8 Meeting Goku

Seated in the rear of a taxicab, Zayn found himself captivated by the mesmerizing landscape unfolding before his eyes. He watched as verdant expanses of nature interspersed with towering peaks scrolled by, their majesty imbuing a sense of tranquility in him. As the winding roads carried him closer to the mountains, and towards Goku's house, his heart pounded in his chest with a mix of anticipation and excitement. The opportunity to meet a beloved character from a work of fiction was no less than a dream morphing into reality.

The taxi came to a halt outside an eccentrically shaped spherical house that sat nestled amidst the serene environment. It was Goku's house. After paying the driver, Zayn got off from the vehicle, taking a moment to soak in the tranquil ambiance. He then ambled up the pathway and knocked on the front door.

The door swung open, revealing Goku, the muscular man with spiky black hair and a friendly smile. Zayn couldn't help but feel a mixture of awe and curiosity as he stood before the future legendary Saiyan.

"Hey there! You must be Zayn," Goku greeted him, extending a hand for a handshake. "I've been expecting you, Bulma called us yesterday saying you're coming for the 4-star dragon ball. Come on in!"

As Zayn followed Goku into the house, he was greeted by the comforting scent of home-cooked meals and the faint sound of laughter echoing within the walls. Chi-Chi, Goku's wife, was bustling around the kitchen, a pregnant belly hinting at the arrival of their first child - Gohan.

Welcoming Zayn with a warm smile, Chi-Chi said, "Hello, Zayn! It's nice to finally meet you. Bulma told us all about your unique situation. I hope you haven't had dinner already. We're just about to sit down for dinner."

Zayn nodded appreciatively, saying, "Thank you for having me. I'm definitely hungry, and I can't wait to try your cooking."

A variety of delectable dishes graced the dining table, as expected of course, knowing there's a Saiyan present to devour them all. As they savoured the meal, the trio engaged in lively conversation, with Zayn sharing some of his casual stories and Goku recounting his thrilling adventures, that Zayn was more than happy to hear directly from the protagonist himself.

After the meal, Goku excused himself momentarily, only to return with a radiant orange sphere - the four-star Dragon Ball. The mystical aura emanating from it captivated Zayn's attention. Goku spoke softly, placing the Dragon Ball on the table, "This Dragon Ball means a lot to me because it belonged to my Grandpa Gohan. But I trust you, and I know you have a good reason for needing it."

As Zayn stared at the four-star Dragon Ball, he felt an inexplicable pull. His gaze was drawn to the radiant orange globe, and a sense of nervous anticipation washed over him. The Dragon Ball seemed to resonate with him, calling to him in a language he felt rather than heard. He reached out tentatively, his hand shaking slightly from the overwhelming surge of emotions. As his fingers made contact with the cool, smooth surface of the sphere, the very fabric of reality seemed to tremble. Suddenly, the world around him began to warp and twist, and the reality he knew came undone...

Reality around him twisted and warped as though someone had pulled the rug from under the fabric of existence itself. Zayn watched in frozen terror as Goku and Chi-Chi's bodies shattered into a billion particles, their house disassembling into a chaotic flurry of atoms and then reconstructing itself over and over again. Their voices distorted into warped echoes, reverberating in the hollow void that the world had turned into.

In the maelstrom of dissolving reality, a voice boomed, its magnitude making the very fabric of space and time quiver. Each syllable uttered by this colossal voice further distorted the multiverse, shattering the boundaries of existence. The voice was enigmatic and impossible to comprehend, resonating in frequencies beyond human understanding.

The endless disintegration and reconstruction of reality subsided after what seemed like an eternity. Time and space ceased to exist, and all that remained was Zayn and a hooded figure standing in the void of non-existence. The figure stared down at Zayn, an inscrutable gaze penetrating from under the cloak. With a slight wave of his hand, the figure signalled Zayn to go.

And as suddenly as it had begun, the calamity ended. Reality returned to normal, the world around him restoring itself as though nothing had happened. Goku and Chi-Chi were there, their bodies intact, their home standing as it was.

Yet, Zayn couldn't shake off the terror he felt. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. His body started trembling uncontrollably. His legs gave out from underneath him, and he crashed to the floor, the world around him spinning into a nauseating blur. He passed out, the echo of that monstrous voice still ringing in his ears.

Zayn awoke with a jolt, gasping for breath. His body was soaked in cold sweat. He tried to stand up, but his legs refused to cooperate, still shaking from the terrifying ordeal.

"Zayn, are you alright?" Goku's concerned voice echoed in his ears. Chi-Chi appeared next to Goku, her face reflecting her worry. Zayn managed a weak nod, although he was far from alright. He tried to speak, to explain what he had witnessed, but his voice betrayed him. He passed out again, the shock too great for him to bear.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Zayn finally found the strength to sit up. His body felt heavy and numb. Goku and Chi-Chi were there, their concerned gazes never leaving him.

"What happened?" Goku asked, his voice filled with worry.

"I...I don't know," Zayn managed to croak out. He looked around, realizing that everything was back to normal. He remembered the destruction and chaos, the voice, and the hooded figure.

He tried to recall the face under the cloak, but it was like trying to remember a dream after waking up. There were fragments, a feeling of overwhelming might, a presence that felt divine. As the memory played back in his mind, a name emerged from the depths of his subconscious.

"Zalama," Zayn whispered, his voice barely audible. The name felt right, it fit the image of the figure he remembered. The creator of the Super Dragon Balls, a Dragon God. His heart pounded in his chest as the realisation hit him. He had just encountered a God.

And with that revelation, he staggered back onto the floor. The horrifying memories of what he had just endured crashed over him, a relentless tidal wave that dragged him back into the abyss of unconsciousness. As he fell, the hooded figure loomed in his thoughts, the name that had echoed ominously in the corners of his mind being his last coherent thought.

"Zalama...."

.

..

…

….