-Date Unknown-

It was several years ago when it happened…well, more like almost six, I guess. It was my first year of middle school and I was… quiet. I never said a whole lot at the time. Someone else in that class didn’t talk much either- although, she is a lot different now. Both of us had the same wood shop class, and that was where the two of us started talking. To this day, I have no idea why it was that class of all the classes it could have been.

After that day, Mikaela and I started talking to each other more. It wasn’t long after that when we both met a really interesting guy. Just outside school, there was a guy with short dark hair yelling at a bunch of birds and ran at them, causing them to fly away. At the time I was in the middle of a conversation with Mikaela, although I don’t remember what. All I can remember is that the guy interrupted us after he noticed us.

“Did you know that birds are evil?” he said, as he approached us.

“Uh… what?” I said.

“They’re all a part of the ILLUMINATI!” he exclaimed.

“…Uh…” I responded.

“Who are you?” asked Mikaela.

“The hero who will save everyone’s lives one day,” he said, “the first, the only, Matt Trayer… are you two a part of the Illuminati?”

“N-no.” I said.

“Are you sure?” he said.

“W-what is with you?” I responded.

“Me?” he said, “I’m the most freakin’ sane person I know!”

“Does that mean you don’t know anyone else?” asked Mikaela.

“…!” he responded, “H-how could you say something like that!?”

“…Is that all?” I asked.

“No!” he exclaimed, “Take my advice!”

“…Advice?” I responded.

“Never use a carrot as a weapon.” he told me.

“Okay,” I said, “I think we’re done here.”

Mikaela and I walked away. The next day both of us kept running into him. After school, I found out that I had the “misfortune” of riding the same bus. After a while, I found him less annoying and we were friends after that.

“I have this dream.” he one day told me on the bus.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“I want to go on adventures,” he answered, “I want to be a hero!”

“…Oh.” I said.

“You could probably be one too if you believed in yourself.” he said.

“Sure… whatever.” I said.

“You don’t seem too interested in my foreshadowing.” responded Matt.

“F-foreshadowing!?” I exclaimed.

“Anyways,” he went on, “I had this friend in elementary school who wanted to go on adventures.”

“…Oh, I see.” I said.

“How can you SEE her if you don’t know her?” responded Matt.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know it isn’t!”

“You’re… weird.”

“So are you.”

“…!”

“Anyways, if it wasn’t for her, I’d probably want to be something else.”

“What was she like?” I asked, due to the fact that I was a little curious.

“Well,” he said, “she’s really cool and would tell me all these stories. She said in the future she wanted to do what her father did.”

“What school did you two go to?” I asked.

“…it’s not from this world.” he muttered.

“Huh!?” I exclaimed.

“You wouldn’t know it.” continued Matt, “It’s in another country. My parents had to move here because my dad got transferred- but I was born here. I just lived in another country for a while.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Oh, yes… I miss that country and I miss Jean….”

“…!”

“What?”

“It’s n-nothing.”

At the time, the name I heard seemed familiar, but I wasn’t sure why. I have a pretty good idea why I reacted like that, but this had to be coincidence, right?

“Anyways… it would be really cool if this would happen!” exclaimed Matt.

“Yeah, I guess.” I responded.

We would go to the same school for the next couple of years. He certainly made things… interesting. He also was my best friend at the time. Although, one day, something unfortunate would happen when we were almost done with seventh grade. I was at his house and he told me to follow him somewhere.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“To a cool place.” he said.

“…What do you mean by that…?” I said.

“I mean it’s a cool place.” he answered.

“Whatever.” I responded, letting out a sight.

“Here it is,” he said when we arrived.

“This place?” I said.

“Yes.” said Matt.

“Seems somewhat… familiar to me.”

“You’re too much of a noob to already know.”

“Again… whatever.”

“This is the town of Dovacath.”

“Dov- what?”

“…Let’s go.”

“Why are we even here?”

Matt made me walk all over town with him. After what felt like an hour, my legs were hurting.

“Stop.” Matt instructed.

“Huh?” I said.

“There’s something here.” he said.

“You’re probably just imagining things.” I replied.

Suddenly, the ground shook.

