"We're losing him... Quick, blood transfusion and defibrillator! … Patient's pulse is dropping! … 3, 2, 1… Pow!!…"
The doctors' voices, the cries of my friends, the heavy, cold sensation enveloping my body… I recall it all vaguely. I was on a mission, my last one. During the explosion, I wanted to save my partner. Seconds later, I found myself on the ground, engulfed in flames. My eyes were slowly closing, and opposite me lay my partner… Her hair, as vibrant and pink as cherry blossoms, looked beautiful even then. Why did I always bicker with her, push her away? Ah, right… Because I had long lost my perspective on love, dedicating myself fully to being an assassin… But if… if I survived… one day… one day, I would—
Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipppp…..
November 24th, 2021… 1:50 AM… We lost the patient…
BEEP BEEP BEEP… Sir, wake up, it's morning already! If you don't wake up, I'll eat all your food myself, fufu~
HAAH!!!
I shot up in bed, startled. Thankfully, my alarm managed to rouse me. I stared at the ceiling of my room for a moment, then fumbled for my phone.
Date: November 21st, 2316
I sighed, placing a hand on my forehead as I mulled it over. "Seriously, it's been almost three centuries… This is the first time something like this has happened. I hope it doesn't happen again."
I got out of bed and stretched. My room was relatively tidy and clean for a 16-year-old boy, save for my somewhat cluttered desk. After making my bed, I headed downstairs. I washed my face thoroughly, then followed the delicious aroma of pancakes wafting from the kitchen, quickening my pace. Naturally, such exquisite pancakes could only be the work of my sister, Yuka—
"Oh… looks like someone's finally awake. Morning, sleepyhead princess. Did you get enough beauty sleep?"
The person peering at me over a newspaper, a cigarette dangling from their lips, grinning – yes, it could only be my father, Kurosaki!
Somewhat stunned, I sat down in the chair opposite him. "So, you can make pancakes too, huh? Impressive, I must say, but I bet they're still worse than Sis Yukari's." I smirked playfully.
He looked slightly indignant. "What are you talking about, brat! I taught Yukari how to make pancakes in the first place! You little rascal!"
I burst out laughing; my dad really did have the funniest reactions. I stood up and started piling a few pancakes onto my plate.
"Sooo, where is everyone else? Just you and me?"
Dad folded his newspaper and tapped his cigarette ash into the ashtray. "Your sister Yukari got called into the Department; apparently, there was an issue at the publishing house, so she left in a hurry. Your brother Arden went to university early to study for his finals. And I dropped off little Illya at your aunt's this morning. She'd been nagging me since last night, saying 'Auntie is more fun.' Hmph, that little white shrew wouldn't even exist if it weren't for me…"
I returned to the table with my plate and took a bite of the pancake. Honestly, while not quite as good as Yukari's, they were impressively tasty. "Well, what can you do? Frankly, I'd rather hang out with Auntie than an old geezer like—"
He gave me that miffed look again. "I'M BUILT LIKE A ROCK!! AND I'M MORE FUN THAN YOUR AUNT, DAMMIT!"
I started laughing again. Dad must have realized, as his expression softened into a slight grin. No joke, despite being 58, he looked like someone in his 30s. With his light stubble and long ponytail, he genuinely looked cool. "By the way, Berwick, didn't you have something on today too?"
Still eating my pancake, I looked up, a bit confused. "Huh? Something on? Don't remember."
He looked astonished. "Hey, did you leave your soul behind when you got out of bed? You seemed pretty excited about today for the past few days. I think you were supposed to submit your song at the Conservatory or something—"
It suddenly hit me. Today was the day we were presenting the piece we'd been working on for months to the professors! I shot up, slamming my hands on the table. "Damn it!! Right, today was the day!.. "
"DON'T SWEAR IN FRONT OF ME, INSOLENT CHILD!"
Without hesitation, I rushed back to my room, quickly changed, grabbed my guitar, and ran to the front door. "Sorry, gotta go now, Dad, I'll be back tonight! I'm taking the 'Universe Train' today, so I might be late, bye!!"
"HEY, WAIT! ON YOUR WAY BACK, GRAB 2 PACKS OF CI-" The door slammed shut. "Seriously, dealing with these kids alone is tough..."
I started running, checking my phone. The next Universe Train was in exactly 12 minutes. If I took the shortcut, I could be there in 8.
Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Berwick, Nichiyobi Berwick. I'm a 16-year-old genius musician attending a conservatory high school. Actually, before this life, I was an overly witty assassin with an extraordinary bounty on my head. Of course, that was centuries ago, not just years. In the current era, as you might have heard at home, we have things called 'Universe Trains.' What are they like? Well, they function like a subway system between different universes, and their origins date back quite a ways. If I remember what Dad told me correctly, around 2130, wormholes appeared, followed by… well, boring stuff like wars. Due to these wars, universe exploration was shelved for a long time, gathering dust. In short, that's the "deep" history behind these 'Universe Trains.' They were brought back out from the dusty shelves in the last century and took their current form.
