The worst choice

The shrill sound of Ethan Carter's alarm echoed through his tiny apartment for the fifth time that morning.

He reached out from beneath his blanket, blindly slapped his phone, and buried his face deeper into the pillow.

"Five more minutes..."

Five minutes turned into forty.

When Ethan finally opened his eyes, sunlight was already pouring through the curtains.

He stared at the ceiling.

"...I'm dead."

He grabbed his phone from the floor.

9:47 a.m.

His first class had started nearly an hour ago.

With a groan, he rolled out of bed, tripped over a pile of clothes, and landed face-first on the carpet.

"Seriously?"

His apartment looked as though a storm had swept through it. Empty instant noodle cups sat on the desk beside unfinished assignments. Laundry covered the couch, and a single sock hung from the ceiling fan for reasons even Ethan couldn't explain.

He sighed.

"I'll clean tomorrow."

That was exactly what he had said yesterday.

And the day before that.

Twenty minutes later, Ethan jogged through the university gates with a backpack hanging from one shoulder and a half-eaten sandwich in his hand.

His phone buzzed.

Mark: You finally awake?

Ethan replied while walking.

Ethan: I'm on campus.

A second later—

Mark: Liar.

Mark: Professor Evans just asked if you dropped out.

Ethan winced.

"That bad, huh?"

By the time he reached the classroom, the lecture had already ended. Students streamed into the hallway, chatting and laughing.

Mark spotted him immediately.

"You actually came."

"I wanted perfect attendance."

Mark stared at him.

"...It's week three."

"I said I wanted it. I never said I had it."

Mark laughed despite himself.

"I don't know how you've survived this long."

"Neither do I."

The rest of the afternoon passed without anything remarkable.

A boring lecture.

A disappointing lunch.

An email reminding Ethan that his rent was overdue.

He stuffed his phone back into his pocket before he could read the rest.

Some problems could wait until tomorrow.

After classes, he stopped by the convenience store near campus.

The cashier smiled.

"The usual?"

"Please."

A cup of instant noodles, a bottle of water, and the cheapest bread on the shelf.

Luxury.

As he walked home carrying the small plastic bag, dark clouds gathered overhead.

Rain began falling without warning.

"Perfect."

He hurried beneath the awning of a closed bookstore and waited for it to pass.

Across the street, people rushed in every direction.

A little girl suddenly broke free from her mother's hand and ran toward the road after a bright red balloon.

"Ella!"

Her mother screamed.

A delivery motorcycle sped around the corner.

Without thinking, Ethan dropped his shopping bag.

He sprinted into the street.

The world seemed to slow.

He grabbed the little girl around the waist and stumbled onto the sidewalk just as the motorcycle shot past them.

The rider slammed on the brakes several metres away, his face pale.

The little girl burst into tears.

Her mother ran over, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Ethan scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"It's okay. Just... be careful."

He picked up his crushed groceries, smiled once more, and quietly walked away before anyone could stop him.

He didn't notice the black luxury sedan parked across the street.

Inside, a woman watched him through the rain-speckled window.

She wore a tailored black suit, her long dark hair neatly tied back.

"Should I thank him?" her assistant asked.

The woman looked at Ethan's disappearing figure.

"He left before anyone noticed."

There was something unusual about him.

Not because he looked extraordinary.

But because he had acted without hesitation.

"Find out who he is."

"Yes, Miss Hart."

The sedan pulled away.

Miles above the city...

A vast white space stretched endlessly.

Countless streams of golden light drifted through the silence.

One by one, they searched the world below.

A calm mechanical voice echoed.

Searching for the ideal host...

Talent...

Character...

Potential...

Millions of names flashed past.

Then...

Everything glitched.

The golden light flickered violently.

Error detected.

Host selected.

A single profile appeared.

Ethan Carter.

Silence.

Then another voice, filled with disbelief, spoke for the first time.

"...There has to be a mistake."

The light tried to disconnect.

It failed.

It tried again.

Failed.

A long pause followed.

Finally, the voice sighed.

..You've got to be kidding me.

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