The System

Siege Damon sat back down on the table and thought about what Victoria had said. He picked up the stones one by one and placed them on the palm of his other hand.

One by one, each stone began to glow.

Siege stared at the stones, mesmerized.

"What the hell?!"

The stones started to radiate a black, ghastly aura. A spiral of darkness formed. He was frozen in fear, unable to move.

Siege felt a creeping sensation travel up his arm. The harmless sensation quickly escalated into pure agony as his hand shook uncontrollably.

Images that he thought he never wanted to remember, feelings he thought he would never come across again...

All came crashing down upon him all at the same time. Minutes felt like hours and he screamed in agony until he cried himself to unconsciousness.

Siege's eyes flustered open and he sat up. "It doesn't hurt anymore..." Siege realized. He felt dizzy and his head throbbed. He thought back to the moment when he was able to close his hands, and the darkness gradually disappeared.

When he regained full awareness, he no longer felt seven stones. When he opened his hands, a single, ovular stone sat in its place.

When a shadow was cast upon it, it shimmered, a blinding light filled the home. It was a shade of black and crimson red. Siege had never before seen a magical object which possessed characteristics that the stone showed.

Siege Damon sat in utter silence, speechless. A spectacular mix of emotions, along with a strange feeling of dread overwhelmed him.

"So this is what it feels like to possess a magical object..." he thought. He wondered what it would be like to have magical powers.

He heard a voice in his head:

[Blood Stone Mage System acquired]

[Blood Stone acquired]

"What?!" Siege slowly responding to the neutral, human-like metallic voice in his head.

Minutes later, Siege was still thinking long and hard about what had occurred moments ago. He repeated the words the voice in his head had said:

"Blood Stone Mage?" he muttered. "Blood Stone...acquired..."

[Hello User: Siege Damon]

"Huh?" Siege said, jumping back in surprise.

He looked out of the window and saw a dim reflection of himself. A band of red light circled his right eye. On his left eye, he saw pitch black darkness for a couple of seconds, before returning to it's original colour.

"What's happening to me?" he thought.

"Holy S***! What else can this do?" Siege exclaimed.

A screen popped up in front of him:

[User: Siege Damon]

[Species: Unknown]

[Strength: ????]

[Agility: ????]

[Stamina: ????]

[Intelligence: ????]

[Rank: Unknown]

"Cool!" Siege whispered, staring at the virtual screen in front of him.

The voice in his head spoke once more:

[Take 'The Process' for further information]

[Take 'The Process' for further information]

[Take 'The Process' for further information]

[...]

Siege covered his ears. "Why won't this thing shut up?" he shouted. Suddenly, the voice in his head stopped and the virtual screen in front of him disappeared...

Siege felt as if he was playing a virtual video game. He never experienced it for himself, but he heard rumors that it was just like real life. But Siege knew it wasn't a video game.

"It's much more than that..."

Siege frowned.

He felt a dark sensation every time he opened 'The System'

[Take 'The Process' for further information]

[Take 'The Process' for further information]

[Take 'The Process' for further information]

[...]

He realized that there was nothing he could do but wait for 'The Process' to take place.

*Sigh*

A huge grin appeared on his face as he lay down on his bed.

"Maybe he could pass 'The Process' he thought, daydreaming. But the thought quickly disappeared after he realized that many people were driven to insanity when they found out they didn't pass.

"It is dangerous, Siege" Victoria had once told him. "Thousands people have died because of it. It's a matter of life and death. Nothing more than a game to the Divine government. You would be lucky if you failed the test and make it back alive."

The thought sent shivers through him and reminded him of the time he received the stones...

*******

"Open y-" said a government official. The door opened before the man could finish his sentence. He looked down at the thirteen-year-old Siege Damon, who was staring up at the man menacingly. "What do you want?" Siege grumbled, getting ready to close the door on the man.

"Remember who you're talking to, child!" the man sneered. "Show some respect. Siege whispered something under his breathe, but the man was unable to hear him.

He lifted up an old box. "We found it in a wreckage not far from here" the man said, "It had your name and date of birth as well as other personal information about you" he continued.

"It was a pain in the *** to find you since you live in this slum" the man mocked, ridiculing Siege for his poverty. Siege had received insults from people from school many times before. But hearing the words come out of a Divine Government Official filled him with anger.

He smiled wryly. He held his middle finger in front of the officials face before snatching the box and shutting the door...

*******

The box had contained the seven stones which Siege Damon had kept to the current day, realising it was something important. Three years later, and he figured out it's secret...