What a load of crap

Chapter 1. Rebirth

For as long as he could remember, he was always a... quiet child.

Quiet, yet obedient.

Still, there was a pool of resentment hidden in the depths of his eyes.

So he stopped looking his way.

And before he knew it, that child stopped looking back.

Wouldn't it be great if life had a rewind button.

He made a lot of mistakes. And came to regret a great many things.

But the thing he regrets most of all...

Birds are chirping outside of the huge mansion, Noah hears the sound of his alarm. Looking towards the source he sees his phone on his nightstand.

'Finish up papers for tmr's meeting!'

Was the writing on the sticky note attached to his phone.

'My cellphone... I thought I'd never see this again...'

Noah thought, holding his phone with his left hand.

'This room looks awfully familiar...'

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of someone knocking on his bedroom door.

"...Come in."

A maid comes in,

"Master Collins, good morning. Breakfast is ready." She says, holding a piece of fabric to her chest with one arm.

Bowing her head slightly and closing her eyes in respect.

Noah looks at her with a spooked expression.

"...Li?" He questioned with a bit of hesitation.

Li opens her eyes to look at Noah.

"Yes? Is something the matter?"

"No, nothing." He said, dismissing the topic at hand.

"Then please, pardon me." She bows to him.

Slowly walking over to the big window, opening the curtains ever so gracefully.

"Hey, Li."

"Yes?"

He hesitates, before saying,

"This may sound strange, but can you tell me today's date? The year included, please."

Li puts her right hand on her chest, bowing her head a bit before replying,

"Today is October 28th, 20XX, sir."

'20XX? That's a 6 year difference...'

Noah looks down at his phone in disbelief, looking at the date displayed on the lock screen.

'Is this a dream? Or maybe a near-death flashback?'

'Then... time travel?'

Noah turns towards the spot where Li is still standing.

"That's all I wanted to ask. You can go now." He said to her.

"As you wish, sir."

Li bows one last time at the door, before closing it.

Noah takes off the blanket that he still had on his legs.

'Time travel, huh?'

He gets up, and starts making his way towards the restroom.

'Considering the variety of powers we have discovered, time travel seems to be the most plausible answer.'

After taking a shower, Noah looks at himself in the mirror, still thinking.

'20XX... so I would be 29 right now.'

Noah rubs his chin in thought, before finally going to his wardrobe to put on some clothes.

'As for October 28th...'

He thought while he buttoned his white button-up. Rubbing his chin a bit, he thought a bit more.

'Didn't the first solar eclipse happen on October 29th, 20XX?'

October 29th, 20XX marked the darkest day in human history.

A solar eclipse happened suddenly, igniting what would later be known as...

Armageddon

People suddenly fell into slumber. And chaos ensued...

But that wasn't all the eclipse brought with it.

When the sun reappeared, the world was no longer the same.

People woke up to face terror only thought to exist in fiction.

And with that, society crumbled.

Humanity no longer stood at the top of the food chain.

'Did the Armageddon I remember actually happen?

Or was it all just a dream? And this is the true reality?'

Putting on his glasses, Noah sighed.

"Whatever the case, this isn't so bad."

'Whether or not the Armageddon will take place, the fact is that I'm here.'

"With that said."

Noah looks at the sticky that was on his phone earlier.

"I probably need to take care of this."

Probably calling his secretary, Noah called his work.

-beep-

"Sir??"

"Calling me on a Sunday like this... is there something you need?"

"I'm not coming to work tomorrow."

Noah throws the sticky note in the trash bin.

"I'm not feeling well. I don't think I can finish up all the documents for the meeting.

"Have you been staying up late working again? Work is important but so is your health..."

"I will notify the others and move the meeting back."

"Thanks, Xavier."

"Is that all, sir?"

"...You know, you should stay home tomorrow, too."

"Huh? Why? Did something happen...?"

"Don't ask. Just take the day off. I won't deduct it from your vacation time."

"Get your family together. Stay home, don't go outside."

"...Alright, sir."

-beep-

'Hopefully Xavier heeds my advice and stays home...

The Armageddon might have just been a bad dream, but I can't be sure.'

Walking over to his bedroom door, Noah subtly opens it.

'For everyone's sake, let's hope it never comes.'