I’m going to be late! I wasted too much time pondering about the Twilight World in the shower. Now I’m going to be stuck in traffic! I put on my seatbelt and punch the steering wheel. I should have paid attention and— Wait a moment. I’m an idiot.

***Welcome, Heir of the Twilight World.***

***Countdown : 00:58:45 ***

The now-familiar echo of car crashes gives me a wry smile as I step on the gas as hard as I can. The engine rumbles as I drive like a maniac, weaving between the fuming wrecks caused by the shift into the Twilight World. “I never thought I would do something like this,” I avoid a truck that has flipped on its side. The usually busy streets now look like something taken out of a post-apocalypse movie. There are no people anywhere, and the road is full of wrecks. I am almost expecting a horde of zombies to appear out of nowhere.

The undead hordes never show up, which is a bit of a shame.

In the end, I arrived way faster than I normally would. Who would have thought that deleting the entire world population would solve all traffic problems?

Drifting in the middle of the main road is also way too fun.

Now, where should I park? I can’t have anyone see my car popping into existence on the college’s parking lot. Instead, I maneuver into an isolated spot before shifting back to the real world. The sky is blue again, and the hustle and bustle of my college campus reach my ears as I shut off my engine. I can’t help but laugh at myself. I got insane powers, and I use them to avoid traffic. It’s pathetic, in a way. I then grab my stuff and rush to my class. Seeing people rushing to their classes is a common sight here. So my frantic running doesn’t attract any attention. I’m also glad that no one noticed my old Ford Focus popping out of the ether, or else I would have received more than a few astonished stares.

I arrive exhausted in the classroom. The professor, who is about to start his lecture, snorts at my late arrival. I ignore him and sit next to Johnathan, my old college friend.

“I thought you overslept again.” He says with a big smile.

“One time. It happened one time two years ago, and you won’t shut up about it.” I reply as I take out my stuff. My old laptop whines to life. I can hardly suppress a grin. Tonight, I’ll pay a visit to a few stores to ‘borrow’ some equipment out of the Twilight World. “And remind me who fell asleep in the middle of the day, during an exam?” I strike back.

“I— this is slander!” he nudges me with his broad shoulders as I stifle a laugh. To this day, I wonder how he passed that exam despite — well passing out in the middle of the test. The dark-haired youth smiles as he types something on his keyboard. “It’s the end of the line, eh? What are your plans for the future?” he asks.

Telling him that I gained magical powers from a dream might make him reevaluate our friendship. “No idea. I will look for a job I guess. What about you?”

An air of melancholy flashes on Johnathan’s face, “Yeah… I’ll find a job too.”

“What got you so worried?” I ask. My green-eyed friend is usually full of confidence, but he has become more gloomy as time goes on. Is Johnathan stressed because of the looming graduation?

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.” He shakes his head.

“Sure,” I reply with a shrug. “You’re that worried about having to find a job? Your family is pretty well-off.”

“I know I won’t have to worry too much about it,” he sighs. “But you know. You can’t control everything. Even with my family connections, I might not have something waiting for me.”

“Always the worrywart.” I chuckle. “You aced an exam despite sleeping through most of it. You’ll be fine. Do you even need a job?”

“Hey, my family’s not that rich.” He replies with a smirk. “They won’t tolerate any freeloaders, that’s for sure.”

“I get it. You don’t want to disappoint. On my end, I’m already surprised I made it this far.” I reply. I’m not the best student, that’s for sure. But, despite everything, I was chosen by some mystical entity.

Life is always full of surprises. One day you’re a regular Computer Science student, and the next day you travel between dimensions with a thought.

“Don’t say that,” Johnathan says. “While it’s true that your punctuality leaves much to be desired. You’re also very obstinate and—”

“I will punch you. And then I’ll climb on a chair so you won’t get me!” I reply.

“I’m not that afraid of heights! And it’s an evolutionary advantage. I read it online!” he grumbles.

