'Finally! It's over.'
Today is the day I finally graduated. Four years of sleepless nights, never-ending projects, and hell-level difficulty exams are finally over.
I looked around and saw my friend. I approached him with a smile.
"Congratulations to us, Brother!"
Even though we're not blood-related, we treat each other as brothers. We always got into trouble, but we solved it with smiles on our faces.
"Yeah! Those days are finally over."
He smiled and hugged me, tapped my back, and said,
"Your sister is so proud of you right now."
Said Ian, my best friend since childhood.
My twin sister died three years ago due to a truck incident. We took the same course, and she should be a graduate now, too.
'I don't know what to say. Maybe a "thanks" will do.'
"Thanks, man. I finally did what I promised her."
"Yeah! Oh—and you, Grandpa, and Grandma should go to our house later. We're having a small celebration tonight."
Ian said while smiling and running back to his family. I smiled, stretched up, and looked up at the sky.
Standing for hours and listening to the endless speeches from the guests, followed by hours of name-calling, completely drained me. It was hard to hide my jealousy toward the other students who had their parents with them. Events like this are the ones I hate the most.
'Anyway, I still have time today, so what should I do? Hmm…'
I contemplated as I sat still in the hall.
"I'll just go to the gym. It's chest day, after all."
I dialed Gramps' number as I walked to the basement parking lot. I saw my bike in the corner near the exit. It was a 2025 Harley-Davidson Sportster S. I fell in love with the 2024 model, but I waited and bought the latest one.
'It looks so cool paired with my full-face black helmet. Saving up for four years was worth it. The only thing I lack is a leather jacket and gloves. I'll buy them once I save enough.'
As I admired my bike, Gramps finally answered the call.
"Hello, son. What's up?"
"I'm fine, Gramps. The graduation just finished, and Ian invited us to their celebration. I'm sure you'd like to catch up with your old friend—it's been ages, after all."
"I'm so proud of you, son."
I smiled.
"But I can't go with you. These ladies here won't let me leave—HAHAHAHA!"
A small smile crept across my face as I rolled my eyes at his absurd words.
"Sigh… I'm sure Grandma would be mad, and worse, you'd be sleeping on the couch for months. But alright, Grandpa Gremory."
"I was just kidding, son."
He let out a sigh through the call.
"I got a call yesterday, and I took a plane overseas this morning. It's work. Something important."
"Oh? So, you're saving the world now?"
"That's right—AHAHAHAHA!"
I rolled my eyes.
"If you want to keep it a secret, that's fine. Just be careful, Gramps. By the way, does Grandma Criselda know about this?"
"Yeah, she knows."
"Alright. Take care, Gramps."
"Yeah, and I forgot to turn off the stove. Our food got burnt black because of the call, so your grandma threw a fit and a slipper at me. It hit the wall—can you please fix it? I left the money in the garage. Thanks."
"Sigh… Why are you guys so strong despite being so old? Like what the hell is your secret? Tell me, please, so I can finally hit 675 pounds on deadlift!"
"Do you really wanna know?"
For the first time in a while, I found my grandpa's tone serious. Maybe he'll tell me this time.
"Please, Grandpa."
"It's love, son."
"…"
"HAHAHAHA! Take care, son. I'll be busy soon—so make sure I get to hug four cute little grandkids soon, alright?! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He said as he hung up. I stared at my phone, absentminded.
'Love, my ass! I don't even have a girlfriend. And as for four kids? That's impossible! I still have my V card up to now. I mean, a lot of girls confessed to me, but I don't know! My standards are just so high!'
I took a deep breath and calmed down.
I removed my graduation gown and cap and put them into my backpack along with my diploma.
The way back home was peaceful—birds chirping, dogs barking, kids playing, parents sharing some intense gossip, and people jogging with their pets. I saw some of my fellow graduates and friends waving at me as I drove my motorbike home.
I live with my grandparents about 15 kilometers from the main city. They bought the land way back in 1890—135 years ago. Yes, they're old. Way too old. Grandpa said he was around 30 back then, and Grandma was 28.
They hold the record for the oldest people alive to this day. People are amazed, some are scared, and some think something bad. But it was quickly addressed by the government. They now get tons of benefits. Grandpa holds a high position in the government, and Grandma became a scientist and inventor.
After years of study, they found nothing—not even the best scientists could explain what's happening to them. They just classified them under "things science cannot explain," like dark matter or the origin of the universe. but the research doesn't stop until now, grandma has been leading the research for years now.
As I was slowly driving, I finally got a glimpse of our home.
It sits on a 250-square-meter lot with a 3-meter-high concrete barrier and a solid metal gate built by Grandpa. Inside is a Japandi-inspired two-story house, a garage, and a big workshop Grandpa and Grandma built. They like minimalist design.
[Facial feature recognized.]
[Irises recognized.]
[Welcome back home, Sir Bryan.]
[Opening the gate.]
A feminine mechanical voice rang out as I stopped at the gate.
It was the AI built by Grandma. Well, she got some help, but she did most of the work. She named it Anna—short for Adaptive Non-Human Navigational AI.
I drove my bike into the garage and immediately saw the wall Grandpa mentioned.
"That hole is big."
'Grandma must've been really mad about his sudden travel.'
It would probably take a full day to restore it.
I walked up to the front door, and it opened automatically.
