Another sunny day in Evo City. Morning light poured through my bedroom window assaulting my weary eyes. In defense I mustered every last bit of energy I had left to simply roll myself under the covers. I'd do anything to scavenge whatever last minutes of sleep I could.

"Alright kiddo, time to get up."

A subtle grumble of discontent escaped my hovel of blankets as an all too familiar voice grabbed hold of me. That voice latched onto my waning consciousness and willed me to awaken. Though it was a vein effort to say the least.

"Five more minutes…"

"No can do kid. You got school in… Less than an hour."

"Shit…"

"Language. Come on, you'll feel better once you get a shower."

It took some struggling, but I found myself centered beneath a stream of steaming hot water. The feeling of cascading warmth flowing along my exposed flesh, ripe with the stench of morning, brought me to wake. I could feel the crumbs of dried skin hinging my eyelids shut start to fall free as water blasted them clean. Every disjointed droplet collided with the surface and resonated around me. It was music to my ears. A peaceful melody to bring me closer and closer to stable levels of consciousness. After but a quick ten or twenty odd minutes, I retreated from the heat of the shower and was greeted by a rush of brisk air. I snatched a towel from the rack beside me in mere moments, quickly shielding my body from the chilling cold of dry air on wet skin. I was awake at last, yet it only felt like I was only that. Awake.

Waking up. That’s nothing like being born now is it. We do it every day, waking up. It’s one of the most menial tasks we go through each and every day and yet, it's the most important. But waking up, that’s not really living is it? Just brining your body to consciousness, but neglecting everything else. Just going through the motions like a machine on an assembly line. A lifeless shell carrying out a menial existence. A body playing host to a being who knew nothing of what he wanted to be in life. Even back then, I always had that sneaking suspicion. A feeling of creeping dread that set itself upon my dreams like a she-wolf. A merciless hunter stalking and taunting the prey. My life was simply a series of motions it seemed. Arriving at school was no special part of my day either. Just another motion, another step to take. Yet another rung on the ladder of life easily overcome and forgotten with the rest of the past. It was the future I was looking for. A bright future. A future as luminescent as the sun hanging in our sky, and yet, it was a future I was completely blind to. The future was only ever something I heard about. I could never see it with my own two eyes, but it only made sense. My eyes were dragged down by duffel bags crammed to capacity.

I strolled through the halls as the day began. Rumors circulated the halls in a connection speed rivaling the fasted internet servers. Whispers carried on wings of Hermes. Tales both tall and fairy traveled at light speed and were eventually intercepted by adolescent curiosity.

"Hey did you hear about that..?"

"Yeah… Did they ever find out who did it?"

"No one knows."

"I hope they don’t come anywhere near here."

"How could that even happen..?"

The whispers that day were different. They spoke of things beyond the walls of the school and forward fortifications of student social life. These weren’t just tall fairy tales. They were news stories. I took notice of the air next. Tense. Hard. It was like every student was packed together like sardines. It was an atmosphere that broke my stoic, machine-like exterior. I grew phased by it and it surprised me. Seemed my love for the city I called home surpassed any animosity I felt towards adolescent academia. Nevertheless, I tried the best I could to shove it all to the back of my mind like baggage. Repress the fear and carry on, that was how I did things. I always kept in mind that I’d have time to worry or grieve later on. The day went on easily with this method I proposed. Before long I landed into the class that allowed me to revitalize my interest in living. Science. More specifically physics. It wasn’t the most impressive class, but it was my Heaven on Earth. My little sanctuary locked away within a school.

My greatest passion in life was physics. I could never really explain it all too well. I simply found myself fascinated with the way the world works. I had a burning desire to study the world's laws and mechanics. The cogs that turn the engine of our planet. For forty-five minutes my head was bombarded with some of the more elementary principles on our world. The class was simple and all, since I was still only just in high school. But sitting through those lectures and partaking in lab experiments gave me a great hope for my future. University was around the corner, even if it did mean I'd be leaving the island, it would be worth it.

Shortly after my physics class was my lunch break. The rumors still persisting as I sat and ate. The only other person not affected by whatever tragic news was spreading was my close friend. Her name was… Strangely enough it seems I can't really remember it. Has it just been that long since I last saw her? I still remember her face clear as day. Soft and pale with short black hair and immensely vibrant blue eyes. She was the one memory that never seemed to fade away no matter what I tried. A lingering shard of joy forever bound to my brain.

"I guess you heard the news too?" she would ask.

"Not really. I thought you didn’t care about that stuff." I responded, unwrapping the sandwich I bought from the deli on the way to school.

"I don't, but that doesn't mean you don't. It's my job to worry about my friends."

