《[100%] Illusion》


 Chapter 1 - 0% chance of dying

    Light and darkness,


    Life and death,


    Black and white,


    Written between zeros and ones.


    All duality is necessary


    For the balance of the universe.


    But even duality has its kings


    In a space-time like an


    Eternal game of chess.


    When he woke up in the middle of the night, he felt as if he had awoken in a completely unusual way. Unlike how he usually woke up at such hours, he didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all, and it was as if he had awakened in the most natural way possible, as if sunlight were streaming into the room, as if the day were just beginning, but nothing had begun¡ªit was still 3 a.m., and the silence of a resting city and the darkness of the night permeated every inch of the small room he called his own.


    That night, he had a strange dream, and he began trying to recall as many details as he could, with the classic fear of losing the content of what he had been dreaming, forever. And then, once again, the images passed linearly through his mind. The dream was now revealed to him again, but this time through his vivid memories.


    He was on a street full of passersby, and a light rain was falling on a cold, cloudy day. There were countless people in that place, all dressed in warm clothes, and the typical melancholy of the early morning, combined with the beginning of what would be a tiring week, filled the atmosphere of that place. People were heading to work, it seemed to be a poor neighborhood, and the color palette was predominantly gray with dark tones, painting the whole picture that his brain made him see. Despite the many people there, no matter where he looked, it was as if his vision passed right through them, barely noticing their presence. It was as if all those people were nothing more than raindrops, through which his gaze penetrated indifferently, until, for some reason, an object caught his attention.


    On the ground was a mysterious jewel, and the exact angle of the light it reflected from the still faint beams of a distant sun that pierced the clouds, made the light of that sparkling stone travel directly to his eye, as if it were in a perfect position for only him to notice that gleam, like he was able to look into a mirror for just a millisecond. The light then caused a brief blindness, which disoriented him and finally woke him from the usual trance fueled by the indifference he felt for most of the day. Even when he was in public, he used to be completely trapped in a dissociative and private world.


    He decided to pursue that thing, rudely bumping into people with his shoulders and crossing the way, fearing that someone might step on that stone which, for some reason, now completely captivated his attention. He left the world he was used to and entered the real world he had so long forgotten, seeing a unique opportunity that was absolutely impossible to explain, as if it were pulling his body. In the end, it was nothing more than curiosity, or at least that¡¯s what it seemed, though mere curiosity wouldn¡¯t have motivated him so much to pick something up from the ground in such a rush. And when he finally reached the stone, red and vivid like blood, he noticed it was part of a pendant on a sophisticated chain.


    When he touched it, he instantly shivered, as if his fingers had brushed softly against the surface of a CRT TV screen. It wasn¡¯t purely an emotional shiver, but as if there were a mysterious force within, trying to pull him in entirely. After the onset of this strange event, he realized he was being overtaken by a complex sensation, which had gradually manifested since his eyes first met the mysterious object, and now, this sensation was very clear and had completely consumed him.


    At first, with the shiver, he felt his blood flowing in an indescribable way, unlike anything any stimulant could achieve. An energy invaded him, stronger than any amount of caffeine he had ever taken or any chemical any human could experience, and the shiver, which initially seemed mild to moderate, now became intense, causing his body to be completely paralyzed for a few seconds. All the colors he saw suddenly inverted, in a vision of negative effect that struck him like lightning.


    He realized that what was now in his hands had touched him not only physically but seemed to be lodged in the deepest core of his being. It was as if it hadn¡¯t just affected his blood and cells, but even what he could call the core of his soul and consciousness.


    He looked around, trying to find where the stone might have fallen from, and all he could notice was a man walking ahead, but looking back over his shoulders, staring fixedly in his direction.


    The man''s gaze seemed violent, and unlike Coven''s, it didn¡¯t express indifference, but anger. It was a gaze so heavy that it was as if he knew that the object was his, but he was in such a superior position that he didn¡¯t even care to come back and retrieve it. For some reason, Coven felt that this wasn¡¯t just anger, but something worse and in some way impossible to fully grasp. It expressed something close to chaos and destruction, endowed with an immense coldness. There is a huge difference between neutral indifference and the coldness of a predator.


