Being a Nobody
When Tang first opened a book as a child, he was mesmerized by a world teeming with billions of people. But amidst the crowd, there was always that one extraordinary individual who defied the odds, embraced adventure, and lived a life filled with excitement and purpose. Determined to script his own thrilling narrative, Tang made a solemn vow. He delved into countless projects, honing his skills and talents to perfection. Yet, he couldn't escape the realization that there were others who far surpassed his abilities. As he grew older, Tang became a daring helicopter pilot and found love with his high school sweetheart, who now carries their first child. It seemed that Tang had finally discovered the exhilaration he had always craved, but little did he know, this was just the beginning. During a routine client escort, tragedy struck as Tang faced a fatal helicopter crash. Just as he was about to succumb to his fate, a mysterious voice echoed in his ears. And when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a strangely familiar yet unfamiliar room. Tang soon discovered that he had been transported to a magical realm, where he yearned to reclaim his role as the protagonist. But it quickly became apparent that this new world wouldn't make it easy for him to seize the spotlight once again.
Mikko
"OK, let's do this," Sebastian said, holding a wooden sword in his hand and nodding to himself; after his realization yesterday, he decided to start working hard now rather than later.
He stood on the edge of their backyard facing the fence, it was still early in the morning there were only a few people around and both his parents were still sound asleep on their bedroom.
He then began raising the sword above his head and bringing it down with all his strength inches away to the grass beneath. He took a few more swings, then another couple, before his hands unconsciously let go of the sword, throwing it outside the fence as he tried to catch his breath using his knees for support.
He just stared blankly at the sword that had fallen to the ground somewhere outside before shifting his gaze to his hands, which were shaking uncontrollably and losing strength.
He lowered his trembling hands to his sides and returned his gaze to the sword on the other side of the fence. He wanted to go get it, but his legs wouldn't let him.
'How frail is this body?!' He mentally exclaimed before his head became dizzy his vision turning black, after a few seconds his eyes focused again, but this time there's a familiar face that appeared right in front of him. "You know, I was actually surprised you weren't practicing earlier than this," the figure observed.
It was a kid, probably around Sebastian's age. He has messy brown hair, greenish gray eyes, and freckles on his skin. His outfit consisted of a white shirt with black stripes on it, black pants with the same stripe on the sides, and a black backpack slung over his shoulder. He appeared relaxed, even smiling slightly.
Sebastian looked at the boy in front of him, perplexed as to who he was, and the boy simply smiled as he handed Sebastian his sword over the fence. "You know it wouldn't hurt you if you just follow the doctor's instructions," the kid stated.
Sebastian hesitantly took the sword from the boy's grasp; he could feel something on his side inside his body, a tingling sensation he hadn't felt in a long time like it's telling him to stop and take a rest.
"Doctor's order?" Sebastian inquired, as the boy's relaxed expression changed to one of confusion, almost as if he didn't expect anyone to ask him about what was going on.
"The one about your Nether Doom?" the boy asked, raising an eyebrow.
'Nether Doom? What is that?' Sebastian wondered. 'Is that meant to be a bad thing?' However, before he can question the boy further, another flood of memories floods his brain like a tidal wave, like a dam breaking open, causing him to fall onto all fours, clutching his head in pain, unable to handle the sudden onslaught of information.
"What happened?! Hey!" exclaimed the boy, afore leaping over the fence and trampling down some plants beneath him to assist Sebastian in sitting down on the ground. "Are you okay?" the boy inquired, his voice sounding concerned.
Sebastian didn't respond, instead closing his eyes in the hopes of keeping his vision from turning into darkness, which somehow worked; when he opened his eyes and looked at the boy in front of him, Sebastian just smiled and said, "I'm fine, Mikko," Sebastian stated uttering the boy's name.
Mikko looked at Sebastian for a few seconds before brightly smiling and patting him on the back. "That's good!" he chirped. Sebastian remembered Mikko as Al's younger brother and his childhood best friend, who is three years his senior.
"Jeez, you give me a fright there," Mikko said as he adjusted his backpack on his shoulder before leaping over the fence, but Sebastian's gaze was drawn to a familiar embroidery and the number 4:4 just below the embroidery on Mikko's bag, and he couldn't help but wonder.
"That bag, Mikko.." he trailed off. Mikko landed on his feet, grinning, and replied happily, "It's one of the free stuff they gave you when you entered "Skarlax" 4th level last year." Mikko replied proudly, each level on "Skarlax" lasted the same number of years as the level, for example, Level 1 lasted only a year, Level 2 lasted two years, and so on.
It's also true that it wasn't uncommon for students to receive free items during the final year of each "Skarlax" level, and just like Mikko's 4th level 4th year, and those were usually the items that will be needed with the class or sometimes it is rumor they also get free gold coins.
"Well, I'm going to get going now, I'll see you when I get home! Don't forget to never lose your smile!" Mikko exclaimed before waving enthusiastically at Sebastian, who simply waved back and smiled softly at Mikko, who eventually began running because the "Skarlax" Hall is deep within the forest, probably an hour away.
He worked hard to keep the memory of his conversation with Mikko fresh in his mind, hoping to find answers somewhere deep within.
Sebastian sighed and continued to swing his sword, but this time more slowly, taking a deep breath with each swing. It helped that the sun was already high in the sky, providing him with enough light to work with.
After a while, his grip on the sword loosened, and he sat on the bench, wiping his brow with the sleeve of his shirt. He paused for a moment to rest, knowing that he needs to practice more because this is the first time he has felt so exhausted after doing almost nothing.
The wind blew in gently, caressing Sebastian's face with a refreshing breeze; it was the ideal time of day to take a break from training.
But the door to their kitchen swings open as his mother walks out. "Sebastian?" Silvia called out, scanning her eyes around their backyard; when her gaze landed on Sebastian, she smiled quickly.
"Sebastian, would you like to come with me to buy breakfast ingredients?" his mother asked gently, prompting Sebastian to smile and nod.
He quickly rose from the bench and ran towards his mother, who extended her hand for him to grasp. However, just as Sebastian was about to grasp it, reality struck him as he decided to begin walking ahead, causing Silvia to tilt her head to the side.
'You're thirty years old, dude! Why would you be looking forward to have your hand held?' Sebastian mentally lectured himself as he shook his head and continued walking ahead, his cheeks flushed while Silvia just trailed behind him.
It didn't take them 5 minutes to arrive at the market, which was small but had everything they needed, as Sebastian noticed a bakery near the entrance, which he assumed was the shop Al runs.
"Sebastian, do you need anything?" Silvia inquired, causing Sebastian to turn his head as he noticed his mother already selecting vegetables from a nearby stall.
"Nothin-" Sebastian paused mid-sentence as he looked down on his black long sleeve; he remembered earlier that his closet was full of the same set of clothes, which he believes is due to his unconscious self's opinion that having the same set of clothes is awesome.
"On second thought, I think I need something," Sebastian said as he stood next to his mother, who reached into her pocket and handed Sebastian a few silver coins.
"I'll be waiting here, so be very careful, okay?" Silvia warned as Sebastian simply nodded his head, he remembers some route in the marketplace so finding the shop he requires will be simple task.
Sebastian started walking, holding the piece of money close to him afraid he might lost it, and walked around the area, trying not to collide with any passers-by.