"Mama Sel, I'm home!"
"…"
As usual, she was probably at the workshop with her toys. I walked to the back of the house where the workshop is located.
–Hisss…
The sliding door opened, and I finally saw Grandma Criselda. On her shoulder was a chunky calico cat—Mochi.
Grandma found her two years ago, injured. Probably hit by a car. She treated and later adopted her, naming her Mochi because of how soft she was.
Grandpa was against it at first, but when Mochi kept cuddling up to him, he eventually warmed up to her.
I looked around. Various inventions surrounded the room—many of them I didn't even understand. High-tech watches, nano suits, shield that could turn into jackets, and more.
I look at Grandma and quietly observed her and her new project.
Four robotic assistant arms were active, and holograms appeared left and right as she worked. She had long brown hair tied in a ponytail, silver eyes, tanned skin and a muscular frame standing 190 cm tall. She wore a silver bracelet, black cargo pants, black boots, and an orange polo shirt. She looked around 50—despite being 163.
I then decided to go deeper in the workshop.
Whenever I walked near an item, a display popped up on its glasses case.
In the corner of the room was my favorite thing: the massage chair. It had automatic nodes that moved like a real massage therapist. It analyzed my whole body and gave me 30 minutes or more of nonstop bliss. I moaned the first time I used it. Now, I use it almost every day after I lift heavy at the gym.
I sat down and turned it on, not wanting to disturb Grandma.
20 minutes later…
"It's done!"
I opened my eyes as Grandma shouted.
"What is that, Grandma?"
"AHHHH!"
She shouted, reaching for a levitating cube on her table and shifting into a throwing stance—her arm muscles tensing with raw strength.
"Grandma! It's me!"
"Oh, it's you, Little Poop!"
"Yes! It's me! Can you please let go of that cube?"
I shouted, ducking behind the massage chair.
"Oops, sorry! Instincts kicked in—hehehe."
'Hehehe, my ass! Even my guardian angel ran when we saw that stance!'
I remembered how a mere slipper destroyed our wall—imagine what a steel cube could do.
Thinking about it makes my back sweat profusely
"Don't sneak up on me, Little Poop. You can always call out. You're my grandson, remember?"
"It's just… I didn't want to distract you."
"Aw, come here."
She hugged me and showed off her latest invention.
It was a silver ring with carved patterns, it was levitating at top of a platform in the table. It looked plain at first glance.
"Come on, touch it and see its magic"
I touched it. Grandma smiled mischievously.
"AHHHHH!!!"
I yelped, yanking my hand back, feeling electrified by that ring.
"What the hell was that?!"
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
She laughed as I stared, wide-eyed.
"Look at your finger."
She said as she wipes the tear in her eyes
I stared in disbelief as the ring was already attached on my index finger. The once carved pattern now pulses a purple light on it.
I look back at her and Mochi was watching my hand, following my hand left and right, she was probably mesmerize by the purple glow of the ring.
"Go to that open space."
Grandma said casually
"Straighten your hand, rub your thumb across the ring… then crack your index finger with your thumb."
"I wont die, right?"
I said as i look at her with nervous smile
"..."
She smiled reassuringly at me, and then I closed my eyes and followed her instructions…
–Tack
I waited for a minute before i open my eyes
Nothing?
"That's it?"
"Hmm… well…"
She muttered, squinting at the ring, and she scratched her head.
"I guess I need to reconfigure it again."
She looked deep in thought, clearly trying to figure out what went wrong.
"Did you just make me a guinea pig?"
I asked, narrowing my eyes
"Of course not! Ha ha ha…"
"What the… why can't I remove this?"
I looked at the ring and tried to pull it off my finger, tugging harder.
"Oh! I forgot—it auto-registers to the first person who touches it. You can't remove it unless I do. Hehehe."
"…"
She laughs at me as I rolled my eyes at her
"This isn't something like... a nuclear bomb, right?"
"Who knows? Ask that old coot of yours—it was his idea."
"What is this even for?"
I asked, staring at the ring like it explode at any moment.
"Secret~ HAHAHAHA!"
"Now, get out—I've got more work to do."
She shoved me out of the workshop and locked the door.
'Sooner or later, this land is gonna explode because of her experiments…'
"Sigh…"
I walk back to our house and quickly got to my room. I remove my clothes and got into the shower.
"What a day"
10 minutes later
I got out of the shower and open my drawer
Today is Monday so I choose to wear black compression shirt, black cargo pants, and black high-top Chuck Taylors. I always wear this combo because it looks aesthetic when my muscles are pump up
"There's still time."
I open my computer to check on the news outside the country, i was worried and curious because Grandpa is out there in another country.
30 minutes later
I saw the same thing four months ago—non-stop politics, raging wars between countries, rapid technological advancements, broken world records, streamers blowing up overnight, and more. The only thing that felt off was the weather. It keeps getting weirder and worse, day by day—freak storms, sudden droughts, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and unusual tidal patterns.
I close my computer and decided to check my phone.
"Sigh…"
'And Grandpa wants grandkids? I don't even have a girl to talk to! All I see is our class group chat—not even a wrong send from a girl, oh my god. I might just become a cool uncle for Ian's son or daughter.'
I packed my gym bag.
"Done. Wait… hmm."
'Right, I nearly forgot my hoodie.'
"I'm ready—lezz go, baby. It's chest day!"