Mike looked at me. "You said you had a six right? Quick, go with Chris and help him."

"Yea. No way Chris will manage on his own. You know he's a giant Donk." Stew shrugged when I looked at him.

I reached towards the Yes and it disappeared. "It's gone."

"What?" Mike said.

‡ The Tutorial is currently closed. As a consolation please accept this Shattered Realm Codex. It will collect any information about this new world that you encounter ‡ ‡ Yes ‡ ‡ No ‡

"It says that the tutorial is closed. It's offering me some kind of codex instead."

"Take it!" Both Mike and Stew said at the same time.

I reached forward and swept my hand through where I thought the yes was. Nothing happened. I tried it again. Still nothing.

I shrugged at them. "It isn't working.

‡ Please select Yes or No with your intentions. Not like someone having a seizure ‡

I frowned at the message. Bit of an attitude, but I guess if you can rewrite the laws of nature that isn't as bad as it could be. "It said to use my intentions."

Mike ran his hands over his shaved head so hard that he pulled his face back. "Then focus on actually doing it, not just going through the motions."

I took a deep breath and thought about selecting Yes and nothing else. I had only started moving my hand when the box faded and a bright light formed on my wrist.

It was so blindingly bright that we all looked away. When it faded I looked down to find a gray band tattooed on my wrist.

"Stewart! Turn your damn game down! I'm trying to sleep!" Stew's dad called down the hall.

We looked at each other and shrugged.

"Sure thing Dad." Stew yelled back.

"Lucky I got some sleep. Might as well see what’s on TV." We heard Mr. Coleman muttering to himself as he walked past the door and went downstairs.

That's when we heard the sirens. Sounded like all of them were trying to go places at once.

We rushed to the window overlooking the street. The bright sunshine outside looked dim after the flash of light. There was only one car moving, an old ford pick-up, and it looked like they were going somewhere as fast as they could. The rest were sitting in the middle of the road. Looking down towards the nearest cross street we saw two cars had run right into each other.

"Oh, shit. Mr. Parker is not going to be happy." Stew said.

Following hiss line of sight we could see a house a few doors down the street with a car half way though their front door.

"Some of those cars don't have people in them." Mike said.

"Tutorial, maybe?" Stew responded.

I stepped back from the window and studied the band on my wrist. Poking at it didn't seem to do anything so I tried focusing like I had with the button. Almost nothing happened. It was a feeling like poking at a missing tooth and pressing a button that wasn't connected to anything.

‡ As the darkness forces through the cracks we weave the shadows into armor. Character screens are now available ‡

A screen popped up in front of me at the same time that the TV went black.

Character Sheet Name Title HP(Regen) Race Level MP(Regen) Age Class Stam(Regen)

Almost as soon as it appeared it filled itself out.

DAVID SMITH Dave -- --(--) Human Level -- --(--) 18 -- --(--)

‡ Congratulations! You gained a level ‡

‡ +3 Attribute Point(s) gained! ‡

I heard Mike and Stew talking excitedly.

"This is wild stuff right?" I said.

"What? No, screw that." Stew didn't even look at me when he answered.

Mike turned to me. "Look outside."

I looked out the window. Little upside down tornadoes of darkness were forming outside and out of each a glowing ball of black dropped to the ground. As the tornadoes dispersed the balls sped off. I saw one encapsulate a squirrel. When it faded the squirrel seemed larger. When it turned and charged at someone who had just gotten out of their car I saw it had fangs now. It promptly jumped onto his chest and climbing up to their throat started chewing.

‡ Armor may protect us but weapons allow us to protect our ideals, Attributes have been assigned ‡

As the squirrel was joined by a few others in devouring the unlucky driver bystanders began running away from the monsters. Often directly towards another creature. Mike cursed and ran out of the room.

"Mike. Where are you going!" I followed Stew as he ran after Mike

Attributes Strength Intelligence Perception Dexterity Wisdom Charisma Vitality Resolve Luck

These quickly filled out and then updated my Character Screen which came back on above it.

DAVID SMITH ATTRIBUTES Dave Title --- HP(Regen) 42 (1/15Min) Str 6 Int 7 Per 5 XP Human Level 1 MP(Regen) 19 (2/Min) Dex 5 Wis 5 Cha 3 0 18 Job --- Stam(Regen) 16 (1.48/Sec) Vit 5 Res 4 Lck 3 0 Skill Points 3 Unspent Attribute Points

If these actually covered up my vision they would be disastrous. What they actually seemed to do is exist completely in my mind, so they didn't impair my vision at all. It was still distracting enough I couldn't quite keep up with Stew as he ran down the stairs after Mike.

Mike had ran directly to the front door and threw it open. He held the door and yelled towards people to come inside.

Mr. Coleman yelled at Stew when he passed the living room. "Stewart! Were you and your friends playing games in here! The TV isn't working."

Stew ignored him. I answered as I ran past. "Sorry, wasn't us. Worlds breaking right now."

Stew was yelling at Mike as the fought over the door. "Close the door before they come in here!"

"We have to help those people. You saw what that thing did." Mike answered.

"Yes I did. That's why I want to close the door!" Stew said franticly.

‡ Strength is not the only route to power, Skills, Classes, and Titles are now unlocked! ‡

Mike yelled at the message. "Stupid things. I'm busy! Go away! Stew you saw what that thing did, now can you make sure all your windows are closed? Or do we have to worry about them crawling in that way?"

"Fine!" Stew ran towards the back of the house.

Mr. Coleman walked up behind me. "Dave, I know you're a good kid. But if you don't put my TV back the way it was and get rid of these messages, I will end you. And what is Mike doing?"

‡ Don't worry. Help will arrive in 7 days when the first humans are estimated to graduate and return from The Tutorial ‡ Quest recieved! ‡ Survive until help arrives in 7 days ‡ ‡ Reward: Life is struggle, You get to live! ‡ ‡ Failure: Death is release, however you die knowing you have failed not just yourself but your very race ‡