    And after that, he opened his eyes, waking up in bed, and that experience had ended. He found himself back where he was, having just recalled the entire dream that had passed through his mind, and these memories now seemed so real and vivid that he wondered if he had really dreamed it or if he was remembering an actual event.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He got out of bed, looked around, and, strangely enough, even at that hour of the night, he didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit drowsy. He was completely rested, and the deep blue, alongside a silver hue, came from his window. The moonlight timidly illuminated the small balcony. He walked slowly towards it, placed his hands on the concrete barrier that separated the balcony from the rest of the street, and observed.


    It was nine floors up from where he lived, and he rested a bored gaze downward, staring at the asphalt while feeling the wind gently blowing on his face, with his hair dancing in front of his eyes, brushing against his nose.


    "If I fell from here... what are the chances that I would die?..." Coven wondered spontaneously, but with the fear that if he ever tried, he might become paraplegic if it didn¡¯t turn out as expected. He was also somewhat ignorant on the subject and didn¡¯t know if the height was sufficient, which sparked a silly curiosity. It was a height that already frightened him, so he assumed the answer was yes, until suddenly, an energy of blue light, forming literally out of nowhere but very strong and bright, began to dance before his eyes, transforming into the shape of a message that displayed only a number and a symbol.


    "[0%]"


    ¡°What the!...¡± he exclaimed, startled, letting go of the balcony and stepping back. The numbers danced in the air and remained there.


    "Zero percent? But what does that mean?" he wondered aloud, instantly placing his hand on his chest, searching for the pendant, questioning whether he was still dreaming, but there was no pendant. He felt the clarity of his skin and body temperature. He was awake now, but he couldn¡¯t distinguish if what he was seeing was real or not, so incredulous was he. However, there was no reason to believe he was still dreaming. He was witnessing something completely different from anything he had ever seen before.


    "I asked a question, and this appeared... Could it be...?" Coven continued trying to understand, quickly coming to terms with the strangeness of the situation. He sought to maintain a calm and logical demeanor at all costs.


    "Maybe it has something to do with the question I asked," he concluded. And the astonishment on his face quickly faded, as his indifference soon returned. Deep down, nothing truly frightened him. There was nothing to fear given the path he wanted to follow in his life. Coven wanted to be at the forefront, to be one of those responsible for keeping everyone safe, ensuring that the world and civilization he knew would never come to an end. He couldn¡¯t let the entire course of human history be at risk of being erased forever. In a world where such horrendous and terrifying creatures existed and where magic also prevailed, he wasn¡¯t going to be scared by a mysterious message before his eyes, no matter how strange it might seem. Thinking about these factors, he simply proceeded with the situation.


    But Coven couldn¡¯t use magic; in fact, no human should. The human body couldn¡¯t sustain it for long; it was like a curse in exchange for much of one¡¯s health and life expectancy. Besides, he hadn¡¯t spoken or done anything to activate it. At that moment, he wondered if the source of the phenomenon was indeed related to the magic he knew, but he concluded it wasn¡¯t.


    So, it could also be thought: it didn¡¯t come from him. It came from somewhere to him.


    His white shirt fluttered with the wind that was gradually increasing in strength, and he wondered about it. There weren¡¯t many clouds, let alone any sign of a storm, but the wind was behaving like one, inexplicably contrary to the natural order of things in such a simple and peaceful neighborhood. He noticed that the streetlights were also starting to flicker, and the darkness of the night was increasing, becoming complete. It was strange that a vast darkness spread so quickly that night, as if it were a sign of what was to come.


    ¡°All the streetlights went out suddenly... What¡¯s happening?¡± Coven asked himself. ¡°And if I fell from here... would there be really a 0% chance of dying?... But that¡¯s a joke! It¡¯s obvious I would die. I¡¯m nine floors up!¡± he concluded, looking at the abyss before him.


    That was what the message meant. But soon after he had the answer in his mind, the message disappeared, as if whoever or whatever sent it was now satisfied. It was the only light that contrasted with the atmosphere of that place.


    He returned to the balcony, resting his hands.


    ¡°Me? Jump?...¡± he now hesitated. ¡°I-I would never do that!¡±


    And then the wind abruptly increased in strength, pulling him towards the street as if it wanted to drag him out or actually kill him.