“I’m sure that not being able to climb ladders is very attractive to women.” I grin before paying attention to the class. Well, at least I pretend to pay attention, which is better than most people here.

“How studious,” Johnathan gives me a knowing grin. “Could have fooled me.”

“You’re playing Minecraft,” I reply after taking a glance at his screen.

“You can’t prove anything.” Johnathan snaps as he closes the game window. “Your unlawful collection of evidence makes it invalid in a court of law!” he says with a triumphant look.

“Damn,” I clench my fist. “Thwarted by the legal system again!”

My friend crosses his arms and nods. “But seriously, are you free tonight?”

I pretend to think, “You know, me and my busy schedule.” After all, I was planning on robbing stores in the Twilight World tonight. But I guess I can live without a new laptop for another day. “But I will make an exception for your demand, peasant. You should feel grateful that my amazing self wishes to accompany you for a night of extreme alcohol ingestion.”

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

“Thank you, your grace.” Johnathan lowers his head before covering his mouth, unable to stifle his laughter. “Tonight at 8 pm? At the Usual Place?”

“Sure, but you’re paying. After all, my mere presence is enough payment.” I say with a smile.

“I’m paying the first round if you want. But after that, you’re on your own.” My friend replies.

I reply with a nod. Now, I try to focus on the class.

Or play video games. Who knows what choice will I pick?

A few hours later an I’m back home. I throw my bag on my bed and sit down. I sigh as I stare at my white ceiling. If I wasn’t the best student before, I became a total failure today. I didn’t listen to my classes for even one moment. Instead, my brain was busy making all sorts of plans to exploit the Twilight World. Breaking into a bank to steal money? Completely doable! Plucking a fancy car out of the road for myself? I’ll do it tonight! I can’t help but laugh. It’s weird how concepts like ‘private property’ and ‘morals’ completely go out of the window once I get the entire world for myself.

Yet, it’s not like I’m a psychopath. I have no reasons to have any misgivings about my actions since I’m not stealing anything. I’m copying existing objects. Duplicating a lot of high-value items might have consequences on the economy. But, like a grand sage once said, ‘It’s not my problem.’

Now, how should I dress for tonight? A good look at my wardrobe tells me that ‘borrowing’ some nice designer clothes should become a part of my schedule sooner than later. But what I have will do for the time being. I put on a white shirt, a pair of black jeans and a black leather jacket since the night is chilly.

I glance at the mirror and chuckle. Who could imagine that an average Joe like myself could travel between dimensions so easily that it becomes a reasonable way to avoid traffic? If anything, the fact that I need dimensional travel to get around in a reasonable time frame is a testament to the incompetence of the city planners.

I take one last look at myself before going down the elevator. Accumulating money and depositing it at the bank would allow me to move out of my tiny apartment. It might take a while, but I have infinite resources at my disposal now. Who cares if it takes a year or two to allow me to buy a massive house with tons of land at the outskirts of town? I only need to find an efficient way to make money that will not raise suspicion. Maybe I should sell high-end electronics for a low price? Or should I go all-in and steal gold coins from one of those specialized shops? Robbing a bank could also work, and it would be much faster. But I doubt I could break into the vault in less than an hour.

I shake my head as I start my car and enter the Twilight World. The shift in colors is barely noticeable now that it’s later in the day. But there’s still a subtle difference. The Twilight World’s darkness is more pronounced, yet easier to see through. I shrug, it doesn’t make any sense, but neither does the existence of the Twilight World.

A grin appears on my face as I slam my foot on the accelerator. All those plans will have to wait. Tonight I’m getting wasted!

It doesn’t take long for me to reach a parking spot near the Usual Place. I enter one of those multileveled parking complexes and leave the Twilight World. The smell of exhaust fills my nose as the world regains its colors while the usual bustle of the street echoes as I exit my vehicle. Another advantage of the Twilight World is that I will never have to pay those outrageous parking fees again! Take that, Big Parking!

