1998 years
"Levi Ackerman!"
Levi heard a faint voice calling his name, but he lacked the strength to respond. He felt as if he were floating, his soul disconnected from his body.
"Levi! Levi, wake up!" The voice grew louder and more urgent.
"Who is yelling in my ear? Can't a guy get some sleep? I have to work tomorrow morning!" Levi was irritated. He had worked overtime until midnight, and with his alarm set for early the next day, he was running on minimal sleep. The disturbance was unwelcome.
Yet, despite his annoyance, he couldn't make a sound.
He felt as if he were being carried like a sack of potatoes. After some time, he sensed being laid down on something soft, perhaps a bed or a sofa.
"Andy, try some water!" someone called out.
A splash of cold water hit him, and Levi's senses abruptly returned. He felt his body again, and he could move.
"Look, it's working! He's moving his eyes!" said the person who had brought the water, sounding excited.
Another splash of water brought Levi back to full consciousness. He managed to pry his heavy eyelids open, seeing two heads hovering close to him.
"Levi, can you hear me? Levi!" Andy Walsh's voice was loud and clear.
Levi was confused. Was he experiencing sleep paralysis?
But no, this didn't feel like sleep paralysis. His vision cleared, and he focused on the two people in front of him. Both were blond foreigners, and they looked concerned.
"You..." Levi weakly lifted a finger towards the nearest man, who appeared to be in his thirties, but his strength gave out, and his hand fell back down.
Seeing Levi trying to speak, the two men visibly relaxed.
"Thank goodness, Levi. You scared us to death!" Andy Walsh said, sitting on a stool by the bed with a nervous smile.
"What... happened?" Levi asked cautiously, looking around and realizing this wasn't his dorm. The room was simple, with a rustic charm, exposing brick walls, old wooden beams, and minimal decor.
"Does anyone still live in houses like this?" Levi thought aloud.
But then he froze, realizing something was off. He had spoken in English, fluently and naturally, as if it were his first language. His thoughts were in English too.
"No way..." Levi broke out in a cold sweat and tried to get up.
Walsh was startled by Levi's sudden movement. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Levi stared at the foreigner in front of him, trying to piece everything together. Who were these people? Where was he?
As he tried to think, new memories surfaced in his mind. He learned that the man who had been shouting at him was Andy Walsh from Manchester, England. The younger man next to him was Mark David.
"Manchester, England?" Levi felt a chill run down his spine.
As an avid football fan in his previous life, he knew Manchester well. It was home to Manchester United and Manchester City, two fierce rivals.
"How did I end up in England?" Levi muttered.
Quickly, the new memories filled in the blanks. Levi's family had immigrated to the UK from Germany in his grandfather's time. They lived on Faulkner Street, a well-known area for immigrants in Manchester. His parents had run a successful supermarket there until they died in a car accident a year ago, leaving Levi an orphan with a supermarket and some insurance money.
"Levi, are you okay?" Walsh asked, shaking Levi gently. Levi's mind was racing, and his new memories informed him that he was now 23 years old and it was June 3, 1998.
In other words, Levi had crossed into another life!
"Oh my God, what's happening to me?" Levi clutched his head, overwhelmed.
Walsh grabbed Levi's hand. "It's okay. You just got knocked out by that big guy, Makinson. Just rest. Do you want Mark to take you home? I can handle the player selections."
Levi was taken aback. "Player selections?"
Walsh looked at him, puzzled, then realized Levi might be suffering from temporary amnesia due to the collision. "Yeah, the selections for the new club. Remember?"
"The new club?" Levi's head throbbed as he tried to process this. His brain felt overloaded with too many new memories.
Walsh, sensing Levi's struggle, tried to jog his memory. "Do you remember Manchester United?"
"Yeah," Levi nodded. Of course, he remembered.
"And Murdoch?" Walsh continued.
Levi thought for a moment. "You mean the media mogul?"
Walsh nodded, his expression darkening. "Yeah, that guy. He bought Manchester United for a billion dollars!"
Levi frowned, recalling the 1998 takeover attempt by Rupert Murdoch. It had caused a huge uproar among fans.
Seeing Levi's confusion, Walsh sighed. "You were always leading protests against Murdoch's takeover. But when the shareholders agreed to sell, you felt betrayed. So you decided to start a new football club."
Levi now understood. The British Levi Ackerman had been a die-hard Manchester United fan, leading the Red Knights, a fan group that protested Murdoch's takeover. When it became clear the shareholders would sell, Levi used his inheritance and sold the family supermarket, raising a million pounds to start a new football club.
Andy Walsh was one of his closest friends and a core member of the Red Knights, owning a fan bar in Manchester.
"The fans are all behind you, Levi," Walsh continued. "Today's the first day of tryouts, and we've already got hundreds of people signing up. You can't let everyone down."
Levi looked outside and saw the crowds, hearing applause and cheers from the tryouts.
Just then, Mark David burst back in. "Levi, are you okay?"
Still in shock, Levi nodded instinctively.
"Good. Andy, we need you outside. It's getting chaotic!" Mark said, hurrying back out.
Walsh stood up and patted Levi's shoulder. "Rest up. I'll handle things outside."
Levi nodded. As Walsh reached the door, Levi called out, "Andy!"
"Yeah?" Walsh turned back.
Levi saw a genuine, reassuring smile on Walsh's face, which comforted him.
"Is it really busy out there?"
Walsh laughed. "Yeah, starting a new club from scratch is tough, but we're all excited. We're doing this for the fans, for the soul of the Red Devils."
After a pause, Walsh added with a broad grin, "You said it yourself, Levi. There's only one soul of the Red Devils. This club is for all the fans."
Levi shuddered, reflecting on Walsh's words. As he lay back, trying to digest everything, he realized he had a new life and a new purpose.