After leaving the mental space, Ralf’s consciousness had transmigrated to another world and ended up in the body of none other than...Rei Winters. Entering when Rei was 13, Ralf had already spent ten years occupying the other's body.

'Occupying', in the sense that he became an observer of Rei’s every thought, emotion, and sensation. He was limited to observation, though. Ralf couldn’t manipulate Rei’s body or communicate with him. He also couldn’t return to his original world. No matter how much he willed or desired it, Ralf was trapped in Rei's body.

As a helpless prisoner, he was forced to experience life in Rei’s shoes. And what a life it was. A fist flying his way was the first thing Ralf saw upon arriving in the new universe. It belonged to Rei's fourth foster father, Keith Adler, an abusive alcoholic. The middle-aged man had taken issue with the 'insolent’ look in Rei’s eye and proceeded to 'discipline' him. The days under the man's roof were hell. Luckily, a DUI charge a year in allowed Rei to escape his fists.

The bitter experiences continued. Only once Rei turned 16 did things begin looking up. Being adopted by the Winters couple provided him with some much-needed respite. That said, there was no love to be found in that household, only cold indifference.

The Winters were pragmatic individuals who lived life as though ticking items off a checklist. The couple wanted a child - a trophy - but didn't want to play the genetic lottery and risk ending up with mediocre offspring - which was more likely than not. And so, they searched for one in the wild and quickly found Rei. He fit their criteria perfectly. While known to be problematic, Rei was also known to be an extraordinary prodigy. They snapped him up and took him into their home. 

The environment wasn’t great, but it was far better than what came before. Under their roof, Rei flourished. He began fully utilizing the many talents he had been blessed with. After juggling several options, he decided to pursue the path of sixty-four squares. Applying himself, he quickly rose to the top of the chess world.

Only from this point onwards could Ralf truly appreciate the unique experience he found himself in. The last couple of years had been a blast. Rei had treated him to many extraordinary sights and experiences.

But as things looked up, a problem arose.

Ralf's existence was being erased - or rather, he felt himself being absorbed into the recesses of Rei's mind.

Ralf hadn’t noticed it at first, but as time passed, the feeling strengthened until he was sure this was the case. The dreadful feeling of having your existence fade away bit by bit was a uniquely horrible experience. It was as if a shadowy monster had wrapped its claws around his entire being and was nibbling away at his existence.

His consciousness became hazy and sluggish, and even the information he received from Rei’s senses lost its previous clarity. Even forming thoughts had become difficult.

He tried to fight the erasure by remembering who he was, his original universe, and his beloved mother, who surely awaited his return. But this did little to slow the rate of absorption.

Now, as Rei continued his stroll, enjoying his milkshake, Ralf found himself on the brink of fading out of existence. The shadowy monster had all but swallowed him, seconds away from shutting its maw to trap Ralf in the eternal darkness that was its belly.

No… no … no

No…I don’t want to die like this...

H...elp

…please…help me.

I don’t…

...want to…

Disa…ppe…Mom...

Rei…

Ralf’s desperate pleas would reach no one. Despair reigned in his heart as his final moments approached.

The Great Aether was thought to be where souls resided before life began and after life. Remembering his time staring at the starry heaven, Ralf believed this to be the case. It felt pleasant, not something to fear or run from. However, something told him should he be assimilated, he would never reach the Great Aether. He'd never be reunited with his mother, not even in death. The notion horrified him and darkened his despair until it was darkness itself.

***

‘Skydiving was fun; I should do that again.’

Lips squeezing the straw, Rei walked through the nifty shopping district while pondering future plans. 

The shops and stores were neatly arranged in a grid-like formation, and a steady stream of people traversed the red-tiled floor. The spaces between structures were ample and uniform, resulting in makeshift roads. 

Rei watched as a yellow golf cart slowly crossed the intersection before him. He could hear the rumbling of two others in motion to his east and west, but he paid them no mind. Instead, he focused his silver sights on a black motorbike in the distance.

