#this is the direct opposite to dire's paradoxical reaper au btw

[crumbleclub]

What if Michael met ghost Mike?

I feel your confusion, but hear me out.

There's no time travel involved. A part of Michael died with his brother, and that concept is taken literally.

A result of trauma? Penance? A supernatural fluke? You decide.

Michael Afton's life continues. He gets older, he starts trying to figure out his father's crimes, he gets involved with trying to save the souls that are trapped.

He never questions the crying he sometimes hears, never questions the cold hand he's felt on his wrist when his life was in danger. It could have been anyone. One of the kids didn't quite leave, maybe, or his brother or sister came around from time to time. He grew accustomed to it.

Once, though, in the mirror, he sees another version of himself standing nearby. That sort of thing is hard to write off.