Where was I when the apocalypse happened? People have all sorts of answers to this question. They’ll tell you how they were at the mall when minotaurs attacked or at school when goblins invaded their classroom. The unluckiest ones were the people living in major cities. That’s where the dragons attacked. I was at my parent’s gravestones. It was my usual Friday ritual I started after realizing I didn’t have anyone I could confide in my life. So I started coming here and telling my parents how I was doing. I’ve never been able to talk to another person about how I’m doing. Something inside me just tells me to keep it inside and work through it independently. As I stood up and said my goodbyes to my parents, a blue screen sprung up in front of my face.

Congratulations, Earthlings, your world has finally become saturated enough with Mana, allowing the system access to your planet. Mana can affect technology in weird ways.

Forget all you know and open your minds.

Initialization will prove to be a blessing and a curse.

For the strong-willed and motivated, you are destined for success, while those that do not adapt will surely perish.

Hostile races and powerful monsters will begin appearing. Structures holding powerful artifacts and secrets await your discovery.

Defeat your enemies to gain experience points and use these points to improve yourself and discover all that the System has to offer.

Remember to have fun and try your best to survive.

What? Hah, that’s a joke, right? Either that or I’m having a stress-induced hallucination. Deep breaths Greg, calm down and focus on your breathing. As I finally relax, I see that the blue screen has been counting down. And it just hit zero.

Shit hits the fan immediately; the ground starts shaking, and cracks appear all around me. I look up and see the sky darkening and stormy clouds settling in. Then I hear the thunder, and it starts downpouring. The ground hasn’t stopped shaking, and I need to get out of here quickly. Quickly I head over to the gate of the graveyard. Fear grips me when I realize it’s sealed shut, and the metal fencing has become thick as my arm is shooting up into the sky. I need to find another way out. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the groundskeeper’s shed. Sprinting over to it is becoming harder and harder as the grounds turn to mud. This storm feels like a nor'easter, and it’s the middle of July. The cracks are worsening now, and rain is rushing into the crevices opening up.

I’m gasping, and the rain is hammering me due to the high winds. I feel like I’ve been running for hours, but it can’t have been more than minutes since the blue screen disappeared. I dig deep and get a second wind just as a giant hole opens up behind me like a muddy whirlpool growing by the second. I get to the door and slam it open. Closing the door behind me, I’m praying the shed can protect me from the weather as I dart inside of it. It has a desk, chair, and a tall metal cabinet in the corner. The thunder strikes are far more frequent now and sound like cannons exploding outside. The shed is shaking violently now, and the sole window breaks, letting the storm reach me inside. I will have to move the cabinet to block off the window.

I’m struck by just how big this is walking over to it. It’s taller than me by at least half afoot. I place both my hands on the sides and try to lift them. No luck; this thing weighs a ton. I try to shimmy it and slide it slowly. And because today can’t get any worse, the door blows open at that point, and rain is pouring in. I’m straining to move it and step in a puddle that’s been building on the floor. My foot slips, and I lose my grip on the cabinet. Reaching forward, I grab the cabinet door, and it swings open as I fall. Landing flat on my back in the water, trying to shake the headache I can feel coming on. Just as I had sat up, a toolbox falls out of the cabinet and hits me in the head, knocking me out.