Even with a smile, I was unsure what to think, was my choice the right one? Was I merely being indecisive? Was I unable to accept that my character was wrong?
“Everyone standing in this stadium, every man, women, and or child can change the world.” My smile grew wider hearing these words once more. I forgot I used that quote here, the defining quote of his character. Maybe it got lost in the excess of the needless words or adapted during the changing story, but this was Anax.
“You don’t have to be a mage to be a sage! You don’t have to be a soldier to be a knight! You don’t have to be royalty to be a monarch! You don’t have to be special to make the future!” His voice was powerful echoing off the empty air, embedding itself in the minds of listeners. I felt the tears return to my already red eyes, I saw my bleak room undecorated and the only light originating from my computer screen. I was malnutrition and my oily matted hair hung over my blank eyes. I saw myself typing away saying the words out loud as they were written. A speech I thought would never be forgotten, hoped would stay in hearts, and spoken with my broken, weak, and undesirable voice I felt no issues.
There was a long pause as both my past self and Anax took a breath before their voice once more overlapped and reached the true beginning of the speech, “To build a tower to the Gods is to say they are inherently more powerful than us. To pray for their protection is to say we are not powerful enough. To beg for their forgiveness is to say they are infallible.” The focus of Anax’s eyes was a tower that reached the sky. The shock of the crowd was the mentality of the flock.
“Tear it down block by block, for man can stand on its own!” Anax was torn off the stage but my previous-self continued speaking.
“Why are you all in fear? Why are you staring at me with eyes of contempt when moments before you looked on with eyes of lust? Did I outlast my usefulness? Do I no longer hold value when I disagree with your beliefs? Do you desire to be ruled? Can you not think for yourself, so you follow the laws of an unknown being?” He paused, a heavy cough released as he lost track of the words. He stared on at the screen with tears coursing down his cheeks.
“It is only when you release yourself from the constraints of obedience that you truly understand the concept of being free,” I mumbled completing what neither my previous self or Anax could. A speech isn’t perfect when you hold all the answers when it closes, it is perfect when you hear it all and still think about it for years to come. It is the questions you remember, not the answers.
At this moment this was exactly what I needed, with head bowed words of thanks were expressed, “Thank you.”
Not knowing who I had been migrated into this world as I pulled out ID to check, there is in the corner of the screen was a face I described in vivid detail in my notes, but he never got his cameo in the story. A character I never technically finished but held great importance during my rewrite of the story. “Ziph Rose” was my new name.
+++
After opening speeches, select students left towards their room, while others stayed around chatting, went off on their own endeavors, or looked around for freshman parties. Easily defined as, the first day of college. I laid out on my bed and took notice of the block of text sitting in the corner of my vision, would seem after I completed disregarded the earlier message it was minimized into a corner.
[Author has declined the opinion of fixing the main character, Anax Freelan. Author will not have another chance to do so later. Rewards are gifted based on the excellence of the completed task, but no repercussions are handed out in contrast.]
“So, the task of fixing the flaws are quests in a way. I guess instead of telling me the flaws it wants me to find them, and even further expects me to fix them; in which, they, God, System, or whatever is running this, will grade me.” There wasn’t much else to comment on or even speculate, the next piece of action was to prepare myself for the upcoming plot events.
“Ziph Rose first mentioned during the final arc but never had a cameo. He was an incomplete character who never got his powers or backstory completed. He was supposed to play an important role but was instead put aside for a character who paid roles progressively throughout the story.” A monologued into empty space expecting the message from earlier to return.
[Author has realized the flaw in his character ‘Ziph Rose’. Would Author like to bring forth changes?]
With the agreement, the character template returned except this time with Ziph instead of Anax. There were multiple divergent paths going forward from this single instant. The choices of magic and background were endless from the myriad of worlds created for this story. What type of character did I want to be? How do I want to influence the future? How instantly do I need to become powerful? What is objectively the best choice for the upcoming events? “I don’t know!” In the endlessness, I held no final answer. The simplest choice was a gun with a power relating to sight. The most “powerful” option would be a magic never introduced in the world, only in my settings document. Then the equally hard choice of background.
Lost in the options, something clicked and my eyes widen in realization but the title of the style was fleeting. I punched my leg in frustration and tried to catch the rapidly fleeing title.
