Drifting Through the Void
Darkness. Endless, suffocating darkness.
Emjay felt himself floating, weightless, surrounded by an abyss that stretched in all directions. He wasn't sure if he was alive or dead. He wasn't sure if he was even himself anymore. All he knew was that he was lost in an ocean of emotion, drowning in sensations that weren't his own, yet felt so familiar.
Pain—sharp, unbearable, like knives tearing through his body. Sorrow—so deep it made his very soul ache. But then, a rush of warmth. Joy, laughter, love—memories of better times. Moments of pure happiness flooded through him, the feeling of his mother's embrace, the echo of his sibling's laughter, the rough but reassuring grip of a friend's hand on his shoulder.
Then came fear.
A cold, chilling dread that clawed at his chest. He remembered the battle. The fight against himself. The blade piercing his stomach. The regret in his heart. The wish that had slipped from his lips before everything turned dark: I wish I could return to the past and fix everything…
Had his wish been granted? Was this the afterlife? Or was this something else entirely?
Time felt meaningless. Seconds could have been hours. Minutes could have been years. He felt himself being pulled—somewhere, to someplace unknown. His mind screamed, his body fought, but there was nothing to fight against. Just the void, just the feelings, just the endless uncertainty of what came next.
And then—
A breath. His own.
His eyes fluttered open.
Awakening to an Unknown Reality
The scent of summer grass and warm air filled Emjay's lungs as he slowly gained consciousness. He could feel the rough texture of concrete beneath him, a slight breeze brushing against his skin. His body ached, but it wasn't the pain of a fatal wound—no, it was different. It was the dull, lingering soreness of someone who had simply fallen asleep in an awkward position.
As his vision cleared, he realized he was sitting on a short set of stairs outside a house, his back resting against the metal bars of a fence. The sky above him was a deep shade of blue, the sun hanging lower than he remembered, casting a golden hue over the world. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance, and the air smelled… familiar.
Where… am I?
He barely had time to think before a voice called out from inside the house.
"Dinner is ready! Come inside before it gets cold!"
The voice was warm, inviting—filled with a casual familiarity that made Emjay's stomach twist with unease. He turned towards the door, just as it swung open. A woman stood there, smiling at him.
He didn't recognize her. yet, something about her… felt right. Felt real.
Confusion filled his mind, but his body moved on instinct. Slowly, hesitantly, he stepped inside.
A Family He Thought He Lost
The house smelled of home-cooked food, of warmth and comfort. It was small, but cozy, the kind of place where love lingered in the air. Emjay glanced around as he walked through the hallway, his heart pounding in his chest. The furniture, the pictures on the walls, even the little knick-knacks placed randomly on shelves—it was all too familiar.
And then he stepped into the dining room.
His breath caught in his throat.
Seated around the dinner table were faces he thought he'd never see again. His mother, her eyes full of kindness, laughing as she placed food on plates. His father, relaxed and at ease, sipping his drink. His siblings, chatting excitedly, their voices overlapping in a chaotic yet comforting melody of family love.
Emjay's body locked up. His vision blurred.
This wasn't real. It couldn't be real.
Yet here they were, right in front of him.
"Hey, Emjay," his younger sister called, tilting her head. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Emjay's throat was dry. He forced himself to sit, shaking his head. "It's… nothing."
His voice was hoarse, unfamiliar even to himself.
Dinner continued, the room filled with laughter and conversation. At first, Emjay could only stare, unable to process what was happening. But as the minutes passed, the warmth of his family started to pull him in. The joy, the love—it felt real. And for the first time in what felt like years, he allowed himself to smile.
A Date That Shouldn't Exist
As the plates were cleared, Emjay found himself helping his sister with the dishes. The normalcy of it all felt surreal.
He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Hey… what's today's date?"
His sister gave him a confused look before answering casually, "It's July 5th, 2020."
Emjay nearly dropped the plate he was holding.
His heartbeat roared in his ears. 2020? That was five years in the past. Five years before everything went wrong. Before the war. Before he lost everything.
His mind raced. "Are you sure?" he asked, voice tight. "You're not joking?"