I whistle as I go to the Usual Place. The bar in question is rather unremarkable, a slightly run-down establishment with reasonable prices. The cheap alcohol makes it a favorite hanging spot for the students of the nearby college. From the packed tables, tonight is not an exception. I spot Johnathan’s large frame sitting on a tall stool in the bar, bobbing his head to the rhythm of the loud music. He’s already sipping on his favorite drink, a disgusting cherry-flavored beer.

“Hey, still drinking that sewage. How disgusting.” I sit on the stool next to him and gesture at the bartender, a 40 something blond woman who nods without a word. Johnathan and I are regulars here, so it doesn’t take long before she serves me my usual drink, a glass of smoky Whiskey.

“Hey, I wasn’t expecting you so soon!” My friend smiles. “I thought you would be stuck in traffic.”

I suppress a smirk, “You know that reckless driving is my forte.”

I should also thank the Twilight World, but certain things are better left unsaid.

“Sometimes, I wonder how you got your driver’s license.” My friend replies as he downs the rest of his awful cherry-scented abomination. That liquid is a crime against humanity, and I suspect that Johnathan is the only reason this bar is stocking this disgusting beverage.

I ignore his question by downing half my glass and enjoying the burning liquid flowing down my throat. “And how did you get here? You live farther away than me, yet you always arrive before me? Did your butler drive you here on your helicopter?”

“Fuck off. I wish I had a helicopter.” Johnathan laughs. “But it’s called proper planning. You should give it a try.”

“That’s rich coming from the guy who forgot this semester’s big project.” I strike back. “I remember how pale you became when you realized that you only had a week left to do the entire thing!”

“That was on purpose!” Johnathan replies with a fake vexed expression. “A genius such as myself don’t need pesky things like ‘preparations’!”

I nod, “Of course you would. Your begging to have a look at my work was also part of the plan. You were pretending to have forgotten!”

“You’re not as hopeless as I thought.” Johnathan smiles.

“Your shamelessness baffles me.” I smile back before downing the rest of my glass. I won’t have to worry about drunk driving tonight since I’ll be the only person on the road, so I request another glass.

“What can I say, I —” Johnathan freezes when he notices a group of four thuggish men wearing cheap jumpsuits entering the establishment. He scowls as they approach us, and Johnathan gets off his stool. “Fuck,” my friend mutters. I freeze up when I notice how serious he looks. He’s tense and looks like he’s ready to pounce on the newcomers.

“The Lockheart boy is here. I told you we would find the bastard here!” the leader, a chubby middle-aged man with a scraggly beard, glances at his lackeys wearing balaclavas before sneering at Johnathan.

“What do you want?” My friend growls. “I thought we were clear last time.”

The bald blob clicks his tongue before a predatory smiles forms on his sweaty face, “You see, that’s the problem with you lot. You think you can do whatever you want, and —”

“The deal was clear. It’s you that tried to double-cross us. You should count yourself lucky that you only got a slap on the wrist.” Johnathan clenches his fists so tightly that his knuckles turn white. I frown; who are these shady guys? They look like third-rate criminals from a bad movie.

“Ahaha!” the man laughs. “You think your actions have no consequences? You don’t know how things work around here, and we’ll have to send a message. Fucking with the 7th Street Family was your last mistake!” A blue glow appears around the beady eyes of the leader, and his goons follow suit.

“Fuck!” Johnathan jumps to the side, just in time to avoid a burst of fist-sized icicles. My blood freezes when I notice the deadly sharp projectiles embedded in the wall. I react as soon as the drywall explodes.

***Welcome, Heir of The Twilight World.***

***Countdown : 00:28:02 ***

I take deep breaths. What the fuck was that? What happened? I can’t take my eyes off the ominous projectiles. Where did they come from? Who are these guys? Why did they attack —

***A suitable energy source has been detected.***

An unexpected message freezes me in place as a barely visible orange outline appears under the pile of clothes left behind by the attackers.