Love between the Multiverse

Chapter one

The moon was shining pleasantly through the small window of the bedroom. Its light illuminated the frame of the sleeping man in the bed and accentuated his high cheekbones even more. The silver strands of his slightly dishevelled hair appeared almost white.

His chest is heaving in lowering in a slow and steady rhythm. He lay completely still. It looked like he was fast asleep but his mind was anything but resting.

Stephen’s astral form was hovering above his physical body with his legs crossed. The soft brown tunic he was wearing was as transparent as the rest of himself. If someone would
enter the room they would only see him lying in bed, never knowing that Stephen was using the need of his body to rest to expand his knowledge.

The paper didn’t make any sound when he turned the page. The topic might have been a bit dry but he would have done anything he could to gain advantage of every possible benefit he could acquire. Especially since there was nothing else to do than waiting.

By the time Stephen was half finished with his book about mechanical engineering the moon had disappeared behind the horizon already and the sun was about to rise. The sky was drenched in a warm orange light when someone knocked on his door.

Stephen lifted his head with furrowed eyebrows. There was only one person who would visit him so early in the morning. Quickly he let the book disappear into nothingness and returned to his sleeping self in the bed.

As soon as his mind filled his body again he noticed his heart had picked up its pace subconsciously. He failed miserably to convince his system that there was no need to
experience the slightest anticipation. He sat up and rubbed over his face a few times to make himself become fully awake a bit faster.

The knocking repeated, louder this time, but still sounding as if the person on the other side wasn’t sure if they were allowed to wake him up.

“Come in”, Stephen said eventually, realizing that his voice was still a bit rough from the sleep.
Slowly the door went open and America entered the room. Her gaze was lowered to the ground and cautiously wandered up. She let out a relieved sigh when she discovered the tunic that Stephen was wearing in this form as well.

“Good morning”, she greeted him. “I know it’s still early in the morning. But you told me to inform you any time in case I found something.”

“I know what I said”, Stephen replied with a grumpier tone than he intended. He shook his head and cleared his throat. He forced himself to soften his voice. “What is it you wanted to tell me?”

“I... found another one...”

Stephen’s heart made an almost painful leap. Sometimes he hated how his body ignored the rationality his mind distributed. America’s words didn’t have to mean anything. Yet there was this barely containable hope rising inside of him which he simply silenced with the next words he spoke.

“There's no way you could have found a new one with the criteria I gave you”, he told her his doubts.

“You’re right”, she agreed.

Stephen couldn’t have said that he felt good about being presumably correct this time. The compression of his chest caused by the disappointment nearly was more painful than the previous jumps. But everything became insignificant when she proceeded with a grin
forming on her lips.

“I found something even better.”

“With better you mean...”

“He’s alone.”

Stephen groaned in slight annoyance and rolled his eyes. “For gods sake, kid. Do I have to worm everything out of you? Be more specific.”

America was used to Stephen’s occasional rude behaviour. That was why she didn’t even flinch. “No wife. No kids”, she explained. “With the rest exactly how you said it should be.”

“How?”, he simply asked.

America shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe luck?”

Stephen shook his head. He didn’t believe in something as vague as luck. The fact that she came to him so early with such good news only confirmed that what he was planning had been the right decision. The joyful smile on her face erased the rest of his remaining doubts. He had to do this, no matter how often he had failed before.

“I guess it’s worth a shot then.”

His gaze shifted quickly to the clock on the wall. He barely slept enough but sleep was no longer an option.

“Alright, let’s meet in the entrance hall in about half an hour”, he told her.

With a quick nod America turned around and left him alone with his thoughts.

After rubbing over his face once more he raised from the bed. He took a quick shower and trimmed his beard into a perfect shape. Then he spent the remaining minutes with the time consuming process of getting into his distinctive clothes. Mostly he didn’t mind about it since it had become some kind of a ritual to wrap the fabric around his body and fasten everything with numerous belts.

But not today. Today his hands were shaking more than usually and it took him several attempts to focus his mind on easing the tremor. He clenched his fingers into tight fists for a moment to dull the pain that was about to rise.

When he eventually exited the bathroom his cloak wrapped itself around his shoulders. The familiar weight of the heavy fabric calmed his racing thoughts a bit. He straightens his posture and hid his nervousness behind his stoic expression.

Stephen walked down the stairs into the entrance hall where America was waiting for him already. She didn’t say anything about that he actually took longer than thirty minutes to get ready. Instead she grinned at him and eagerly rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.

“Are you ready?”, she asked.

Stephen nodded sternly. “Show me, what you’ve learned.”

America positioned her feet in a more stable stand and took in a deep breath. Then she punched straight forward with her right hand. A portal in from of a star appeared which was big enough to step through. The edges were sparkling silver and light blue as the energy of it wafted through the room.

The inconspicuous alley that can be seen reached to a quite busy street with high buildings and a bright blue sky in the background. Nothing revealed if this was really the universe Stephen was searching for quite some time now.

“Well done, kid”, Stephen praised her.

Her chest swelled in pride. “Thank you.”

“Then all that remains is to find out whether it is really the right one.”

When Stephen intended to step through America reaches out for his arm. “Wait. What if they seize you again?”

A warm feeling spread in Stephen’s chest as he noticed that at least someone seemed to care about him. At least a little bit. He gifted her his most reassuring smile.

“I am certain they will. But don’t worry. It’s part of my plan.”

That didn’t convince her entirely, given the uncertain look and the hand still on his upper arm. “Maybe I should go with you."

Usually Stephen wouldn’t mind her company. Over the past few weeks he had grown quite fond of this girl that simply had been thrown at his feet. But with the intentions he had set himself her presence would only complicate things. He would have to worry about her well-being constantly.

“Not this time”, Stephen said. “Just stick to what we agreed on.”

She looked at him as if she wanted to say something more but then she let her arm drop beside her body. “Okay...”

“We’ll see each other in a few hours then...” ... if everything worked out. But of course he didn’t say the last part out loud.

With resolute steps he crossed the portal. When he turned around it already closed behind him. The last thing he saw of America was her still worried face and her slowly waving hand.