"Hey... hey, I know you two like teasing me, but... it's going a bit too far," Alvin couldn't stop himself from saying. These two were talking about becoming mages or some nonsense as though it's pretty normal. Heck, if not for the genuine expression on their faces, I would have believed their bluff.
Mia stared at Alvin as though he was an idiot.
"Alve, tell Mom, do you have a headache?" Elena asked worriedly. "Those bastards, they think anyone can bully us since we are poor," Elena thought her son might have gotten hit on the head, causing his memories to be messed up.
"Mom, I told you no one bullied me. I just slipped, nothing serious," Alvin looked carefully at his mother and little sister... they didn't seem to be faking it.
"Yes... yes, how can someone bully big brother? He is the strongest, second only to future mage little Mia," Mia also said seriously.
Elena still had a worried look on her face, so Alvin could only say, "Joking... it's a joke, Mom. Ha... haha..." Alvin tried his best to show a perfect smile on his face.
"Brother, you look like an idiot monkey when you smile, hehe," Mia didn't let the chance to taunt him go. Elena also smiled.
"Well, at least I am a tall monkey, not like someone who is a short monkey hump," Alvin said, staring at Mia who was giggling at him.
"Who are you calling short monkey, you cat, buffalo, cow... mm.mm big bad brother," Mia stood up like a cat whose tail is being stepped on and pointed at Alvin.
"Mia, stop talking and eat your food," Elena stopped both of them from continuing their argument, so Mia could only turn her head away from Alvin with a huff.
While the three of them ate their food, Alvin felt like something was wrong. Although he appeared to be calm, his mind was a complete mess. 'What happened to Mom and Mia? Why are they saying strange things?' He had a feeling that everything was different despite looking the same, but he couldn't tell what exactly was different.
"Mom, I am going to sleep, tell little Mia to wake me up if you need anything," Alvin said, walking towards a small room to the side of Elena's room. Elena just nodded in response.
Alvin could feel the pain all over his body from the previous beating, along with the strange things happening around him. His head was really hurting like hell. Now, he only wanted to hug his pillow and sleep like a dead dog. As such, as soon as his head touched the bed, he fell asleep. To be accurate, he passed out.
Alvin could only see pitch-black darkness all around him. He wanted to call for help, but he didn't seem to have a mouth. To his absolute horror, he couldn't even feel his body.
After what felt like an eternity, Alvin found himself standing in a vast expanse of twinkling stars, surrounded by swirling galaxies that seemed to dance around him. In the midst of this cosmic spectacle stood a figure so grand and radiant that it could only be described as the epitome of divinity.
Alvin froze, his breath catching in his throat. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice trembling with fear.
The figure sighed softly, observing the fearful expression on Alvin's face. In a gentle tone, she responded, "Alvin, I am the Mother of the Universe. it was my mistake that caused you to find yourself in this parallel world."
Alvin stared at her, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Parallel world? Lady, you've got the wrong guy. I'm trying to figure out if I can afford breakfast tomorrow, let alone worry about some parallel world."
The Mother of Universe looked exasperated. "Alvin, listen carefully. You are not where you think you are. This world is a mirror image of your original world, and it's all because of my mistake."
The Mother of Universe facepalmed in frustration. "I'm afraid you're not grasping the gravity of the situation. Your destiny with your original world is no more!"
The Mother of Universe sighed. "I must confess that it was I who inadvertently caused you to be transmigrated to this parallel world."
Alvin's eyes widened in disbelief. "Transmigrated? Parallel world? What in the heck are you talking about?"
The Mother of Universe waved a hand impatiently. "Long story short, I messed up. And now your fate with your original world has been destroyed."
Alvin felt a surge of panic rising within him at the thought of his family left behind in a world he could no longer reach. "Destroyed? What do you mean, destroyed? Are they okay? What's going to happen to them?"
Mother of Universe expression softened with sympathy. "Your family is safe, Alvin, but your destiny with them ends here."
Alvin's heart pounded in his chest as he awaited her next words, his mind racing with a million questions. "What will happen now?"
Mother of Universe grinned , her eyes sparkling with cosmic secrets. "Due to my mistake, your soul has split in two, existing simultaneously in both worlds. From now on, you will navigate two separate destinies. So, stop bothering about your original world; from now on, it has nothing to do with you."
Alvin's head spun with the absurdity of it all, his mind struggling to grasp the enormity of the situation. "Two destinies? But how is that even possible?"
The Mother of Universe shrugged nonchalantly, her expression one of indifference. "Your soul is now divided into two parts. One remains in your original world, and the other resides here in this parallel universe, navigating separate destinies in parallel"
Alvin scratched his head, his confusion turning into mild annoyance. "So, what does this mean for me?"
"Alvin," she intoned, her voice reverberating through the cosmos, "I must rectify the mistake of your transmigration to this parallel world. As compensation, I offer you one of my powers."
The Mother of the Universe unfurled a scroll, listing abilities that could shape reality itself: Timebending, Starlight Conjuring, Elemental Mastery, and even Cosmic Cuddling. Alvin's eyes widened in awe as he beheld the grandeur of the cosmic powers displayed before him.
She listed them off with grandiosity, each one more awe-inspiring than the last.
"I can grant you mastery over the elements," she proclaimed, gesturing towards swirling vortexes of fire and water.
"Or perhaps you desire the ability to wield weapons with unmatched skill," she continued, conjuring spectral swords that gleamed with ethereal light.
Alvin's eyes widened as his mind spun with the potential of each power. But as the Mother of the Universe reached the end of her list, she mentioned one power that seemed decidedly less impressive.
"And lastly, there's the Eye of Intent," she said, almost as an afterthought. "It's like having a supercharged dictionary in your brain, where you can see the meaning of everything and make it your own. But really, who needs to understand everything when you can have the power to shoot rainbows from your fingertips or summon a talking squirrel as your sidekick, right?"
Alvin also nodded, "Yes, Who cares about knowing the meaning of everything when you could be standing atop the world, wielding magical powers, or making mountains crumble beneath your sword?"
"Yes, indeed," the Mother agreed, a shimmer of pride in her cosmic gaze. "Now, choose wisely, Alvin."
Alvin hesitated, weighing his options carefully. "I choose—"
But before he could finish, The Mother of the Universe misheard his words, mistaking "I" for "eye."
"The Eye of Intent!" she declared, conjuring the power and bestowing it upon Alvin before he could protest.
Alvin blinked, his confusion growing as he felt a strange sensation wash over him. Instead of the grand power he had intended to choose, he found himself endowed with a pair of cosmic eyes that seemed to see with purposeful clarity.
"What... happened... at least let me finish," Alvin hurriedly called out. "I want the power of magic elements, not some weird eye that will make me a walking dictionary."
But it was just a pity that as soon as he made his choice, with a jolt, Alvin found himself jettisoned from the cosmic dream, tumbling through the vast expanse of the universe. He plummeted through the stars, his heart racing as he hurtled towards an unknown destination.
With a gasp, Alvin awoke, his body lurching upright in bed. He blinked.
"Whoa... what just happened?" Alvin muttered, his mind still reeling from the surreal experience.
"Is it a dream or... did I really cross over to a parallel world?" Alvin couldn't make sense of what was happening to him. "But again, judging from the way Mom and Mia are behaving, I guess I really crossed over. Ahhh... I am going crazy."