"Daddy!" A lively 7-year-old girl dashed across the grassy field, her tiny hand waving in the air. Her hair, a vivid shade of blue, was playfully styled into pigtails. Dressed in a blue t-shirt, jacket, shorts, and white sneakers adorned with blue stripes, she exuded a playful and energetic aura.
She raced toward a man with the same blue hair, and his stoic expression softened upon catching sight of her approach. "Mia, why are you here? Weren't you with your mom earlier?" he questioned, curiosity lacing his words.
"Hehe. I heard you were planning to venture into another world, so I couldn't resist joining you. You won't leave me behind, will you? Promise me that if I work hard, you'll let me be part of your adventure!" Mia's cheeks swelled like a squirrel, tempting her father to give them a gentle pinch.
Without hesitation, he responded, unwavering in his conviction. "Of course not. Your dad never lies, you know."
"Yosh!" she exclaimed, flashing a mischievous smile. Under her breath, she mused, "I wonder what games I can play in this new world."
Chuckling, the man replied, "Hahaha. The preparations are about to complete. So, why don't you call your mom over? We can leave right away."
"What?" Mia took a step back, shock etched on her face. Worriedly, she voiced her concerns, "Don't we need to bring a lot of things? We can't just enter another world without taking anything with us."
Gently patting her head, the man reassured her. Her worry indicated she had taken her lessons seriously. However, this particular journey was different, so he added, "Actually, whenever we visit another reality, we'll inhabit our own bodies from that world."
"But won't that mean we end up killing ourselves in that reality?" Mia tilted her head, her face growing pale with confusion.
"That's why I've set a rule for myself. Whenever I find another reality, I plan to visit one where the bodies we possess are about to die. In other words, the original owners are already deceased, and we'll simply inhabit their bodies. This way, we won't have to harm them. And when we return here, there won't be any cause and effect if we just leave their bodies. Of course, I always strive to ensure minimal disruption for the people we leave behind in that reality."
"I see..." Mia lowered her head, lost in deep thought.
"If it's too complicated, just think of it as your dad taking every precaution to ensure it's ethical and won't significantly impact that reality."
"Mhm." Mia nodded several times.
"Now that you know, are you still determined to go with us?"
"Yep," Mia answered without hesitation.
The man chuckled at his daughter's resolute stance. He gently nudged her back and said, "In that case, go call your mother. We need to depart soon."
"Okay." She playfully replied before running back.
The man watched over her for a while, making sure she didn't rush. Then, he clasped his hands together, and warm, gentle golden particles began to emerge from the ground.
"Three individuals: Theodore Griffith, Agata Mota, and Mia Griffith," the man murmured, closing his eyes in concentration.
More and more golden particles surfaced, converging in the air to form a hollow circle. The circle gradually filled with golden particles, empowering its core.
As the golden circle charged, Theo could hear two people conversing in the distance.
"Your dad is the current Reality Saint, you know. He is the master of this reality."
"I already know that. But it's my first time venturing into another world, so I can't help feeling nervous." Mia's voice echoed. It was easy to identify the other speaker as her mother, Agata Mota, who also happened to be Theo's wife.
He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on his wife and daughter. Every time he looked at them, his poker face melted away, revealing his love and affection.
"Have you finished charging the teleportation circle?" Agata asked.
"Yep. Although, in this new reality, it seems we have to be separated for a while. I'll be with Mia, and you'll be on your own. I can't probe further into our information," Theo explained.
"That's good enough," Agata replied nonchalantly. "I'll handle my situation myself. We just need to play our little game as usual."
"What game?" Mia tilted her head, unaware of their usual agreement.
"It's a simple game. We'll see if your dad can find me first or if I can find your dad first. But since you'll be with him, it's two against one," Agata explained.
Mia looked at her father for a moment before playfully smirking. "I know my dad's second title. He's known as a Trickster, right? Then I'll become something similar, like a Prankster. I'll prank Dad to slow down his progress. That way, it'll be fair."
