I take it back, there was no bump in the road. No, I was hit by a bloody bus. Well, at least that's what it felt like. All the accompanying pain and broken bones that came with it were the only things missing.

When I finally recovered from the disorienting experience, and was able to stand on my own two feet again, it was glaringly obvious that I was no longer in Winsor Park.

Looking all-around at the never-ending expanse of white- heck, I even doubted if I was still on Earth.

As if to mock my sanity, a figure popped into existence before my eyes. A small, maybe 3 foot tall body with pale skin, appeared to bend the fabric of space to come into being before me. Space twisted and folded, until what lay before my eyes confirmed that I was indeed hallucinating.

"Hello Jeremy, welcome to the beginning of the tutorial!" The giant -FLOATING- toddler spread out its chubby arms, in a sort of welcome. And I tried my hardest not to giggle at the comedic scene. Figuring I'd humor my imagination, I responded.

"The tutorial of what? And it doesn't look like much of a tutorial" Mimicking the toddler's action, I spread out my arms glancing around at the nothingness around us, with a smug grin on my face.

"Of what? Well, my dear Jeremy, it's the tutorial of the end of the world" The baby said with a devious grin one that highlighted its ridiculously oversized canines...

"And it doesn't look like much yet because I'm waiting for your mortal mind to acclimate to the Ether." Right as it finished speaking, the proverbial light switch on everything, flipped off.

The darkness following that switch was brief, but it's never felt so complete before. It was a kind of all enveloping darkness, one like nothing I've ever experienced.

I wasn't able to dwell on it, however, as when the light switch came back on, everything around me had changed.

Gone was the endless expanse of nothingness, and taking its place was a morbid and desolate environment.

From my immediate surroundings, I could deduce I was in a cave of some sort; with the jagged stalactites hanging from the ceiling being a dead giveaway. The air felt heavy, but the characteristic darkness of a cave wasn't there due to a bubbling pool of... magma?

The reason I doubted my middle school geography knowledge was due to its completely alien appearance.

Instead of the natural bright red-orange color of molten rock, off in the corner of the cave was a viscous roiling mixture of a white and pale green substance. And moving around in it was a bright red rock. One that suspiciously resembled an egg, and was radiating a heart-palpitating aura.

"- And there we go. That didn't take too long, did it? It appears you're a natural Jeremy" My head swerved to face the voice coming from being me. But the thing before me was no longer a cute chubby pale-skinned baby.

Its previous skin-tone had transformed into a dark- almost crimson red color, mixed in with an obsidian black hue that shaded its hands and feet.

"What was that? And w- what are you?" The firm belief I held, that this was all a construction of my mind, started to waver. Some dreams felt real, just never this real...

"Another point for not freaking or lashing out. Wow, keep this up and you might get a cookie!" The floating creature laughed at my while holding its stomach.

"And to answer your first question, that was your consciousness acclimating to Ether. The energy that makes all this, and me, possible." The creature once more spread out its arms. Gesturing to the alien environment I now found myself in, before also gesturing to itself.

And I realized in addition to its weird skin, there were two stubby horns on the top of its head, that definitely weren't there before. Bur as an avid reader of fantasy novels, what exactly I was looking at clicked almost instantly.

"You're an imp." I said matter of factly.

"No. I'm the queen of England" The creature said with such a straight face and voice I would have believed him had I been a few years younger.

But his facade broke apart as an expression of unwillingness and frustration surfaced on his face. And following his eyes, I found myself looking down at my feet.

"What in the f*ck" was my instinctual response to the absolute impossibility that was happening before my very eyes.

The flesh from the sole of my feet up to my ankle was just completely gone. And as I continued observing, I realized my that the rest of legs were quickly disappearing with it.

"W-what's happening!?!" I turned to face the imp, panic overcoming me. I saw the amusement in his eyes because of that, and I felt a heat building in my chest. This little f*cker thinks this is funny-

"Calm down Jeremy. As much as I'd enjoy seeing you panic, I think I'd be in trouble if something messes up because of that. You're not in any danger- yet."

I took the imp's advice, and calming myself down I realized I wasn't actually feeling any pain. Despite the fact that half of my body had disappeared at this point. But hearing the last part of his words, I felt my heart skip a beat. I wasn't in danger yet.

"Your body is just being converted into pure Ether. So that it's able to fuel the creation of your new form, your consciousness is protected by the system so don't worry about dying or anything."

There it was again, the mention of this 'Ether'. It had me wondering if I was stuck in a juiced-up version of a fantasy lover's wet dream, or the lunch I was eating was heavily drugged.. And by the way the imp was talking it seemed that I'd been chosen for something. Maybe I was meant to save the world?

"Huh? Being converted into what? For what?" A smug grin once more manifested on the imp's face, and I wanted with every fibre of my being to slap that mischievous face of his.

"Tsk-tsk-tsk- ah my dear Jeremy. You're being converted for the Advent... Didn't you know?" The damn creature continued to speak in parables. And I couldn't afford to play this game anymore, the erasure having already reached up to my neck.

"The Advent of what!" I screamed with urgency. I saw clarity return to its confused face. Before being overcome with amusement for the umpteenth time. I was trying its best to hold down a burst of laughter, but was failing miserably.

"Pft- Ahahaha- The ADVENT OF THE END OF THE WORLD!!" The screaming of the imp was the last thing I heard as my ears were lost to the erasure. And its laughing face the last thing I saw as my eyes disappeared a split second later. Darkness overcame my senses and unconsciousness followed soon after.