Heroes of the Tesseract

It was a normal day in New York City. People were busy with their usual activities—stock exchange trading in a certain iconic building, walking on the sidewalks, cars coming and going. It was a typical day, the kind that anyone living in New York would expect, whether in Brooklyn, Manhattan, or The Bronx.

But what everyone thought would be another routine day soon took an unexpected turn. Out of nowhere, a mysterious cube with a colorful surface appeared in the sky, casting a shadow over the city streets. People noticed the strange shadow and looked up, only to see a giant cube floating above them. Some immediately pulled out their phones to capture the moment, while others stood in disbelief, wondering if they were still in the New York, they had always known—or if they were in some kind of alternate reality. A few began praying, fearing this might be the beginning of some apocalyptic event.

As the cube remained hovering overhead, it suddenly cracked apart with a loud bang. Pieces of the cube, still in similar but disfigured shapes, began falling to the ground. Panic spread as people rushed for cover, trying to avoid being hit by the falling debris. These strange metallic pieces, about the size of golf balls, rained down on the streets, bouncing off buildings and cars.

Once the debris stopped falling, people cautiously emerged from their shelters. The damage to the skyscrapers was clear—some had taken direct hits from the falling fragments. Yet curiosity quickly took over. Many stared at the pieces scattered across the streets, wondering what they were. Some people picked them up, thinking these strange objects might be valuable, something that could be sold for a high price—if anyone was willing to buy them.

A few decided to keep a piece of the cube, for reasons even they couldn't explain. Among them was Justin Mercer, a 20-year-old university student enrolled at Columbia University. He had been in Downtown Manhattan at the time, preparing for his freshman year after two years of hard work to get accepted into one of New York's most prestigious schools.

When the cube shattered, Justin, like everyone else, was stunned. But as others avoided the fallen pieces, he felt drawn to one. Without thinking, he picked it up, turning the small cube over in his hands. It looked ordinary enough, but something about it felt different. He had no idea what it was—or what it could do—but he slipped it into his pocket and carried it back to his dorm.

Little did Justin know that this small, unassuming cube would soon change his life in ways he could never have imagined.