Alex was a young, smart man who was living his ordinary college life like any other person around his age. He was tired of working so hard for little effort, and he did not enjoy it one bit. He was always physically fit, although very skinny at a younger age. This continued up to highschool where is he decided to become more active. School was easy for him even with AP classes, as he partied and enjoyed the easy life, thinking that life was simple. Little did he know, ahead lay an immpossible task. During a Pandemic, Alex was shut in doors, as the infection rates were high, sadly this event turned a very social and curious man into an introverted lazy f$%k. He did not feel life itself anymore, as if it lost it's color. Nonetheless, Alex was sent to college where he decided to make the most of his situation but, life only got worse. You see, Alex needed a goal to pursue but his university did not accept his AP credit. This made his goal of helping the world though Mechanical Genius harder. All of his accomplisments in highschool gave him generic credit, an although making the road easier, there were requirements that had to be done from square one. This turn in life made it imposing to accomplish such lofty goals and he fell into depression and substance abuse. This made life in school worse to the point of almost dropping out of College, but Alex remade himself and decided to defy fate.

        "Fate", Alex thought,"it may have brought me to this point but now...it seems I must defy it". Alex had not worked as employment was hard to come by, even with the experience held by Alex. "BullSH*%T" he thought as he decided to conquer himself. As time passed by, Alex was given the oppertunity to pass College, but one teacher stood in his way. To call them a teacher was to call a cat a dog. The teacher in question did not care about his students and did not teach. He was the one obstacle Alex could not overcome because it was out of his control. Slowly Alex sank back into a depressive state, "Where did it go wrong?... why me god?". Alex was not a religious man but still belived in the possibility of a supreme being, either if they were a creator or simply a being with immense power. This obstacle was wearing him down, like lead clothing dragging him to the depths of the ocean.

     As random thoughts ran through my head, I walked towards school. I had limited money and I was not working. I wanted to make my parents proud but was not given a second chance. Distraught, I waited at the sidewalk, looking up to see a group crossing the street. "Race you there!", a girl said bolting across the street. The light was red and I looked both ways, only to see a truck speeding down the lane. I stood half frozen, half in disbelieve at the scene before me. Before I new it I ran towards the girl as her friends cautioned for the blaring truck. She turned around slowing and half pausing in shock. "Sh*&" , I muttered. Now she was definitely  getting hit. The moment lasted forever, as I felt each step pushing myself foward."Why was I doing this, why am I risking my life, is this for real?". These thought raced though my mind but were pushed aside by the urge to save someone. Maybe I needed a purpose. Was I so lost as to seek approval even in death. The thoughts vanished and were replaced with blinding light and a frightened woman staring at her end. "This is so unfair, why does fate forsake you as it had me", I thought with such anger. "Thud". I took the last step, within arms reach of the lady.

      I had forgotten eveything in that moment. My mind urged me to save this person. I could not save us both. Time ticked down as I stopped. She tuned to me with surprise and horror. I decided. I used a martial arts move I had practiced when I was younger, using my foward movement to accelerate my hand and distribute all my force to my palm. This resulted in me standing infront of this blaring truck, as the screeching noise became louder. The girl folded and left the headlights' path. I was immobile, using the last of my momentum to save this random person. Why? WHY?! My brain could only must these final thoughts as I turned to see two lights and a grill. The next moment was darkness filled with agonizing pain. I had never broken a bone in my body, but somehow I knew. I felt the pins and needled travel through my body, followed by a searing flame spreading though me. I felt weightless the next second, only able to think and feel pain. "Crunch" a sound followed by metal tearing and crushing. I heard faint voices, slowly fading away. A scream before I fell to Death.

       I had always been a lucid dreamer, my dreams filled with wonder. My nightmares, were filled with touch, taste, smell and sight. This was different. I felt nothing, saw nothing and was nothing. When I was younger, I was obssesed with martial arts because I was good at it and meditation helped calm my angry soul. Meditation was my favorite becaue I could feel the energy and hear silence. This was simpily nothing. This was bliss, some state I had fought for in my dreams due to their chaotic nature. Finally, I was free.

      A bright light blasted though what could be considered my consciousness after what seemed like an eternity. I finally felt something. It was the feeling of annoyance and tiredness. "Who was I?!"Panic swirlled through me as the light grew impossibly bright.... then my vision settled. I was in a room. Wodden walls with white rectangles and the smell of incense permeated my brain. I Iooked down and felt the soft linen close I wore, resembling a gi or robe. I was sitting down on a floor bed, futon I believe. Thoughts stared racing through my head."How did I get to this place, why was I still alive, and why am I the same but different?".

      

I tried to collect my thoughts. My past life, with the girl and the car. Then I saw my entire life flash before my eyes. My life in mexico as a kid,my parents leaving their children, the foster care center where I last saw my older sibilings, being adopted by my new father and mother. Then my highschool years where life was at its peak, then college and back to the accident." I really did reincarnate", I said to myself. Then thoughts that were mine but felt foreign flashed through my head. A house burning on a snowy cliff with a man telling me, "Son, become strong so you can protect your loved ones unlike I could". Then I was sent down the cliff... onto a snow drift. Then scene was myself, travelling up a huge montain, and appearing before a gate that looked grand and of eastern origin. Martial Alliance was written at the top. Then my mind shifted to people laughing at me," He barely has any Chi, but I guess he could be a guard" a man sneered. 

        My mind kept showing memories like these that sent electricity throughout my body. A master yelling at me, "not good enought, try until you collapse". I came back to reality to collect and direct my thoughts. I was a trainee soldier at the Martial Alliance, where they taught us the basics of all Martial Arts. We were supposed to learn the root of each art; all korean, japanese, and chinese martial arts. Apparently, this was a different world than mine, where war hardly occurred but corruption was high. We were taught about history, as this is where our roots originated from. I kept searching through my mind for clues to my present. As I sat there contemplating my new life, the light from outside got brighter. "Shang Wen!", a man called out. I ignored the call and kept revising my memory, until the door to my room slammed open. "Shang!, what are you doing still in bed? Training is about to start. I saw before me a young man, about the same age as me fifteen. How did I know this I scanned my memories and realized my age but not mane name strangely.

       "Shang, lets go. Master will reprimand us if we are late again." This was my only friend Wu Sun. He was another trainee at the soldier academy. We were both average in terms of skill and amount of Chi. I got up swiflty and said,"Ok, sorry for the wait." He looked at me strangley as I left, commenting behind me,"What's wrong, you always complain and make us late?" I replied, "I feel different today, thats all." I stepped out into the courtyard.