It's been about six months since I've been back home. Rudy met Sylphi, who was really happy to have us back. Not just for Rudy's sake, but for my sake, which surprised me. I hadn't had a chance to have a proper conversation with her in a long time, so it surprised me that she was glad I was back. I was here, but I still felt like I was missing something.
During that time, I've been secretly practicing transdimensional magic. I've trained nothing else, no regular magic or swordsmanship - just nothing else. Mostly I was concentrating on learning how to manipulate universes so I could travel them without the aid of the system. I knew I had a system to help me travel between worlds, but I decided I could learn to do it without it. It was something I felt I should be able to do. The system is fine, but in some ways it seemed to limit my freedom, so I wanted to be as independent as possible.
Plus, I wasn't sure if the system could provide a way into my former world. Also, there's no offering something like your former world. So I decided to get there by soul. With the help of Rachel, who provided me with valuable information, I found out that the soul had something of a "record" of all the worlds it had visited, as well as what its physical body looked like in each of them. It was a fascinating discovery that helped me clarify how I would get to my original world.
Rachel also helped me stabilize my magic to make it safer and more effective. This allowed me to travel easily between worlds without negatively affecting their balance. Furthermore, I was able to stop time where I was, which proved essential for traveling between worlds. This new approach allowed me to carry out a plan I had long had in mind: to visit my former world. It was a desire I had carried in my heart for a long time. I needed to know what happened to my mother and the world around me after my "death".
But there was a problem - my appearance. Red eyes and white hair were unusual, and would attract attention. Perhaps I could explain it somehow, but I didn't want everyone staring at me, or asking questions about something I'd rather not address. So I used the powers I have in me thanks to Rimur to modify my appearance. I had black hair and brown eyes - a normal appearance that was nothing special in my world. It made me feel better because I didn't have to deal with unnecessary attention.
That day I found myself in the meadow where I was taking my final exam with Rudy. We were still practicing and preparing for what was to come. After a while, I decided it was time to take the next step.
"Rachel, combine my transdimensional magic with the system for greater stability," I said firmly. I felt the energy around me change.
"Understood, one moment of patience," Rachel replied, and I felt the magical energy of the system begin to merge with mine.
It was a moment that felt like an eternity, my mind flashing back to the darkness where I first encountered the system. It was a place that was empty and silent, but fascinating at the same time. Now that I was in it, I could feel things beginning to change. I could control this universe.
"Sir, your magic has successfully merged. The system should ensure the stability of your path, it will have no effect on others. It will be as if the path was not recorded at all," Rachel spoke up, and I knew this was exactly what I needed.
"This is exactly what I wanted, thank you Rachel," I said with relief, focusing on creating a rift between universes. Before my eyes, space began to tear apart. I could see it literally falling to pieces as a gap formed that led to another world. It only lasted a moment, but the moment seemed endless.
"Rachel, is everything all right? Is she connected to my former world?" I asked again, wanting to make sure I wasn't underestimating anything.
"Yes, sir. Just enter and time stops here so you can locate and check on your former mother's status" she replied.
I was nervous but at the same time I felt that this was something I had to do. After a moment's hesitation, I made my decision. I stepped into the crack and immediately all sorts of colors started swirling around me. It was like a kaleidoscope, something beautiful and strange that reminded me of a dream. I felt everything around me change, I felt myself losing track of time and space. If I stayed here any longer, I'd probably go crazy.
"Sir, I had to seal away some of your abilities. It could disrupt the stability of the universe," came a warning from Rachel, but I was already too lost in what was happening.
Within moments I found myself on a street in a modern city. "Really, I'm back?" I squealed in delight as I looked around. It felt like a homecoming, but at the same time I had the feeling that something had changed.
I looked around me. Everything looked the same. That was strange. I felt like nothing had changed. For a moment, I forgot that I had passed between worlds.
"Rachel, what year is it here?" I asked, not expecting to be back in the same place at the same time.
"Sir, it is the seventh of April, 2025," she replied.
My face froze in surprise. How was it possible that only a few weeks had passed since my "death"? I couldn't remember the exact date, but I knew it was mid-March. So what I experienced in the other world was actually only a few days? That suddenly struck me as very strange.
I slowly began to realize that if I hadn't stopped time in my new world and stayed there for a day or two years would have passed. Well shit, I'm really glad I did.
I found out I was close to the school I attended. I needed to get a transcript from it, about the students who had died recently. After all, the school must have written them off and the reason must be given, right?
"I need to get a computer," I said to myself. I was used to modern technology, but it was a little different here. With the help of magic, I was able to generate the money I needed and started looking for a store where I could buy a laptop.
After a while, I was sitting in a coffee shop, connected to the public network. I knew now would be the time to hack. "Rachel, could you take control of my body and learn everything about this world?" I asked her.
Rachel worked like a whiz, absorbing everything in less than two hours. And I could get on with the hacking. But there was a problem. No students had died in recent years. "What?! How is that possible?" I looked all I could, but nothing. The last thing I thought to do was check my old profiles online. I don't remember my real name, but all the other shit, yeah? That's weird.
"What?! How is that possible?" I looked everywhere, but there was no record of the student's death.
I finally looked at my old online profile. There was a post from my friend where I was tagged in a photo. Me! That couldn't be true! How am I alive? That was absolutely impossible.
Suddenly, the golden system panel I knew from the darkness appeared.
[Mephisto, you're a singularity, a unique being this is just like your footprint, your shadow here. You were needed to become the master of destiny, but you were also needed to stay here. What lives here is but a poor copy of you. Your family and friends are fine without psychological harm because of it. In fact, you shouldn't have died, but we ripped you out because it was meant to be.] With that, the screen disappeared
I was left completely stunned. Really, so I shouldn't have died, did I die, or what actually happened to me to become the master of fate because it was meant to be?
I don't know what to think, whether to be happy or angry. All I wanted was to know that my mom was okay, which I found out, so there's nothing holding me back. But how am I a singularity? The multiverse is infinite. Shouldn't I have an infinite number of variations?