1 The Shift

The world has been stable throughout recorded history. Things like physics don't change overnight, neither does the past. Of course, humans think this is the way it should be, however before pen, paper, tablets, clay, even language itself, the world has changed many times. Animals change overnight, history changes course, or even lives change to fit the new world. The world is overdo for what is about to happen to our protagonist, in which was dubbed "The Shift" … not that anyone but he will ever know.

"You'll be getting on tomorrow, right?" - ???

"Of course. After I get my homework done, so don't hold your breath." I said to my friend.

We had met online, but honestly, I felt like I could talk to him more than anyone. After logging off my computer I decided to get a quick snack, however looking outside the window something strange was happening.

Walking up to the window I looked out to see the sky was a majestic crimson spreading into purple. It was strange so I checked the internet, but for some reason my phone wouldn't connect. From the focal point of this strange sky some sort of wave that looked like it was made of crimson gold powder spread over the world spreading out from where it began.

It was then I noticed something weird, as the crimson gold powder covered the world it strangely seemed to disappear, but not without seeming to take the world and reality itself with it. All it left was a void, it didn't look black, white, or any color that I knew. It was nothing incarnate. Like trying to see behind your eyes, it had no color, it was nothing.

With nowhere to run (you can't exactly run from something that will literally follow you to the ends of the Earth), I got swallowed whole by this nothingness…

Waking up in what looked like my room, still groggy having forgotten what had happened the day before, I slowly came to realize, "I'M NOT DEAD!!!"

"What're you going on about? Be quiet up there! It's 4 o'clock in the morning!"

Huh, that was my mom so maybe all that was just a dream. As I go to brush my teeth though I notice something weird. First of all, why are my ears pointed, what am I? An elf? Second, I was definitely not blond before did someone dye my hair?

And last but most importantly… why the HECK am I alive? I mean look, I didn't notice my voice before because I was half asleep, but it had to be higher than it used to be. And why didn't my mom think it was strange? A random girls voice in her house? That would freak me out.

As I go downstairs there's other weird oddities. I realize that for some reason my house is basically a big tree, and outside is another tree that I swear pierces the stratosphere with how high it is. What was that thing? Yggdrasill? It was then I saw my mom. She didn't look that much different than before, but with the common difference that she had blond hair and pointy ears. Weirdly she seemed to be acting normal, as if she had always looked like that.

I decided that if she doesn't notice, something has to be going on, right? I mean from the manga and web novels I've read, and am totally not addicted to, this seems like one of those reality shift stories. I'm not a dense anime protagonist, I know that, at best, questioning about what's going on is going to get my sanity questioned, and at worst, get me in front of a therapist.

"Hey mom." I decided to act like everything is normal. I may be going a "little" crazy inside, but I'm still capable of rational thought, okay!

"Hey Jess, what are you doing up so early?"

'My name is Jess now? Now that I think of it what was my name? I can't seem to remember...'

"Uh… just… kinda woke up I guess?"

"Okay well just get ready for school, okay?"

Oh no, I forgot. Today's the first day back to school. Where is the school in this crazy world anyways!?! Well I guess no one notices anything wrong with me. I'm just lucky my school doesn't require uniforms or something, so I can just wear a hoodie or something.

I would hate it if I fell into some kind of silly trope. I do wonder though, if I changed this dramatically, what happened to all my friends? Do they remember what happened? And why do I remember what happened in the first place? The world can be so confusing sometimes! This is crazy you know. It's like everything I've ever known has been thrown out the window.

"Okay, well when you're ready we need to go!"

"Got it!" 'Whelp, this is gonna suck.'