Rihan's Mind World

Rihan stared at the book for a few moments, wondering what was so important about it. Then he reached for the cover. It tore easily as if it had been designed for that purpose.

He frowned as he looked at the broken pages scattered across the floor. One thing that caught his attention right away was the inscription. It seemed familiar somehow.

"Wait." He flipped through the loose sheets, looking through the letters that seems to move and transform.

"I know this. I've seen it before…"

He stopped when he saw the last page. It contained the same mysterious symbol as the ones he saw right before his death, which made his heart skip a beat.

"Is this what the future holds for us? Is the fate of humanity really so bleak?"

He sat on the floor, holding the paper in his hands and staring at the symbols. His mind began to wander.

All his memories, knowledge, skills, and experiences from the future begin to align themselves with his past self.

If he succeeds, he will be reborn with a complete understanding of his past self and a mastery of all his abilities.

However, if he fails, his mind will collapse and he will become a fool forever. But the problem is the memory of the future is constantly shifting and changing.

"It's now or n—ver!!" he yelped as he fell off his cushion.

He hit the floor hard and rolled on the floorboards.

"Ow! What's going on?!"

He groaned and shook his head, trying to clear his mind. His head hurts and his vision blurs. He feels like he had just woken up from a deep sleep.

Rihan tries standing up but finds he cannot do it.

"Oh dear, I think I might faint," he mumbles to himself, the last thing he remembers clearly is his room and the book from his Mind World.

***

Rihan groans as he opens his eyes. He's back in his room in the dorm, but this time he's on the floor lying on his back. Everything is hazy.

The only things he's able to focus on are his pounding headache and the sound of his own breathing.

"I feel terrible."

He slowly raises his hand and touches his forehead. When he does, his hand comes away bloody.

He winces. "Ouch!"

He remembers hitting the floor with a loud thud and the scrambled memories that were previously flooding into his mind disappeared instantly. A wave of relief washed over him and his mind became calm.

"Whew… That took a lot out of me."

He stood up and stretched. "Well, it seems like the first step has already succeeded."

He looks around his room, taking a moment to get his bearings.

"I wonder how long I've been unconscious?"

The clock on his wall shows the time is almost four o'clock in the afternoon, meaning he'd lost almost twelve hours in the blink of an eye.

The soreness in his head is also gone, although he still feels tired. I guess this means it worked?

Well, only one way to find out.

"I'll try again," he mumbles under his breath.

Sitting down once again, he closes his eyes. This time, he focuses his thoughts carefully, trying to imagine himself back in his past. Visualizing the events that led to his death.

The images of his life flash in his mind, and he finds his mind growing clearer with each passing second. As he continues focusing, he starts to feel like he's actually living his past life.

He re-experiences each memory and relives every sensation—every emotion, every sensation of pain and pleasure.

His vision changes. He sees himself sitting beside his mother, listening to her story. "This is the day my father died." Tears slowly drip down his cheeks.

"Dad, why did you have to die?" he asked, tears stinging his eyes.

Then he sees himself stumbling home late, snuck in by his mother, his sister had fallen asleep.

"Hm…mmm… Rihan?" she mumbled in her sleep.

Hearing his sister's voice, who he hasn't met until recently, makes him smile.

The next moment, he heard the loud sound of the door smashing open, followed by footsteps stomping their way down the hall. He heard the door close behind him.

"Where were you?" a man's voice demanded.

He hears the voice of his best friend, who he hadn't even known existed.

"I hope we can be together someday." Rihan smiled. "If only I could live long enough to see that day." He felt a sudden stabbing pain in his chest.

"I don't care anymore." The voice of a girl he once loved echoed in his ears.

The scene changed. He sees himself stumbling through the woods, trying to reach his home.

"I'm so tired." He yawned.

He hears a snapping twig, followed by a scream. He turns to see a figure stalking him. Red hair, a pale face, dressed in black—it's the assassin sent by the Ancient Emperor.

"You're dead," the assassin snarls.

Just as quickly as the assassin approaches the scene quickly changes again. He listens to the voices of people he doesn't even recognize.

"I'm glad you're still alive."

"How could you learn something so slowly?"

"I'm sorry for everything." A girl's voice, filled with regret. "Please forgive me."

"Hey! That armour is amazing!" another girl exclaims. "It's like the real thing!"

"No way! It's so cool!" A boy cheers.

"I want it!" someone snarled.

"Maybe we should get some deep-fried chicken for dinner," someone suggested. "It's so good."

The scene shifts again and again. Faces of people he's never met, laughing, fighting, crying, screaming, arguing, smiling—the images flashed faster than he could keep track of.

Each one was imprinted onto his brain like a picture burned into his retinas. Memories of his past life were imprinted in his mind.

He sees his parents and his siblings, and then finally, the person he wanted most to save.

"I love you, Rihan."

He suddenly realizes he's crying. He wipes the tears from his eyes and stares into the distance.

"What's wrong?" a voice asks.

He turns around to the source of the voice—a young girl with silver hair and pale skin. She's wearing a white dress, like a bride staring at him with curious eyes.

This scene stayed longer than the others; he could clearly hear her soft voice.

"Nothing," he stammers. "I'm fine."

He looks at his hands. They're trembling slightly.

"Thank you," he whispers to himself, feeling a sense of relief. The sky above him seems unchanging throughout—as his mind continuously reeled with the memories he's yet to experience.

They continue like this until the sun started to set.

His eyes are fixated on the red sky as it fades into darkness and an invisible sense of dread fills his body. The world around him seems to grow darker; his surroundings fade to black.

"That's the sky of the future," he whispers to himself.