The Rising Hero

(First Entry)

First sentence and I don’t know what to write so I wrote this. Not a good start, but hey... it’s something. I honestly have no idea where to start and I don’t know whether to discuss the events leading up to this point. I just got this blank book today so I’m not too sure what the hell I’m gonna do in this. I guess I should start from the beginning. I’ll label this as Entry 0 since this is way before all the crazy shit went down.

I guess I should start with how I even ended up in this position. Or, if anyone is reading this, what the crazy shit it. The crazy shit is all the tests that have been run on me by the doctors from this newest, and most likely lethal, disease. I’ve been bedridden for months now with little strength to move my body so I resigned my fate to writing to pass the time.

In the past, probably three months or so, I’ve been feeling the most horrible affliction that I’ve ever had. It seems to be a combination of the flu, smallpox, and what seems to be Black Death. This startled scientist everywhere by this new development and the best minds from around the world converged to the isolated area that is my hospital room to take samples on it and, hopefully, find a cure for me.

I may be scared of needles, but I’m glad that they warn me that they are going to take some blood samples soon. To be honest, I’m scared for my life and I’m practically shivering in my sheets. I remember one night that I was asleep, I went into a panic attack because I didn’t want to die so soon. This wasn’t the first time for me since I’ve had many panic attacks because of the concept of death terrifies me. I remember one time the doctors rushed into the room without any safety equipment because of how bad the panic attack was that it almost became a seizure. That was how they found out that it wasn’t contagious.

Anyways, I should regal you or anyone else who may be reading this about where it all began.

It began three or four months ago. Don’t judge me. I can’t fuckin’ remember how long it’s been because I developed insomnia so all the hours are just one big span of time.

Anyways, enough with my ranting. I was going to school like a normal teen would. That day would be the last normal day I would have. I remember it began in my fourth-hour class, or last hour class if you wanna look at it that way when I became dizzy for no reason which actually caused me to fall on the floor.

“Whoa, are you alright Hunter?” My Geometry teacher asked as I shook tried to shake the dizziness from my head and failed in doing so.

“I... I’m fine. Just dizzy for some reason. Thanks for asking Mr. Ajuz.” I didn’t trust my eyes since the would-be still be spinning so I used my hands to guide me back to my seat.

“Are you sure. It wouldn’t be much trouble for you to go to the nurse’s office.” He helped me back to my seat and I expressed my gratitude with a ‘thanks’.

I felt someone tap me on my shoulder and I turned around to see a friend of mine. “You sure you're okay?” Michaela asked as I nodded my head.

“I guess it just from not eating lunch. I’ll be fine.” I gave her a reassuring smile before returning to look at the bord to get my notes. Luckily, I could see straight again so it wasn’t that bad.

And just like that, I went on my day without a care in the world from what happened in the classroom. I didn’t tell my parents so they wouldn’t worry about me even if it would be minor in the end. I just can’t let my mom and dad worry about me or I’ll just feel bad for making them feel like that.

The next day, I woke up at five-thirty AM in the morning like I normally do before I shook my head to get rid of the drowsiness and proceeded to crack my back, fingers, neck, and wrist out of habit. It was a part of my daily routine that I've been doing for the past ten years so I got used to it. Getting out of bed, I got my clothes, jacket, phone, earbuds, and my glasses as I normally did while walking into the bathroom to get dressed. Next, I tossed my pajamas onto my bed and proceeded to brush my teeth before walking out and staring into my room to think of anything I forgot.

I shrugged it off knowing I got everything, but I was past the time I would normally leave my family’s apartment. I felt and moved so sluggish and it was kind of annoying. I paid it no mind as I practically stumbled to the bus stop. I also paid no mind to that since it was practically pitch black and walking through the uneven grass was not easy in the slightest.

I remember practically falling asleep at the stop and on the way to school but was saved by a random person every time. Eventually, I got to my first hour of that day, biology. I didn’t mind biology, but the teacher gives us almost ten assignments every two weeks that are due every two weeks. That day, when my teacher, Ms. Johnson, was lecturing the class in the ways of the human body, I passed out.

