"Brother, do you really feel better now?" Allison asked, concern etched on her face.
"Yeah, all better..." I forced a reassuring smile, but she raised an eyebrow.
Explaining the impossible was futile. My sister sat beside me, and Mom cooked breakfast, radiating warmth and normalcy. 'How is this possible?' I wondered.
Time travel defied logic. No magic or technology could achieve this. Yet, here I was, in the past, before the invasion.
My bracelet, now vanished, held the key. Its energy, meant for combat, had brought me here instead.
My mind was heavy with questions.
'Where was this?'
'When was this?'
My mind struggled to process this new reality. Moments ago, my world was breaking down. Now, I was drowning in contradictions.
My youthful body felt weak, lacking the strength forged through hardship. But my mind, burdened by scars and memories, remained heavy.
The weight of humanity's fate, loved ones lost, and endless struggles had pushed me past my limits. I'd kept moving, one step at a time.
But my breaking point was long overdue. I craved rest, numbness, and escape.
Seeing my family again was unexpected, but it didn't alter my emotional landscape. My experiences, especially the recent ones, were etched in stone.
Breaking down wasn't an illusion; it couldn't be glued back together with a facade of normalcy. Death would have been a mercy, allowing me to rest, closing my eyes without worry.
Allison observed me lost in thought, her concern growing. Since waking up, I seemed different – a stranger.
"What's wrong, Brother?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.
My eyes, once bright, now felt cold and lifeless. Even my smile couldn't reach them; they remained sad and tired.
Allison attributed it to my 3-day stupor, but her unease lingered.
"Breakfast's ready!" Allison exclaimed, attempting to lift the somber mood.
Their mom set three plates on the table, accompanied by glasses of iced tea.
"Enjoy!"
Allison and their mom began eating, casting discreet glances at me. I sat motionless, staring at the food.
Just as I prepared to take a bite, a lone tear escaped down my cheek.
Allison and their mom exchanged shocked gazes.
"What's wrong, honey?" their mom asked, concern etched on her face.
"Brother...?" Allison's voice trembled.
They reached out, but I halted them with a raised hand, feigning composure.
Nothing was okay.
The familiar meal triggered memories of Kate, who had lovingly prepared meals for me for years.
Kate's words echoed in my mind, "You'd probably eat shit if I didn't cook for you." She'd find food, and I'd jest that it tasted terrible anyway. But I was grateful. Her simple actions had melted my frozen heart.
We would have cherished a meal like this. The effort to prepare a simple dish was staggering. All that hard work, lost to time, with only me to remember.
I covered my eyes, tears flowing freely. "Brother!!" Allison exclaimed.
"Anthony!! Honey, what's wrong—" Mom's concern was palpable.
"Everything's alright, just give me a sec..." I held them back.
"Just gimme a sec, please."
The scrambled eggs with sausage seemed divine, a flavor I hadn't savored in years.
I sobbed uncontrollably, hand covering my eyes, as I devoured the scrambled eggs and sausage. Each bite tasted divine, but the ache in my heart grew. I imagined Kate beside me, sharing this moment.
My mom and sister watched, concern etched on their faces. I ignored them, lost in my grief.
Finishing my meal, my emotions slowly subsided. I stared blankly at the empty plate, sensing their expectant gazes.
They awaited an explanation, but I had none. I didn't care about making sense; I just needed to express the turmoil within.
"I...miss her," I stammered, voice cracking. "She's gone. Everyone's gone. And I'm...I'm back here, with you both. But it's not the same. Nothing's the same."
Tears welled up again, and I struggled to continue.
"I lost someone precious, the most important person in my life."
Allison's eyes widened in shock. "What...?"
"Anthony...?" Mom's confusion deepened. "I don't understand..."
"She was my pillar, my everything." I struggled to contain my emotions. "She died protecting me, right in front of me."
Tears streamed down my face. "She died because of me..."
"Honey..." Mom enveloped me in a tight hug, Allison joining in.
Together, they sobbed, moved by my pain, though unaware of its depth.
I'd said enough; no need to elaborate. Speaking those words aloud was catharsis.
My tears dried quickly, leaving an emptiness that hollowed my chest.
"Let's rest, okay?" Mom guided me back to bed.
I felt like a puppet, limbs heavy, devoid of will.
"Rest now, okay?" She kissed my forehead, and quietly left, closing the door.
I lay motionless, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. The door creaked open, and Allison entered, sitting on the floor beside my bed. Her red-rimmed eyes and puffy cheeks revealed her lingering sorrow.
"Can I know her name?" she asked softly.
We locked gazes, an awkward silence hanging between us.
"Name?" I repeated, hesitant.
"Yes, you said you lost someone, someone who protected you," Allison pressed, her eyes unwavering.
I weighed the cost of sharing, but her genuine interest won me over.
"Katelyn," I whispered.
Allison's expression softened, her eyes welling up anew.
"Her name was Katelyn, but everyone called her Kate." I stared blankly at the ceiling, memories flooding back. "She had the most radiant smile and piercing blue eyes."
Kate's smile, frozen in time, haunted me.
"Who did she protect you from?" Allison asked, breaking the spell.
"Monsters..." The word escaped, barely above a whisper.
"She protected me from monsters..." Memories of Kate's sacrifice pierced my heart like a dagger.
Allison's confusion deepened. "Monsters? Where did they come from?"
"From the cracks... Millions poured in." My voice trembled. "They were unstoppable."
The swings of my sword, the screams of the fallen, echoed in my mind, an unrelenting cacophony.
"The cracks?" Allison pointed outside, her brow furrowed.
I rose from bed, joining her at the window. Our elevated neighborhood offered a panoramic view of the city.
Countless cracks scarred the landscape – some small, others massive.
But what stunned me was the everyday scene unfolding below. Humans went about their lives, oblivious to the cracks.
Cars drove, people walked, children played. No destruction, no chaos.
I stood agape, struggling to comprehend.
"I'm really back..."
"Allison..."
"Yes?"
"What day is it today?"
"Thursday..."
"The date – what month, what year?" I pressed, grasping her arms.
"Umm, July 18, 2024. Why?" Confusion and alarm etched on her face.
"July 18..." I whispered, the date echoing in my mind.
"D-Day was November 27..." The day they came, the day the world ended.
"Four months from now..."
Allison's concern deepened. "Are you really okay?"
"Yeah, I'm better now." I gazed out, surveying the cracks.
I'm really back... Memories flooded me: friends, battles, deaths.
Everyone should be alive... Kate's smiling face haunted me.
Kate should be alive somewhere... Fury ignited within.
I clenched my fists, drawing blood, and glared at the cracks.
"I will kill them..."
"I will kill them all!!"
A newfound anger fueled my motivation. An avenger from the future was born.
But the path ahead was treacherous. I had to relive it all, avoid mistakes.
Protect everyone, find them worldwide... The weight was crushing.
First, I needed strength. I needed to reclaim my former might.
"No, I need to be even stronger." The weight of his mission settled in.
Four months until global destruction. Anthony's mind raced.
What to do first? Warn humanity? Find old allies?
A mountain of pressure crushed him, the responsibility he'd shouldered.
For family, loved ones, he'd rise again, broken or not.
He'd walk forward, not for himself, but others.
His pain and memories would fuel his fight.
No one would understand his struggles, but him.
But he'd change this world's fate.
A friend's words echoed, "Let's rest for a bit."
"Rest? We will rest when we die..."
"Today we fight!!"
Anthony's eyes burned with determination.
"Damn..." He grimaced, nostalgia washing over him. He knew he could no longer afford to rest.
"Why the hell did I regress?!"