While explaining this, I'd already reached the station. Though it looks like a normal subway station from the outside, the inside is genuinely complex. Just as I was about to enter, I heard a familiar, sweet voice from behind.
"Hey! Berwick, wait for me!"
I turned around, a smile spreading across my face. Of course, that voice belonged to one of my closest friends, Lisandra. Around 160cm tall, with silver hair and golden eyes, she's an elf. Yes, you heard right, an elf! After all, multiple universes exist. She's from universe SC-214; her family moved to my home universe, SC-414, to experience modern life.
She catches her breath, panting. "How can you be so... huff... durable? Your house is twice as far from the station as mine!"
I shrugged. "Because unlike some people, I don't binge on junk food and I go jogging almost every morning."
With a mock-threatening tone and a pouty face. "Say that again, and I'll rip out that precious hair of yours."
Feigning fear. "Hey, hey, not the hair! Do you know how much effort I put into maintaining it?!"
Lisandra giggled, lightly punching my shoulder before heading into the station. I followed her. "Just kidding, silly. Besides, your hair isn't that great. When are you going to cut it anyway?"
I felt a little stung. "Never!"
We descended into the station, and yes, remember I said complex? Welcome. The station is filled with seemingly endless wormholes, each housing special trains. And naturally, it's teeming with a myriad of beings – from aliens and demi-humans to ethereal entities and cyborgs. The train we needed was the SC-320. We were heading somewhere rather cool, but since it's warm here, a bit of refreshment would be nice.
Lisandra kept glancing at me as she walked. "These train stations are amazing. I really love traveling."
I replied with feigned indifference. "Eh, not really my thing. I'd rather stay put."
Lisandra sounded slightly exasperated. "Hey! Are you some kind of old geezer? How can someone not like traveling?" Her tone shifted to excitement and wonder. "Ah… exploring new places… meeting new people… it's all so fascinating."
I sighed. "Count me out. I'm happy with my peaceful, quiet life."
Lisandra looked at my face. "Seriously, everyone our age is dying to travel, but you somehow prefer a quiet life."
I remained silent. Sorry, Lisa, but I had more than enough action and travel in my previous life. I sacrificed most of my dreams. Now, I want to live this second chance I've been given to the fullest, doing all the things I couldn't in my past life.
We barely made it onto the SC-320 train and immediately found empty seats. Of course, since Lady Lisandra loves stargazing, I gave her the window seat. We fastened our seatbelts. The first 20 seconds of takeoff are quite intense, so unbuckling before the 20 seconds pass is risky, to say the least.
Announcement Voice: 'Dear passengers, please ensure your seatbelts are securely fastened. Do not leave your seats, consume food, or drink until the dimension jump is complete. To maintain your biological clocks, please remember to scan your Star IDs on the screen in front of you. We wish you a pleasant journey.'
I took out my Star ID. Of course, the flow of time can differ between universes, much like jetlag on planes. I scanned my ID on the screen. While Lisa, being an elf, isn't heavily affected by biological flux, as a human, I could instantly age or fall into a Dimensional Coma. After the train attendant confirmed we had scanned our IDs, they returned to the cockpit.
'Departure in 3... 2... 1...'
Suddenly, we were pinned to our seats. Outside the window was a blur of light streaks and strange particles vanishing instantly. Twenty seconds later, we entered our destination universe, beginning our two-hour journey towards the planet. The view outside was filled with the stars scattered across the pitch-black expanse of space. I could understand why Lisa insisted on the window seat.
I unfastened the seatbelt constricting my body, feeling an instant wave of relief, accompanied by a sweet drowsiness.
I yawned, speaking sleepily. "Hey Lisa, I'm gonna catch some Zs. Wake me up when we get to the station, okay?"
Lisa was gazing absently out the window. I nudged her shoulder, and she jumped slightly, looking at me.
"Ah! Sorry, Berwick, did you say something?"
Slightly surprised and concerned. "I said I'm going to sleep. Are you okay? You seem preoccupied."
Flustered and slightly embarrassed. "Oh? N-nothing, just got captivated by the view outside..."
"I see." I glanced outside, then back at Lisa. "It really is a captivating view. Made even better with you here." I yawned and leaned back in my seat. "I'm sleeping. Wake me when we arrive."
Shyly, in a soft tone. "Oh… O-okay. I'll wake you. Sleep well, Berwick."
Two hours must have passed, as my sweet slumber was ended by Lisa's cool fingers poking my cheek. I woke up with a start.
