"More than a century ago, when humans had only just begun to colonize the earth after the official extinction of the dinosaurs brought by the meteor's fall, something unexpected happened".Humans evolved.They were reborn with magical powers no one could have imagined were real.
In front of Mason, on the TV screen inside the university's audiovisual room, the viral video that had taken social media by storm only a few days ago was playing.
Everyone was talking about it.
Some argued over its credibility.Others dismissed it as nothing more than an AI-generated fake made by some lunatic craving fame and money.And then there were those who simply ignored it, continuing with their lives as if none of it mattered, because—really—what could change the reality of humankind?
Mason glanced around. His classmates were just as bored as he was.Some had already dozed off in their seats.Others were glued to their phones.A few even met his gaze, silently begging for the class to end.
Finally, at 5 p.m., both the video and the lecture were over.
Mason walked past the students, greeting his closer friends, professors, and even a few university staff before heading back to his dorm.
It was vacation season, which explained the chaos. Students were leaving campus in droves. Soon, Boston University would be completely deserted.Except for Mason.He was staying behind for the holidays.
Fortunately, the university allowed students with no plans for the season to remain on campus as though it were a regular term. The only catch was that Mason's mother—a powerful businesswoman and head of the household—had paid extra tuition so he could enjoy this "luxury."In truth, it was less about luxury and more about convenience. She could keep drowning herself in work without worrying about "wasting time" on her son.
"Ah… yes, harder… Oh God, you're a god in bed!"
The woman's moans echoed down the empty dorm hallway. The silence of the nearly abandoned campus only amplified the obscene noise.
Mason rolled his eyes, turned on his heel, and walked away, searching for somewhere more peaceful where he could enjoy his manga without being scarred by such interruptions.
He wandered into the university park. Boston University was massive, surrounded by wide green fields—a perfect spot to relax or waste time without being trapped in a dorm room.
Settling against a tree, Mason dropped his backpack, pulled out his manga, and began to read. Time slipped by. The evening grew quiet. By now it was 7:23 p.m. The sky was clear, stars blazing brightly above.
Fireflies flickered around him, their glow dancing with a soft hum.
But Mason soon realized he was reaching the final pages of his manga. His quiet enjoyment, however, was interrupted by something odd.
The temperature plummeted.Cold air bit into his skin, and Mason cursed himself for not bringing a jacket.This had to be the coldest night in memory—or so it felt.
Then, from above, came the sound of something shattering—loud, sharp, as if the very atmosphere itself was breaking apart.
The fireflies fell silent.
Mason nearly hit his head against the tree behind him as he jolted in shock.Before his eyes, a holographic television screen flickered into existence.
On it played the very same video from class. But this time, Mason understood.It wasn't a joke.It wasn't fake.It wasn't the delusion of some conspiracy nut.
It looked like a polished cinematic documentary.
And then—A massive translucent sphere appeared in the air, hovering only a few meters above the ground. Its surface rippled like liquid glass, reflecting the world in warped colors, fracturing light into thousands of prismatic shards.
Mason's breath caught. His gaze was locked on the sphere, unable to look away.
Inside it, he saw inverted humanoid figures—mere projections at first.
When they emerged, their bodies were long and fluid, like specters formed from molten glass.Where their heads should have been, there was a single massive eye, surrounded by smaller parasitic eyes floating around them like glowing fireflies.
Their communication was a hypnotic murmur—human voices overlapping, reversed, twisted.
The sound invaded Mason's mind.Agony tore through his skull, and he collapsed to the ground, writhing.
A moment later, the beings tried to drag him into the holographic screen. Their purpose was clear: abduct him, experiment on him, fuse human DNA with their own to create a new hybrid race.
The strangest part, though—through half-closed eyes straining against the pain—Mason saw their blinking. The parasites' eyes pulsed rapidly, as if sending some cryptic message he couldn't decipher.
They moved unnaturally, like marionettes dangling from invisible strings.
"We've found you," a distorted, robotic voice declared. Mason couldn't tell if it was male or female."You will come with us. Your body and DNA will serve our evolution. Together, we will create a new human era. No longer insignificant. No longer weak. Something greater—something worthy of this planet."
Mason struggled, fighting their control. But resistance felt impossible.
Just when he thought he was done for—when he was certain this would be the last night of his life—
It happened.
The holographic screen flickered as if it were breathing.
The parasites' eyes stretched outward like liquid tendrils, reaching for him.
Mason's chest clenched violently, as if his very soul was being ripped from his body by an inescapable force.
The air thickened. His ears rang in unbearable torment.
And then—
BOOOOM!
A glowing circle of symbols burst beneath his feet. Ancient lines, impossible curves, blazing with a spectral blue light that no human could recognize.
Mason's body was swallowed by a silver radiance. A force unknown to him erupted outward, shattering the alien illusion.
From his chest floated out a cracked, translucent mirror. It reflected the true forms of the Prism Parasites: grotesque worms writhing beneath their mask of radiant eyes.
Their screams echoed in his mind.
And then, a voice—cold, mechanical, alien—invaded his thoughts.
[Astral Medium System Activated.][Level 1 Unlocked: Spiritual Resonance.][Defend yourself. Repel the invaders.]
The command pierced him like lightning.Instinctively, Mason thrust out his hand.
From the mirror, a pulse of vibration exploded, distorting space itself in a wave of spectral energy.
Were others aware of what was happening?Or had Mason been dragged into some dimensional rift where only he bore witness to this madness?
The Prism Parasites' eyes cracked like glass under pressure. They shrieked in pain, staggering back.
Mason's heart thundered in his chest.
His power… had awakened.
And they—They had been defeated.
The Prism Lens Parasites vanished, along with their spherical craft and the holographic television. Everything had returned to normal.
But Mason hadn't.