Immortality... what a joke.

Rapturous applause and the crowds' roars of approval resounded in the Colosseum. Admiration, respect, and acknowledgment were plastered on hundreds of thousands of people in the grandstand. All of that was for the man standing gloriously in the middle of the raised platform, where countless men and women battled for the title:

Champion.

That's what Ike was.

An undefeated champion who slayed and defeated countless enemies without ever losing one battle. It didn't matter if his opponents were demons, beasts, gods, or whatever the damn hell they were. They all had the same ending: the ground underneath his foot.

Ike basked in the glory that came along with winning, listening to their cheers and thunderous applause that made the walls shake. He spread his arms wide open, provoking even louder roars with a grin on his youthful face.

"Heh," a snicker rolled out of his tongue, looking around at the thousands of people who attended this very monumental day. "What a beautiful sight to behold."

It took two years of nonstop battle to bear witness to this day. Quite a long time, but now, it was over and he could claim the prize for striving.

Immortality.

That was his wish, and thus, today's agenda. Ike was exhilarated at the fact that he would soon walk down the path of immortality, hoping this would grant him more worthy opponents in the immortal realm.

But alas… he was wrong.

If only he knew how he would regret this decision with every breath he would take, Ike wouldn't wish for such a thing. If only he knew that his distorted expectation would only lead to disappointment, he would've rather wished for a sack of potatoes to sustain him for a year.

Immortality… what a joke.

There were no worthy opponents if one lived for a millennium, after all. His years of grinding were all for naught because his enemies would either flee or break even before he exerted a bit of effort. They wouldn't even struggle.

What a pity.

*

*

"Good times." His voice lacked interest, remembering those times from exactly two thousand years ago when he first won in this mysterious coliseum that appeared out of nowhere and disappeared without a trace, and how his life slowly turned less and less exciting.

A deep sigh slipped past his lips, sitting on the mountaintop where he would sit for days while looking over the thick green below. "Boredom… will kill me."

Literally would kill him. If not, he'd do it for the umpteenth time.

"Fortunately, I lived this long until the Colosseum appeared again." Ike slipped his hand inside the collar of his ragged clothes, taking out a small jar that was attached to a leather drawstring around his neck. "I can finally end this ridiculous misery."

Ike gazed at the small bottle in his open grip, staring at the black and thick fluid inside. The potion for immortality had an elegant color of gold, but this one was as black as an ink.

Poison.

A poison that could kill an immortal. After centuries of waiting for the Colosseum to appear and win for the second time without breaking a sweat, he finally got a hold of another wish and that was this poison.

"I really hope this will relieve my nightmare." His voice was lazy, an expected attitude for someone fed up with the life he had lived. "Let's see…"

Ike raised his head, gazing at the horizon, and watched the clear blue sky dance with the tint of tangerine which came along with the sunset. It was a beautiful sight to behold, and probably the only view he couldn't really hate. Sunsets were stunning sights to bear witness to, and sunrise as well. But sunrise never ceased to leave this unpleasant bitterness in his heart, reminding him to look forward to another senseless day for him.

"Good night, sweet pea. Let this be our last goodnight greeting," he whispered, staring at the sun, before pulling out the cork of the small jar. No sign of hesitation appeared on his face as he chugged the black liquid in one go.

His face scrunched up at the numbing bitterness in his cavities, hissing as he felt the scorching heat down his throat. He glanced at the horizon once again before closing his eyes, drawing deep breaths, and gathering the unlimited amount of energy stored within him.

His chest glowed just as the gold rays of the sun hit his gentle face, utilizing every bit of power to set off his organs. A powerful gust of wind slowly enveloped the mountaintop, forcing leaves and dirt to cloud the man sitting on top of it.

"Death is the only challenge now, is it?" Ike breathed out from the bottom of his heart, hoping this would be the last attempt and his wish to end this endless boredom would be fulfilled. "I do not wish to destroy this beautiful scenery if I wake up once again."

The glow in his chest spread through his body, and in a heartbeat, that glow turned just as blinding as the sun, destroying everything within his unbreakable shell.

*

*

*

*

Year 2351

Ike weakly opened his eyes, grunting at the numbness and chill seeping deep into his bones. His vision was blurry, and the voices sounded unnaturally distant.

"He was in an accident… Quick! Prepare the emergency room for surgery…" were only the words Ike could make up to the multiple voices talking. "He's losing too much blood!"

"What…" he narrowed his sensitive eyes at the flashing light over him, feeling dizzy at the hasty motion his body was forced in. He wanted to listen to the voice calling him with such panic, but his eyes and consciousness wouldn't listen to him.

"Hey! Hey!" a woman's panicking voice echoed in his ears, but each time, it sounded even more distant. "Stay with us!"

As Ike slowly drifted into the cold darkness, multiple hospital staff wheeled a fatally injured sixteen-year-old boy into the emergency room who was involved in a traffic collision.