Interlude
Drifting Between Worlds
The First Awakening Ethan Carter woke up with a start. The ceiling above him was smooth and white, far too pristine to be his own. Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden streaks across a sleek wooden floor. The sheets beneath him were crisp, cool, and smelled faintly of citrus and lavender. His heart pounded as he turned his head, scanning the unfamiliar room. It was a minimalist hotel suite, modern yet oddly impersonal. A glass desk sat against the wall, an untouched coffee tray beside it. A large painting of a city skyline, illuminated by sunset hues, hung above the bed. Something was wrong. His body felt sluggish, as if he had been asleep for too long. He rubbed his eyes, inhaling deeply to steady his breath. The last thing he remembered was going to bed in his small apartment in Chicago. It had been an ordinary night—he’d worked a late shift at the bar, grabbed a slice of pizza on his way home, and crashed onto his bed without a second thought. But now, he was somewhere else. He sat up quickly, throwing the covers off. His legs were stiff, his movements slightly uncoordinated. His clothes—gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt—were his, but the bed, the room, the air—none of it was familiar. Panic crept up his spine. He reached for his phone on the nightstand, his fingers trembling slightly. As he tapped the screen, the date and time popped up. March 14th, 7:12 AM. That seemed right. But the location… His stomach dropped. Barcelona, Spain. Ethan stared at the screen, unblinking. No. That had to be a mistake. He tapped the GPS app, refreshing it, waiting for the little blue dot to correct itself. But there it was, blinking confidently over Barcelona’s bustling streets. His breath quickened. This was impossible. He hadn’t booked a flight. He hadn’t blacked out from drinking. He had been in Chicago last night, had fallen asleep in his own bed. There was no way he could be here. Unless— His mind grasped for logical explanations. Sleepwalking? Drugged? A prank? None of it made sense. He checked his phone again, scrolling through his call log, his messages. No missed calls, no texts, no notifications at all. That wasn’t normal. His best friend, Caleb, usually sent him stupid memes before bed. His sister, Hannah, always texted him in the mornings. But there was nothing. It was as if no one had even noticed he was gone. A knock at the door made him jump. His pulse hammered in his ears. He turned his head toward the sound, frozen. “Señor Carter?” A woman’s voice. Soft, professional. “Your breakfast is ready.” Ethan didn’t respond. His last name. She knew his last name. How? He stood slowly, moving toward the door with measured steps. His hand hovered over the doorknob, but he didn’t open it. Instead, he leaned in, listening. No movement. After a few seconds, he heard footsteps retreating down the hall. Ethan exhaled sharply, stepping back. His mind raced. There had to be an explanation. He turned back to the desk and spotted a notepad and pen. He grabbed the pen, flipped open the notepad, and wrote in quick, frantic strokes: March 14th. Woke up in Barcelona. No idea how. His fingers trembled as he underlined it twice. Get answers. Find out who brought me here. Get back to Chicago. He needed to move. Rushing to the small closet, he yanked it open. Inside, a leather jacket hung neatly next to a pair of jeans and sneakers. His size. His style. He hesitated before touching them. Were they really his? Or had someone dressed him, prepared this for him? He put them on anyway. He needed to blend in. Once dressed, he grabbed his phone again and checked for his passport. It was in the nightstand drawer, exactly where he’d expect it to be. He flipped to the first page, his own face staring back at him. Ethan Carter. His hands clenched around the booklet. It was his. The stamps inside even looked normal—until he saw the last one. Barcelona. Stamped yesterday. His breath hitched. He didn’t remember boarding a plane. He didn’t remember any of this. A cold wave of fear washed over him. He needed to get out of here. Escape Attempt Pushing aside his growing dread, he stuffed his passport into his jacket pocket and stepped out into the hallway. It was eerily quiet, lined with elegant sconces casting warm light against the cream-colored walls. The scent of fresh coffee and baked bread lingered in the air. He kept his head down as he walked toward the elevator. A bellhop passed him, nodding politely. Ethan forced a tight-lipped smile and stepped inside the elevator, pressing the button for the lobby. The doors slid shut. He exhaled sharply, gripping the rail. When the doors opened again, he stepped out into a bright, airy lobby. Chandeliers sparkled overhead, and large windows revealed the bustling city outside. People moved in and out of the building, speaking in different languages, carrying suitcases, hailing taxis. He didn’t stop to look around. He needed to get outside, get his bearings, figure out what the hell was happening. As soon as he stepped onto the sidewalk, the warm Mediterranean air wrapped around him. The sounds of Barcelona hit him all at once—car horns, laughter, the distant strumming of a street musician’s guitar. For a moment, the city felt almost normal. Almost real. But Ethan knew better. He pulled out his phone and opened a rideshare app. Nearest airport: El Prat. Good. He tapped to request a car. Within seconds, a driver was on the way. His chest tightened. Would it even matter? Would he even make it back to Chicago? Or would he fall asleep again and wake up somewhere else? The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He checked his notepad again, rereading his frantic handwriting. His only proof that this was real. That he was real. Then, just as his car pulled up to the curb, his phone screen flickered. The battery icon showed 100%, but the screen glitched again, the GPS blinking erratically. Then, a message appeared across the screen. "You are not ready to leave." Ethan’s blood ran cold. The phone slipped from his fingers. And the moment it hit the ground, the world around him blurred— Everything tilted— And Ethan Carter fell into darkness.
By Sandra Amiedor2 years ago in Chapters
The Edge of Tomorrow. AI-Generated.
