The evening had settled in with a quiet that hung in the air like a thick layer of dust. The house was still, too still for a family that normally thrived on conversation and laughter.
Alex sat at the dining table, picking at his plate absentmindedly. Normally, his aunt Mia would be chatting away about his day or how he needed to get his grades up, but tonight, the air between them was heavy with an odd silence. It wasn't just his aunt and uncle, either. It was him too. He hadn't said much since he'd sat down, his mind wandering like it always did when he was in this house. The house he'd grown up in, but felt more like a distant memory now.
His uncle Peter sat across from him, his hands folded neatly on the table. His glasses glinted in the soft light above them, his eyes hidden behind the reflective lenses as he stared at Alex. The kind of look that made Alex uncomfortable, even if he couldn't quite place why. There was something off, something unsaid. Normally, this was the time for Alex to get the usual lecture about school, about his future, about responsibility. But tonight, his uncle stayed silent. A strange, unsettling silence that stretched out between the clinking of silverware on plates.
Alex caught his aunt Mia's eye from across the table. She was chewing her food slowly, her face unusually serious, not the usual warm smile or the playful banter he was used to. She caught him staring, and for a second, they just exchanged a look. No words, but there was an understanding there that Alex couldn't quite grasp.
"Everything okay?" he finally asked, breaking the silence, his voice low. His question hung in the air for a moment before his uncle Peter cleared his throat.
"You need to take your school seriously, Alex," Uncle Peter finally said, the words coming out slower than usual, like he had been holding them back for a while. "If you get good grades, you'll have a good life. A comfortable life. You know that, right?"
Alex froze. Not because the words were particularly shocking, but because they were the exact words he had been expecting. He sighed inwardly. This again. The same lecture about grades, the future, and how everything would be perfect if he just followed the rules. If he just listened to what everyone wanted.
"Yeah, Uncle," Alex mumbled, pushing his food around on his plate. "I know."
Uncle Peter wasn't done. He leaned forward, his tone growing more serious. "I'm just saying, it's important. You can't just keep messing around with comics and—"
"I know," Alex interrupted, his voice growing a little sharper. He wasn't in the mood for this. He wasn't in the mood for any of it.
His uncle paused, clearly noticing the irritation in Alex's voice. He sat back, his hands folding again as he stared at Alex for a moment longer. Finally, he sighed, his voice dropping a little in disappointment.
"Alright, but it's important, son. You need to start thinking about your future."
Alex just nodded. Another lecture, another day. He let his uncle's words float over him as his mind wandered to something else. The comics, the bookstore, the strange book he had found earlier. The world outside this house was so much more interesting, so much more alive.
After what felt like hours of silence, Alex finished his meal. He was ready to escape—to get away from the endless lecture and into his own world. He glanced at Aunt Mia, who was still quietly watching him from across the table. The moment their eyes met, he made his move.
"I'll wash the dishes," he said, the words almost spilling out in a rush. "You guys go rest."
Before either of them could protest, he grabbed his plate and shot out of his seat, rushing to the kitchen. The last thing he wanted was to sit there and listen to more about grades and futures and responsibilities. He needed to get away, to let his thoughts roam freely for a while.
Uncle Peter and Aunt Mia exchanged a look, one that Alex didn't miss, but he didn't care. He wasn't in the mood to dissect their glances tonight. The sound of their quiet laughter came from the dining room as Alex busied himself at the sink, washing the dishes with exaggerated speed. He couldn't hear the words, but the tone was unmistakable—warm, familiar, and filled with a sense of something that Alex couldn't quite define.
He quickly rinsed the last plate, drying his hands and making his way back to the dining room.
"Goodnight," he said, his voice almost too casual. "I'm heading up."
Aunt Mia's voice came from behind him as he reached the stairs. "Don't stay up too late reading comics, Alex. You've got school tomorrow. Get some rest."
"Yeah, yeah," Alex muttered, flashing her a quick thumbs-up before disappearing up the stairs.
The moment he reached his room, Alex tossed his comics onto his bed, his eyes immediately scanning the pile. But his mind was still stuck on the strange book—the one he'd picked up from Mr. Wheeler's store earlier. He could feel it pulling at him, like it was calling out to him, begging to be read.
His fingers found the book, and he picked it up, flipping it open to the first page. The artwork inside was beautiful, unlike anything he'd ever seen. It was detailed, intricate, and full of strange designs that seemed to shimmer and shift as if they were alive.
He grinned to himself. "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once," the title said. He ran his fingers over the cover, feeling the textures beneath his fingertips. There was something about this book that felt...different. It wasn't just another comic. It was something else.
Sitting back against his pillow, Alex opened to the first page and began to read. The story immediately pulled him in. It was about a man with the ability to travel through time and dimensions, using those powers to help others and to search for his lost love. It was the kind of story Alex lived for—full of adventure, mystery, and strange worlds.
As he read, the hours seemed to slip away unnoticed. Time didn't matter. The world outside his room—his house, his uncle's lectures, his aunt's quiet glances—faded into the background. All that mattered was the story unfolding on the page before him.
