Lucas's POV
The year was 2002. I was the sheriff of a small town where everybody knew each other. We had a tight-knit community, the kind of place where people left their doors unlocked and waved at passing cars. Crime was almost non-existent—jaywalking, running a red light—that was about as bad as it got.
That day, I stopped by the bank to meet my fiancée and take her out for lunch. We were laughing about something silly when the door slammed open. A man kicked it in, shotgun in hand.
My instincts took over. I pulled my fiancée behind me, drew my revolver, and fired twice. One bullet hit his chest. The second landed square between his eyes. He dropped instantly.
Before I could even breathe, two more men burst through the doorway. One raised his shotgun.
Boom.
The blast hit me in the chest. The pain stole my breath, and I nearly blacked out. My body screamed at me to fall, but adrenaline surged through me, keeping me upright. I fired the rest of my rounds—four bullets in total—killing one robber while the other panicked and fled.
The revolver clicked empty in my hand. My knees gave out.
I collapsed to the floor, my fiancée catching me, cradling my head in her lap. Her tears hit my face, hot against the cold creeping into my body.
"All I wanted…" I whispered, "…was more time with you."
Then the world went dark.
---
I floated. No ground, no sky—only endless black.
My thoughts scrambled, trying to make sense of it. Am I dead?
A voice cut through the void. Deep, calm, and almost amused.
"A heroic death… if I had to say so myself."
"Who's there?!" I demanded. My voice echoed strangely in the nothingness.
"I am the Will of a world," the voice replied. "Not this world—but another. And I need your help."
I barked a bitter laugh. "Your help? I couldn't even protect my fiancée. What can I possibly do for… whatever you are?"
The voice chuckled softly. "I made an error in my world. My first hero once slew the Vampire King. When offered a reward, he wished for immortality. I granted it through reincarnation—every death, a rebirth. But I made a mistake. My world can only sustain one 'Hero' at a time. So, I delayed his return as long as I could. But now… a new threat has risen. I cannot summon him again, nor can I replace him. My pride forbids it. And so… I must borrow a hero. From your world."
My chest tightened. "And if I agree?"
"Complete your task, and I will grant you one wish," the voice said. "Then I will return you to your world—one hour before the bank robbery. You will live… as though this never happened."
For a long moment, I was silent. The offer was insane. Impossible. And yet…
One wish. One chance to fix everything. One chance to hold her again.
"I'd be an idiot to refuse," I muttered. "Fine. You've got your hero."
"Good."
---
Like waking from a long dream, I opened my eyes again.
But I wasn't in my town. I wasn't even myself. My body was smaller. My hands… tiny. I was a child—no, a boy. Five years old at most.
Confusion clawed at me, but the voice returned, sharper this time.
"Hero! Run to the forest! You don't yet have the strength to save anyone else. Run north. You'll be safe there."
Shouts rang out behind me. The crackle of flames filled the air. I turned and saw it—the orphanage I had just escaped from, engulfed in fire. The screams of children carried through the night. My chest ached, but my legs moved. I ran into the darkness.
The voice spoke one final time, distant and fading.
"This is the last time I can guide you. Once your task is complete, I will return to grant your wish. Until then… live, Hero."
Then silence.
And I was alone.