Prologue: The Beginning of the End The night was thick with the scent of rain, though the sky had yet to open. The streets glistened under flickering streetlights, and the air carried the restless hum of a city that never truly slept. Nia sat on the rooftop of her home, legs folded beneath her, staring at the vastness of the sky. It was one of the few places that gave her space to breathe. Tonight, though, even the sky felt heavy. She gripped her journal, fingers tracing the edges of the worn cover. This notebook had been her constant companion, filled with scribbled thoughts, frustrations, and half-formed dreams. A lifeline when the world felt too loud, when expectations threatened to crush her. She flipped to the last page, where she had written a question weeks ago: "What do you want, Nia?" She exhaled sharply. She still didn’t know the answer. Life in her family had always been about survival. Work hard. Make ends meet. Don’t ask for more than what you’ve been given. Her father had spent years hammering those lessons into her, his voice as unyielding as the calluses on his hands. "The world is not kind to people who dream too much," he had told her once. "Keep your head down and do what you must." Her mother, Ada, had been a quiet force—a woman who carried the weight of the household on her back but never complained. She had always seemed tired, as if life had demanded too much from her too soon. And then there was Nia. The girl who had always wanted more but never knew how to ask for it. Until now. Because something inside her was shifting. She wasn’t sure when it had started—maybe the day she overheard her parents arguing about money again, or the moment she realized she was terrified of waking up ten years from now in the same place, with the same problems. Maybe it had been building for years. But tonight, as she sat on that rooftop, she knew one thing for certain. She couldn’t keep living like this. She was done waiting for life to change. She would have to change herself. The next morning, she made her first move. It was a small thing—insignificant to anyone else—but monumental to her. She walked into the local bookstore, a small, cluttered shop tucked between a tailor’s stall and a street vendor selling roasted corn. She had passed it a hundred times before but had never gone inside. This time, she did. The owner, Madam Kofo, raised an eyebrow as Nia hesitated by the entrance. She was an older woman, her presence commanding without needing to say much. “You lost?” Madam Kofo asked. Nia shook her head. “I… I need a book.” The woman smirked. “You’re in the right place, then.” Nia hesitated. “Something about… money. Business, maybe.” Madam Kofo’s gaze sharpened slightly. “Ah. You’re one of those children,” she said, but there was no mockery in her tone. Only curiosity. Nia frowned. “What does that mean?” Madam Kofo turned, pulling a book from the shelf and handing it to her. “It means you’re tired of the way things are.” Nia stared at the book in her hands. The Psychology of Money. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was looking for, but this felt like a start. She nodded. “How much?” Madam Kofo studied her, then waved a hand. “First one is free. But if you waste it, I’ll make you pay double next time.” Nia blinked. “Why?” “Because knowledge should cost you something,” the woman said simply. “Even if it’s just the effort of taking it seriously.” Nia nodded slowly. “I won’t waste it.” Madam Kofo smiled. “Good.” And just like that, a door cracked open. One that Nia had no intention of closing. That night, she opened the book, flipping through its pages long after her parents had gone to bed. She read about how people stayed trapped in financial cycles because they were never taught anything different. How wealth wasn’t just about making money—it was about understanding it. She thought about her parents. About their endless struggle. About the life she didn’t want to inherit. And she made a decision. She wasn’t just going to wish for change. She was going to build it. Even if no one else believed in her. Even if it meant walking alone. For the first time in her life, she felt something settle inside her. A quiet kind of certainty. It wouldn’t be easy. But she was ready.
By Sandra Amiedor2 years ago in Chapters
Instructions to Be Solid: An All out Manual for Wellbeing
Wellbeing is significant to an effective and useful life. Great wellbeing is physical, mental, and close to home, and can be accomplished exclusively through a healthy lifestyle. In the feverish existence of today, it is easy to disregard straightforward propensities for wellbeing, yet with some cognizant exertion, anybody can have a solid existence. In this article, various tips on the most proficient method to be sound and accomplish absolute health are talked about.
By MD.NAIM MIAH2 years ago in Chapters
The Flight Of Birds
Look up to the sky and see birds in flight, taking your soul places that you never thought of. Seagulls, who tell us that a storm is coming as they circle and call before the wind and rain follow them inland from their marine avian kingdom.
By Mike Singleton đź’ś Mikeydred 2 years ago in Chapters
Sunrise
To be out walking on a morning when the darkness of the night is slowly replaced by the light of the sun rising in the East. Seeing rays spread their colours through the sky, some gold, some other colours of the rainbow, heralding the coming of the day.
By Mike Singleton đź’ś Mikeydred 2 years ago in Chapters
The Silver Veil - Chapter 1
The story is set in a sprawling, magical city where the ruling elite wield arcane powers to maintain control. Cassian, a thief with a mysterious past, accidentally discovers a forbidden artifact during a routine heist. This artifact, the Silver Veil, grants him the ability to see into other dimensions, revealing a hidden barrier between worlds. However, this newfound power comes with a curse—visions of other realms that threaten to drive him mad. As Cassian grapples with his curse, he becomes the target of powerful factions, including the city's ruling council and a shadowy group of otherworldly beings. Selene Nightshade, a sorceress with her own dark agenda, enters the fray, seeking to use the Veil for her own purposes. Cassian must navigate a web of intrigue, betrayal, and danger as he uncovers the secrets of the Veil and its connection to an impending war between realms.
By Samrah Sayyed2 years ago in Chapters
Major Study Links 15 Factors to Early Dementia Risk
while dementia is tons extra commonplace in older adults, masses of thousands of people are diagnosed with young-onset dementia (YOD) every year, and an intensive examine published in 2023 sheds a few massive mild on why.
By John William2 years ago in Chapters