It didn’t take long for my biology teacher to notice I was asleep at the time as I heard her slam a hand down on my table to wake me up. It caught my attention but didn’t fully wake me up.

“Excuse me, but is my lesson to boring for you Hunter?” She asked, but I didn’t answer as my body seemed to be on fire and I felt like I was burning up.

“I’m sorry, but I... just... can’t...” I passed out right then and there and, from what I heard, she tried to wake me up almost all the period until the bell rung. That did it for me as I walked out with my feet dragging behind me.

I was lucky to make it down the stairs unharmed because I nearly fell all the way down when I went down the second flight of stairs on my way to the band. That garnered some laughs and worried questions from my peers as I continued to the band room. I just felt awful, but I thought I could bear through it with pure determination.

Suffice to say, I was sent home during my second hour because I passed out again with no warning on my instrument. The band director was pissed when I woke up, but when the paramedics came to check to see if I was okay, I had a fever of a hundred and four which would describe the blatant horrible feeling that spread throughout my body. I was taken to the hospital and that was how I was taken to the room where I’ve been stuck in for months.

That’s my story until now. The tests were explained to me, but I’m a lazy bum who just doesn’t want to describe it and it just went over my head.

(Final Entry)

I just got the worst news of my life. Or limited life at this point. This damned disease is killing me swiftly and painfully. It like this disease just has a personal vendetta against me.

I’m not gonna lie, I’m terrified, scared, and all synonyms of the words. This is it. I wasn’t able to live life like I wanted to and it pisses me off that my life was cut short. My hands are shaking and each word is looking more and more difficult to read. My eyes blurred with tears from the pain, but I haven’t given up and I’m continuing to fight it with all I got. My family has been notified, but they won’t make it in time. My breathing is now becoming more heavy and ragged from the resent cry of pain. I can no longer speak, from the screams of pain that pushed through my vocal cords.

So this is it. My final words are going to be written and not spoken. Do I regret anything? No, not really. I’m a fern believer of ‘if things happen, then I’ll go with it’, but this was something I couldn’t except. I put up a good fight and I asked for this book to put my final thoughts in.

I guess this is it. For everyone who stayed with me to the end, thank you. I wish you all good luck. Goodbye, my family, my friends, and my life. And thank you again for this wonderful life I was given.

Goodbye.

I placed the book down after writing in it with all my emotions spilled onto the paper. This was it. I’m gonna die. When you first think of it, you think it’s so far away, yet it is always coming closer.

I chuckled as a memory popped up as I thought of what I said as a child. I thought I was never gonna die. But I guess I’ll never die in the hearts of friends, family, and memory.

I felt my eyelids grow heavy as I knew what was next. I gulped and did something I thought I would never do.

I smiled.

“Are you ready?” A doctor asked. I couldn’t help but give him a toothy smile.

“I have nothing to be scared of. It will all end soon. Just how I wanted to go out.” I responded happily. “I won’t give this disease the satisfaction of killing me.”

“Your family didn’t want to see you die and asked you not to go out the way you want to go.” I stopped and thought about it.

“I guess that is selfish of me.”

“I’ll send them in.”

I waited a few seconds as my older brother, dad, sisters, and mother walked in. They were followed by my younger brother, my step-parents, my grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles.

“This is it,” I said my face once again neutral.

“We just wanted to say... goodbye.” Mom said.

“Thanks, but I bet that might be the famous last words I’ll hear.” I coughed loudly as my voice grew deeper. “Fuck,” I grunted.

“Famous last words.” My brother said. I couldn’t help but laugh

“Damn right it is.” My laughter died down as I heard them call for me fruitlessly. “Bye.” Then I felt and heard nothing. The air in my lungs was slowly exhaled from my body and my eyes closed for the last time.

My last thought was, ‘So this was it. Guess it’s time to go into the deepest sleep yet... and not wake up.’

