Ray lived his life like a blank sheet of paper monotonous, lonely, and painfully dull.
Every morning, he woke up in the same room, stared at the same ceiling, and drank instant coffee that tasted like stale cardboard. He looked at his phone no notifications, no job calls.
He had just graduated from college. He had a degree, but no job. His friends had started working, some got married, others moved on with their lives. But Ray? He was still here, trapped in an unchanging loop.
"Will my life always be like this?" Ray muttered, staring at his reflection on the dark phone screen.
That day was no different from the others. Or so he thought.
In the afternoon, he hung out at a roadside coffee stall, laughing half-heartedly with friends who were just as lost, or simply scrolled through social media aimlessly until late at night.
No dreams. No passion. No change.
Ray's life was just a repetition of yesterday and the day before. Nothing new. No surprises. And somehow... he got used to it.
That night, rain tapped gently against his bedroom window. The wind blew the old curtain beside his bed. Ray stared at the same ceiling as always.
With tired eyes and a whisper barely audible, he said,
"If I disappear tomorrow... would anyone notice?"
No answer came. Only the soft sound of rain and the slow ticking of the wall clock kept him company.
Ray closed his eyes. Just like every other night. Without hope. Without dreams.
But that night... was different.
As his consciousness sank into sleep, something beyond logic pulled him into a strange darkness. A new world awaited him. A world too vast to comprehend. A world that would give him... a reason to live.
When Ray opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was: the sky was different. Deep blue stretched endlessly above, painted with two small suns glowing dimly like lanterns at the world's edge. No buildings. No cars. No humans. Only the rustle of strange trees and the whispering wind.
The air felt foreign. Sharper. Heavier. More alive.
Ray blinked a few times, trying to make sense of it all. He felt... light. Too light.
Slowly, he sat up and looked at his hands. Small. Thin. Covered in old scars and whip marks. This body... wasn't his.
Panic crept in. But before his mind could drown in fear, a sharp pain struck his head. A flood of memories that weren't his own.
Ray from Earth froze. His head throbbed violently. And like an unstoppable flood, the memories poured into his mind.
These images weren't his. But they felt real. Too real. As if this body refused to be forgotten.
The name of this body... was also Ray. And his fate... was too painful for a child.
This boy around twelve years old had carried wounds that never healed.
That day... The sky was overcast. The village roads muddy from last night's rain.
Ray stood still by the roadside, watching with his own eyes... That girl. His childhood friend. The one who once promised to marry him under the old tree.
Now she walked beside a nobleman. The noble's robe was luxurious. His laughter loud. The girl didn't even glance at Ray, as if he had never existed.
And that night... As the house lights dimmed and his family prepared for bed The door was kicked open.
"Where are your cards?!"
Voices of strangers echoed. They wore leather. Some masked. All armed. Hungry for power.
Ray's father tried to protect his mother. But they were beaten. Dragged outside. Forced to reveal the location of their "cards."
Ray just twelve years old could only freeze. And Ray from Earth trembled. The flood of memories kept crashing into him.
That night... As fire engulfed their home, His mother's screams mixed with the clashing of weapons, Amidst the chaos of burning wood and collapsing walls, a voice called out a voice he would never forget:
"Ray... run...! Don't look back...!"
His mother's voice. Full of pain... But also love. A mother's love who knew she wouldn't survive.
Ray's body froze. His steps unsure. His mind blank.
But amid the noise of blades, screams, and roaring flames Another cry pierced his heart.
"Ray... hurry! Hide! Don't let them catch you!"
That voice again. Weak. Trembling. But firm.
Ray stepped back. His legs barely holding him up. But that voice pulled him out of the fog.
"Go now... Ray...!"
He bit his lip until it bled. Holding back tears. He had to survive.
Ray ran. Breath ragged. Vision blurred by tears and smoke. He didn't look back. He couldn't.
His small feet rushed through the forest behind the house. One thought consumed him: run. Run from the fire. From the screams.
He reached the riverbank. The river wasn't wide. But the current was fierce.
"I have to survive..."
He stepped into the water. It was freezing. The current pushed hard, resisting. But he kept going. Forcing his body with the last of his strength.
But the body was too weak. Right in the middle of the river, his vision darkened. His head light. His breath fading.
"Father... Mother..."
Then everything turned black.
The memories stopped there.