Welcome to the Innocent World

I never used to be this way. Once, I was just a face in the crowd—silent, invisible, and forgettable. The kind of person no one ever remembered, even when they saw me every day.

Parents were never happy with me and always called me a good for nothing character. Girls used to ignore and creep out if I try to be friends with them.

I have two frien- No, more like they talk because I always complete my notes. 

I basically have no one.

But nights like these… they were a different kind of hell. 

It was raining, the cold drops stinging my skin as I limped down the alley. My phone buzzed uselessly in my hand, but I couldn't even look at it. Not after what had just happened. The bruises on my ribs throbbed with every step, and the taste of blood still lingered on my lips. 

I should've expected it. 

"Come on, Jaden, stop being such a fucking loser," one of them had spat, his voice full of that condescending tone they all had. They had shoved me around, laughing like it was some great joke. They always did this—pushing me until I broke, treating me like I was nothing, like I didn't even exist. 

"Please, just leave me alone, I won't talk to her ever again" I said, thinking they might stop

"You should've thought about that before flirting with my girlfriend" he said, kicking me nonstop.

Flirting? She was the one who asked me if I took the math notes so she could borrow the book and I just replied to her. 

Reasoning it is pointless but don't know why I always do it hoping that they would stop this time. 

Last thing I remember was hitting the ground, my body curling up instinctively as the kicks came, one after another, until everything went numb. I could barely move, barely breathe, and all I could think was this is it. 

This is how I die. 

They must've realized they'd gone too far, because after a few panicked whispers, they left me lying there in the rain. My breath came out in ragged gasps, the pain spreading through every part of me. I couldn't get up. 

Maybe I didn't want to. 

As I lay there, my mind started to drift. My vision blurred, and the edges of the world grew dark. If this was the end, then there was only one thing I wanted. Only one stupid wish that bubbled up from the pit of my soul. 

I wish I was in a world where I mattered. Where I wasn't nothing. Where I was the main character. Where I could fuck anyone I want. Where I could be rich and enjoy a lavish life and do I please. 

And then… nothing. 

--- 

I woke up with a jolt, my heart pounding. For a split second, I thought I was still lying in that dark alley, my ribs aching with every breath. But when I blinked, the cold, wet street faded, replaced by the soft murmur of voices and the hum of a classroom around me. 

"Hey Austin...Austin, wake up!" A girl's voice hissed beside me, shaking my arm. "The teacher's calling you! You can't just sleep through the lecture." 

I sat up straight, my head spinning as I tried to shake off the nightmare. My eyes darted around the room. Students were looking at me, some snickering, others just giving me lazy, disinterested glances. An young adult professor stood at the front. She is wearing a white shirt and a black skirt like office girls wear. Her two buttons are open, exposing her cleavage. 

"Austin, you shouldn't sleep in between of the class like that." She said, in a very soft tone.

" I- I am sorry..!?" I replied, confused.

"If you want to sleep. You can come along with me to the resting room by the end of the day. I'll rest with you as well." She said blinking her left eye with a smile and turned towards the board to continue teaching. 

Where am I? What is happening? 

I swallowed hard, the vivid memories of the alley still fresh in my mind. My stomach churned, and for a moment, I thought I was going to be sick right there in the middle of the classroom. 

I wasn't in the alley anymore. I wasn't lying there in the rain, broken and bleeding. But it felt too real—too close. 

The girl next to me, with bright eyes, pink hair and a teasing smile, nudged me again. "You okay, Austin? You don't look so good."

Austin. She called me Austin. 

I blinked, trying to piece it together. Austin. That's supposed to be me. This is my life now, not Jaden's. But it was all so overwhelming—the sharp transition from the alley to this. My stomach twisted again, and I suddenly knew I needed to get out of here. 

"I—I need to go," I stammered, pushing back my chair. 

Before the girl could say anything else, I was already on my feet, stumbling toward the door. My legs felt shaky, but not weak—there was strength there, strength I wasn't used to. But I couldn't think about that. Not now. I shoved the classroom door open and rushed down the hallway. 

I barely made it to the bathroom before I collapsed over the sink, the undigested food & soury liquid rising in my throat. I threw up, forcing out the last remnants of the nightmare, the fear, the pain. I steadied myself, gripping the porcelain of the sink with both hands, trying to catch my breath. 

It took a moment for the nausea to fade. Slowly, I straightened up, wiping the back of my hand across my mouth. The fluorescent lights above buzzed softly, casting a glow on the bathroom tiles. I felt… different. Stronger. Taller. 

I glanced up, catching my reflection in the mirror, and froze. 

This wasn't me. 

Staring back at me was someone else entirely. A guy with sharp features, piercing blue eyes, and perfectly styled dark hair. He was tall—taller than I'd ever been—with broad shoulders and a chiseled jawline that looked like it belonged on a magazine cover. I leaned closer, my heart racing as I ran my fingers over my face, feeling the smooth skin, the flawless cheekbones. 

I didn't look anything like Jaden. I wasn't the scrawny, invisible guy who'd gotten kicked around and ignored his whole life. I looked… perfect. 

"No way," I muttered, my voice echoing in the empty bathroom. My voice—it was deeper now, smoother, like manly as I always wanted it to be. 

I stared at myself for a long moment, unable to fully process what I was seeing. This was real. I was real. Somehow, I wasn't Jaden anymore. I was Austin. The guy everyone knew. The guy everyone wanted to be. 

*Heehhhh*

A smile came across my face

I leaned back from the mirror, I ran my hands through my hair. It was thick and soft, perfectly styled without even trying. I could hardly believe it. 

"This is real," I whispered.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of thoughts swirling in my mind. This was my life now. Not the alley. Not the punches or the blood. That was over. I wasn't the same person anymore. 

I am Austin. 

And I am going to enjoy every second of it.