A World Unfamiliar

I stepped out of my house and into the bright sunlight, feeling like a stranger in a world that was no longer my own. The familiar streets and buildings seemed different, as if they had been altered in some way while I was gone. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my head and focus on my goal: finding Sarah. As I walked to her apartment, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was off. The people on the street seemed to be staring at me, their faces expressionless. I quickened my pace, my heart pounding in my chest. When I arrived at Sarah's apartment building, I took the stairs two at a time, my anxiety growing with each step. The door to her apartment was open, and I pushed it open, calling out her name. The apartment was empty, but there was a note on the kitchen counter. I picked it up, my heart sinking as I read the words. "Dear [me], I'm so sorry. I know this is hard for you, but I had to move on. Alex and I are happy, and I hope you can find it in your heart to be happy for us. -Sarah" I felt a pang of sadness and anger as I read the note. This wasn't the Sarah I knew. She would never have left me like this, without a word. I looked around the apartment, searching for some sign of what had happened to her, but everything seemed normal. The furniture was still the same, the decorations still in place. I decided to head to Alex's workplace, hoping to find some answers. As I walked to his office, I noticed that everything seemed...different. The buildings seemed taller, the streets more crowded. I felt like I was walking through a dream, and I couldn't wake up. When I arrived at Alex's office, I was greeted by a receptionist who seemed to know me. "Hey, Alex's friend! What brings you here today?" she asked, her voice cheerful. I stared at her, trying to process what was happening. "I'm looking for Alex," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. The receptionist nodded and picked up the phone. "I'll let him know you're here. Can you take a seat?" I sat down, feeling like I was losing my grip on reality. What was happening to me? Why was everyone acting like I was just another friend, rather than the person who had saved their world? A few minutes later, Alex emerged from his office, a smile on his face. "Hey, man! What brings you here?" he asked, his voice friendly. I stared at him, trying to find some sign of the person I used to know. But he seemed...different. His eyes seemed warmer, his smile more genuine. And then I saw it: a small tattoo on his wrist, a symbol that I recognized from my time in Eridoria. "What's going on?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "What's happened to everything?" Alex's smile faltered, and for a moment, I saw a glimmer of something else in his eyes. Something that looked almost like fear. "I'm not sure what you're talking about," he said, his voice cautious. "But maybe we should talk about this over coffee. You're not making any sense." I stood up, feeling like I was trapped in a nightmare. I had to get to the bottom of this. I had to find out what had happened to my world, and what had happened to me. And I had to do it now.