Labyrinthine Rebirth (Original Draft #1)

Author's note: This, as you probably guesses, is a draft for an original story. It will take place in a futurustic, post apocalyptic world. It's largely inspired by my first original story (Enlightened Violence) but it will be ten times better. 

I was supposed to start working on a new story as of the 20th of this month, but due to retarded, third-world-contry-goverment-policies, I don't have access to internet for 6 hours of every week day until the school exams are over. Don't even ask, it's too complicated to explain. 

Anyway, since I didn't have enough free time to invest into a story, I decided to keep writing drafts for now. So enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to share your opinions. 

....

The dimly lit room revealed a young man in his late twenties, sitting on a disheveled bed. He clutched a now-empty beer can in one hand, his face bearing the weariness of someone lost in his own thoughts. The room reeked of alcohol, and empty beer cans littered the floor like remnants of a chaotic party.

The young man finished his beer, a flicker of apathy crossing his face. He carelessly crushed the can in his grip and hurled it to the floor, causing the remaining drops to spill over the already-stained carpet. The sound of the can hitting the floor echoed through the room, momentarily disrupting the silence.

His gaze flickered to the television mounted on the wall. The news anchor's voice droned on, reporting on inflation, global unrest, and the ever-persistent gloom that permeated the media. Despite his seemingly intoxicated state, his eyes remained sharp, fixated on the screen, as if searching for a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos.

Suddenly, the young man's phone rang, piercing through the room's stillness. He immediately picked up the call without hesitation.

"Hello?" he slurred.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Mark?! Do you have any idea how you embarrassed me in front of the client? You think you can speak to me like that?" shouted his boss angrily through the phone.

The boss's voice seethed with anger, each word laced with contempt. The young man's face twitched, eyes narrowing, but his voice remained slurred, mimicking his drunken state.

"Hey, hey, calm *hiccup* down, man," he replied. "I can't understand a word you're saying with all that yelling."

The boss's voice grew louder, now laced with profanities and threats.

"I swear to God, Mark, if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll beat the living shit out of you before firing your sorry ass!"

The young man's expression hardened, and he feigned a surge of anger, fueled by liquid courage.

"Oh yeah? Well, go *hiccup* ahead and fire me! See if I care!"

There was a brief pause on the line as the boss registered the young man's defiant words. The boss's angry tone dissipated, replaced by a chuckle that echoed through the phone.

"You think I'd let go of someone as valuable as you? No, no, no. Firing a valuable asset like you is too much of a waste!" the boss said with a hint of amusement. "Instead, I'll dock you pay so much, you'll barely have enough to buy bread!" 

A glimmer of a smile appeared on the young man's face as he heard the boss's words. Thoughts of his mounting student debts, overdue bills, and other financial responsibilities he had to shoulder flashed through his mind. The smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a blank mask. 

"Valuable? Ha! That's a good *hiccup* one," the young man spat, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Take your job, take your pay, your entire *hiccup* damn firm, and shove it up your ass!"

His voice grew louder and more forceful with each word. The young man declared his decision without hesitation.

"I fu*hiccup*cking quit!"

The boss, taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, sputtered in surprise.

"Wait a goddamn moment! Don't be--" the boss pleaded, trying to regain control of the situation.

But the young man had already made up his mind long before the incident with the client. He swiftly ended the call, cutting off any further attempts from the boss to persuade him otherwise.

The young man's drunken, angry facade disappeared as the call ended. He moved to the dimly lit balcony, looking down at the bustling city streets below. Cars whizzed by, and people hurried along, their lives intertwined in the fabric of society. From his vantage point, he observed the ordinary rhythm of everyday life unfolding before him.

Though he appeared to be just another corporate drone drowning in student debt, struggling to stay afloat, there was something more to this young man. He possessed a mind that surpassed ordinary brilliance. In fact, he was one of the most intelligent individuals alive, his intellectual capabilities seemingly limitless.

But his genius came at a cost. Emotionally impaired, the young man lacked the ability to experience feelings as others did. His parents had been the first to notice his irregularities, sensing a detachment that set him apart from the world. They had kept their distance, unsure how to connect with their child.

And the young man, in turn, didn't hate them for their distant attitudes; he didn't feel any love or familial bond with them, for that matter. Whether he was incapable of hating them or if he chose not to do so was anyone's guess. 

