"How is it that you keep getting worse daily", Alec boss yelled at him, "why can't you ever do a decent job? The authors you manage has the worst ratings online do you know that?"
Alec stood there looking gaunt and not saying anything, it was not his fault that he was being assigned terrible authors. As a web novel producer he tried his best to edit the novels before he okays them forb submission but there is so much you can do when the book is bad and at the end of the day the readers get to decide what they really wanted.
"Do you even try to read other books and see what great editing actually is" his boss continued yelling
Alec loved to read as a child and well into his teenage years, it was the major reason he studied literature in school and even graduated with a first class securing a job with one of the biggest online webnovel and webcomic company, Novelnexus
But he soon realized reading as a hobby and reading as a full time job were two very distinct things and honestly now he had lost whatever flare for reading. His Team manager was right, it has been a long time he read anything else from other editors and authors asides the one he was managing, by thee time he got home he was too tired to even open his phone.
"If you are tired of the job you could just resign because your ratings is bringing the entire ratings of our team down"
"I am sorry sir". Alec finally managed to say
"Go and do better or instead bring me your resignation letter"
Alec looked up at him shocked
"Do I make myself clear Alec"
"Yes sir"
"Now please leave my sight"
Alec went back to his desk and his team members mouthed apologies to him
"Don't mind him" Benita his colleague that sat across from him mouthed, "It's his menopause so don't let the things he says get to you.
Alec laughed, honestly his team members were the major reason he was still at the job plus the attractive salary.
"Please let us go for lunch I am starving" Ben his other team member said
"I don't have an appetite, you guys can go without me"
They gave Alec a sorry expression and promised to bring takeout for him before leaving.
That day on the way home he took a long walk majorly yo think about where his life was heading and also about what his Team manager said. He felt like his life was just moving on aimlessly without any direction. At 28 he seemed to be doing well for himself on the surface but deep down he was empty inside.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw an old man selling books by the side of the road and what his team manager said about reading other works to improve his creativity finally came to memory. If he was going to read anything it was going to be hardcopy because he was tired of looking at the screen all day.
He walked over to the small book stand and scanned through the book but nothing seem to stick out to him
"Can I help recommend something if you are having trouble making a decision" the old bookseller said to Alec
Alec smiled at him, "that would be very nice of you, it has been while I read so I don't really know where to start
"Very well" the old man said and brought out a book from his bag that was not displayed and handed it over to Alec, "I was saving this for someone special and it looks like it has found its owner."
Alec took the book and read the name out loud, "The outsource hero"
The book looked like a battle action book and on the book the knight is showing his back with a raised sword, his face could not be seen and the color of his hair was blue. There was no author name on it.
"How much is it Alec asked"
"Consider it a present" the old man said, "it's not for sale he added
"Can I at least buy you something to drink, I really don't like receiving without giving.
The old man turned him down again
Alec looked confused but as the old man insisted he just thanked him and left. But on the way he felt uneasy and got into a convenience store to buy a herbal drink and ran back to give the old man but when he got there there was no sign that the man was ever there.
Alec got home, his house was nice and sparsely decorated to follow the trend of gray and white design. He kept the book on the desk drawer by bed and went to take a shower.
After he got out of the shower he made dinner and ate while he had a phone call with one of his difficult authors
"You have to give me something nice if you don't want me editing out the entire story" he was saying on the phone
"Do you think writing is that easy" The author was screaming at the other end of the line
"I only know your writing is making my job very difficult and giving me issues at work"
"That is really not my business"
"Excuse me"
"If you edited the work well and promoted it we would not be having this issue"
"The same editing that you keep saying I am editing and changing your entire story?"
"If you know so much about writing why don't you become a writer yourself" the author yelled and hung up.
Alec finished eating dinner, "Maybe I will he said to himself angrily, and threw the dishes in the sink too lazy to clean up.
He got into his bed and rolled over and just as he was about to sleep he rolled over and saw the book. Forcing himself to sit up, he picked up the book, let him feed himself with something decent for once.
One page, Two pages, three pages
His eyes started to close as his fatigue began to take a toll on him, he laid down properly on the bed and covered his duvet
Page four, page five.....
And he drifted off to sleep
He had not slept of for up to 30 minutes when his house started to shake like a storm was coming, he heard loud thunder storms and woke up, in fear he jumped down from the bed and just as he was about to leave his bedroom to shut the windows in the living area properly he saw the book glowing.
At first he thought he was seeing things as he just woke up from sleep so he rubbed his eyes and looked again and the book glowed even brighter.
He walked to his bed and hesitantly picked up the book and looked inside and the brightness almost blinded him but he blocked some of it with his hand.
Before he knew what was happening, he felt his house literally spined upside down as the brightness enveloped him.
When he opened his eyes he was in a totally different place.