He slid to a halt against a wall, bullets whizzing above his head. Reloading his Carbine, he perched it against his shoulder and prepared to make another run.

"Cover me, Jose!" He yelled.

"I got you, Cade!" A shout was heard somewhere to his right as someone began firing off suppression rounds.

"Here we go." He took a deep breath and bolted for the wall twenty paces ahead. Even though he had someone covering him, he still received too much feedback from the enemy. As he dove for cover, a bullet ripped through his trousers, leaving a finger sized hole in his calf. He slammed into the wall with a groan.

"Shit!"

No matter how many times he's been shot in the past, it's always the worst pain he has experienced and will continue to experience with every new mission. He prefers getting stabbed than shot any day. He flipped out his knife, cut off a piece of his trousers and wrapped it tightly around the high portion of his thigh. That would only buy him some time before he'd lose feeling in his leg.

He checked his mag pouches and let out a 'tsk'. 27 rounds loaded and a mag of 45; he did not have a lot to work with. Nevertheless, he'd make do until the backup arrived in 20 minutes, give or take. In that time, he wanted to neutralize as much of the enemy as possible. Which means that only precision shots should be used. He chided himself silently for taking this long to get his mind together.

"No time to waste. Let’s move."

The pain in his leg was annoying but he fought through gritted teeth as he slowly began advancing towards the backside of the enemy. A few rounds flew past him, but not close enough to give away his location. He spotted the first target, crouched behind a brick wall, his armor hanging together by a feather and his arms covered in blood.

Unlike Cade, the Crusian Militia did not have the funds to produce high level armor, thus they only wore steel plating around their chest, arms, and legs. Even though Cade had access to full-body kevlar armor, the twenty-four day battle of attrition between the Silvertons and the Crusians has taken a toll on the armor’s durability.

With only a flak for protection, two quick shots made the guy drop to the ground and Cade moved on, picking them off one by one.

One on the right. Two shots.

Two on the left. Five shots.

One behind a wall. One shot to the head as he peaked.

He continued this for a few minutes when he heard a click.

Empty.

He stopped behind a wall and reloaded. There was a small hole next to him and he looked through it. He had reached the main force and his 45 rounds would not suffice against the group ahead. There were too many to count. He scanned the area ahead and spotted a grenade on a belt, the dead guy won't need it. He could make it while maintaining a low profile.

He breathed in and braced himself.

As he made his way towards the grenade, he heard the 'CHINK' of a bolt being released and a 'DING' as a round was loaded in the chamber.

His heart stopped.

He looked back and swore.

He hadn't seen the soldier hidden by the wall, as he was out of sight. Now, that soldier had his rifle raised, zeroed in on Cade.

In the split second he had to think, he knew one thing.

There was no escaping.

The flash of the muzzle was the last thing he saw as he braced himself for the pain to follow but was surprised when he felt nothing. Instead, he felt as if he was floating in dense water, a feeling he hadn’t felt since his basic training days. Cade opened his eyes and saw nothing but a vast darkness. He ran his arms over his body but felt nothing. How was this possible? He was sure that he had died.

"You are correct. You died." He couldn’t discern where the voice was coming from. He simply heard it.

'That much is true.' he thought to himself.

"Your body may have perished, but your spirit lives on."

He tried to speak but his lips wouldn’t move. Thoughts it is. 'My spirit? What’s so special about my spirit?'

The voice spoke but this time, it came from ahead of him as a small ball of white light appeared. "You have the spirit of a hero."

He let out a mental chuckle. 'I'm no hero. Simply doing my job.'

"And a great job you did." the white ball of light became denser and a figure formed. It was at least three feet tall and had fluorescent wings on its back, the tips pixelated and merged with the darkness. There were no facial features, simply a blank mask.

'Who are you?' he asked.

"I am the Hero Celestial. You may call me Silian. I have chosen you as my next hero." The voice now had an identity and it was smooth and calm yet held power. "I shall present you with three choices, hero."

'Three choices?'

"Indeed. I will present you with three realities that you have qualified for due to your heroic acts." her voice was like a wave, every word a new melodic tune.

Cade’s eyes widened as three screens appeared before him, each a different color. They were transparent and he could see Silian clearly, without the contents of the screen being disturbed.

On the right was a green screen, showing a rotating orb of lush greenery and vast waters. There appeared to be a description below the display.

[Kingdom of Klaurious] A world filled with mysterious creatures, each living in harmony with each other. As the harmony flows, so does chaos. A swift imbalance created a fissure that split the world in two. A war is on the brink as the two sides struggle to find grounds for peace. As the hero, you are tasked with discovering the origins of the chaotic breakout and solve the crisis before millions of lives are lost for a meaningless war.

'So, I'm the mediator between good and evil? Like a diplomat? That sounds rather complicated, Silian.'

"As complicated as it is, you have the capabilities to solve this issue. You have proven that you have a very good skill of judging a situation and responding quickly with the right solution."

'Hmm… Let’s see the others first.'

The middle screen was a light shade of orange and had a large volcano mid eruption.

[Volcanic Destruction] After the eruption of the Helios Core due to an act of subterfuge, the Empire of Helion is on the brink of annihilation. As the hero, you are tasked with the duty as Emperor and must lead Heloin back to the top of the Empiric structure as it once was.

'An Emperor? That seems a bit much, even for me.'

"It may seem that way, but I have seen how great of a leader you are, especially when you saved your company from certain doom on multiple occasions. You acted bravely to save them, and I believe you can do the same for the Empire of Heloin." She had a certain level of pride in her voice, she really believed that he could do it. Then again, she was a Celestial, whatever that meant. If she says that he could do it, then he could do it. Right?

The last screen on the left was a crisp blue and showed a large land mess, made up of many continents.

[Lutaria] Lutaria is filled with Mana and Heroes roam the lands freely. As a nation scorned under a prior Celestial, they have completed rebuilding themselves to a better height of civilization. Currently facing no major tribulations, this place is perfect for a fresh start for any new hero candidates.

If what Silian told him was true, that he is dead, wouldn't this be perfect? For basically his entire life, he only did one thing and it left him feeling unaccomplished. He could do so much if he were to take up a new life in this world.

'I like this one, Silian. A new beginning in a land I know nothing about and no one who knows me. I think that it’s perfect for me, really.'

"If that is what you desire, then so it shall be." for a split second, she sounded almost disappointed. "Is this your final decision?"

Before he answered, he looked between the three screens.

Choosing the position of Diplomat or Emperor, his life would already have a plan and he would have no say in what he’d want to do with his life. If he were to stabilize the two worlds, he would have to continue to maintain the balance that he created, and that would mean more battles.

However, if he were to choose Lutaria, he would have no more battles, no choosing sides to decide if he lived to see the sun rise. Instead, he would have a free slate to pave his new life in any direction that he pleased. With those thoughts, his decision was made.

'Yes, Silian.'

Silian's figure began to glow as she extended her nimble arms outwards. "Lutaria shall be your new home. I do not have the power of choosing your host, so I wish you best of luck. I shall also grant you the perk of utilizing the System, a new feature recently created."

Before he could ask what she meant by choosing a host or this System, the light folded on itself and he was swallowed by darkness.

Then he heard voices.