    ¡°What the hell??!¡± he exclaimed, now nervous. The wind was so strong it seemed like a storm coming out of nowhere, with no significant clouds or rain. It was as if the universe were playing a very nasty trick on him, as if death were coming for him, and there was nothing he could do about it. Seeing that all his physical efforts were futile, but without giving up, still his foot slipped, and he turned his body over the balcony and fell. At that moment, he felt as if death had indeed visited him and he couldn¡¯t even resist.


    ¡°0%...,¡± he remembered. ¡°0%...,¡± and closed his eyes, feeling gravity pushing him towards the ground. Deep down, he knew that height was enough to his death. He knew that when his head hit the solid concrete, his skull would shatter. It was a stupid question. And seeing the situation he was in, he didn¡¯t panic and quickly accepted it. It was obvious that if he fell from there, he would certainly die.


    As he was falling, for some mysterious and hard-to-understand reason, he started hearing the sound of a truck that seemed to be heading towards the direction he was falling. He couldn¡¯t see it because everything was happening so fast, and he felt his heart leap into his throat, concluding that not only would he hit the ground, but he would also be run over with that truck coming directly in his direction. It was too much to believe.


    "But if I die here, if this truck got me... Would I be sent to another world?!... No, this is so silly..." and he smiled, while falling to his last second.


    But despite thinking he was going to die, that¡¯s not what happened.


    He landed perfectly on top of the truck, and the impact was far from lethal. In fact, everything was quite soft, so soft that he didn¡¯t get a single scratch. However, the jolt was still strong, and he spent a few seconds disoriented, trying to understand what had really happened.


    When he looked around, he saw numerous plastic bags. He felt the truck begin to brake, followed by the sound of a door opening. Heavy footsteps came towards him.


    It was a fat man with a round face, showing an expression of worry and confusion. He was wearing a hat, which he then removed while scratching his chin, clearly struggling to understand what was going on. Coven, trying to gradually get up while supporting himself with his hands, felt a bit dizzy and, with a somewhat blurred vision that was slowly clearing up, concluded:


    ¡°0%... certainly, 0% chance of dying... I don¡¯t have a single scratch,¡± he settled, recalling the number that had mysteriously appeared in his vision moments ago.

 Chapter 2 - Reality Error

    It was night, it was dark, and the only light present was from the headlights of a truck. The driver''s face wasn''t very clear in the midst of that darkness, making him unrecognizable at that distance. After showing such confusion in the face of the strange situation, he quickly spoke the first words that cut through the intriguing scene:


    "What are you doing here?" He quickly discerned that the situation wasn''t a threat and was startled by the oddity of it all. It wasn''t hard to deduce this from Coven''s body language, which, at that moment, was only of bewilderment and weakness as he gradually managed to stand up with some effort.


    At first, he didn''t respond, only trying to focus on processing everything happening around him, with his eyes quickly darting in every possible direction while remaining motionless. It was a stopped truck, a very dark street, and a confused man ready to interrogate him.


    "That truck was moving earlier, and I fell from nine floors up, landing right on it at the exact moment it passed by¡­ If I had fallen a few seconds earlier or later, I would be on the ground right now without even enough time to agonize," Coven thought. Indeed, it wouldn''t have been long before he would have been run over and met a terrible end. A few seconds'' difference, and his fate would have been different. It was an absolutely terrifying stroke of luck.


    "Come on, answer me!" the man insisted, with his deep voice from a corpulent person, now increasing in volume, echoing in the student''s head in an irritating way and causing him a slight headache.


    "Bastard, shouldn''t you be helping me?..." Coven thought, noting the driver''s lack of social tact or, more precisely, empathy. Seeing this, he just controlled himself and calmly replied:


    "Sorry... But I don''t know how I ended up here. I just fell, and¡­" he began to say. And as much as he knew how he ended up there, he also knew that it wasn''t his decision, nor did he understand where that strange wind came from, which he blamed as the biggest culprit for all of this if he had died. Then he began to think:


    "It doesn''t make sense for me to be so lucky to be alive¡­ Yet also having the huge misfortune of being thrown off like that. It almost seems intentional!..." But this ''intentional action'' didn''t seem logical since it was apparently just an act of nature until his thoughts were interrupted by the man:


    "Oh, fell? What do you mean you fell? Where do you live, kid? Fell... Right on my truck?!" His voice was heavy and grumpy. He seemed to be a simple man, but somewhat rude. He was stressed from a long day''s work and didn''t know how to handle the situation. However, Coven found none of that justifiable and, from the first impression, hated the guy, who just kept asking questions that he deemed stupid and useless. But he always tried to stay calm and didn''t respond.


