Where am I?
What the fuck happened with me?
Ah, I remember now. Rozefde and Scardo’s were going to fight one another. But what happened with me? When I opened my eyes, a familiar sight greeted my sight. I was back in my old apartment.
Old apartment?
As I finally understood what was happening with me, I found myself lying on the ground. With a groan, I sat upright, rubbing my head as I finally stood up. How am I back in my old world?
Did someone send me back?
Or, I just magically appeared here?
My eyes roamed around my old apartment as in cringed seeing how dirty my apartment’s condition is. I pinched myself, feeling both the pain and panic in my heart.
This can’t be real?
No, it can’t be!
The silence of the place pressed in on me like a heavy blanket. Just the soft hum of my refrigerator and the distant honk of traffic outside. I staggered to my feet, rubbing my forehead. "How am I back in my old world? Did someone send me back? Or... did I just magically appear here? It shouldn’t be possible, right? Then again, many things are possible in this universe."
I walked toward the dusty mirror hanging by the door. The version of me staring back was unmistakably mine. I am Sharon Charatshore, the emperor of the Charatshore Empire. My silver hair, red eyes... and my otherworldly beautiful face screamed my identity. There was nothing subtle about me now.
I turned away quickly, the sight of myself in this world made my stomach twist. My gaze swept the room again, landing on the faded notebook lying open on the table. Its pages were yellowed slightly, covered with scribbled words. It’s my old notebook.
I reached for it out of instinct, and saw ideas written on it. My ideas for different novels, involving a harem in each one. I turned towards my laptop, where my novels laid... where my audience laid.
A scoff escaped my lips as I saw the comments.
New Chapters.
New women.
More violence.
More smut.
The same old... thirst for women, power, and lust.
These people haven’t changed, but I have.
I looked at the calendar, and saw the date hadn’t changed. It’s the same day when I was killed.
My hands trembled for a moment before I accepted my reality. It seemed that I am really back in my world. I should be happy... but I wasn’t.
There was no conflict, no enemies... nothing—which meant I was safe, yet I didn’t feel any happiness from this fact. My brain was still fixated on finding answers—so many questions, but no answers.
Suddenly, my phone rang. Like a robot, I picked up my phone and answered.
"Hello," I said.
"Oh, Sharon! What are you doing? Don’t you want to come to the reunion party? Everyone is missing you!" The voice was extremely excited.
Sharon?
How did he know my name?
Shouldn’t the call be addressed to Alex? Why was this person talking to me?
"Who are you?" I asked him with a calm voice.
"Me? Did you forget me, Sharon?! I am Alex! Your brother! Now stop joking and come to the party quickly! I have sent you the address, okay? Bye, sister!" The call ended after he said those words. But I couldn’t no longer comprehend his words any longer?
Alex?
He said that his name was Alex.
No, it can be!
I unlocked my phone with my thumbprint. But as soon as I unlocked it, the wallpaper greeted my sight—a shiver went down my spine as I looked at it with wide, shocked eyes. It was me, and... me.
My hands shook uncontrollably as I unlocked the phone’s gallery, the screen’s glow casting eerie shadows across my face in the dim room. I could no longer control my panic.
Heart pounding like a war drum as if my heart would burst any second now. I swiped through the images—there I was, frozen in time, standing side by side with... myself? Two versions of me, one was Alex, and the other was Sharon.
No, this Alex was different. But me? I was the same. This Sharon was me... I am sure of that.
This Alex was somehow very different. His eyes were wide in youthful innocence, the other—that was me, was hardened by secrets untold, both flanked by a man and woman who could only be my parents. Their arms draped protectively around us, smiles radiant against a backdrop of a sunlit park, wildflowers blooming defiantly in the grass.
The phone dropped from my hand as I hit my back against the wall.
I grabbed in hair in frustration and yelled, "How?! How is this possible?! I am an orphan! This isn’t me! This isn’t Alex! I am! I was Alex!" I punched the table, breaking it into two parts.
"Who the fuck is fucking with me?!" I opened my cupboard, finding the same clothes that I used to wear when I was Alex. Great! More mystery! Do I even know what my real identity is?!
Am I a figment of my imagination?!
Was I a figment of my imagination?!
Am I even real?!
Is this even possible?!
Tears spilled up from eyes as I slid down the wall, collapsing on the ground. Everything feels the same, yet different. Why was this happening to me?
First, I was forced into another world... and then, I was again forced back into my previous world. No—it’s not the same world. It’s different!
I started laughing at myself—at my luck... for every bad thing that had happened with me... now and before.
Do I even have a home? A place to return?
Forget about home.
I don’t even have an identity anymore.
Am I Alex? Or, am I Sharon?
Who am I?
Again, I am left with questions, and no answers—with no one to help. Just me, and my loneliness.
At that moment, the phone rang again, announcing its presence—its shrill tone slicing through the heavy silence like a fucking curse. I crawled towards it across the cold floor, limbs heavy with dread, fingers trembling, trying to grasp the reality. The screen lit up with ’Alex’ flashing insistently. For a moment, I looked at it intently before picking it up.
"I am coming, Alex," I answered, with a cold voice. If I had to solve this mystery, I would have to meet this person face-to-face.