Fractured Worlds (Worlds Away #1)

Brela Chapter 1: Normality

If I told you what my life was like, you wouldn't believe me. If I told my past self, I wouldn't believe me either. You would probably think I'm crazy. Heck, I even thought that in the beginning.

So, here it is. Have you ever heard about an infinite number of worlds, another world made for every decision anyone could ever make? The multiverse? An infinite number of multiverses called an omniverse? Yes? That's what I fight to protect everyday. Crazy, I know.

I am one fighter in a secret war that has been raging for over two centuries, protecting everything you know. If I'm being honest, I was never a fighter. I used to be your average person, a simple employee just trying to scrape by. Now, I'm a warrior, fighting to protect lives. It's still hard for me to believe some days. Some days, it is harder to move forward and not look back at what we lost. But I would never go back on the choices I made and change them. Without them, I wouldn't have met my family, nor would I have found a purpose to my life.

I can clearly remember the day my life changed, and the events that led up to it. It started in May. My life was bleak, and I was starting to lose hope...

༺❀༻

"Have a nice night," I said, smiling as the customer exited the shop—empty handed. The bell, which sounded more like the toll from a funeral, chimed as the door shut. Sighing, I moved away from the counter.

Today had been a slow day, just like everyday. Business hadn't been doing well for a while, and I feared it was only going to get worse.

The small shop I helped run was empty. The only sound was the radio that quietly played through the speakers–no chatting of customers, no staff socialising. Sadly, I had gotten used to this emptiness.

Over the past few years, our sales had steadily decreased. Soon, the incoming money became a trickle, and that was when my co-workers began to leave. Next thing I knew, my father's business was near bankruptcy with only Steven and I left to run it. We struggled to keep the business afloat; it seemed that no one was interested in antiques nowadays.

After about half an hour of unoccupied, silent aisles, closing time arrived and I began the mind-numbing task of closing for the night.

"Brela, how did we do today?"

I had just finished flipping the open sign to read "closed" when I turned to face my boss. Steven stood by the front counter; his office door wide open for me to see his cluttered desk full of the never-ending paperwork and overdue bills. Everyday, he looked hopeful when he asked me that same question, and everyday, I hated to let him down.

"Same as yesterday," I muttered, voice void of emotion.

Steven's face fell as he heaved a sigh. "At this rate, Ancient Antiques is done for." Steven shook his head before he spoke again. "I'll finish locking up, you've been working hard all week. Go home and get some sleep, you need it."

"You sure?" I couldn't help but ask. "You're worn thin too."

"I'll manage," Steven assured me. "Go home. Yuki needs a break." At her name the dog looked up, her brown eyes sleepy. With a cat-like stretch, Yuki stood, her pink tongue rolling out as she yawned from a hard day's work of looking out the window. With a shake, her white fur was put back into place.

The Akita German shepherd cross, or shepkita as I always called her, had the body structure of an Akita but the face of a German shepherd. She was almost three years old but still had the attitude of a puppy. Though, when she was at the store, it was all work and no play.

A year ago, I had brought her to work when there was construction going on in our apartment building. She hadn't been happy with the noise, so I had taken her with me. I couldn't have made a better choice. Coincidentally, that day also happened to be the same day that a thief had chosen to break into the store and pull a gun on me.