    "Come on, just get down from there," the man said as he started taking heavy, slow steps toward the door where all the cargo passed through. The truck had no roof; otherwise, someone would have died that night from slamming into the metal. But it had a classic tailgate necessary for moving everything in and out. There were numerous plastic bags, and they all seemed to carry silk fabrics. Coven could feel the texture inside one of the bags that had torn when he fell. Before getting up, he had checked with one hand to see what it really was. When he realized it was silk, he almost laughed right there. It was too ironic that it was something so soft.


    "Silk? This could have been anything... but silk fabric? What are the odds of this nonsense happening? It''s almost zero. What a coincidence!"


    In that situation, many thoughts raced through his mind in a split second. He was only dazed by the fall for a few moments. He had the ability to adapt quickly to whatever was happening. That was the bare minimum of what he aimed to achieve in life, constantly training to be prepared for any situation. After all, on the front lines, no emotion could get in the way, except perhaps the desire to destroy. Obviously, he was still human and didn''t see himself as a cold person. On the contrary, he was sensitive, but he trained his mind not to fear anything at all. It had to be that way, or maybe deep down, he felt he was losing fear over time because, in truth, he had nothing to lose. Deep down, it was a decision that day by day was becoming ingrained in his body.


    Something turned, and the tailgate opened. Coven then slowly walked over, and the moonlight, now much stronger after a massive cloud that had covered it moved out of the way, revealed his face to the driver. It was a pale face, with an indifferent gaze, and black hair that created a certain contrast with his skin. Upon seeing this expression, the man quickly changed his attitude. He recognized him.


    "You study at the Great Academy, don''t you, kid? I''ve seen you around¡­"


    As Coven descended from the truck, he ignored the man.


    The Great Academy of Mecha Piloting, as the man had mentioned, was the most important educational institution for humanity, far surpassing any school or university ever built. It was the first educational institution solely dedicated to the study of mecha technology and magic. The complexity was such that years of study were required to pursue this lifestyle, which was anything but easy, and getting in was the most difficult part, with only the best students being admitted. The mere act of being able to study at a place like that was a sign of pure prestige and the admiration of thousands of people. The spots were extremely limited, and only the most advanced were eligible to fill them. It wasn''t just about intelligence but also strength, agility, and a great talent and affinity for magic. It was an institution dedicated to training soldiers for humanity''s main army: the mecha pilots and the coveted front lines.


    Moreover, the Academy and its related departments were a complex institution that wasn''t solely dedicated to education. Since it was directly linked to the military, it was also where the most important missions to defend the Earth originated. If there were explosions in the sky, they were being fought by individuals on the front lines¡ªthose heroes who were molded by the Academy. In the past, astronauts were among the rarest and most awe-inspiring professions. Going into space or to another planet evoked admiration, and everyone found it astonishing. But nowadays, they are nothing compared to the humans on the front lines. The level of expertise required to master a mecha and manipulate magic was far beyond any human technology or spacecraft ever created.


    "I work at that place. I''ve delivered all sorts of cargo to the Academy. You''re lucky, kid, that today I wasn''t carrying weapons or mecha parts. You''d be in pieces right now if I had."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    However, seeing that Coven wasn''t paying much attention to what he was saying, the man decided to be more direct.


    "So, where do you live?"


    "On this street".


    "I see you''re not much of a talker... Then you can walk back home on foot without any trouble," he said, with a tone that suggested the conversation was nearing its end. He judged that there were no further problems to resolve, and Coven seemed fine and didn''t need any help, which was true. He hadn''t suffered any real injuries.


    "Yes," Coven replied, in a monotonous tone. His tiredness was returning, and at that moment, all he wanted was to be back laying in his bed.


    The man, noticing Coven''s disinterested expression, twirled his car keys around his fingers, turned his heavy body, and headed toward the light coming from the front of the truck. A slight breeze crossed the street, causing both of their clothes to sway lightly, cutting through the silence¡ªa silence that felt slightly uncomfortable, as if the whole interaction had been a waste of time for both, but one they had to go through for the sake of minimum social courtesy.