I sighed for a moment before biting into my sandwich. XXXXXX kept talking as I ate. It was always nice to have her company during those few moments of downtime. I didn't have many friends back then, though that was mostly by choice. I preferred mostly to keep to myself. XXXXXX however, never kept to herself. She always wanted someone else to be present in her life. She relied heavily on social interaction. In that regard we couldn't be farther apart.

"You doing anything later today?" she asked, hoping to propose we hang out.

"Not really."

"Maybe you'd like to go out or something? Do some shopping? Get something to eat?"

"Why not? It couldn't hurt."

*****

Our afternoon went along like most. A couple trips to a few different shops followed by dinner at our favorite burger joint. We always sat by the window as the cars passed by in blurs down the street. It was there we'd waste our idle days, eating greasy food and talking about the strangest things. That day was no exception.

"Hey, XXXX?"

"Yeah?"

"You ever wonder if there are other worlds out there?"

I looked at XXXXXX with the strangest of looks. She always asked the most peculiar things.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"What? You mean like other planets or something?"

"I mean sure, why not? But I was thinking bigger than that, silly!"

I merely offered a hum of curiosity whilst stuffing my face. Those damn burgers were to die for.

"What if there was a world just like ours, and you and I were doing the exact same thing we are now? Y'know, eating and talking about stuff. But, what if those versions of ourselves were different. Like maybe we had like blue hair or something."

"You're posing the idea of parallel worlds and the first difference you can think of is blue hair?" I responded with an audible chuckle.

"Oh shut up! It's the best I could think of. I bet if I gave it more time I could think up something cool!" XXXXXX shouted back with a pout.

"I'm sure you could, but why the weird question all of the sudden?"

"Jeez! You really aren't feeling well are you? We always talk about weird stuff like this."

"Yeah… I guess we do."

XXXXXX seemed a bit concerned as my eyes shifted away. A strange feeling pervaded the air in what felt like the longest moment.

"You alright, XXXX?"

"Yeah. Never better," I said before stuffing my face again to hide my lie.

"Bullshit."

XXXXXX knew I was lying. Her perception was sharp, unparalleled even. I took a moment to sigh after swallowing the hefty bite of meat I took. Finally I spoke what was on my mind.

"I've been hearing rumors all day. More news about the Industrial District. Bodies being found left and right. Mysterious skirmishes. It feels like the city just isn't safe anymore. I mean, how long until either of us are caught in the crossfire?"

XXXXXX reached out and grabbed my hand with both of her own, squeezing tight. I felt my face flush with warmth as my rambling came to a screeching halt.

"XXXX. You worry too much. You're gonna turn grey and wrinkly before you hit thirty."

I was stunned for but a few moments while my brain tried to register everything. Soon I returned XXXXXX a smile and she let go of my now warm hand.

"Thanks, XXXXXX."

"Don't mention it. I'm always gonna be here for you. No matter what."

*****

The evening came and the sun began to set. I waved goodbye to XXXXXX and watched her walk into the horizon and disappear. She was the nicest girl I knew. Quite beautiful too. Every time I watched her leave I always felt a warmth in my heart. A warmth produced by a wish. A wish for tomorrow to be just like the day before. For life to always feel so warm and welcoming, and for a long time it was. Before I knew it, summer had come and the city was bathed in heat. XXXXXX and I spent almost every day together. It was like a blissful dream. Everyday we'd be out exploring the town, and every sunset I watch her take her first few steps home under the setting sun's dying light. Life wasn't going to get any better anytime soon, because it already was true paradise.

*****

Another sunny day in Evo City. Morning light poured through my bedroom window assaulting my weary eyes. In defense I mustered every last bit of energy I had left to simply roll myself under the covers. I'd do anything to scavenge whatever last minutes of sleep I could.

"Alright kiddo, time to get up."

I went through the motions once again. Only this time with an ever growing fear in the back of my mind. There was a slowly building sense of anxiety that formed in my brain and worked its way to my heart where it would choke out my happiness with thorny vines. Something about that day felt wrong. Like it was the end of something. Father told me that he wanted to hang out that day. The new Street Mall had finally opened up less than a week before. I got to go with XXXXXX a few times before, but now my father was just as intrigued. It seemed like my day was going to be spent with my father. Though it had been a long time since the two of us did anything together. Perhaps it was just me growing up. Either way, I didn't think much of it and just went along with the day as if it were any other. Although that gnawing feeling of foreboding never left my mind.

