Mikey and I were both 18 at that point.
We both didn't graduate for many reasons, we both couldn't focus on our studies when we were in school because of our social situation, and when our father died when we were 17 we both dropped out of school and moved to the new apartment we got using the reparation money we received from court.
I quickly applied for a job at the local cornerstone and started working.
Mikey on the other hand, only focused on his physical body training at home, all day, every day.
When asked about it, he said he would get a job when we turned 18.
And when that day finally came, on the night of our 18th birthday, he started his weird habit of sneaking out at night.
Mikey seemed to be waiting for something to happen, every time he went out he always came back a Look of disappointment on his face.
Once I followed him and found out what he was doing, I decided to confront him about it.
The morning of the next day, I asked Mikey about what he was doing.
"Mikey, I know you've been sneaking every night for the past couple of months. What's going on bro? Is everything okay?".
Mikey seemed surprised, he let out a sigh and responded, "I can't tell you right now Tony, just trust me okay? I know what I'm doing, and I'm doing what's best for the both of us".
This answer confused me even more, and considering our circumstances I was starting to get annoyed, so I said, "How is sneaking out every night to the woods like a crazy person going to help us in any way?!".
"I would much rather you sneak out to go work and help us both financially, I'm sure you're aware of the fact our money's running low, and you haven't even been trying to help".
Feeling fed up, Mikey shouted, "SHUT UP TONY! OF COURSE I KNOW!".
He seemed to be out of it as he began viciously spouting what seemed like nonsense, "YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND, THE MERGER WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN ON OUR 18TH BIRTHDAY!".
"I remember it like it was yesterday, I was at the drought road forest after running away from home after father killed you, I was sitting down, leaning on a tree trunk when suddenly, the sky exploded in colors and the merger began".
"It already has been 5 months and nothing has happened yet"
"And because the merger hasn't begun yet, I can't practice my Golden Sunlight technique, I must become strong quickly and defeat the Scion Of Chaos".
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT MIKEY?! WHAT IS A MERGER? WHAT IS A SCION OF CHAOS? AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN FATHER KILLED ME?"
"You're not making any sense!".
After we both calmed down, he began telling this insane story, about how he was a regressor from the future, just like in the novels we both love to read.
He told me about everything, about how in his first life, Dad accidentally killed me in a fit of alcoholic anger 2 days before our 18th birthday.
Mikey was also severely injured, and so, the following morning, he fled from home and eventually reached the Drought Road Forest.
Injured and tired, he decided to lie down, lean on a tree, and take a break to relax when suddenly the sky shattered, and an entire galaxy full of different colorful streams of light began to spill through the cracks.
This was the best result of two realities colliding, a so-called 'merger'.
When the merger happened, the Spiritual Energy of the other reality began spreading throughout our universe through the streams of light spilling out, eventually filling the earth with a new sort of energy, allowing people to gain supernatural strength.
When the merger happened, coincidentally, one of the first streams of energy to arrive at Earth landed in the drought road forest.
The high concentration of energy immediately caused many plants to grow at an accelerated rate, with some even transforming and evolving rapidly.
The same thing happened to the few living creatures that were inside the forest.
The only human that was near the spiritual energy stream was Mikey, and so he began his journey to greatness at a way higher point than most of the humans on Earth.
Eventually gaining the title of Scion Of Order, through his many trials and tribulations, filled with many achievements too great to tell in this short prologue.
He fought against the evil Scion Of Chaos, overpowering him many times, but never truly defeating him.
During their last battle, the Scion Of Chaos managed to kill him with some sort of treasure.
After his death, he woke up at the juvenile detention center as a 17-year-old.
This whole story sounds great, but the problem is that the merger was supposed to have already happened 5 months ago, causing Mikey to doubt himself and causing me to think, 'Mikey is crazy'.