The depth of short stories and micro-fiction 2

Blueprints of Choas

Sylvester had always been fascinated by the art of building design. As a renowned architect, he had spent years honing his craft, creating structures that seemed to defy gravity and push the boundaries of what was thought possible. But nothing could have prepared him for what happened on that fateful night.

It started with a few scattered reports of skyscrapers growing taller overnight. At first, Sylvester thought it was just a prank or a clever marketing stunt, but as the day went on, it became clear that something much stranger was happening. Buildings all over the city were sprouting up like giant metal and glass plants, their peaks disappearing into the clouds.

As the city descended into chaos, Sylvester received a frantic call from the mayor's office, begging for his expertise. They had no idea what was causing the sudden growth, and they needed someone with a deep understanding of building design to help them figure it out.

Sylvester arrived at the mayor's office, his mind racing with possibilities. He was greeted by a team of engineers, architects, and city officials, all of whom were frantically poring over blueprints and computer simulations.

"What's going on?" Sylvester asked, surveying the room.

"We don't know," one of the engineers replied, exasperated. "We've tried everything – checking the foundations, analysing the materials, even looking for some kind of underground anomaly. But nothing seems to be causing this."

Sylvester nodded thoughtfully, his eyes scanning the room. That's when he saw it – a small, almost imperceptible symbol etched into the corner of one of the blueprints.

"Wait a minute," he said, striding over to the table. "What's this?"

The engineers and architects gathered around, peering at the symbol. It looked like some kind of ancient rune, but none of them recognized it.

"I think I've seen this before," Sylvester said, his mind racing back to his days as a graduate student. "It's an incantation – an old one, from a long-forgotten language. I think it's supposed to be some kind of... amplifier."

"An amplifier?" one of the officials repeated. "What do you mean?"

Sylvester hesitated, unsure how to explain. "I think it's supposed to amplify the building's potential. Make it grow, expand, reach its full height."

The room fell silent as the implications sunk in. Someone, somehow, had embedded a magical incantation into the blueprints of the city's skyscrapers. And now, those buildings were growing out of control.

As the team dispersed to try and find a solution, Sylvester couldn't shake the feeling that he was in over his head. He had always prided himself on his rational, scientific approach to building design. But now, he was faced with a world where magic was real – and it was wreaking havoc on his city.

Over the next few days, Sylvester found himself navigating a world that was both familiar and strange. He had to avoid towering skyscrapers that seemed to stretch on forever, their peaks lost in the clouds. He had to navigate streets that were increasingly narrow and treacherous, as the buildings seemed to close in on either side.

And then, there were the magical traps.

It started with simple things – doors that led to nowhere, stairways that seemed to shift and twist like a puzzle. But as time went on, the traps grew more complex, more sinister. Sylvester found himself facing rooms that seemed to fill with water, or hallways that were lined with razor-sharp glass.

He realised, with a jolt of fear, that every building in the city was now a potential magical trap. And he had no idea how to disarm them.

As the days turned into weeks, Sylvester became increasingly obsessed with finding a solution. He spent long hours poring over ancient texts, searching for any mention of the incantation or its origins. He talked to experts in magic, hoping to glean some insight into the mysterious forces that were at work.

And then, one day, he stumbled upon an ancient text that seemed to hold the key. It was a spell book, bound in black leather and adorned with strange symbols. As Sylvester flipped through its pages, he came across a passage that seemed to describe the incantation – and how to reverse it.

With trembling hands, Sylvester began to read the words aloud. They felt strange on his tongue, like a language he had never spoken before. But as he finished the incantation, he felt a subtle shift in the air.

The buildings, it seemed, had stopped growing.

As the city breathed a collective sigh of relief, Sylvester realized that his work was far from over. He had to find a way to remove the incantation from the blueprints, to prevent this kind of disaster from happening again. And he had to navigate a world where magic was now a very real, and very unpredictable, force.

It was a daunting task, but Sylvester was undaunted. He had always prided himself on his ability to adapt, to innovate. And now, as he gazed up at the towering skyscrapers, he knew that he had a new challenge to overcome.

The city would never be the same again. But with Sylvester on the job, it might just have a chance to thrive in this strange, new world.