today we're going to be learning about the quadratic formula," the teacher said.
We started the lesson and the teacher explained the concept of the quadratic formula. I took notes and tried to understand the material.
Math was a rather uneventful class so I simply dozed off and let the time pass. When the lunch bell rang, I walked to the cafeteria and bought a lunch. I sat down at a table and ate my food. I saw Kyle and waved at him. He waved back and sat down next to me.
"Hey, man. What's up?" Kyle asked.
"Not much, just enjoying lunch," I replied.
Kyle slid into the seat before I could respond. "Hope you don't mind, but I'm starving."
"Not at all. Come sit. By the way, how did you make it here before me? Don't we have the same class?"
"Oh, um, well... I kinda skipped class." He replied with a blush. I rolled my eyes and let out a chuckle.
After a few minutes passed by, Miranda showed up and asked to sit with me. Naturally, I accepted. I was a little nervous but I was happy to have her around. We ate lunch together and had a good conversation. I was having a lot of fun hanging out with Kyle and Miranda. They were both really nice and I enjoyed their company.
Lunch ended and we went to our next classes. The rest of the day was uneventful. When the final bell rang, I walked to the gate and headed home on my own. I felt that I had adequate enough knowledge to start building a new world.
***
As soon as I made it home, I had a good meal consisting of some chicken nuggets and a small salad. I was feeling good and I was excited to get to work. I went to my room and pulled out the Box of Dimensions. I looked at it with a sense of anticipation. I was about to start a new project, a new adventure. I was going to create a whole new world, one that I would be proud of this time.
I looked at the old barren world before me and could only frown in sadness at what occurred. This world as I knew it was gone. Cyrus, Althea and all my former worshipers were all dead.
As I stared at the barren remains of my old world, a hollow ache settled in my chest. I could still hear Althea's laughter, the way her voice carried through the battlefield. Cyrus, ever loyal, had sworn to follow me into eternity. And yet, they were gone—vanished like dust in the wind. I had failed them.
Guilt curled around my heart like vines, tightening with every passing second. Was I really worthy of creating life again? What if I doomed this world too? How could I bring myself to feel anticipation?
But it was time to move on and truly accept my role as the Author of Life.
"Benny, it's time to move forward. I am going to erase this world and start from scratch and from the very beginning of time. I want this new world to be as similar to Earth as possible."
"Very well, Thomas. However, you should know that you cannot completely recreate Earth. Earth has a history of millions of years of lifeforms and a rich history of human development. It has a complex system of ecosystems and a diverse array of cultures and societies. It is impossible to recreate the same environment that Earth has without the same amount of time and effort that went into its creation." Benny replied.
"I understand. I'll do my best to make this new world as realistic and detailed as possible. I will not make the same mistakes I made last time," I said.
"Of course, Thomas. I have no doubt that you will create a wonderful world. I am here to assist you in any way that I can. Let's get started," Benny replied.
I took a deep breath and focused my mind. I imagined the world before me being erased, the lifeless and barren world being wiped clean. I felt a wave of energy flow through me and I could feel the power of the Box of Dimensions. I could feel the weight of the responsibility I had to create a new world and I felt a sense of determination and purpose. I would not fail again.
I opened my eyes and saw that the world before me had been erased.
The very moment I commanded the world to vanish, a rush of energy slammed into my chest as if the universe itself recoiled. The ground beneath me cracked and split, vanishing forever into darkness. For a moment, I stood in silence.
It was now a blank slate, ready to be created anew.
"For this world, Benny, I plan to create one giant supercontinent surrounded by water. This world I will name Pangea, after Earth's."
"That sounds like a good idea, Thomas. Pangea was the name of the supercontinent that existed on Earth during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras, approximately 300 million years ago. It was the last time in Earth's history that all of the continents were joined together in a single landmass. It makes sense why you decided to call it that."
I closed my eyes once more and imagined a single, supercontinent surrounded by a large ocean. I could feel the energy of the world begin to take shape. I opened my eyes and saw that the new world had been created. The single supercontinent was surrounded by an ocean, and it looked beautiful. Mountains rose like titans from the deep oceans surged into being, vast and endless.
"Wow. This is incredible," I said in awe.
"Thomas, Earth during the time of single-celled organisms was highly volatile with a lot of geothermal activity. The atmosphere was toxic, and the air was filled with methane, ammonia, and other toxic gases. There were no oceans, and the land was covered in lava and volcanoes. The planet was bombarded by asteroids, and the temperature was very hot. Would it not be more accurate to leave Pangea in this matter?"
I smiled and said, "You are correct, Benny, but I want life as a whole to thrive without many challenges in the way. Why should I struggle when I have no reason to? I have the power of the Author of Life. I am a god."
I closed my eyes and focused my mind. I imagined the atmosphere being transformed. I imagined the atmosphere becoming more habitable for life. I imagined the air becoming less toxic and the temperature becoming more temperate. I imagined the planet becoming less volatile and more stable. I imagined the land becoming more hospitable for life.
After this, I felt a sharp pain in my head as well as fatigue starting to settle in.
Maybe it was time for a break. I really need to return to training my fortitude. I've been slacking lately since I now had friends, and of course, school to worry about. I exited the Box of Dimensions and began to meditate. Meditation was a very important aspect of training my mind and soul. I cleared my thoughts and tried to relax. I could feel the energy of the world around me and the energy of the Box of Dimensions within me.
After a few hours had passed, I opened my eyes. My head was still a little sore but I felt refreshed. Before I knew it, night time had already settled in. I was getting hungry so I decided to get something to eat. I went to the fridge and grabbed some food. I sat down at the table and ate.
After I had eaten, I went back to my room and got ready for bed. I was excited but nervous to continue working on the new world tomorrow.
Lying in bed, I stared at the ceiling, but all I could see was the empty world I had erased. What if I was doomed to repeat my mistakes? What if this new world ended in ruin, just like the last? The weight of creation was suffocating, pressing down on me like an ocean current. I wanted to believe I had learned, that I was ready—but doubt slithered through my mind, whispering that I was nothing more than a fool playing god.
Benny's voice cut through the silence, steady and unwavering. "Failure is not the end, Thomas. It is only a stepping stone to success."
I wanted to believe him. I needed to believe him. Because if I didn't… who else would?
"Thomas, do not worry. You have learned from your mistakes and even if you fail, you have to get up and start again. Your role as the Author of Life is one that is filled with responsibility and failure is a natural part of the process. It is how you handle failure that will determine whether or not you succeed. Do not be afraid to fail, as long as you learn from your mistakes and continue to strive to improve, you will eventually succeed. Remember, failure is not the end, it is only a stepping stone to success."
"Thank you, Benny. Whatever happens, I will get through it."
After having that brief conversation with Benny, I slowed my breathing and fell asleep rather quickly. My dreams were filled with visions of a new world. A world that was filled with life and beauty. I saw animals of all shapes and sizes roaming the land and the skies. I saw forests, rivers, and oceans teeming with life. I saw a world that was filled with wonder and beauty.