Chapter 0- Goodbye cruel world

A heartfelt 'sigh' escaped Liam's lips, embodying all his relief and accomplishment after the long and arduous journey. The weight of a challenging chapter in his life had finally been lifted, and the page had turned to reveal the beginning of a fresh chapter. Abruptly departing his own graduation party, Liam left the lively festivities downstairs behind for the quiet solitude of his upstairs bedroom.

As he settled onto his soft bed, a sense of anticipation lingered in his chest. It wasn't the kind of anxiety that weighed you down but rather the kind that made you feel on top of the world, as if nothing could go wrong. Reflecting, Liam knew such confidence was fleeting and often an illusion.

A gentle knock on the door jolted him from his reverie, and he responded with a simple yet welcoming, "Come in." His mother entered with an excited smile dancing on her face.

"So, my little boy is all grown up," she teased, her voice filled with playful affection. Liam playfully rolled his eyes in response.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me," she continued in a jaunty tone. "But in all seriousness, you're taking a step into a whole new world. After all, you're going off to university." Her expression turned more serious as a thought crossed her mind. "You are planning on going to university, right?" she inquired, her brow furrowing with concern.

Liam nodded reassuringly. "Yeah, Mom, I've thought it over throughout the semester and decided you were right. It's the best course of action."

His mother's face brightened again. "I understand if you think I'm being too pushy. I just don't want you to make the same mistake I made when I was your age. It's easy to get carried away with all the fun of being young, but..." She trailed off, her maternal concern evident.

Liam interrupted gently, a warm smile on his face. "Mom, I get it. You've repeated this argument to me nearly all my life. I practically have those words memorized."

Moving closer, she cupped his face in her hands and whispered, "What good could I have possibly done to deserve you?" Embarrassed by her words, Liam blushed and looked down at his lap.

"Come," she said, holding out her hand, "it's time to cut the cake." She led him downstairs, where the rest of the family had gathered.

At first glance, it appeared to be a complete family celebration, where not only extended family but also his father joined in the festivities. However, that was not the case; his father had long since perished in a tragic building fire while attempting to save trapped residents, leaving no trace of himself except for a battered old watch that could no longer tell the time. Liam wore the watch continuously on his wrist, a cherished memento of his father.

"HEY KIDDO," his grandpop bellowed, his voice booming as he'd begun to lose his hearing. Any suggestion of hearing aids would elicit a scowl from him, and he'd reply with, 'Back in my day, there wasn't any of this mumbo-jumbo tech. If a man had a problem, he'd either fix it or suck it up,' effectively ending further discussion on the subject.

Liam replied, "As well as anyone can do in a situation like this, I guess," attempting to share more but interrupted by his aunt's sharp tone.

"Enough with the talking," she snapped, visibly annoyed by her own child's inability to graduate once and for all. "Let's just cut the cake so we can be on our way."

After the cake was cut, slices were passed around, and Uncle Barney, in an attempt to bring more festivity to the party, launched into a story. He regaled everyone with the intricate details of how he had tricked a woman into believing he was a ridiculously rich and successful businessman, all to prove a point to another uncle. This drew laughs and exasperation, much to the chagrin of the subject of his story.

But in the midst of the laughter, while Liam was eating and enjoying his uncle's tale, he suddenly felt something get lodged in his windpipe. Panic seized him as it took some time for him to realize what was happening. As the gravity of the situation became clear, he cast a terrified look at his mom and tried to speak with a wet, choking voice.

In desperation, he stood up, but dizziness overtook him, causing him to stumble and fall while frantically clawing at his throat. The room erupted in chaos with screams and shouts of fright and increasingly agitated voices. He felt someone hit his back in an attempt to dislodge the food, but it was to no avail. Dimly, as if from a distance, Liam was aware that the voices seemed to grow fainter and more distant. Until finally, there was nothing but the chilling touch of death.

...

Liam sat up abruptly in what appeared to be an abyss of total darkness, his heart racing, and beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. He couldn't help but release a dry chuckle, his nervous laughter an attempt to quell the rising anxiety within.

"Surely, if I were dead, I wouldn't have a beating heart," he panted, attempting to reassure himself, but his inner turmoil persisted.

As if to confirm his unsettling fears, a peculiar VOICE resounded in a manner that made it seem like it was originating from inside his head.

"AH, YOU'RE FINALLY HERE."

Startled, Liam spun around, desperately searching for the source of the VOICE, a challenging task given that he couldn't discern a specific point of origin.

"AHH, BUT WE'RE NOT ON EARTH," the VOICE proclaimed, brimming with evident amusement. "NOR ARE WE ANYWHERE IN YOUR KNOWN OR UNKNOWN UNIVERSE."

His voice quivering, Liam questioned, "W-Where are you, where a-am I, who are you?"

"I'LL DO YOU ONE BETTER, WHAT AM I?" the VOICE responded with a mischievous tone.

Liam parted his lips, perhaps to answer or pose another question, but the VOICE preempted him.

"NO NEED TO ANSWER THAT." the VOICE interjected. "I AM WHAT YOU MORTALS OF EARTH 1573 CALL A ROB."

A frigid chill of dread coursed through Liam as he grasped his predicament. "I died, didn't I?" he ventured, not so much as asking a question. "I died, and now you wish to send me somewhere..." he gestured vaguely, "out there."

The VOICE remained silent, but the void of its response served as confirmation enough.

"Where?" Liam murmured, his voice trembling. "Where are you taking me?"

"YOU HAVE NO DOUBT HEARD OF THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WORM?" the VOICE continued, almost as though it couldn't perceive Liam's lack of enthusiasm. "ALTHOUGH I AM NOT SENDING YOU TO THE CANON TIMELINE, OR TOTHE CANON UNIVERSE REALLY. BUT TO AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE SET THOUSANDS OF YEARS IN THE FUTURE."

Liam's gaze shot up in astonishment at this revelation. "Will I have a shard?" he asked, his hopes rising. "A powerful one?"

"YES, OF COURSE, WOULDN'T BE INTERESTING IF YOU KEEP GETTING BEAT UP EVERY TIME YOU GOT INTO A FIGHT," the VOICE remarked, pausing for a moment as a peculiar thought crossed its mind. "IT WOULD BE VERY FUNNY THOUGH." it mused.

Liam paused, his heart pounding in apprehension. 'If it decides to do that, then I might as well be dead,' he thought, fearing the worst.

His anxious musings were put to rest when the VOICE finally spoke, "DON'T WORRY SO MUCH, I WOULDN'T DO THAT TO YOU."

'Sigh.'

"Do I get wishes?" Liam inquired, hopeful yet cautious.

"NO." the VOICE responded firmly, "I WILL GIFT YOU A POWERFUL SHARD, NOTHING MORE. THAT SHOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR YOU."

"Okay, okay, okay," Liam reassured, his voice tinged with a mixture of fear and excitement.

"I EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM YOU, NAY, I DEMAND GREAT THINGS FROM YOU."

"NOW, BEGONE." the VOICE exclaimed with a flourish, sealing his fate and beginning a new chapter in a world far removed from the one he once knew.