Sliding to a halt against a wall, Cade hugged it tightly as bullets whizzed above him. He reloaded his Carbine and perched it against his shoulder, ready to make another run.

“Cover me, Jose!” Cade yelled over the noise of the battlefield.

“I got you, Cade!” Jose shouted back and began firing more suppression rounds over his barricade.

Taking a deep breath, Cade bolted for the wall twenty paces ahead. Even with Jose providing cover fire, the returned fire was too much for a two-men team. As Cade dove for cover, a bullet ripped through his left leg, causing him to slam into the wall with a groan. He inspected the wound and found a finger sized hole in his calf.

"Shit!"

Cade set his rifle against the wall and let his training and experience take over. Using his pocketknife, he cut off a portion of his blouse and tightly tied it behind his knee, feeling the pulse of the veins as they fought to get oxygen. He had no more than fifteen minutes before he started to lose circulation and movement, so he had to act quickly.

He picked up his rifle and counted the rounds. He had a full magazine inserted and another tucked in his flak, giving him sixty rounds, not a lot to work with. "No time to waste. Let's move.”

He made his way to the dilapidated and bullet-riddled building across from him, doing his best to ignore the throbbing in his leg. As he settled in, the plan was simple: make his way to the rear of the enemy and pick them off little by little as they focused fire on Jose.

Once he found the opening he needed, Cade advanced toward the enemy, 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 peeked.

Cade kept firing until he heard the dreaded click of an empty magazine. The enemy had also caught onto his plan, and he knew he had to act quickly. He rolled to the nearest cover and fumbled to load his last magazine, his hands shaking with adrenaline. With backup still minutes away, he had to make every shot count. His eyes scanned the area for a vantage point and found a hole in the wall just large enough for his rifle. He mounted it and steadied his breathing, waiting for the next wave of targets to emerge.

As soon as a shadow was spotted in the smoke, Cade let out a burst of fire and watched the shadow fall, only for three more to emerge. With precise movements, he picked them off as they fired rounds in his direction but missed. As each one was killed, more emerged, and Cade could feel his magazine drying out. After five more bodies fell, he heard the CLICK, and his heart skipped a beat in dread.

Cade only had one grenade and his pocketknife. He was never very accurate with throwing things, but the explosive kill range made up for the lack thereof. He unhooked the grenade from his flak pouch and crept towards the end of the wall. He removed the pin and held the grenade firmly, making sure the lever was locked in place. Cade peeked over and saw four soldiers approaching him in a tight formation.

It was perfect.

He released the lever on count one, rolled the grenade towards the group on count two, and quickly ducked behind the wall on count three, letting the sound of the explosion fill the air.

After roughly ten seconds, Cade peeked over the wall. When he saw no movement, he made his way to the bodies and picked up the rifle nearest to him. Once he checked for rounds, he hid behind the wall ahead. All this hiding was starting to drive Cade nuts, but given the enemy’s 3-1 advantage, what choice did he have?

As he advanced towards the enemy once again, he heard a sound to his right and his heart stopped. Quickly turning his head, he realized he had missed the soldier hidden behind the wall, whose rifle was now trained on him. In the split second he had to think, Cade knew there was no escaping. The flash of the muzzle was the last thing he saw as he closed his eyes and braced for impact, but to his surprise, the expected pain never came. Instead, he felt nothing – even the throbbing in his leg had vanished.

After gradually opening his eyes, Cade blinked a few times, attempting to orient himself to his surroundings. However, he was met with an endless expanse of darkness in every direction. It was as if he had been plunged into the abyss of space, where there was no light, no sound, and no sense of gravity to tether him. He tried to move, but there was no resistance or support under his limbs. It was a disorienting sensation, like floating in water, but without the wetness or the buoyancy of liquid.

As Cade struggled to make sense of what was happening, a faint glimmer of light appeared in the distance, growing brighter with each passing moment. The light grew into a pulsating orb of energy, casting an eerie glow across the dark expanse. As the orb drew closer, Cade could make out the silhouette of a figure within its radiance. The figure appeared humanoid but was larger than any person Cade had ever seen, towering over him like a giant.

“Who are you?” Cade called out, his voice echoing throughout the darkness.

The figure did not reply but continued to approach, its radiance growing brighter until Cade had to shield his eyes. When the figure was close enough, it spoke, its voice booming and resonant.

“I am the Goddess of Transcendence,” the being said. “I have come to offer you a new life, one free of the limitations and struggles of your former existence.”

Cade was taken aback by the figure’s words. A new life? Was it possible? He had so many questions, but before he could ask them, the Goddess continued.

“I offer you three paths to choose from. Each will take you to a different world, where you will begin a new existence. The first path is that of a mighty warrior, where you will lead armies into battle and conquer nations. The second path is that of an arcane mage, where you will wield powerful magic and bend the laws of nature to your will. The third path is that of a noble ruler, where you will govern a realm and guide your people to prosperity.”

Cade was stunned by the Goddess’s offer. Three paths to choose from, each one promising a new life beyond anything he had ever known. For a moment, he was overwhelmed by the possibilities, unsure of which path to take, but deep down, he knew what he wanted. He wanted to become someone different, something different. He wanted to experience a world beyond his wildest dreams.

“I choose the second path,” Cade said, his voice trembling with excitement.

“As you wish,” the Goddess replied. “But be warned, the path of an arcane mage is not an easy one. It requires great power and great responsibility. Are you ready to embrace this path?”

Cade hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I am ready,” he said, his voice firm.

“Very well,” the Goddess said. “Then let us begin.”

With those words, the Goddess waved her hand, and the bright light engulfed Cade, overpowering his senses, and causing him to lose consciousness.