LIMITLESS TROUBLE

The Awakening of the Book

Chapter 2: The Awakening of the Book

Jason’s heart raced as he stashed the mysterious book deep in the cave where his bear friend lived. The cool, dim air of the cave wrapped around him, a stark contrast to the chaos happening on the other side of town. Engineers, police officers, and rescue forces swarmed the crash site of the meteorite. Sirens blared through the streets, and the sky above the impact zone was lit up with searchlights.

Luckily for Jason, the cave was hidden deep in the opposite direction from where the meteorite had crashed, safely tucked away in the dense woods. The authorities had no reason to search this far out. He knew the book was safe here.

The bear, now fully grown, grunted softly, as if sensing Jason’s urgency. Jason patted its thick fur before kneeling to push the book under a flat rock, covering it with dirt and leaves. The strange symbols on the pages had glowed when he first opened it, but now, as the book lay buried, it was just an ordinary leather-bound artifact again.

"Stay here," Jason whispered to his furry friend. The bear tilted its head as if in understanding. Jason knew he had to act normal, go home, and avoid suspicion. If anyone found out he had the book, who knew what could happen?

---

As Jason made his way back home, the streets were buzzing with activity. The whole town was talking about the meteorite. Helicopters whirred overhead, news crews lined the sidewalks, and neighbors gathered in clusters, all eyes turned toward the sky.

Jason walked quickly, his heart pounding in his chest, not from fear, but from excitement. While the rest of the town was caught up in the commotion, only Jason knew the true secret of the meteorite—the strange book hidden in the woods.

At home, the atmosphere was different. His grandparents and mother sat in front of the TV, watching the news intently, their faces serious. His mother, who normally worked long hours at the factory, had come home early due to the emergency. His grandparents had been just as rattled, rushing back from their part-time work at the local bakery.

Jason slipped into the house unnoticed and went straight to his small room. Closing the door behind him, he allowed himself to breathe deeply. The tension from the outside world melted away, and in its place, a strange, thrilling feeling filled him. He had found something special, something powerful. The world beyond these four walls might be focused on the meteorite, but Jason knew the real treasure was hidden deep in the forest, where no one would find it but him.

Hours passed, and Jason could hear his family still talking about the event.

"They’re saying it’s the biggest meteorite to hit this region in a century," his grandmother murmured.

"And it could be something dangerous," his mother added. "The scientists are still examining it."

Dangerous? Jason chuckled to himself. They had no idea just how dangerous—or magical—this discovery truly was.

---

The next morning, the entire town was still in a state of emergency. Schools were closed, businesses had shut down, and the streets were quieter than usual, except for the occasional rush of emergency vehicles and the distant buzz of helicopters. People huddled in front of televisions, hanging on to every bit of news about the meteorite.

For Jason, this was the perfect opportunity. As soon as his mother and grandparents left for work, Jason hurried to lock the front door. The moment he was sure the house was empty, he rushed to his window, swinging it open with practiced ease. He had done this many times before—escaping to the woods to avoid bullies or just to be alone.

His heart raced as he leaped from the window, landing softly on the grass. The thrill of secrecy made him smile as he darted through the back alleys and down the familiar path that led to the forest. The trees soon surrounded him, their towering forms making the outside world feel distant, insignificant. This was his sanctuary, his world.

---

When Jason finally reached the cave, the bear greeted him with an excited growl, lumbering over and jumping playfully. Jason laughed, falling back as the bear licked his face with affection. They had shared a bond since childhood, and Jason knew this creature was more than just a wild animal—it was his closest friend.

“Alright, alright, I missed you too,” Jason said, laughing as he gently pushed the bear’s face away. The two of them settled near the cave entrance, the soft light filtering through the trees. Jason glanced toward the pile of dirt and leaves where he had hidden the book.

He pulled the book out and dusted it off, its dark cover gleaming faintly. It still felt warm under his fingers, like it was alive somehow, pulsing with energy. Jason’s pulse quickened as he opened the cover once more, staring at the strange, glowing symbols that filled the pages.

“What are you?” he whispered, more to himself than to the bear.

The bear huffed softly in response, settling next to him. Jason’s eyes roved over the text, trying to make sense of the foreign language. He didn’t know why, but something compelled him to try something.

“What if I...?” Jason reached into his backpack and pulled out a pen. He looked at the blank margin on one of the pages and, after a moment of hesitation, began to write his name: Jason Lander.

Nothing happened.

He frowned. He tried writing a few random words next, then a short sentence. "I found this book. What do I do now?"

Again, nothing.

“This is useless,” Jason muttered, feeling a wave of disappointment wash over him. The symbols looked so magical, so full of promise. He had thought maybe the book would respond to him somehow, reveal some kind of secret. But it seemed dead now, just a relic with no real power. He closed the book with a frustrated sigh.

“Better than this,” he grumbled, “I wish aliens would attack, and I could save the world from an army of aliens. Then at least I’d be a hero.”

The moment the words left his mouth, the book began to glow.

Jason froze. The symbols on the cover pulsed with light, brighter than before. His heart pounded in his chest as the book trembled in his hands, the air around him suddenly thick with energy. He stumbled back, dropping the book as it hovered mid-air, glowing brighter and brighter.

“What the—?”

Before he could finish the thought, the book shattered into a thousand glowing fragments, each one spiraling through the air like sparks from a fire. They swirled around him and the bear, forming a glowing circle that enclosed them both. Jason’s eyes widened in awe, the air crackling with power. The bear growled softly, but it didn’t move, as if sensing something important was happening.

Jason's vision blurred, and the world around him began to shift. The trees, the cave, everything started to warp and twist as if they were being pulled into a vortex of light.

“What's happening?” Jason shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of the swirling energy. His hands reached out instinctively, but there was nothing to grab hold of. The circle of light grew brighter and brighter until it engulfed him completely.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the light vanished.

---

Jason blinked, disoriented, as the world came back into focus. He was no longer in the cave. The familiar trees and forest floor were gone, replaced by something entirely different. He was standing in a field, but it wasn’t just any field—it was the crash site, the place where the meteorite had fallen.

Except, it wasn’t the same.

The ground was scarred from the impact, but instead of engineers and emergency vehicles, there were panicked crowds of people running in all directions. The sky above was a sickly green, swirling with dark clouds, and there were strange, alien ships hovering in the air, casting long shadows over the land.

Jason’s heart pounded in his chest as the realization hit him.

This wasn’t just a dream. The book had brought him here.

He turned to the bear, who was still beside him, growling softly, its eyes scanning the chaotic scene. Jason’s breath caught in his throat as he saw people pointing to the sky, their faces twisted in fear. And then he heard the words that sent a chill down his spine.

“They’re attacking! The aliens are attacking!”

Jason’s blood ran cold. He had wished for this—jokingly, offhandedly—but now it was real. Alien ships loomed overhead, and the crowd was in chaos.

He was no longer an ordinary boy from a small town. He had been thrown into the center of an alien invasion.

And somehow, he knew, this was only the beginning.

---

End of Chapter 2