    Coven didn''t want to talk, and the man just wanted to get back to his work. He didn''t really care about the victim of the accident, and it was obvious his display of empathy was forced, ultimately a failed attempt. The man sighed, relieved that nothing serious had happened, though more out of concern for potential trouble or damage to his truck than any genuine concern for the student. He climbed back into the driver''s seat, slamming the door and his voice was heard one last time:


    "Don''t go trying to kill yourself again!" he called out in an authoritarian tone, like a father scolding his child. But there was no affection in his words; it was clear he saw it as something shameful and weak for a man to do.


    Hearing this, Coven could only feel scorn in his mind. He would never do such a thing. He didn''t judge those who might, but his life was meant for taking others''¡ªthose of evil, unforgivable beings¡ªnot his own. That had been clear to him for as long as he could remember. He wanted to be a warrior and felt that he could only truly feel alive when that happened. His indifference would only be cured on the battlefield, with the adrenaline of war and the veil of death enveloping his soul.


    ***


    A mysterious silhouette was stealthily hidden in one of the alleys near Coven''s building. It seemed to have been watching him for a long time, ever since the beginning of the night. After seeing him return to his home and enter the building, it sighed.


    It was a sigh of relief upon seeing him safe again. Once he disappeared behind the gate of the building, the figure retreated deeper into the shadows. She pulled out her phone from a bag she carried, and as the screen lit up, the brightness of the screen revealed the face of a dark-haired girl amidst the darkness. She navigated through the phone''s files and opened a video.


    At first, with the video now playing, the scene that had unfolded earlier began to appear again, but now, through the bluish glow of a cell phone screen:


    Coven was looking down, and then up at the sky. The footage had been recorded from his balcony without his noticing, as if someone had been tracking his every move.


    Holding the recording device in her trembling hands, as if already knowing what she was about to witness and trying to brace herself, she anxiously watched each monotonous second pass. But what happened at that moment¡ªfrom a simple gust of wind to one so strong it resembled the winds of a storm, knocking him down¡ªwas a huge surprise. Fortunately, it was all stored on her phone now. She watched the video carefully, still not fully believing what she had just witnessed.


    Coven, having fallen, should have been dead. There was no chance of surviving, yet something inexplicable had occurred.


    As she watched the recording, seeing him fall, the camera soon shifted toward a light that flooded the area, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of a truck. Witnessing this, with a growing sense of dread in her heart, she swore it was highly likely that, after breaking all his bones and smashing his skull against the concrete, that truck would mercilessly run over his body. To be exact, an impossible mercy, as there would be no time to brake.


    Quickly and intuitively, anyone could conclude that there was no way, at any moment, that the truck would intersect with such precision for Coven to land exactly where he did and come out unharmed. But it had happened, and it was recorded¡ªan event so inexplicable and senseless that the mysterious young woman''s fingers trembled as she held her phone, as though she had just seen a terrifying ghost. Yet, this ghost was in fact a phenomenon so rare that, little did she know, it would be the first of its kind in all of humanity''s history.


    As she continued watching the video, she noticed that the truck had vanished completely, only to reappear in another spot, precisely where Coven was supposed to land, saving him like some miraculous intervention.


    Could it have been magic? Perhaps¡­ However, that would have been easy to track, and it would have already been detected since the presence of mana is perceptible to any student of magic. Thus, there was certainly no mana involved.


    The scene was so bizarre, with the truck disappearing and then abruptly reappearing in another spot, that it almost seemed like a poorly edited video, or as if some frames had been intentionally skipped. Yet, it was clear that all the frames were there, that Coven fell just as he should have, that everything existed as it should¡­ except for that one anomaly.


    She had likely witnessed and recorded something out of the ordinary, as if she had just seen a glitch in the fabric of the universe. Everything was playing out in front of her, replaying endlessly on the screen of her simple phone. In her hands, she held proof of something unprecedented, defying every known law of physics, or at least functioning in a way that no magic should, with no trace of mana or explanation based on what was already known.


    The truck had disappeared and reappeared, as though someone had intentionally moved it, but that someone wasn''t there¡ªthat was the fact. Or as if, if any god really did exist, he had allowed the universe to make an error, a beautiful one, that only he could have decided to let occur at that moment.


    Then, she put her phone back into her bag, closed it, and walked away, heading home and leaving the alleyway behind as the first rays of sunlight timidly began to shine through the gray buildings of the industrial district, a place devoid of life.