Rei loathed traffic, and his black stead allowed him to avoid much of it. Seeing the busy intersection beyond it, he knew he would have to do some zigzagging.

While imagining himself manoeuvring through traffic, Rei’s attention was grabbed by a truck driver to his north. The middle-aged man behind the wheel appeared visibly agitated, his face flushed with frustration. The traffic had clearly taken its toll on him. Rei couldn't hear it, but by reading the man's twisting face, he knew the truck driver was cursing up a storm. 

The lights finally turned green for the truck driver, and without hesitation, he slammed his foot to the floor, revving the engines as if on a mission. Then, instead of turning with the other vehicles, he continued straight.

‘Idiot, this isn’t a road.’

While wide enough, the shopping district wasn’t meant for regular vehicles to use as shortcuts. The truck driver didn’t see it that way and sped down the passage in hopes of reaching the other side.

Rei frowned at the driver’s foolishness. ‘Reckless, you could hurt some-’

Swoosh!

Before he could finish the thought, Rei was off. Milkshake tossed aside, he dashed forth at his fastest speed, ignoring the startled and confused looks of the bystanders who failed to understand what was happening - what was going to happen.

Mere seconds later, the sight he feared came into view. A ball tumbled across his vision, heading east, and in hot pursuit, a young girl no older than 10. Her attention was squarely fixed on catching up to the ball bouncing away from her. The truck barreled her way with unstoppable momentum. Facing this crisis, Rei's mental cogs span like they had never before.

Upon seeing the truck and hearing the ball and the child’s outcry, Rei’s mind had constructed the imagery he was currently seeing. The immediate and distant future was always on his mind - something that had allowed him to dominate the chess world.

Signal to the driver to stop?

Call out to the child?

After considering these options in a flash, Rei rejected them. They wouldn’t work. And so, he settled on his current plan.

‘I can make it in time.’

Thinking this, Rei continued to pump his arms and legs with all his might. Desperate as he was, his running form remained perfect throughout. Then, maintaining high speed, he moved diagonally from left to right. Dropping his body slightly, he scooped up the girl's body from behind, using her forward momentum to make a clean pickup. With her in his arms, he'd cross over to the other side…at least, that was the plan. What he didn't account for was the truck driver's reaction.

‘Ah,’ Rei's mind froze as he captured the change.

Instead of breaking, the driver’s first instinct was to swerve. The problem was that it was in the direction Rei and the girl was heading. With his high momentum, Rei couldn’t change directions fast enough. Not with the added weight.

The truck loomed, and so did death’s hand. Rei's perception slowed to a crawl. In the slow world, a thousand thoughts passed through his head.

‘This is how I die. I could have never predicted this. Oh well, it was…something.’

Facing his end, complicated emotions swirled in his heart. But these were quickly suppressed as he focused on his original purpose. ‘Mine is over, but not yours…live a happy life.’

He calculated everything perfectly. After shifting the girl to his right shoulder, he stomped down with his right foot and did a quick half-turn before launching her like a shot put. Brawn and brains combined perfectly to deliver maximum speed and efficiency. 

Through slowed perception, he watched as the child’s body narrowly slipped through the gap between the truck's front bumper and the concrete corner of a clothing store. 

Seeing the child's fall being cushioned by pedestrians, Rei was relieved. At the very least, he had accomplished what he had set out to do. A trickle of joy passed through his heart, and his lips curved upwards to form one last smile.

‘It's a good endi-’

The truck slammed into him, killing the thought and…

***

*Crash*

Ah, this is... it's happening again!

As though dosed by cold water, Ralf found himself fully awake. After the initial jolt of energy, he felt his consciousness being tugged at. Not resisting it, he allowed his mind to pass through the void in hopes that he might be returned to his old world.

He would not be disappointed, for that is where he would end up. Though, he would find a few surprises waiting for him once he returned. 

Where one journey ended, a new one was about to start.