The thing was that even after I knew I died, I could still feel my body twitch every so often from the monotony of lying still for so long. Was this what death was like.

“Hey.”

‘I guess there’s nothing I can do about this since it would just be me and my thoughts.’

“Can you hear me?”

‘How long will it be until I go mad. I would not like to live the rest of eternity in an insane mess.’

“I know you can hear me. If you don’t acknowledge me, I will slap you.”

‘This is what I expected, but I never thought I would ever get to this point for a very long time.’

A sudden and very painful impact on my right cheek made my eyes finally opened to a clear blue sky that I knew I couldn’t imagine. It was just too beautiful and breathtaking with the involvement of no sun to glare at. Damn, why couldn’t the day be like this?

“Can you hear me now?” An old gruff voice said which caused me to look at the man in question.

“W-Who are you?” I asked in fear as I slowly backed away from the man.

“I think you know who.” I thought it over for a few seconds before it finally clicked. I definitely died from what I could tell. The pain was too intense for any realistic dream, so that would mean that he was...

“God.” I backed away more in fear.

“No need to worry my boy, I’m here to help you.” He held up a hand as his smile slowly calmed me.

“Help? how?” I was slowly getting suspicious which confused him.

“Simple, my boy. All I have to do is contact a fellow god from another dimension to ask for help.” He summoned a chair to sit in which amazed me for a few seconds.

“Help? With what?” I glared at him like that help was him shattering my soul.

“To give you a second chance of course.” I grew confused which was evident because I was completely speechless. He elaborated more after contacting the other god by summoning a phone and calling them. “It was my fault you died so soon. I was making a disease that would help regulate the human population that would slowly evolve the fungi known as Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. It would’ve taken effect in 2060. Unfortunately, I was reckless and accidental released it prematurely and it killed you.”

“What was the fungus supposed to do?” I glared at him for a small while.

“Remember the game ‘The Last of Us’?” I nodded and he continued. “It was supposed to do that.” I gulped as I knew that it would have come forty years after my graduation. He suddenly perked up and smiled at me. “Well, this is goodbye. Hopefully, when you die, it won’t be from a mistake like what happened this time.”

“W-wait!” I fell through the ground and into a black void with nothing in any direction. Luckily, there was at least a floor.

I waited for anyone to show up, but no one did which did heart me quite a bit. I lost track of time and eventually just began to count the seconds, literally,

“I hope I haven’t offended you with my lateness.” A woman said in a soft yet young tone that kept me from panicking when she suddenly appeared. “Your god contacted me about your situation so I agreed to help you.”

“Why? I’m just some person with little skills.” I looked at her and began to examine her. “Seriously, I’m an introvert and a nobody; why would you want someone like me.”

She had crimson hair with soft caring eyes and casual clothing which surprised me. “He made a mistake and I get a reason to taunt him. You get life and something more, while I get to taunt the Tartarus out of him.” She smiled as she began to ask me the one question I would’ve never expected. “What power do you want?”

“Wait, What?” I was astronomically confused that I’m pretty sure other versions of myself were confused.

“I know you heard me. What kind of power do you want?” I was astonished that someone would trust me to make this decision, but that didn’t stop me from thinking long and hard about that since they had their pros and cons when it comes to this kind of stuff.

I could get the Blacklight Virus and be Alex Mercer, but then I would be classified as a danger and would die practically immediately. There would be a problem that the doctor's opponents would reveal that I was a living virus. I would be fucked six ways from Sunday.

There are Dark Souls, but I doubt that people would take kindly to something that can come back from the dead. Again, that would screw me since I’m not sure if I’ll have a heartbeat since I’ll be dead, or in this case: undead. Again, that would screw me because everyone would think I know necromancy and I’ll be imprisoned for that. Which met that power was off the table.

