What the hell is this doing here?
The blue screen shone in front of me, completely blank, floating in the middle of the table, right atop the loaf of bread.
Why is the screen here? I… what the hell happened to me?
I can't be dead if this thing is here, and it's probably not an illusion either… or maybe it is.
A headache started forming as I tried to figure out the reason for the screen's presence. No matter how hard I thought, I was left without an answer.
"Oh, look at the time! I have to hurry up," my dad said suddenly, demolishing his portion of food in seconds. He got up from his chair, rushed to the sink, and quickly washed his silverware.
Then he bolted for the door, grabbing his side bag and jacket before making a run for it to work. "Take the bus to school, I'll pick you two up later!" he shouted back to us.
School?
Wait…
Do I have to go to school?
Is this a joke?
With that, he slammed the door and rushed to his car, driving away in a hurry.
Even with him gone, I still didn't reach for my food.
My stomach felt like it was filled with lead, not letting me enjoy my meal in peace. I was left to stare at the sunny-side-up eggs with bacon on the side.
I tried to reach for it, but I couldn't eat. Something that the one beside me instantly picked up on.
"Liam?"
"Oh. Yes?"
My voice came out strained, and Aiden's expression shifted as he saw my hesitation. I was never a good liar.
"What were you staring at the bread for?"
Damn it, he saw…
This is no longer the afterlife; this is something else. They can't see the screen either… strange.
"I thought I saw mold."
He was just about to take a bite out of a slice of bread, which he immediately threw away.
"I just thought, probably not."
He stared at me with burning eyes while picking the slice back up and taking a bite, his eyes never leaving me, even while chewing intensely.
But I just ignored him, staring at my food.
My hands lightly shook as I picked up the fork and the knife, reaching for the food. Using the knife, I cut into the middle of the egg, the yolk separating and flowing out.
It's been such a long time…
I put my fork into the cut egg and raised it to my mouth. I had forgotten how good of a cook my father was.
Our father was a chef, working two jobs so we could live comfortably.
Our current home was upper-middle-class because our dad worked a high-paying job at a Michelin-star restaurant and a construction site.
If not for the absurdly high expenses of keeping our mother in a coma alive in the hospital, we would have lived like kings… or similarly to that.
That was one of the reasons I decided to work in IT.
The Internet was on the rise when I was in high school, and I had a talent for programming. It was one of my early passions… one that ultimately ruined me…
…well, it paid good money, that was at least nice.
I was so deep in thought that I instinctively tried to take another bite, but I had already devoured all of the food in front of me.
It was so good.
This taste… it's real, and one that I missed so much, even such a simple meal tasted delicious… I felt my eyes get moist as well, the taste was just so nostalgic.
And it's delicious.
This is real… the taste, the bacon that was cooked perfectly, and how salty that it dries my mouth. Such a feeling couldn't be a lie; it can't be fake.
As if answering my question, the blue screen floating atop the table that only I could see started to change, with white letters morphing and appearing on it.
It was slowly getting filled out.
My big project…
The object of my obsession…
I knew this project better than anyone, but there it was… doing things I never programmed it to do.
[The Door
Make your debut in the entertainment industry
Time limit: 30 days
In case of failure…
I was looking at the text that was slowly generating, something gripping my heart as I gazed at the screen.
The door will close itself]
Close… itself?
What does that mean?
I hoped to have my question answered by the screen, but there was nothing. I only saw the same text that slowly filled it… 'The Door.'
What is this door? And what happens if it closes itself? And why the hell does it even want me in the entertainment industry?
Bam
Suddenly, I was struck in the back, instantly putting me on edge and ready to fight back, but it was just Aiden.
"Get ready, we should get to school already," said Aiden with a smug grin, the bastard!
As I looked around, my plates were nowhere to be seen; he had already washed them and put them away to dry.
"Usually, I'm the one who wants to skip school, but you definitely don't look like someone who wants to go." I heard Aiden chuckle.
Well, he wasn't wrong.
I think I started to understand what was going on. This place… it's real. The door…
Whatever happened, I got another chance. The Aiden behind me is not the one who made all those mistakes, just like me. No, he is only a 17-year-old.
"Aiden?"
I called out, my voice coming out dry but sincere.
"What's up?"
"You are an idiot."
With that said, I got up from my chair while he stared at me in disbelief. I headed to the door, where my bag and large brown jacket were waiting.
I remembered—I still had that jacket in my office, I had long outgrown it, but I still had it.
Now that I think about it, it's probably no longer there. My office was gone… and I had left Julie and Noah once again…
Whatever this place is, I hope I can go back… if I'm still alive there.
I have to be…
If I have a chance to go back, I have to take it. I can't leave them alone… no, I won't leave them alone.
Not again.
Reaching for the brown coat and my bag, I got ready and opened the door, only to hear more curses from Aiden behind me, all of them cursing out my entire bloodline—the same one we still shared.
Even while cursing, he picked up his own coat and bag and got ready to leave for the bus together with me. He had the keys to the house.
If I remember correctly, it was normal for me to leave first for school; that was why Aiden was the one closing the door instead of me.
Leaving the house, I didn't know what to feel… this neighborhood, I hadn't been here in years, it felt familiar, but a strange feeling enveloped me.
It was eating away at me, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
It felt surreal to be here again, even more so under these conditions.
The whole neighborhood was middle-class, with most houses having their own lawns and backyards.
Ours was the same in that regard, but I couldn't shake off a strange feeling, something was different.
The weather was cold, with dark rain clouds threatening to pour down from the sky at any minute. Despite this, neither Aiden nor I rushed to the bus.
I was too deep in thought, while Aiden just didn't care about anything.
As the cold wind clashed against us while we walked through the familiar neighborhood, I could only think about one thing.
This is real… and that door…
If the door closes, what will happen? Am I going to die for real this time?
No, I'm not letting that happen, I can't risk it, I have to get back!
As we got closer to the bus stop, I slowed down and let Aiden get in front of me. While he walked absentmindedly, I slipped into a secluded alleyway.
"Open." The moment I said it, the blue screen flashed up before me. Good, now I just need to access it.
"Reboot." I said, but nothing happened.
Hmm… that's strange.
"Overwrite, master code 4321." Still, nothing happened, not even after I inputted the same bulletproof password that I use everywhere.
Okay, I can't access it… this is problematic.
I gritted my teeth… now I had to do everything the screen told me to do. I was not ready to see the consequences of not following it. If it means that I can go back, then I'm not going to risk it.
Turning out from the alleyway, I got back to Aiden, who looked at me strangely but didn't say anything. We reached the bus stop, the only thing shielding us from the rain that trickled down from the sky.
As the bus slowly pulled up to the stop while the rain continued to gently pour down, I could only think of one thing with a dark expression that I didn't even bother hiding.
I don't know how much more time I have to spend here or how many more quests my system will throw my way.
But if it means I can go home, I will do anything.
Well, I was always interested in acting… what I received is a second chance, I will make the most out of it.
For the sake of going home…
I will be the best, and while I'm here…
I fix everything.