Agata raised her eyebrows, surprised by her daughter's response. Mia's cute smile and the way she pumped her small fist against her chest warmed Agata's heart with wholesomeness.
Agata gave a thumbs-up while patting Mia's head. "Alright then. Mom is counting on you."
"Leave it to me," Mia giggled.
Theo remained silent, his heart full as he watched them. After their brief conversation, he said, "Alright. The circle is fully charged. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes!" They both answered simultaneously, walking into the circle.
As soon as they entered, Theo clapped his hands. The golden circle started descending, seemingly devouring the family until they vanished completely from that world.
...
Theo closed his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them, an unfamiliar ceiling greeted him. He knew he must be in a place meant for the original Theo's demise. Fortunately, it wasn't dark this time. He had experienced a reality where he was about to be buried after all.
As his consciousness gathered, he slowly turned his body and head to assess his surroundings.
"Hmm?" Theo instantly felt pain throughout his body, making movement difficult. He turned around and found himself in a white room with two beds—one for him and another for a girl.
In an instant, he recognized the girl as Mia. But before he could assist his daughter, he needed to check his own condition.
Looking down, he saw numerous bandages covering his body. "Ah, this must be a hospital. Mia should have awakened by now, but it's her first time. Instead of waking up, she must be absorbed in the memories that entered her mind. I made sure to limit the impact so that her personality won't be affected..." Theo fell silent, closing his eyes again. "I should also examine the original Theo's memories in this world."
Closing his eyes, a flood of images rushed into Theo's mind. Unlike his daughter, he hadn't reduced the influx of memories. As the master of reality, he had trained himself not to lose to his counterparts from other realities.
"I see. This world is also called Earth. Three years ago, there was a massive disruption that connected this world to nine others. There was chaos initially, but it eventually subsided. They created a man-made island called Interworld, intended to be the center of these connected worlds. They established an academy to bring together the younger generations from each world to learn and interact, aiming to develop a curriculum suitable for all. And I've been chosen as one of the teachers for this new school."
Theo summarized the information about the world and let out a long sigh. "I've grasped the main points. As for my family..."
He recalled the information about his family. Agata and Mia were still his wife and daughter, originating from Levintain—one of the nine connected realities. Levintain resembled Earth but had a system where people made contracts with demons to fend off enemies. Theo also possessed his own demon, but that was a matter for later.
For now, he knew that Mia was with him, while Agata, belonging to a prominent family, would hide until the situation calmed down. Some people supported him, but others had to consider their family's circumstances.
"They sent me here to lay low for a while. In the meantime, Agata will remain hidden from her family. This development is quite something. It's fortunate that I still have supporters. Although I want to be by her side right now, it's better to keep a low profile in the academy."
Theo considered the world's situation and the need to regain his strength. He was curious about the unique power systems of the other worlds and whether he could incorporate them into his own abilities.
"Alright, it's decided. I'll stay in the academy as a teacher. There's one problem, though—Mia. She's only seven years old, too young for the academy, where other students are at least twice her age. But she's a genius, so I can use some tricks to get her admitted, especially to my class. But for now, I need to recover from my injuries. How did a talented guy like me end up dying in a mere accident?"
Theo tried to recall the details, but the memory eluded him, causing him to furrow his eyebrows, sensing something was amiss.
"There's much to do, but for now..." Theo mumbled, circulating his energy. "It seems the energy here is not that different from what I had in my original world."
Using his energy, Theo began repairing his body, forcing the cells to regenerate rapidly. After a while, he had recovered enough to lift himself up. He then glanced at Mia, assessing her condition.
Just as he thought about helping Mia with her energy circulation, a blue panel appeared in front of him, instantly capturing his attention.
"This..." Theo stared at it with great interest. The title displayed on the panel brought a smile to his face.
[Chapter 1 Comment]
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(Author's Note: Yes, you've seen it right. You can comment on anything about this chapter for a chance to be included in the story.)