Chapter 1 : Disturbed Sleep

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‘’Hey mom, I'm going to go to sleep early since I'm a bit tired. I’ll call you again tomorrow after work I promise. Love you too mom, sleep tight.’’ Hanging up the phone, Nick shoots a glance around the room ‘Damn, I've really let all the dirty washing pile up haven’t I? Better get this all cleared away before I go to sleep lest it get even worse.’ Nick proceeds to gather up the clothing strewn about on the floor and put them in his washing machine for the night before proceeding to bed.

Nick's last thoughts before consist of speculation as to what may take place the next morning. ‘I wonder if… I'll finally find a decent job tomorrow. One where i can do something… meaningful’

And that would be the last thought Nick had before finally falling asleep for the night

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Nick opens his eyes and immediately realises something is very wrong, seeing as he is standing straight up and his body looks to be transparent. ‘’Where am I? Now that i’m looking around i don’t seem to be anywhere resembling my room, considering i’m in a black nothing.’’ As Nick is speaking his thoughts aloud something changes in the nothingness, a part of the nothing seemingly lighting up as if by spotlight revealing an androgynous dapperly dressed individual. ‘’Welcome’’ The dapper individual says to Nick ‘’to the place in which those who travel between realities stay. Or simply put the space between realities, known to many as simply the ethereal.’’ 

Not daring to believe something as fantastically as that at first glance, Nick attempts to pinch himself to check if he’s dreaming. This fails however, as his hand goes straight through his arm making it very clear something abnormal is going on. Deciding it can’t hurt, Nick chooses to reply ‘’So why am I here then? Last I checked I was just an underpaid cashier with shitty bosses, not some guy who magically goes from world to world.’’ At that the individual, henceforth known as the announcer, smirks as if something funny had just been said. ‘’Well, before today you certainly might not have been!’’ the announcer says and proceeds to let out a somehow formal laugh.

‘’And why would that have changed?’’ Nick asks, deciding to humour the announcer some more while becoming more and more certain that this must be some kind of stress-induced fever dream

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‘’Well as it turns out, somewhere in your home reality people have managed to break that which keeps your reality completely sealed from the rest of them. This then leads to the ever so slight overlapping of the ethereal onto your reality, which for the record seems to refer to itself as Imra when i addressed it earlier, causing ether to start propagating in Imra.’’

Sensing a slight reprieve in the onslaught of information from the announcer, Nick interjects. ‘’I still don’t see what this has to do with me being in some extradimensional space away from everything i know mister or miss announcer.’’ ‘’Ah yes, I do seem to be droning on. And announcer? I do find myself enjoying that moniker and think I will be using that for our interactions henceforth’’ At that the announcer starts to speak in a more serious tone ‘’Well young man you do seem to have a rather unique disposition towards ether. In essence the ether seems to somehow be incredibly fond of you in particular causing it to nudge you right through the currently fragile barrier as i happened to be observing the induction of a new reality to the multiverse.’’

Still being very confused yet also comparatively interested in what the figure is saying Nick decides it’s time to ask some questions ‘’So does this mean im stuck here then? Do I have magical powers and what do you mean ‘the ether likes me’? On top of that, are my mom and sister okay? What does this ether do and what does it mean for god's sake!’’ At Nick’s outburst at the end the announcer decides to look at it’s wrist where a watch seamlessly shifts into existence with a hologram of circles intersecting and just otherwise moving around each other. The hologram freezes, and at that the announcer sighs. ‘’Time is nearly up i see, i really do need to get rid of that exposition habit of mine…’’ 

Sighing once more and taking a last glance at the wristwatch ‘’To summarise i guess, you and plenty others in your reality will start to exhibit supernatural abilities which you may indeed refer to as magic through the use of ether. Ether will shortly be everywhere in your reality and everything capable of thought will find themselves having an intrinsic understanding of their new abilities through whatever medium they find most convenient’’ The announcer stops for a moment to see if Nick wishes to interject once more before resuming ‘’however you decide to develop your abilities is up to you, however be aware that ether will also converge around certain environs and twist them such that they are no longer as they were before and should be approached with cau-’’ Before the announcer can finish you feel a quake go through the whole space, which makes Nick feel as if he is simultaneously waking up and falling asleep. ‘’It seems the Etheric Concord has finished and is rejecting me as a foreign entity. As a last note, young fellow, considering your own aptitude for sorcery you may want to check up on your family members. After investigating your local library would be my suggestion though.’’ The announcer dissipates as a spike of pain flows through everything that is Nick, as if he is being pulled through several solid objects he really should not be colliding with at any speed ‘’Ow! Fu-’’ 

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Nick shoots upwards in bed, noticing he is no longer in pain. Pinching himself right after. ‘Ow, stupid idea but now I know I'm awake at the least.’ He then decides to first get dressed before contemplating any part of the mess that was his… dream? He isn’t sure.