𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁-1 (𝙰 𝙳𝚎𝚋𝚝 𝚁𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚐𝚞𝚢'𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗)
"I'm Jay, 41, a bachelor — life didn't exactly hand me roses, more like thorns... (Sigh...) No girl wanted to marry a debt-ridden mess like me. I was invisible, a ghost in society... My pops, Jakeb (68), was a respected principal… had this whole future mapped out. Met Mom, Alice — they had a romantic whirlwind.. I remember Mom's smile… Dad's laugh… (Sniff)… why did it all go away?
Then,— Dad's 'best friend' scammed him blind. (Pants heavily) Dad collapsed right there. Heart attack. That sight… (Sniff)… shattered me. I felt like I was drowning in guilt, like I failed them. Tried jobs, businesses… but debt piled up like crazy. Sum we couldn't afford. People started storming our house, yelling… (Narrowing my eyes)… why? Was it 'cause I ignored them? (Panting like a cornered animal)… I was chasing money… just wanted to fix it… but it was too late.
(Sniff) … Dad… Mom… (Sobs)… why did you guys leave me All alone... I'm so sorry… (Guffaws)… I wish I could turn back time…
Jay's face turned deathly pale, his lips dry and cracked as he clenched his chest. "Aahhh... what is this?!" he gasped, his voice barely audible. His eyes widened in agony as a crushing pain gripped his heart, like a vice tightening with every beat. _Thud!_ He collapsed to the ground, his body limp.
"Hel... help... someone..." His desperate cry was muffled, trapped in his throat, unable to penetrate the walls to reach the neighbor's room. The despair in his voice was palpable, but it seemed the world had deafened its ears.
Next door, the neighbor was lost in a world of their own, oblivious to Jay's plime, ears plugged into a loud, thumping melody: _Whoosh, la, la, la, la, la, la, laaa..._ The music drowned out all else, a cruel indifference.
Jay's face turned a deep, fiery red as the heart attack ravaged his body. In a flash of clarity, he realized, *Ah, this is it. A heart attack in my 40𝚜*.. 𝚞𝚗𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎!!
As his vision blurred, his mind raced with a silent prayer: My dear God...I don't want to end like this... I don't want to be a burden... I have no one left... except You. Please, give me another chance. I want to protect my family
His eyelids grew heavy, weighed down by exhaustion and despair. Tears, hot and helpless, trickled down his face as his eyes slowly closed, surrendering to the darkness..
In the world of Nubia Earth 0.6, a planet three times larger than Mars, strength and magic, martial arts reigned supreme. Located in a distant galaxy, far beyond human comprehension, this realm was built on the principle that might makes right – the strong preyed on the weak. Though eras passed, and fleeting moments of peace were achieved, the world's inherent cruelty remained unbroken.
In the small town of Berlin, nestled within the Myaan Empire, a 15-year-old boy lay sleeping under a giant tree. His black hair, shoulder-length and unkempt, framed a face etched with scars, both old and new. The warm sunlight filtering through the leaves danced across his features, and the gentle breeze whispered soothing melodies – _whoooosh_ – as he slowly opened his eyes.
At first, his vision was blurry, but it gradually cleared, revealing a world unfamiliar. "Aghhh... my head!!" he groaned, wiping the back of his head. "It hurts like hell." He winced, his fingers coming away stained with blood. "What the... Blood? Sh*t, I must've fallen and hit my head."
Suddenly, fragments of memory returned. "Ahgh!! Yeah, I was on the verge of death... Huh? Death... I didn't die... huh? Haahah? Heeeehhhhhhhh?" He sat up, eyes wide with confusion and denial, taking in his new surroundings. His gaze fell upon his unfamiliar form, and his jaw dropped in shock. "What... what is this?!"
Jay's eyes scanned his new body, a mix of awe and horror on his face. He was... different. This wasn't his body... or his world. The realization hit him like a tidal wave, leaving him breathless and disoriented.
(Next issue: the restaurant family)
(Coming soon)
(Yahiko-777)