Lone World: I Woke Up in an Evolved Earth
Chapter 1: Sudden Change
Richmond Benzamin rubbed his eyes as the alarm buzzed faintly.
"Six forty-five already…" he muttered, stretching his arms wide "hmmm
before dragging himself out of bed.
He moved through his usual morning routine — brushing, dressing, packing his worn satchel. The apartment was quiet, just the way he liked it during breaks from university. No deadlines, no roommates, just the soft hum of the fridge.
At 7:09, he dropped onto the sofa and grabbed the TV remote. Click. Nothing. Another click. Still nothing.
"Huh?" He frowned and pressed the power button harder. "What is going on… I just paid for the electricity." He slapped the remote against his palm. "And now the TV won't work— tch, god dammit. I'm going to file a complaint to those useless people, spoiling my morning mood."
He tossed the remote onto the couch, checked his watch, and sighed. "Great. Now I'm late."
Without another thought, he grabbed his keys and headed for the door.
---
The street outside was… wrong. Normally, this part of town buzzed with commuters — honking, chatter, the faint music of cafés. Today… silence. A heavy, unnatural silence.
Richmond adjusted his backpack and muttered, "Is it a holiday or something?"
He passed by the café on the corner. The lights were still on, but no one was behind the counter. Steam still rose from a half-filled coffee pot.
"Hello?" he called, poking his head in. No answer.
He waited a few seconds, uneasy now, before shrugging. "Weird."
Further down, a car sat in the middle of the road with its door wide open. The engine was off, radio light blinking faintly. Richmond slowed, scanning the area.
"Hey! Anyone there?" His voice echoed down the empty street.
Nothing. Just wind.
---
He pulled out his phone. No signal. No network. Just "Emergency Calls Only".
"This is getting ridiculous…" He tried the map app. It wouldn't load. The clock still ticked, but everything else was dead.
Then a low rumble passed beneath his feet. Subtle. Then another, stronger. The streetlight above flickered twice.
"What the—?" He grabbed a nearby pole for balance as the ground shifted.
Then, silence again.
"…This isn't funny anymore."
---
Back inside his apartment, the TV was still dead. Lights too. Even the fridge had gone silent. He turned on the radio — static, then a broken voice looped:
> "—core readings unstable— magnetic anomalies spreading— if you can hear this, stay indoors— repeat— core readings unstable—"
"Core readings?" Richmond whispered. His geography classes flashed through his mind. "Earth's core…? Is this some kind of drill?"
The rumble returned — deeper now. Floorboards groaned. Windows rattled. Somewhere outside, a car alarm wailed, then died mid-sound.
He stood frozen, pulse racing. "…Okay. Definitely not a prank."
---
Outside, the sky had taken on a faint greenish tint. Birds flew in chaotic loops, slamming into glass and fluttering erratically.
"What the hell happened while I was sleeping?" he whispered.
Then the real quake hit.
The balcony lurched beneath him. "Whoa—!" He grabbed the rail as the entire building shuddered. Streetlamps bent. Windows exploded outward.
"This isn't a normal earthquake!"
A burst of shimmering light swept across the horizon — not an explosion, but a wave, warping the air as it passed over the city. Richmond felt it pass through him: a strange warmth in his bones, a weight pressing on his chest.
He gasped, stumbling backward. "What… was that?"
---
When the shaking stopped, the world had changed.
Vines climbed buildings at visible speed. Grass split through pavement. Trees thickened, branches twisting unnaturally.
Richmond ran downstairs, stepping into what felt like a time skip. Moss blanketed cars, bushes grew through doors, and ivy crushed street signs.
"It's like… decades just passed in seconds," he whispered, touching a wall. The moss was warm. Pulsing.
Then— a roar.
A deafening, primal roar ripped through the air, echoed by distant replies. Richmond froze.
Another quake rolled beneath his feet— but this time, it felt like the earth was breathing.
He looked up.
The sky was no longer blue. It swirled crimson, gold, and teal like oil on water. Light arced between the colors, faint but alive.
Across the horizon, the land itself shifted. Hills rose. Rivers glowed faintly. Pillars of light erupted like spears piercing the sky.
Richmond's voice was barely a whisper. "What What's… happening to the world?"
He could feel it — a hum deep beneath the surface. Not just an earthquake. Something had awakened.
And Richmond stood alone in a world that had evolved in minutes.