The Elder Scrolls games would screw me over most of the time and I would be hurting myself more than anything else. I would mostly knock myself back by using the shouts because I don’t have the support. I would most likely burn myself alive with fire magic, I would somehow freeze myself in place or give myself frostbite and that would suck, and finally, I would kill my self by using lightning in water. The ward spell would be useful, but I wouldn’t know if anyone else would use magic.

There’s PREY, but I don’t want to end up like the Changelings because I would most likely receive ridicule in that dimension for shapeshifting. That and I’m horrible at stealth and would end up being found in the first fifteen minutes of receiving it.

Dishonored... no, just no. I do not want to be accused of dark magic. That and rat swarm would make others think I was a monster for that.

Then it popped into my head for what power which would help me more and anything. It had a key trigger that would allow it to begin and it was magic that I would love to use.

“Noctis’ power from Final Fantasy XV.” She smiles like she knew something I didn’t.

“Perfect! My world is like that game!” She paused for a moment before adding, “...Well, almost.” She closes her eyes and seemed to concentrate hard while her hands glowed.

“Wait!” Her eyes opened and she looked at me in confusion. “What’s your name? Mine is Hunter, Hunter Herrero.” She smiled and gave me a soft smile.

“Faust.” My eyes widened at her response and to my absolute luck.

With that, I felt my body float before I was forced down before my body began to shrink while I felt something being infused into me before I lost sight and consciousness. Then I felt unimaginable pain that made me scream. However I now knew I was much, MUCH younger, but I didn’t care. That hurt so much!

Faust, under the cover of night, carried a young infant who was sleeping soundly in a basket that had a small box in it with a note and the previous teen’s new name. She knew there was a reason her old friend asked her to resurrect him, but she didn’t know why. He normally didn’t own up to his mistakes and would constantly chalk it up to human intervention. Hitler immediately came to mind as she remembered his horrified expression during the Holocaust.

It wasn’t the most ideal setting she had for something like this, but it would cover her entrance and exit easily. It was raining... hard. The rain pelted the woman without remorse and matted her hair to her back.

“We’ll see each other in a few years.” Faust smiled widely as her seemingly new friend began to cry. She was somewhat glad he began to cry from the painful process of de-aging. “Bye Nocturnal Shadow.” Faust knocked on the door before disappearing in a bright flash just as the door opened.

A man in his mid-twenties stepped out the door in green pajamas that matched his hair. His eyes were a dark purple that searched the general area for whoever knocked at his door. He heard the crying infant at his feet which he immediately took in.

“Who was it?” A woman around the same age at the man walked in with baggy yellow pajamas. She had blue hair and lime green eyes.

“No one. Well... except for him.” The man pointed to the infant that was still inside the basket.

The woman looked at the child with a glint in her eyes. She lifted the infant with the slowest movement she could do with oust seeming like a snail.

“What’s his name?” The woman asked with barely contained joy from the child.

“Nocturnal Shadow.” The man responded looking at the woman with a sly smirk. “A fitting name; don’t you think Nocturnal Solstice.” They chuckled at the coincidence of the name the infant had.

“I have to agree on Green Thumb.” The woman looked at the child who just randomly appeared on their doorstep.

“Do... do you think we can adopt him?” Green asked with a worried expression. “Are we ready for it?”

“I will be leaving we are. We should at least try and if not, we’ll just have to try harder.” Nocturnal nuzzled the infant with clear happiness on her face.

“Hold on. There’s something else in there.” He looked at the note on the box and figured it to be more important than the box. “This is a keepsake from his father. Please give it to him when he turns one. I hope you can give him what I can not.” He read aloud.

“I... I guess we’re doing this.”

“We are...” He paused for a moment before looking to his wife. “In the morning.”

“In the morning.”

Outside the building protected by a spell was Faust who was soaked in rain with a smile on her face. That quickly changed to a thoughtful one. “Did I remember to erase his memories?” She catches her chin before her eyes widened. “Eh, not much I can do now.” She went back to where she was before turning the unfortunate teen into that infant. She could feel the anger coming from the infant which she just chuckled nervously. “I’ll apologize later.”