The Last Spaghetti Stack that Broke the Italians Back

Meanwhile, in Seattle, Reinhart stood on the edge of his apartment building. One step, he thought. One step, and it all goes away. He glanced down at his shaky hands, the hands that had held the weight of the world – the hands that had once breathed life into lifeless structures, were now a mere symbol of his debilitating despair.

He drew a deep breath, his mind echoing with a single word, 'End.' As he lifted his foot, ready to embrace the void, something unusual happened. He felt… peaceful, his tremors seemed to have subsided, and all sounds around him were muted. His heart raced, not in dread but in surprise. He barely had time to question the sudden calmness when the world went completely dark.

Then he opened his eyes and found himself in a space devoid of anything, floating in eternal nothingness, his heart no longer heavy with despair. He was alone, yet not. Before him hovered Bocchi, a spiritual being, who chuckled as he delicately spun wisps of time and fate around his fingers.

"A man about to plummet to his death who seems to have some kind of peace," Bocchi mused. "Unique indeed, but this cannot be your end! I have plans for you!"

Reinhart tried to put a hand up to ask something, but for some reason, his body refused to move. Looking down was no help, as he saw nothing where his body should be and the frustration began to mount.

"Oh, don't be alarmed!" Bocchi chuckled, noticing his distress. "You're in my domain, mortality will work differently here. Moreover, you are not on Earth anymore."

"Not... on Earth?" Reinhart felt a shiver go down his spine, or at least it felt like it. He couldn't quite tell without a true sense of his body. "What is happening?"

Bocchi swished a spectral hand through the air, conjuring a mirror made of stardust and cosmic winds. It depicted an image of a packed instant dinner, floating in the clouds, steam wafting from its content.

"What is this?" Reinhart stuttered, a strange sinking feeling starting to grow.

"Your new form," Bocchi said simply. "I have chosen you - for a matter of great significance. A new journey awaits you, Reinhart Glast."

"Wait! What do you mean by new form?! This is not a form! I am an instant dinner! A damn cardboard box with food in it!" I snapped, frustration shifting to panic.

"Very observant! Now, I know you are thinking that this is all a dream, but it is so far from that. You died, but I brought you back to life in another reality. The thing is, I couldn't give you your old body back, or you would have just died again," Bocchi explained, but then went on. "After falling, you never hit the ground. You were hit by an oncoming bus that knocked you into a wood chipper! Horribly graphic sight, but from the look on your face, the speeding bus must have done you in first! Pretty lucky, am I right?"

Reinhart was stunned into silence, his mind unable to process the bizarre situation. Was he really reborn as... a dinner pack? In a world very far from his own? From a construction worker to an instant meal, life had indeed dealt him a peculiar set of cards.

"But why? Have I not suffered enough?" He managed to ask, desperation creeping into his voice.

Bocchi paused, peering into Reinhart's essence floating before him. "Well, there is more to the story than this! While, yes, you are an instant dinner that can warm yourself up, you are not just any old dinner! You, Reinhart, are a Magical Dinner! One that is capable of changing into a very powerful being each time a unique person eats the contents that you provide them!"

That information didn't make it seem like his new existence was any better. From being a man who constructed things to a concoction meant to feed… who? Monsters? Was he supposed to believe this?

"Yes!" Bocchi exclaimed as if reading his thoughts. "You might not believe it now, but this new form will open doors to adventures you never even dreamed of. Plus, you're not entirely food either. Once consumed, you can transform into a handsome human for four hours, and your skills from your former life as a construction worker will also play a crucial role in this new existence."

Reinhart could only blink, shocked. Was it a blessing? Or an extended form of his suffering?

"Enough questions for now! You must begin your journey. Your new body and powers will be revealed to you in due time," Bocchi advised before waving his hand, sending Reinhart to the world of Fallenia.

Back in Fallenia, Maze crouched close to the floor, heart pulsing in fear as Farid advanced, his sinister eyes gleaming in her direction. Arlin stood in Farid's path, grimacing with each labored breath. Desperation swirled in the princess's eyes as she spotted an unusual packet lying haphazardly on the floor. It was radiating a peculiar vibe, a sense of warmth that soothed her racing heart. Something told her it might be her only way out. "What would happen if I...?" She thought but shook her head. "No... I... I can't just...."

"Maze! I need you to get out of here, now! Do not go home! I just received word before I was attacked that my entire court has been taken into custody. Romulan had said just as much! You must escape! do not let him win!" Arlin roared as Farid lifted a hand up.

The energy known as Mana swirled like gold as it gathered on his open palm. the colors shifted to red, but Arlin threw both his hands up, causing a wall of vines to burst upwards.

"Run!" Arlin screamed, but they were on the third floor, and the exit was blocked.