Chapter Text
The drive to the airport from the apartment I shared with Clara was filled with laughter and conversations about the future. I still had three hours before my departure from Germany to the U.S., but it was better to be early than end up speeding like a madman. Sure, the German highway didn’t have a speed limit, but I didn’t want to risk it, not when Clara was with me.
We arrived at the airport, and I parked the car not too far from the departure gate. I opened the trunk slowly and grabbed my suitcase along with a black backpack. A hand reached up to close the trunk for me. I turned my head to the right and saw Clara beaming at me. A small silver diamond ring sparkled on her left ring finger under the sunlight. I smiled as I slung my backpack over the handle of my suitcase.
“Do you have everything?” she asked while tucking a few strands of blonde hair behind her ear.
“I think I do,” I said, patting the small bag at my side. “Passport, American dollars, plane ticket, phone, credit card, check.”
Clara stepped closer. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” she asked, flashing me a playful grin.
I chuckled, placing one hand behind her head and pulling her face close.
“Saying goodbye to my amazing fiancée?” I looked into her brown eyes.
She let out a soft giggle and pressed her forehead against mine, her warm breath tickling my cheek.
“You forgot this,” she said, giving me a small peck on the lips.
I closed my eyes, soaking in every second, her scent, her warmth, her voice. I wrapped my arms around her tall frame and pulled her even closer, burying my face into the crook of her neck. I didn’t know why, but I had this strange feeling I wouldn’t get to see her again.
“Reiner,” she laughed lightly, “you’re only going to D.C. for two weeks. Why are you acting like you’re going off to war?”
I let out a snort and pulled away. “Did you really have to ruin the moment?”
She stuck her tongue out at me jokingly and snatched the car key from my hand. “Just go before you miss your flight.”
I ruffled her hair. “Okay, okay. I’ll go, for now. See you soon?”
She nodded. “See you soon, babe.”
“Your flight is tomorrow, right?” I asked softly. “Be careful, okay? Don’t get too stressed or tired.”
“I know, babe, I know,” she laughed and smiled at me. “Just don’t forget our surprise for both our parents on Christmas Day, okay?” She winked.
“I have it on me,” I grinned, patting the backpack on top of my suitcase. “And don’t forget to tell them about the wedding date.”
Clara blew me a kiss as she got into my car and drove off, back toward our apartment.
I turned and began pulling my suitcase into the departure area of Frankfurt Airport. I showed my passport and ticket to a security guard before entering the main terminal. Luckily, I’d already checked in online, so I didn’t need to wait in the long counter line. After printing my real ticket and handing off my suitcase as checked baggage, I made my way to immigration, which usually had a pretty long line.
A middle-aged officer smiled when he saw my passport.
“Holiday?” he asked in a heavy German accent.
“Yes, winter holiday,” I replied.
“Oh. What university do you attend?”
“Frankfurt University,” I said proudly. “I studied Pharmacy and just graduated one week ago.”
“That’s good to hear,” the man said, stamping my passport.
“Thank you,” I said as he handed it back.
I headed to Gate 5B, which was printed on my ticket, and sat down to wait. Before long, I walked to the nearest bathroom to swap my contacts for my glasses. Contacts during a flight were a disaster waiting to happen.
I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, short, neat auburn hair, pale skin, and green eyes. I smiled slightly as I removed my contacts and slid on my glasses.
Before I could return to my seat, my phone buzzed. It was my dad, FaceTime.
I popped in my earbuds and answered. “Morning from here, Dad,” I said with a laugh. “Ready to see your oldest son?”
He smiled. “Just wanted to check on you. It’ll be good to have you home before Christmas.”
“Oh my, you look good, Rei,” my mom appeared on screen beside him. “Clara’s really taking care of you. How is she? How’s my favorite future daughter-in-law?”
“She’s fine, healthy. And we have a surprise for you on Christmas.” I grinned. “She’ll call later, FaceTime with her family.”
“Is it about the wedding?!” Jessica shoved Dad aside, half on-screen now. “Can I have your room now?!”
“Jessica, no,” I deadpanned. “That’s my sacred space. No touching. And please stop stealing my jacket or hoodie, I keep losing one whenever I come home.”
“Tch. You’re never home anyway,” she pouted. “I need more room for my instruments. And yours are bigger and comfier than Charles’s. His always smell like sweat and dirt.”
“Reiner! When are you getting here?!” Charles appeared, shoving Jessica aside, earning a scolding from her.
“Hey, stop shoving people! Just because you’re taller than me now doesn’t mean you can push me around!” Jessica protested, and I heard her smack him on the back.
“I already sent Dad the flight details. I’ll see you on U.S. soil soon, okay? And I’ve got surprises for both you and Jessica. They should arrive at Paul’s house tomorrow.”
Charles cheered. “Oh! Is it the book I always asked for?” he beamed. “Or something new?”
Jessica smirked knowingly. “You better be, Rei, or I will steal more than just your hoodie.”
“We missed you, son,” Dad said warmly. “Mom’s already prepping your favorite food, even Jessica cleaned your room.”
“Dad! That was supposed to be a secret!” Jessica yelled.
We chatted a bit longer before I said goodbye, then quickly corrected myself: see you soon. That was strange. I always said “see you soon.”
Back in the waiting room, I bumped into a woman about my age with long red hair and pale skin. She mumbled something about my eyes and sat nearby. I apologized and sat down again.