His sister raised an eyebrow. "Why would I joke about that?" She then grinned. "I can't wait for the concert next week! It's gonna be amazing!"
Her excitement barely registered in his mind. He felt like the world around him was spinning. I traveled back in time…
Excusing himself, he rushed to the bathroom. His hands trembled as he turned the faucet on, splashing cold water on his face. His breathing was ragged, uneven. He looked up at the mirror—and then he saw it.
His left eye.
A faint, eerie glow pulsed within the iris—a color he couldn't quite name, something between gold and deep violet. His stomach twisted as memories of his final moments returned in a rush. The battle. His older self. The wish. The power.
His hands gripped the sink.
He had traveled back in time. Without even realizing it, he had used his power before he died.
What do I do now?
His mind raced with possibilities, with the weight of the past and the future colliding in a way that shouldn't be possible. But then, he took a deep breath.
If this was the past, then he had a chance. A chance to relive. A chance to understand. A chance… to fix things.
For now, he would continue forward. He would live this life. He would remember what it was like before everything was taken from him.
And then… he would decide.
A Week of Memories
Rather than panic, he made a decision.
He would live this life again.
At first, Emjay struggled with the overwhelming flood of emotions. The joy of seeing his family, the bittersweet realization that none of them knew what was to come. He felt like an actor in a play, a ghost reliving his past with the knowledge that everything in front of him would one day be ripped away. But instead of falling into despair, he made a choice—he would cherish every moment.
For the first time in years, Emjay laughed, a genuine, deep laugh that filled the house. The warmth of family life was intoxicating, and for a while, he forgot about everything else. He helped his father fix an old car in the garage, the same car he barely remembered before it was sold years ago. He sat on the porch with his mother, watching the sunset, listening to her stories that he once took for granted.
One night, as he lay on a grassy hill, staring at the endless stars above him, a voice startled him.
"Hey, Emjay."
He turned his head, blinking in surprise. A girl stood beside him, her silhouette framed against the twilight sky. She had long, dark hair that shimmered faintly under the starlight, and a smile that felt strangely familiar, yet foreign.
She sat down beside him, wrapping her arms around her knees. "You didn't think I'd forget about you, did you?"
Emjay hesitated. There was something about her voice, something that tugged at his memory, but he couldn't place it. "Uh... sorry, who—?"
She giggled, nudging his shoulder. "I was out of town, remember? I wanted to surprise you."
Out of town? He tried to recall if he knew anyone like her, but nothing came. Still, the way she spoke felt so natural, like she had known him for a long time.
He decided to play along. "Oh... right. You got me. I totally wasn't expecting this."
She gave him a knowing look. "You're a terrible liar."
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the stars twinkle above them. The air was cool, the scent of freshly cut grass lingering between them. She sighed, resting her chin on her knees.
"I wish I could see the future," she murmured. "Just a glimpse. To know what will happen."
Emjay turned to her, his breath catching. Her words struck something deep within him.
She continued, her voice softer now. "So I could make happy surprises... or maybe even save lives."
His hands clenched in the grass. She had no idea how much that resonated with him. No idea that he had already seen a future that he desperately wanted to change.
She turned to look at him, her eyes filled with an unreadable expression. "I wonder what your future will be like, Emjay."
A lump formed in his throat. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to smile. "Yeah... me too."
She studied him for a moment, as if sensing the weight behind his words. Then, with a soft chuckle, she stood up and dusted off her jeans. "Well, I should get going. It was nice catching up."
He opened his mouth to ask her name, to confirm if he had ever known her, but before he could, she was already walking away.
"See you around, Emjay."
Her words echoed in his mind long after she disappeared into the night. He lay back on the grass, staring up at the sky, his heart heavy with thoughts he couldn't quite process. Her words haunted him.
And in that moment, he knew.
He couldn't stay here.
A Decision to Return
He had left behind a war, his team, a world in ruins. His older self was still out there, with knowledge of the future. If he stayed, it would be selfish.
But before going, he lived these last days fully.
More laughter. More games. More love.
Then, the night before he would leave, he stood alone on the hill, staring at the sky, whispering to the stars.
"I won't let that horrible future happen."
With a deep breath, he covered his right eye.
And everything faded to white.