Our little family talk lasted for a few moments until the main door slowly creaked open and Eliana followed by my German Shepherd Mello… I mean Jupiter entered the drawing-room.

As I expected she looked way younger than I remembered, seventeen or eighteen maybe. Blonde hair like dad and obsidian eyes like mom mixed with her pretty face.

Yup, she looked exactly like my sister and probably was my sister if Ilec’s words were true.

“Why are you guys laughing?” She asked, letting go of the leash and taking the seat opposite to me.

“Nothing much!” I responded with a grin, patting Jupiter who jumped on me. “Just talking about how much you love milk.”

“Ugh!” She frowned, rolling her eyes. “What else did I expect from you?”

“Typical Eli answer,” I smirked, getting the answer I wanted.

“By the way, why do you want to know about my eating…”

Snap!

A High pitch ringing sound exploded in my ears as the surrounding turned white instantly.

I momentarily lost my vision due to excess brightness devouring my retinas.

“Tim!”

Hearing my mother’s worried tone, I shook my head, trying to regain vision which returned shortly.

"What the…" I mumbled observing the room I was standing in along with my family.

The room itself was white, completely white. No windows, no doors, no lights, fan, nothing. The ceiling was endless, illuminated by white light coming from somewhere unknown.

“Mom, Dad, why do you guys look so young?” Eli shouted pointing towards them, her face utterly confused.

“Wai—what in the world…” Dad spoke with a face full of amazement and shock. He soon touched himself all over and mom too did the same. “What the fuck is this?”

They ogled me with wide eyes for any possible explanation, but I myself was surprised as to why they were acting strange when they were normal a moment ago.

“What are you…”

“And brother, where did your fat ass go?” Eliana added, now pointing at me but soon realized her own issues. “What the hell, how am I… What the fuck is this?” She yelled. “Where are my…”

Snap!

I could not hear her words as the lights faded and the world around me darkened. My eyes adjusted to the emptiness but soon the lights were back on and I found myself staring at the brown carpet below my feet.

Lifting my head, I saw my family observing me with curious eyes. I gestured them through a little motion of my head and Eli answered.

“You were zoning out just now.” She said nonchalantly, falling back on the sofa with a bored look.

“What?” My voice rose a little as my brain recalibrated the situation. “Were you not with me just now asking mom and dad how they look younger?” I asked, affirming what I witnessed in the room.

“Why would I ask that?” She shook her head sideways. “They are not old to begin with.”

“Dad, you remember the white room we were in?” Ignoring Eli’s words, I questioned dad who appeared as confused as everyone else.

“What white room?” He cross-questioned. “What the hell are you talking about? We are all here the whole time. You are the one acting like a drunkard.”

“Me?” I pointed to myself with a skeptical countenance. “How is that even possible? We were all in a white room. You asked me why you look younger. Mom was confused and whatnot. Don’t you remember anything?”

I recited each and every scene I observed, but my family had no answer. They looked at me as if I was daydreaming. Even my dog looked at me all muddled.

“Tim, stop blabbering?” Mom spoke calmly, stroking my shoulder. “Are you not feeling well?”

“No. I am fine, mom.”

Then suddenly out of nowhere, it struck me. If no one knows what I saw then perhaps…

“Anyone remember how I went to my room yesterday?”

“You walked on your feet and went into your room,” Eliana replied haughtily, shrugging her shoulders. “I called you but you said you don’t want to eat anything.”

“Wha—when?” I had no recollection of this event when she saw me going to my room. Hell, I didn't even know she existed till a moment ago.

“You don’t remember going into your room?” Dad questioned, leaning forward from his seat, and scanning me head to toe. “Are you doing drugs?”

"What?" I screamed and everyone around me covered their ears.

"Stop yelling moron!" Eli shouted, throwing the little pillow to my face which I swiftly caught.

"I am sorry." I replied slowly with an awkward grin to cover my overblown reaction.

Still, my shouting was totally justified. How in the world did he even reach this nonsense conclusion?

But before my family could react, I spoke again.