Still, As he grew up, the young man's insatiable curiosity and exceptional intellect led him to intricate manipulation and experimentation. In school, he played with the lives of his classmates and teachers like pieces on a chessboard, weaving a web of chaos and intrigue.

He would subtly plant seeds of discord among students, pitting them against each other without their knowledge. He orchestrated conflicts and rivalries that escalated into heated confrontations, all while remaining unseen in the background. The young man reveled in his ability to influence others, savoring the power it brought him.

But his manipulations weren't solely driven by misguided mischief. In some instances, he arranged for unexpected connections to form, orchestrating secret encounters between unsuspecting individuals. 

Couples would find themselves drawn to each other inexplicably, their lives forever altered by the invisible hand guiding their paths. The young man reveled in his ability to shape the course of human relationships, observing the ripple effects of his actions with detached fascination.

One particularly audacious act involved the school bully. The young man, with his cunning persuasion, convinced the bully that he was gay, planting subtle suggestions and crafting an elaborate facade. The bully, his sense of identity shattered, grappled with his newfound emotions while the young man observed the psychological implications of his manipulation.

As the young man transitioned to college, his experiments expanded in scope and complexity. From the confines of his dorm room, he dismantled a drug gang that had taken root on campus. With his vast knowledge and meticulous planning, he exposed their operations, infiltrated their ranks, and meticulously rebuilt the organization in a way that left no trace of its illicit activities. It became his personal playground, an intricate puzzle to solve.

But not all of his endeavors were cloaked in darkness. The young man's thirst for novelty drove him to create a charity organization, one that transcended mere philanthropy. 

With his intellect and strategic thinking, he established a network of resources, fundraising campaigns, and partnerships that propelled the organization's impact far beyond what anyone could have anticipated.

 Today, that charity organization still thrived, making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need.

Yet, despite his brilliance and the sheer scale of his accomplishments, a pervasive emptiness lingered within the young man. The fleeting excitement derived from his manipulations and experiments could only stave his boredom for so long. It was as if he were searching for a puzzle, a challenge that would awaken his dormant emotions and breathe life into his existence.

And so, he found himself in that dimly lit room, surrounded by the debris of a life lived on the fringes of normalcy. He pondered the monotony of his corporate existence, the ceaseless cycle of work and obligation that offered no solace for his restless mind. The young man longed for something more profound, a purpose that would truly ignite the spark he sought.

The young man turned away from the balcony, his gaze shifting back to the messy room that reflected the turmoil within his mind. The stale scent of alcohol filled the air, accentuating the chaos that had become his haven.

Muttering to himself, he noted the state of the room with a touch of satisfaction. It resembled the aftermath of a raging alcoholic's retreat, as intended. Having realized that the life of an average man was the most boring, the young man knew that faking his death was the only way to escape the suffocating grip of such a life he found unbearably dull.

His mind wandered, considering the various roles he could assume in this new chapter of his life. The possibilities stretched before him like an open canvas, waiting to be painted with his imagination. A freedom fighter? An athlete? A soldier? The young man contemplated the allure of each path, envisioning the challenges and excitement they could bring.

The ground beneath him trembled as he weighed his choices, sending shockwaves through the room. Startled, he clutched onto the edge of the railing, his heart pounding like never before. An earthquake had begun to shake the earth and the very foundations of the young man's existence alongside it.

Before the young man could process the situation, the balcony gave way. Suddenly, he plummeted towards the ground below, his body flailing through the air. Time seemed to slow as he tumbled, his mind racing to comprehend the reality of his imminent demise.

As death approached with a chilling embrace at that moment, the young man's consciousness expanded. It was as if the impending darkness had opened a window to the depths of his being, granting him a glimpse of something he had never experienced before.

Acceptance washed over him, and as he closed his eyes, he surrendered to the inevitable. Serenity enveloped his senses, mingling with the sudden jolt of pain that surged through his body upon impact. Darkness consumed his vision, and the young man slipped into nothingness.

...

Somewhere far, far away

The scorching heat of a desert sun bore down upon a small, isolated oasis. In the midst of the arid landscape, a baby lying swaddled in coarse cloth suddenly opened its eyes, its piercing gaze defying its tender age.

The child's eyes, keen and intense, betrayed an otherworldly wisdom that seemed out of place in such an innocent being. Unbeknownst to the scavenger nomads who surrounded the child, a brilliant mind had been reborn, carrying the imprints of a previous existence.