Sleepily. "Huh? What's up? Are we here?"
Lisa giggled and smiled. "Of course, sleepyhead. Take a look."
Lisa pointed out the window, and indeed, we had already entered the planet's atmosphere. It was quite windy outside, expectedly so, as this planet is famous for its winds and perpetual coolness.
Finally, we arrived at the station and hurried towards the conservatory academy.
As we walked, Lisa rummaged through her bag. "Sheet music, check. Chord settings book for the piano, check. Printout of our project, check. I'm ready, you?"
I simply gestured to the guitar case in my hand. Lisa must have been slightly annoyed, as she shot me a pouting look. "Seriously, you only brought your guitar?"
"Hey, hey, I'm the brains behind this project, and thanks to my flawless memory, everything's etched in my mind." I shrugged. "Too bad, I'd expect this from you elves—" "Ouch!"
Naturally, saying that earned me a sharp elbow to the ribs from Lisa. I clutched my side as we walked. "O-okay, maybe I deserved that… oof…"
"Hmph, at least we live much, much longer than you humans."
We finally reached the academy. In my previous life, I always wanted to be a musician; my only hobbies were listening to music and occasionally strumming the guitar. That's why in this life, I'm going to become a musician and absolutely rock the world!
After a while, we entered the conservatory hall where our group was. Predictably, the other members had already arrived and were waiting for us.
Xilonen spoke, slightly aggressively. "Where the hell have you two been?! We've been waiting here for ages, practically turned into trees!"
Shu approached Xilonen and calmed her down within seconds; seriously, this girl's ability sometimes scares me. "We told the supervisors your train was delayed, otherwise, all our work would have gone down the drain…"
"Sorry, really sorry, but listen, kids, if Lisa hadn't been late-" Lisa smacked me on the head. "I mean, if Lisa had walked faster-" I got hit a second time, this one hurting much more than the first. "I mean, I left a bit late, and Lisa kindly waited for me."
Lisa looked at me with a proud expression.
"So, are we going to wait longer, or should I call the police?"
They nodded at me in agreement, and we headed towards the hall where the supervisors were waiting for our project presentation. Although performing on stage as conservatory students didn't usually make us nervous, when it came to our project, everyone inevitably felt a bit tense and excited. As we approached the hall, these feelings intensified. Reaching the door, I extended my hand towards it and looked at my group members. After receiving confirming looks, I took a deep breath.
"Here we go."
I slowly began to open the door. The supervisors were already seated, waiting for us.
In a stern, serious tone. "You're late, young people. I hope the project you've prepared was worth the delay."
Charles Zscheski, the strictest professor in our faculty, but also the very genius who invented mental musicality.
I swallowed. "Sorry, Professor Charles, our train had some issues, and the travel time was rescheduled."
He sighed, looking at me. "I suggest you arrive earlier next time, Mr. Berwick. This project was assigned in the first semester; no one wants your year to be wasted. After all, you are the youngest member of our faculty; finishing early should be one of your goals. Besides, you can't show respect to your elders merely through words. Isn't that right?"
I responded with a nervous, goofy grin, scratching the back of my head. "Ehehe, you're right, Professor."
Professor Charles glanced beside him. "Hey, how much longer are you going to sleep?" He nudged the sleeping female juror next to him, who jolted awake. "Huh?! What? Did they arrive?!" She looked towards us, specifically at me, her expression shifting to surprised delight and excitement. "BERWICKKK, SWEETIE, WELCOME, OH MY!"
Remember how Dad claimed he was more fun than our aunt? Well, here she is, right in front of you: Nichiyobi Yui, 36 years old, a phenomenal pianist, and also my vocal coach. "Ah, sweetie! So good to see you! Have you gained weight?"
"Sis Yukari has been trying out new recipes."
My aunt chuckled. "Ah, Yukari is always so-"
Professor Charles cleared his throat, cutting off the conversation. My aunt composed herself. "Alright, young people. Let's begin."
We all looked at each other and took our positions. We made final adjustments to the amps, handled minor tweaks, and then I stepped forward. I was the vocalist and guitarist. I took a deep breath.
"And 1, And 2, And 1 2 3 And—"
'ATTENTION! ATTENTION! RED-GREEN ALERT! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! RED-GREEN ALERT! OUR FACULTY IS CURRENTLY UNDER ATTACK! ALL STUDENTS AND FACULTY MEMBERS, PLEASE PROCEED TO THE NEAREST SAFE ZONE IMMEDIATELY!'
Suddenly, the school alarms blared. Red and green siren lights flooded the surroundings. We were stunned, unsure what was happening, but we knew what this meant. The epic fantasy I always dreamed of when school was boring in my previous life, perhaps the one many of us dreamed of: A TERRORIST ATTACK!