Then I saw someone else that caught my attention.
A guy with ash-blonde hair and gray eyes. I recognized him, used to be a golden boy in Canada. Star hockey player. I forgot his name... something Winston. I’d seen his face all over online and offline news, drug scandal, S.A. allegations, and a career-ending injury. Poor guy.
After two hours of waiting, the intercom announced boarding for our flight. I stood and joined the line with the others heading to the U.S. I showed my ticket to a beautiful flight attendant and walked through the jetway.
Inside the plane, I found my aisle seat and buckled in, switching my phone to airplane mode. I watched a random movie on the screen in front of me, dozed off, woke up groggy, got an in-flight meal with zero flavor, dozed off again, and eventually got up to use the restroom.
But as I stepped out of the restroom, the plane suddenly shook. I stumbled, catching myself on a nearby seat. The captain’s voice came over the intercom, urging passengers to return to their seats and buckle up. Bad weather ahead. The map on the front-row screen showed we were over the Atlantic Ocean. Then another jolt. A massive lightning bolt flashed outside. Thunder roared. Passengers screamed.
Another bolt. This one worse. The plane began to nosedive. Below us, the sea churned in a violent storm. It looked like the sky and sea were at war lightning striking the ocean, waves crashing upward as if trying to pull us down.
Oxygen masks dropped from above. I yanked one on, strapping it tight over my face. My hands gripped the armrest so hard my knuckles turned white. I breathed frantically, heart pounding like a war drum. Adrenaline surged through my veins. My eyes darted around, trying to find anything that could save me. This is insane. Nothing said anything about bad weather up here. Even the weather forecast said today would be a clear day, not like this. And why the hell is there a thunderstorm in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean? I could hear the airplane body begin to creak under the pressure. The ocean from the small window was getting closer.
But before I could move, My vision blurred. Darkness closed in. I felt something cold wrap around my body. And then, nothing.
Am I dead?
That question echoed in my mind. I waited—for anything. For someone to pull me back. I felt something tugging me. Grabbing me. Dragging me somewhere unfamiliar. I heard something faint, then silence again. Nothing happened for a long time. And eventually, I came to a conclusion I hated:
I’m dead. Yep. Dead.
How do I know? Because I’m floating in nothingness. Pitch black. No sensation. No light. No warmth. Just emptiness. I died in a plane crash. In the middle of the ocean. Great. And what hurts the most?
I had a fiancée. An amazing woman I was going to marry in a month. I just graduated, with honors! A 3.90 GPA in Pharmacy! A pharmaceutical company had already offered me a position. I was supposed to start next spring. I had a family waiting for me in D.C., a little brother who idolized me, a sister who kept me humble, and two loving parents. And I’m only 23.
I didn’t want to die. I wanted to change the world. Make my family proud. Marry Clara, have a couple of children, build my own family and grow old with them. I wanted to see Jessica and Charles graduate from university, see them get married, have their own kids and someday, we’d gather together and share stories while our children played with each other.
But now, poof. Gone. Because of one damn storm.
I swung my arms, realizing I was submerged in some kind of liquid. My limbs bumped against something soft. Was this a new level of hell? Or heaven? Maybe purgatory?
Suddenly, a huge force pushed me outward, and blinding light hit my eyes. Everything was blurry. A middle-aged man’s face hovered over me, smiling brightly. He scooped me up easily and yelled for a blanket and someone to cut the umbilical cord. More specifically, my umbilical cord.
Wait. Okay, first, how is he able to scoop me up this easily? I know I’m not exactly built or packed with muscle, but I’m not that small either. So, huh?!
And second, umbilical cord? Isn’t that thing attached to newborn babies? So why did I have one?
Oh god. No. Please, god, no.
The nurse returned, cleaned the blood off me, cut the cord, and wrapped me in a baby blue blanket. The doctor held me up.
“It’s a boy!” he exclaimed.
It clicked. I’m in a hospital. The antiseptic smell, the nurse, the doctor and someone just gave birth. And the baby… was me.
I’m a fucking baby. Again.
I let out a loud wail in protest. Not in surprise like babies usually do, I was louder. Cursing at every holy being or whatever force up there that approved this.
“Strong lungs on this one,” someone commented.
Yeah, right. You would wail loudly too if someone just deleted your entire life without bothering to save it and then decided to start a new game, with you as the player again. The doctor handed me to a woman with long black hair and gentle black eyes. She cradled me with warmth and love.
“There, there,” she whispered. Her heartbeat calmed me.
My mind settled. Okay. So apparently, I’m dead. And now, I’m being reborn. Apparently.
What the hell happened to heaven and hell? I remembered a Buddhist friend once told me about reincarnation, karma, and soul cycles. I never thought it was real. Until I got stuck in the rebirth cycle myself.
And then I heard her say it:
“Reiner Lockheart.”
I froze internally. How-how does she know my name? Coincidence? Did someone choose a New Game Plus with my previous stats and didn’t bother changing my name?
Let’s chalk it up to that. For now.
“You have your father’s eyes,” she said softly.
Green eyes and auburn hair. Great. I can’t see myself right now, but it sounds like someone gave me a new look. Let’s just hope they didn’t butcher it.
She smiled and began to nurse me. I almost laughed.
Awesome. I get to go through puberty again.