It was just another Monday morning. The sparse rays of sunlight slanting through the narrow gaps in the blinds did little to disturb the man sleeping deeply in his bed. This serene peace was short-lived, however, as the accursed shriek of his alarm began its daily ritual of murdering a perfectly good dream.
Alex, startled from the warm embrace of his blankets, fumbled in the dark until his hand finally found his phone. Grumbling, he rolled out of bed and began his usual morning routine, steeling himself for yet another day at the office.
A warm shower, a quick breakfast, and a fresh set of clothes later, he grabbed his things and headed out the door. The entire process was an exercise in efficiency, completed in less than half an hour.
Walking down the stairs to his car, he had the strange intuition that the day was going to be interesting. He couldn't say why; everything was normal so far, but he couldn't entirely dispel the feeling. Maybe someone had brought donuts?
Traffic was terrible, a predictable misery of big-city living. He spent most of the commute not actually driving, but sitting in the endless queues of the morning rush. He’d considered cycling or even running to work, but the thought of having to shower and change at the office just sounded like a hassle.
When he finally pulled into the parking lot, he got out, grabbed his bag, and headed inside the corporate office that had been his workplace for the last couple of years. The building itself was a massive monstrosity of glass with far too many floors, though it wasn't particularly out of place, surrounded as it was by similar structures.
Inside, he was greeted by the receptionist, Susan. She was a middle-aged woman with a fondness for large earrings and more makeup than an entire high school drama club would need in a week. If Alex had to describe Susan, it would be a soccer-mom stuck in a perpetual mid-life crisis. The reception desk was only a few meters from the elevators, so greeting her was a natural part of most employees' morning.
“Morning, Alex, had a good weekend?” she asked, her voice brimming with far too much energy for this early in the day.
“Same as always. How about you?” Alex answered politely, already bracing for what was to come.
“Oh, it was great! You know, me and David tried to…” she launched into her story with vigor, explaining it in such great detail that Alex felt a profound sense of déjà vu. The exact same scenario seemed to have played out last Monday.
After a conversation that felt far too long and was filled with far too many inane subjects, the arrival of the elevator finally saved him. He made his escape, heading up to the 14th floor.
Stepping out of the elevator, Alex was met by the calm, open-plan office space. Looks like I’m one of the first to arrive today, he thought as he found his way to his desk. Booting up the computer, he started sifting through the emails that had accumulated over the weekend.
Alex had worked in this office for a little over two years now. His job was what many would describe as boring, yet he found a certain peace in immersing himself in spreadsheets, financial reports, and the like. He worked in the financial department, and if he did say so himself, he was rather good at what he did.
He mainly worked with investments, his official title being Business Analyst. Alex had a knack for picking excellent stocks and avoiding the bad ones. He’d always had a good gut feeling for those kinds of things.
The office slowly filled as more people made their way off the elevator. After the initial morning greetings and polite social exchanges, the noise died down as everyone settled into their respective tasks. No donuts, he noted internally with a pang of disappointment.
Having finished up his most immediate tasks, he began to feel a bit tired again, a clear sign he hadn't gotten enough sleep. Most of his colleagues had learned by now that he wasn't one for small talk, so they generally left him alone. Just the way he liked it.
Alex had always been a rather laid-back person. Cautious and a bit withdrawn. He was a bit of a loner, choosing his activities based on how little he'd have to interact with others. Heck, when his dad had forced him to take up a sport to get him out of his room, he’d chosen archery because he could do it entirely on his own.
All in all? Alex was content with his life. He had a well-paying job, a good family, a nice apartment, and great colleagues. As far as he was concerned, his future was looking bright. He wasn’t an extraordinary person, just another face in the crowd. And he kind of liked it that way. Standing out meant unnecessary attention, something he preferred to avoid.
As he finished his thoughts, his superior, Daniel, walked over with a big smile on his face.
“Hey there, buddy! Me and the others are heading out for lunch, you wanna come?” he asked cheerfully.
“Eh, sure, sounds good,” Alex replied, a little tentatively.
He liked Daniel. Daniel was the kind of guy people would call a born leader. He had excellent social skills, an uncanny affinity for reading people, and a way of making you feel comfortable around him. He was one of the few people Alex considered a friend.
Following him was a man named Walter. Big and brooding would be one’s first assumption, but he was actually a big softie. Apparently, he had taken care of Daniel while they were growing up and served as something like a butler.
All Alex knew for sure was that Daniel’s family was filthy rich. It was honestly a miracle that Daniel hadn't turned out to be an entitled brat, instead of the man he was today. By every metric, he was popular in the office, especially with a certain clientele.
His handsome looks, tall stature, and overall charm certainly didn't hurt his chances with the women in the office. His hair always seemed to sit in a state of impossible perfection, his suit was always impeccably worn, and what seemed like an eternal, relaxed smile adorned his face.
They managed to get along mainly due to Daniel's ability to carry a conversation for longer than a few sentences, even with someone like Alex. The fact that Alex wasn't the type to create problems, only deliver reliable results, naturally made their relationship easier.
Which was also why Alex agreed to go to lunch. With Daniel there, he knew it wouldn’t be entirely awkward.
Alex got up and made his way to the elevator with Daniel and Walter, talking about work and the meeting they had planned for after the lunch break.
He spotted Susan with David, her husband, getting into the same elevator they were heading for. It quickly became cramped, as three other people were already inside, waiting to go down.
One of these three was Emily. A coworker from the human resources department, which shared their office space, she was a year younger than him, slim, blonde, and quite frankly, everything Alex would call ‘his type’.
He was aware this was likely just a product of proximity; she was one of the only women his age he interacted with regularly. Still, it was one of the reasons he never acted on the feeling, along with quite a few others. He wasn't really the romantic type, and his prior experience in that department hadn't exactly panned out. Well, he thought wryly, her cheating on me with my best friend definitely counts as 'not panning out'.
Thus, he only managed to give her a nod and a small “good morning,” despite it being noon. Alex was barely able to keep the flush of embarrassment from his face, but luckily, she seemed to take it as a bad joke.
Alex was perfectly aware that Emily barely saw him as a friend and had no romantic interest in him whatsoever. Daniel, on the other hand, she clearly had her eyes on. Not that he could blame her. Daniel was a great guy, no matter how you sliced it, and Alex simply couldn't bring himself to dislike the man, even if he was Alex’s unaware, one-sided rival in love.
Alex himself was what one would describe as average in the looks department. Not too fat, not too slim, with short brown hair, brown eyes, and a face that was neither handsome nor ugly.
The only thing he really had going for him was a better-than-average physique, a lingering result of still practicing archery for fun in his free time; he even had a homemade practice range at his parents' place. This, coupled with a gym membership he actually used, helped him maintain the healthy lifestyle he'd started back when he still dreamed of being an athlete.
The sound of the elevator doors sliding shut brought him back to reality as the car began its descent. And just as his thoughts began to wander toward what to get for lunch, they were interrupted once again.
A chime, eerily similar to the elevator's but impossibly loud and yet utterly silent, filled his head. At the same instant, words bloomed into existence before his eyes, written on the inside of his mind. He barely managed to make them out before he blacked out.
Initiation of the 27th Universe confirmed. Introduction and tutorial sequence commencing