The first few hours went well. We looked through several stores and we wound up really enjoying ourselves. It had been a really long time since me and my father ever really did much. Now it seemed like we were trying to make up for all that lost time. We hardly even noticed that the sun had already started to go down. Everything seemed perfect, as they often do before tragedy strikes.

Out of nowhere my ears began to ring. The world around me began to heat up. Suddenly all my surroundings became a burning blur. Screams and flickering flames filled my ears as sirens arrived just in time for the chorus. My eyes were wide with horror as that foreboding feeling proved to be based in truth. When the dust of the explosion casted itself aside I was face to face with her. The woman of my nightmares. Serafina.

"No… Not this time. Not again!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

Just as my voice grew to a desperate shout, I watched as the space around me stopped. Everything came to a halt. The world was paused. Not one thing moved. There wasn't even a single sound to hear. That is, except for me. This is how it would usually pan out. Live my time up to this day, and then rewind it like a tape. Watch the images play backwards at five times the speed. This was my cycle. The prison I subjected myself to after my consciousness was splintered. But this time something changed. As I attempted to once again rewind my reality, I felt a hand on my shoulder connected to a body carrying a voice I recognized far too well.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I-!"

Before I could even speak, I felt a great stinging pain. My eyes dragged themselves to my stomach where the wound was. Blood dripped to an already large puddle of crimson as a shimmering blade of light pierced through my flesh. A globule of blood forced its way up from my throat and spilled through my lips. All the while the voice spoke once more.

"You've been asleep for way too long."

"So this was… A dream?"

"Yeah."

I closed my eyes as I embraced the pain. I embraced death as the truth was given to me by my own splintered mind.

"Then it was a good dream."

I heard a sigh from behind me as I took my last wounded breath.

"Good morning. It's time to wake up."

I felt the blade rip out of me and I fell to the ground, wallowing in my own blood. I watched the figure walk past my corpse and I stretched my hand towards him. I begged for him to stay with all the breath I could muster.

"Wait!"

He turned to face me. Just like me. He looked exactly like me. Just how long had I been dreaming.

"What was her name? The name of that girl we knew…"

I could see him lower his head, he tried to hide the smile.

"Kimmie… Her name was Kimmie."

A blood soaked yet warm smile stretched gently across my face as I buried my head in the soaked ground. I breathed my last. With a violent awakening, I ascended from the dream. Once again I flew on the wings of Abraxas.

*****

I shot awake. My eyes adjusted quickly from the shock of my sudden emergence. I had to establish where I was. I knew I was in a bed. That much I could gather before I was greeted by someone new.

"You've been sleeping for some time. Nearly two days have passed."

I looked ahead of me as I my eyes began to focus. Directly in front of me was a man in a wheelchair. He was a very plain looking man. However, what he lacked in flair he made up for with personality. His soft features magnified that simplistic grin that stretched to one cheek. His soft, creamy hair war brushed back and to the side as to not get in the way of his equally creamy eyes. Those coffee colored irises stared in an uncannily friendly manner. It was a look you would not expect a stranger to have. What’s more is that his suit had a shred of familiarity to it. I felt like I had seen the exact same design fairly recently, though I couldn’t put my finger on it.

"Who are you?" I asked with a groggy voice.

"I'll answer that when you answer this. What made you decide to wake up?"

"Huh?"

The man simply sighed in response before explaining things.

"Look. You can't play dumb here. I know you weren't just resting, and I know you buried a part of yourself deep within your mind. Why now, why did you decide to wake up now?"

I lowered my head a little as I tried to think of an answer.

"I couldn't keep running from the past. It would catch up eventually. Besides, I don't think my mother and father would want to me to just throw away those memories."

"So it wasn't an accident that your past became buried."

"I guess after a while I wanted to pretend like I hadn’t lost a thing."

"What made that change?"

"When I saw my mother…"

"That's right… There are echoes of her in there."

"How would you know that?"

I quickly sat up as I grew defensive. The man sighed and wheeled himself a little closer.

"I guess now is a better time than ever for an introduction. Thomas Throne. Current chairman of the Ministry."

I cocked my head to the side with slight confusion.

"The Ministry. You mean the Evo City Government? What the hell does that have to do with what's in my head?"

"It's better if I just show you…"

I felt a sudden rush of tension as Thomas Throne's eyes set upon me. It was like he was forcing himself onto my wavelength. I felt like every part of our being was syncing up with one another. It felt wrong. I wanted to fight it, but I couldn't escape it.

"What are you-!?"

"Relax. I think you've heard these words before."

My eyes widened as the sudden realization was forced upon me. It was a thought that I wasn't even sure was my own. Either way, I knew the words he was going to say before he even said them. They were words that frightened me to the very core.

"Mind Zero."