It was the eve of the 21st century. There were swarms of people in the cities. I was at the top of my very own skyscraper. No, I was at the top of the whole world. I had finally made it to the top. 

 It was a once in a lifetime experience, no, closer to a hundred lifetimes. It was the eve of the millennium and the day Sally's comet passes. Parties were raging throughout the cities, deafening noises swarming my eardrums. It hurt, everybody was hurting, but they were all celebrating. A day like this would never come again. I was celebrating too, at the top.

 I had become a billionaire this year. I had come to this world many years ago, and I had climbed with nothing but my mind and body all the way to top. The comet was coming, and I was patiently watching. A tear dripped down my cheek. Many followed.

 I was going back today. I was gonna see my parents, even if just a grave, I would at least get to pay my respects. I felt sad. Regret. Self-loathing. I clenched my fist, brewing with various emotions. Blood dripped from my fist. I was going back. Back home. But I didn't feel happy. I had accomplished so much here, yet it was all fleeting. As if it had never even happened. 

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

 I was gonna go back today, they had told me. They were the ones who brought me here. At least I was gonna see my old friends. As if. They had probably already forgotten me. 

 I look up at the sky, the comet overhead. Complex emotions on my face. Sadness. Regret. A shred of anticipation. All of these washed away in an instant, replaced by astonishment. No matter how depressed I am, even if I had seen it before, that sight would blow any and all emotions off my face. The breathtaking beauty of a comet. 

Before I even had the chance to properly appreciate it, I was taken. Taken to the boundaries between worlds. It felt just as great as I remembered it. I was in a void, stretching as far as the eye can see. It made me feel lost and insignificant. As if I didn't matter. As if no matter what I did, I would still be bound to the strings of fate. I had family there too. I didn't want to leave them either. But it didn't matter. No matter what I did, nothing worked. No matter how much I cried, no one responded. I was alone. All alone. Lost in between worlds. And before I could even begin to comprehend whatever form of laws governed this void. I was gone. Back to my world.

Only

They had lied to me. It wasn't my world. I was cursed. Lost in a cycle of transmigration. Without even the freedom of death.