Have you ever wondered if you don't belong here?

No, I am not talking about your family, occupation or birth place. I am talking about this world. Have you ever wondered, if you don't belong in it?

The thing is though, regardless of the answer you can come up with, you're stuck here for good.

It's frustrating. This feeling of helplessness, of alienation

It's unfair. This world is unfair.

I don't like this world.

Suddenly, interrupting me while I'm contemplating my existence, someone slams their hands on the disk quite aggressively.

「Are you even paying attention to class?」

I wasn't paying attention at all. But since replying negatively would stir up unwanted trouble, I'll just say that I was.

「Yeah, of course..」

The teacher narrows her eyes and makes a somewhat doubtful face

「Then answer this question. Who was it that built the great w-」

*Brrring*

Just as she was about to finish her sentence, the bell started ringing. Good, this could be my chance!

「Sorry, as you can see, the bell just rang, and I've got quite the important errand to run today!」

Before she can even reply to that. I hurriedly picked up my bag and blended into the crowd of students leaving, in hopes of avoiding her asking me to stay after school.

Phew, that was close.

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「I am home!」

I take off my shoes and hurry into the bath upstairs. It sure was hot today..

After taking a nice bath, I went into my room and started changing. As I change, I recall the topic that I was thinking about this morning. It's always been prevalent in my mind but, today, it's been especially frequent.

I start to brood over it again. I just can't seem to get over this question, this stupid question.

I glance at myself in the mirror as the words escape my mouth.

「Do I really belong here?」

『Well, if you want my personal opinion on the matter. I don't think you do』

「...」

Did my mirror self just talk back? Or did I just imagine my reflection solving my existential crisis? I can't be that desperate! No way!

Hold on, let's just think about this logically. There is no way my mirror self can talk back. It's just photons of light coming from my body onto the mirror then reflecting back onto my eyes. Nothing more. Yep, let's leave it at that.

As I chant that to myself, I turn around and start walking away.

『It's very rude to dismiss someone's existence like that you know. I feel a bit hurt.』

「Oh, I am sorry..?」

It just talked again, didn't it? There is no way I can hallucinate twice, right? Am I losing my mind..?

『It's okay, calm down. I assure you, I am not a figment of your imagination』

「Uh, then what are you?」

Crap, I subconsciously took it's words seriously and replied. I hope this isn't enabling it.

I've been taking its replies for granted, but there is something really weird about them.

「Are you, by any chance, reading my mind?」

The reflection in the mirror suddenly breaks into laughter. It's a really weird feeling watching yourself laugh.

『Are you stupid? of course not. Your train of thought is just that easy to predict.』

It's quite a natural train of thought though.. Am I the one missing common sense here?

『At any case, I'll get straight to the point. I came here to answer your question』

「My.. question?」

『Yes, your question. Whether you "belong" here or not.』

I am honestly shocked. I guess I was that desperate after all?

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『You don't have to look so tense. In fact, if anything I'll be doing you a favor』

I can't help but look at the reflection with the utmost skepticism. It's not every day your reflection answers your philosophical questions like that.

『I came here to present you with a choice. Since we, and by that I mean me earlier, already established that you don't belong here. How about I bring you to the world where you truly belong?』

No way..

「Are you serious?」

『I am quite serious』

The smile it wears on its face is so mischievous that I can't help but feel shivers being sent down my spine. But technically, I am the one making the face, which makes this all the weirder.

「This can't be everything, can it? Don't I have to do anything in return? Like for example, sacrifice something?」

『You don't have to worry about a single thing. I won't be asking anything in return. You could even say I am doing this out of my goodwill』

「...」

That smile again. I don't really have a good feeling about this. But then again, I don't think I want to pass up this opportunity just for that. Maybe I am desperate. I mean, do I even have anything to lose? It's not like I have any particular attachment to life. Hopefully she won't suddenly start saying 'It's a fate even worse than death!' or anything like that though. Even if it's a dream, that'd still be quite scary

And with that laughable mindset I steel my resolve.

「Okay, sure, you can sign me up or whatever. Is that how it works? But first let me ask, is there anything important I should know? or I guess, anything I can know about this new world of yours?」

『Well, I can't say much really, but I am sure you'll be quite familiar with it. In a different way of course』

I don't quite understand what it means, but I guess that's better than nothing. I don't want to seem easy though so I'll try digging deeper.

「Anything I can take with me?」

『No.』

I give up the idea of taking my smartphone with me like a certain someone.

「Can I come back whenever I want?」

『No.』

Sorry to disappoint you, Lewis. It doesn't seem like this will become like your magical wardrobe.

「I'm not gonna open my eyes and find myself either green skinned or made up of a blue gooey liquid now, am I?」

『Your imagination sure is something. The answer is still no though』

Well, if it weren't, I wouldn't have been talking to myself in the mirror. That aside, it's a relief that it's a no I guess

『Is that all?』

I spit out a sigh. I guess I have no objections as far as my concerns go. Though I suppose I'm not really trying.

The reflection starts checking it's hand watch, as if to show me that I'm taking way too long. I'm not wearing a watch though so it rather looks like it's checking the bare back of it's wrist instead. I chuckle reflexively.

Cutting that train of thought, I take a deep breath and exhale.

「That's all」

『Then, are you ready?』

I hesitate a bit, but I shake it off. Yeah, it's fine.. probably. This is all a dream anyway

「Beam me up, Scotty」

It's debatable whether intelligent life exists where I'm going though.

The reflection looks visibly confused at what I said, but then almost as if shrugging it off, it starts grinning from ear to ear.

A second passes, two seconds, three..

Suddenly, I notice that her eyes are not looking at me, but behind me. I matter-of-factly do the same and do the same. But, I find nothing. And by that I mean literal nothing. I must have not realized because I was in a staring contest with myself but apparently only the mirror and I remain. I start feeling a bit anxious

I look back at the mirror only to find that it's looking slightly different. It's been stripped of its frame, and is just floating. As I tilt my head to see how it could possibly be floating my reflection starts extending its arms towards me. Like rubber, they start extending until going outside the scope of the mirror. They approach me like snakes, cautiously, losing their color as they go. The mirror ripples vigorously as the color-loss starts reaching my reflection, her grin still maintained the same as ever until she becomes all white. I start getting cold feet.

However, it's already too late. Her arms grab hold of me and drag me into the liquid mirror.

Everything goes black.