"We will discuss this later. Now I need to find someone."

Not even waiting for their response, I quickly made my way towards the stairs and headed to a certain room.

Knocking twice I entered inside and stood beside the bed where the so-called Asura named Ilec slept peacefully after obliterating my life.

“Oi, what the hell was that?” I asked curtly, folding my arms.

“What, what?” He reacted grumpily, neither opening eyes nor tilting his head in the slightest.

 “That snap and show.”

“What show?”

“That show.” I really had no words to name that little incident. And I hoped Ilec would know it anyway.

“Which show?”

“For God’s sake…”

I briefly explained the entire scene that transpired ten minutes ago and finally, Ilec opened his eyes, rising from his slumber.

He gazed around the room for a few seconds and soon bestowed his eyes on me.

“Dude, can you leave my grandfather’s body?” I requested or rather practically begged him, controlling my brewing anger. “It is creepy seeing a dead guy walking around.”

“Sorry kid.” He sighed, taking the glass full of water from the desk and drinking it. “I can’t leave this avatar until the curse is broken.”

“I see…”

“Anyway, tell me about the show you were talking about?” He leaned on the bed, adjusting the pillows, and throwing the glass back into its place.

“I explained the entirety just now.” I retorted sitting on the chair after his not-so-kind gesture.

“Then… do it again.” He feigned an ignorant smirk and the annoyance in me rose. I really wanted to punch him but refrained as it would be mostly fruitless. He would use his big voice; random philosophical lines and I would be passed out.

Thus, to save me and my precious time, I described the story once again and surprisingly Ilec listened, not interrupting me once.

“… and no one remembers anything except me.” I finished my speech, rested my mouth for a few seconds, then opened again in continuation to my doubts. “So, what I am asking is, did you do it? If yes then I think my family is real and if not, then who was it?”

Ilec nodded but soon lost himself in eternal thoughts. He kept staring at the lighted ceiling with a blank expression on his face which went for a whole minute and I waited petulantly.

“Anything?” I enquired, losing my patience.

“Yes. I have something.” He responded with a smile. “And that is I have no idea what you are talking about?”

“Not again…” I wailed, covering my face with my palms and groaning in irritation. “What do you know then? You said you can control freaking fate. Use that and tell me what is going on here.”

“Well, Tim Walker… There is always a subtle difference between saying and doing.” Keeping his poker face, Ilec glared outside the window, towards the clear sky. “I understand that you expect me to pull otherworldly tricks out of my ass, but sadly I can not do that.”

“I don’t want to witness you pulling tricks out of your ass. That would be gross, really gross.” I let out a sarcastic laugh which did not go well with Ilec.

“Don’t joke around Tim Walker.” His tone went grim and eyes already dead. “The fate of this world rests upon your hands. Act wisely.”

“That would be Arthur the hero, not Tim the nobody.” A broken smile took over my lips and I lowered my head subtly thinking about what I had done to my main character.

“Time knows the answer.” He sat straight, focusing on me. “Only thing we can do is act for a better future.”

“You are right.” No matter how pretentious bastard Ilec was, his words were never wrong. The only thing I could do was act to save myself.

“I am an Asura.” He pumped his flail chest. “I am always right!”

“Yeah yeah.” I waved off his remark and changed the subject to the one that required the most attention. “So, you are not the one who did that snap?”

“No.” Ilec answered plainly, tone neither high nor low. “But if what you said is true then, your family is indeed real.”

“Yes. For a split second they seemed to realize changes in their own body, in me, but the next moment nothing. They are back to being themselves from this world again which is literally the same as the real one.” I mentioned everything I could deduce from that small event. “Their laugh, talk, like-dislikes, everything is the same. It is like they are here, but with a little altercation.”

“Told ya, kid!” Ilec revealed a sly smile, scratching the back of his neck. “I am never wrong.”

“I guess… you are right, again.” I exhaled a small breath admitting the harsh truth.

Now I had to act a little conscious to save myself and keep my family away from harm. I had something priceless that must not be lost.

A responsibility I hoped I would never get.