“W-what’s going on!?” I exclaimed.

“Get down!” Matt suggested.

“What!?” I exclaimed, as a sword was swung above my head, “Y-you! You’re-!”

“Miss me?” a familiar figure said.

“You two know each other!?” exclaimed Matt.

“I can’t have you ruining my plans here.” said the villain.

“W-what.” was all Matt could say.

“Leave the two of them alone.” I heard another voice say.

The next thing I knew, there was a glowing green sword in front of the villain’s neck.

“So, you want to fight me, Lilith?” he said.

“Miles,” she said, “Leave the two kids alone!”

“I’m confused.” said Matt, scratching the back of his head, “What is going on!?”

He pulled his cape over himself and vanished. A few seconds later, a gray dragon was in the air and breathed fire on a nearby building.

“What the!?” exclaimed Matt, hiding behind me.

“Some hero you are.” I teased.

“Grrr… not now!” he responded.

“You two need to go!” Lilith said.

“Why?” I asked.

“Just go!” she demanded.

“Fine,” I said, running off with Matt, “So, why the hell did you want us to come here?”

“I… was born in this town.” he said, “And I… just wanted to show you.”

“Alright, whatever.” I said, “Let’s just get out of this damn place!”

The next thing we knew there was a ton of fire in front of us both.

“Damn!” exclaimed Matt.

“Ah, fuck!” I exclaimed.

“Do you two need some help?” I heard a voice say.

“Huh?” responded Matt.

I turned around and saw someone familiar fighting with a golden sword.

“Over here!” I heard her say.

Matt and I both ran over as fast we could.

“W-what’s going on!?” I asked.

“Miles has been going from place to place causing trouble.” she answered, “It’s as if he’s searching for something.”

“J-Jean?” responded Matt.

“….Huh?” I reacted.

“…You’re… Matt…” she said, “I really wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here of all places.” he said.

“It’s the same for me,” responded Jean, “but the important thing is to get you guys out of here.”

“But-” said Matt.

“Go!” she demanded.

“…F-fine.” he said.

“Come on, Matt.” I said, “We probably shouldn’t have come.”

The two of us ran off and tried to get out.

“So, you know Jean?” I said.

“I told you about her, didn’t I?” responded Matt.

“I guess.” I said.

“Do you know her?” he then said.

“Yeah,” I said, “I’ve actually been here before and Jean was there- I think this is why Miles tried to attack us!”

We were almost to the main entrance and then we were surrounded by fire. It seemed as if there was no escape. I can remember all of the sweat dripping down my face at the time.

“Oh, shi-!” exclaimed Matt.

“This is all YOUR fault!” I interrupted.

“Let me finish swearing first, dammit!” he reacted.

“We’re both gonna die because of you,” I said, “this was a mistake!”

“Whatever,” he said, “I might not look like it, but I can be a freaking hero!”

“No- Matt! Do NOT do something stupid!”

“Stupid? I’m gonna get our asses out of here!”

He jumped right into the fire.

“What the actual fu-!” I exclaimed, but then stopped when I saw the fire getting put out and there was Matt on the other side, unharmed.

“Uh… what?” I said.

“A pro can stop, drop and roll and put themselves out in a few seconds!” he said.

“I will never understand you.” I responded.

The next thing we knew, the gray dragon headed toward us. Then, Matt just stood in front of it.

“Matt, you’re still an idiot.” I said.

“Well,” he said, “this idiot is going to save your life.”

“I… doubt it.” I muttered.

He ran right at the dragon who breathed fire. Before we knew it, almost the entire town was covered in flames. That was the last thing I saw before I passed out. When I woke up, I saw Jean and Lilith as well as a guy that I kinda remembered seeing a year before.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“Jon,” Lilith said, “there’s something more important to talk about.”

“…W-where’s Matt?” I asked.

“Your friend is dead.” answered Jean, looking down at the ground.

“What!?” I exclaimed.

“He ran off into that fire,” said Jon, “all that he left behind is a burnt pair of shoes.”

“…!” was all I could get out.

“…You’ve probably had a rough day,” said Lilith, “why don’t we take you home…?”