Part 1: The Pink OrbPOV: Zai
I never thought my life would change on a random Tuesday.
I was just a regular 16-year-old Black kid living in Southeast D.C., trying to survive sophomore year and keep my grades decent enough that my mom wouldn't trip. My name's Zai, by the way—short for Zaiden, but no one calls me that except my grandma.
The day started like any other: overslept, missed breakfast, and sprinted three blocks to catch the Metrobus. Card declined, again. I had to give the driver that sad, broke-student look just to get on.
School was school. Cool with a few people, invisible to most. I kept my head down. Didn't need drama. I had Mr. Coleman's quiz in History and Ms. Rivera in Algebra breathing down my neck about homework I definitely didn't do.
But that night?
That night changed everything.
It was around 10 PM. My mom was out working a double shift at the hospital. I was in my room, lights off, just chillin' with some headphones on, trying to beat this stage in Hollow Knight. That's when I saw it out the window—a streak of pink tearing across the sky. Not white. Not red. Pink.
It crashed somewhere in the woods behind that busted-up community center near the basketball courts. My curiosity grabbed me by the throat. I didn't even think twice. I threw on my hoodie, grabbed my flashlight, and slipped out the back door before I could talk myself out of it.
The woods were quiet.
Too quiet.
I should've turned around when I didn't hear any birds or cars in the distance. Not even the usual dogs barking. Just stillness. Then I saw it—a faint glow between the trees. I pushed forward until I found it: a small, floating pink orb, barely the size of my fist.
It pulsed softly, like it was... breathing?
I reached out. My fingers grazed the surface—
And then it disappeared.
Gone. No sound. No flash.
Just—
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
That's when the black void swallowed me whole.
I wasn't in the woods anymore. I wasn't anywhere. Just floating. Breathing. Heart pounding. And then:
[WELCOME, ISAIAH.]
The voice was deep, layered like five people talking at once.
[YOU HAVE TOUCHED THE COSMIC ORB. YOU ARE NOW A PLAYER.]
[SYSTEM INSTALLATION COMPLETE.]
In front of me appeared a glowing panel, like some sci-fi HUD from a video game. Lines of text scrolled fast, too quick to catch, until it froze on one screen:
PLAYER: ISAIAH MUNGROLEVEL: 18SYSTEM: SUPER SMASH BROTHERS ULTIMATE POWERS UNLOCKEDACCESS: LIMITEDOBJECTIVE: LEVEL UP TO UNLOCK MORE ABILITIES.NOTICE: THIS WORLD REMAINS NORMAL. THE ORB ONLY CHOSE YOU. DO NOT EXPOSE THE SYSTEM.
"What the hell…" I whispered. My voice echoed like I was in a stadium.
[YOU MAY NOW RETURN.]
And just like that—snap—I was lying on my bed, drenched in sweat, flashlight still clutched in my hand. My window was closed. My game was paused. But the orb was gone.
The next morning, I chalked it all up to a dream. I went through my normal routine—burnt eggs, rushed shower, shoved everything into my backpack. My mom barely had time to say goodbye before heading out again. I knew she was tired. She worked harder than anyone I knew.
At school, things felt... different.
Not because anyone else changed, but because I could see things now.
Above people's heads were faint little boxes:
[NPC – Level 0][Potential: Low]
Even Mr. Coleman had one.
And every now and then, I'd get weird pings in my head.
[TIP: CHALLENGE = GROWTH. FIND SMALL CONFLICTS TO GAIN EXP.]
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: DOUBLE JUMP (Lv. 1)]
Wait—what?
I found myself tapping my foot against the school hallway floor... then jumping. Once. Twice. Twice. In midair. Like some cartoon. I landed quick, looked around—no one noticed.
This wasn't a dream.
Something really happened.
Back home, I sat at my desk, staring into the mirror. I lifted my hand, and a blue holographic menu flashed before me again.
Only five abilities were available at Level 1:
Double Jump
Short Dodge Roll
Basic Punch (Smash Variant)
Parry (Frame-Perfect)
System Scan (Lv. 1)
The rest? Locked. Grayed out with question marks.
Why me?
And most of all… what happens when I level up?