But then, something strange happened.
As he finished the first chapter and moved onto the next, Alex glanced up at the clock on his nightstand. 1:00 AM. He cursed under his breath. He had stayed up too late again. The next day was going to be a pain, but he couldn't help it. The book was too good to put down.
He placed it carefully beside his bed and lay down, his mind still racing with the strange and wondrous worlds he had just entered.
But as he drifted into sleep, something odd occurred.
The pages of the comic began to turn on their own, flipping rapidly, faster and faster until they blurred together. The colors seemed to shimmer, the words fading, the images melting away into nothing.
And in the quiet of the night, as Alex lay unaware, the book seemed to pulse, alive with some strange force. Something was happening. Something that had only just begun.
The next morning, Alex was jerked out of a peaceful sleep by the loud ringing of his alarm. From downstairs, his aunt's voice boomed, "Get up, Alex! You're gonna be late for school!"
He groaned, not ready to face the day. Wait, no—I need to get up, he realized.
Alex blinked and checked the time. "Shit!" He rushed out of bed, barely remembering to brush his teeth. He didn't have time to shower, not today.
Barefoot and panicked, he darted downstairs. He grabbed a slice of bread from the kitchen table, throwing it into his mouth as he rushed out the door. But then—shit!—he stopped dead in his tracks. His bag! He had forgotten it.
He turned around to see his aunt looking at him with an exasperated expression. "This kid," she muttered, shaking her head. Alex quickly bolted back upstairs, but as he stepped into his room, something felt off. The room felt... chilled. Like the air had shifted, but he didn't have time to figure it out.
He grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder, and dashed back out of the house, the sound of his aunt's voice faintly calling after him.
The school bus had already left, so he had to run. By the time he reached the school, he was gasping for air. Sweat soaked his shirt, and he fumbled to check his watch. But—wait a minute—he forgot his watch too! What a mess.
"Ugh, why did I run here? I've got my skateboard!" He cursed under his breath but didn't have time to dwell on it. With one last sprint, he made it to his classroom, his heart pounding in his chest. The door creaked open, and all eyes turned toward him.
The teacher, standing at the front of the room, raised an eyebrow but didn't say much. "Go sit at your desk. And next time, don't be late."
Alex nodded sheepishly, making his way to his seat, trying to ignore the faint chuckles from his classmates. Some covered their noses due to the smell of sweat, while others snickered at his disheveled appearance. He could only sigh and slink into his seat.
Beside him, his friend Fatty whispered, "Why are you late today? This isn't like you."
Alex muttered back in a low, defeated voice, "I woke up late… Man, just kill me. My body's numb from running."
Fatty snorted, "Lucky you're not in trouble with this teacher. You better be careful next time."
School passed in a blur. By 3:00 PM, the bell rang, and students flooded out of the classroom. Alex and Fatty said their goodbyes before Alex trudged home, feeling sluggish and drained. He wasn't used to feeling this out of it, but today was different.
When he got home, he found his aunt on the phone, speaking to Uncle Peter. She seemed caught up in the conversation, so Alex made a quiet escape to his room. He tossed his bag onto his bed and collapsed, but then—wait—he remembered he needed to take a shower.
After a quick rinse, he felt a little more alive. His aunt called out from downstairs, "Alex! Dinner's ready, and your uncle's back!"
Sighing, Alex threw on some clothes and went downstairs, but something caught his eye as he passed his desk. On the corner of the table, just behind his bed, lay a large book.
"Everything, Everywhere, All at Once?" Alex muttered, frowning. "I don't remember that being here.Wait… isn't that the comic book I read last night?"
Curious, he picked it up. It felt oddly heavy, and when he opened it, he found the pages completely blank. He raised an eyebrow. Strange...
Before he could say anything else, the pages suddenly began to flip on their own. Fast. Too fast. The room around him seemed to distort, like something was pulling at the fabric of reality itself. His breath hitched as everything started to wobble in his vision.
"What the hell?" he whispered.
The book's pages flipped faster and faster, until one page stopped with a sudden snap. Words appeared—written by themselves—on the open page. They read:
"The world needs you now, little Alex. You must help us—help every world across every dimension. Fill this book with chapters. Complete the story only you can write."
The letters shimmered faintly, as if alive, then slowly faded back into the page, leaving Alex stared, wide-eyed, his heart racing. "What is this?" His voice trembled. "Why do I feel like something's... pulling me?" His stomach lurched with unease.
The book seemed to react, as though it was alive. He took an instinctive step back, but before he could fully process what was happening, the book jerked, pulling him toward it with a force that was almost magnetic.
"No! No, no, no!" he shouted, but it was too late. The book slammed shut with a deafening thud, and Alex was yanked into it. His body vanished, absorbed by the pages, leaving the book to fall to the floor with a soft thump.
The room stood still, silent. The strange pull of the book had disappeared, and everything returned to its eerie quiet.
Chapter 2: Ended.