In a church lit only by dim sunlight filtered from the window, walked a sickly, young, dirty boy and a fanciful, overweight-looking priest.

“I can’t believe that the goddess of light chose you as the hero, a filthy street urchin. But we have to play with the cards we are dealt. Now you, as the 6th hero, must rid us of the threat of the gema monstrosity.” The fat priest stated. The boy stayed quiet, not answering. He seemed to sway as he walked behind the priest. “We have decided to send you to the front lines immediately. Don’t worry, we'll send some people to help you.” Suddenly a dull thud rang through the empty hall as the boy fell over. The priest stopped and walked over, kicking the boy. “Wake up.” But the boy didn’t move. “Disgusting commoner.”

***

The boy, now more healthy, sat alone at a campfire, wearing polished armor. He hungrily eats meat. Although he looks better, his eyes have bags under them.

“Hey, commoner, what the hell is this meat? Didn’t I tell you to go hunt a golden deer?” A snobby-looking man in robes yelled at the boy.

Sheepishly, the boy replied, “They don’t live here. They’re supposed to live in warm climates. Of course, I can't find it.”

“Useless. I can’t believe someone like you could be the hero. It should’ve been someone from the nobility who deserved it, not a disgusting commoner like you.” The man turned away and walked to another campfire, where servants were waiting for him. With him were 3 other rich people sitting around the campfires all being served by servants.

The boy hated the uselessness of these obvious fakes who were sent with him to show the public that the nobility was “contributing to the war effort”, a political move to instill trust and control. He wished they would shut up and let him do things by himself, but they were forced on him for political reasons. 

Keep calm. If you continue to do this, they promised to help everyone else.

***

The boy, not much older, was fighting an army of black, swampy creatures. Most of them looked similar to everyday creatures he saw and fought, but the only difference was that they wanted to kill all life. Evidence was the blackened forest behind the wave of them, with dead trees, grass, and bones everywhere. He muttered some arcane words before suddenly a blade of light surged forward, killing a multitude of them. They began to vanish into the miasma, but behind were the ones who were relatively unharmed, continuing forward.

“Dammit, there’s no end to them.” He was pissed off, not only at the endless amount of beasts surging forward but also at the fact that his damned teammates had abandoned him. He jumped back and took a deep breath. His blade began to be coated with a yellow glow, as he rushed forward again, slicing through the monsters. Some of the gema who could use ranged attacks, launched them forward, most of them blocked or missed but some managed to scratch him. But soon the end was insight, and the boy began to fight harder. And finally, there was nothing left, but the boy standing in a field of dead grass, leaning on his sword.

"Is it over? Finally?" He let out a huge sigh of relief and began to walk away. He began to look forward to what he would do. Now that he had gotten rid of the gema herd, he'd be able to go home. Though he'd probably had to listen to the endless nagging of the other 4 even though they were the ones who abandoned. He'd love to read of the previous heroes and wished he could go on a journey like them. Now he had, he hated it and wished he could return to his previous life, happy and still unaware of the world. Suddenly the ground erupted behind him, and a giant black shadowy beast came out. 

"It's not over!?!?!? FU-" before he could jump into position a tail came out and whacked him out of nowhere. He was launched backward but managed to maneuver himself into a position where there was little damage from the impact. Although the previous strike had broken his ribs.

"Hero, I am the king of gema," a voice seemed to resound in his head. The shadowy giant seemed to be the one talking, and to support this fact was unlike another gema, he didn't run forward at the first sight of life. "I offer you a swift death if you lay down your arms."

"Like fuck I'll do that! I can fight you and beat you, just like I did to the horde before."

"They weren't meant to beat you. They were just to weaken you for me to beat." The boy was shocked at the words. This was unprecedented with no time ever, no legend or anything was there an incident of a gema talking before. Let alone planning out a strategy. They always rushed forth and used brute strength. 

"Fine then, if I'm going to die, at least I'll go out fighting, you bastard!" He yelled as the clash began.

***

"YOU WON'T ESCAPE ME!" Now the boy was falling with a giant sword in his grasp. The falling blade neared the head of the shadowy giant who was running back in the direction of his hole. Bothe beings were covered in would with blood trickling out of the corners of their mouths. 

"NOOOO--" The king of gema's screams were cut in half, like him.

"It's done." He let out with a panting sigh as he fell backward. The boy couldn't feel the pain at all, as his breathing got more and more ragged. 

Damn it, if those idiots didn't run, they would've healed me up. I wanted to go back to the orphanage and make sure that they're doing alright. His mind thought he was dying, and expressed his regret at being unable to return to his home. He then fainted and when he was awake he could hear voices. His body felt faint and feverish as he called out.

"Hey you guys, can you help,, I feel like I'm about to die." He cried in a hoarse voice. the response he got back made him feel worse.

"Hey commoner, you're still alive?" The snobby nobleman came into view and looked down at him. behind him were the other two members of the party a gruff-looking warrior and a young priestess. Both were corrupt but the hero couldn't do anything to them lest incur the wrath of the adventures guild and the church. 

"Ughh. Can you heal me?"

"Why? What's the purpose of your worthless life. If you die we get all the glory. So tell me why I should let you live?" The boy just wanted to curse out the nobleman but then he(the nobleman) was less likely to heal him(the boy). So he held his rage in and responded truthfully.

"I don't want any of the glory, I'm tired, I just want to return home, I want to go back to the orphanage and live with everyone." The nobleman begins laughing at hearing this.

"You want to go home. Ah hahaha. I guess they didn't tell you, all those kids in the orphanage starved to death, so now you've got no home to return to." The boy hero's heart dropped as a look of rage and disgust came about on his face. These damned noblemen had promised to take care of them. While they were filling the pockets and belly with the blood of their people,  they couldn't even keep a few children alive.

"I'll kill you. I'll come back one day and kill you and your bloodline." He gritted out.

"ooh so scary. A broken boy will kill me. Well anyways, since you threatened a noble, I have my full rights to execute you," the nobleman said with a smile, as this had been his plan the entire time. Rage filled the boy's body as the end of a staff came down on his stomach, tearing through it. Too exhausted to even move, he lay there, covered in wounds with blood gushing from his stomach. The three people began to walk away laughing and planning their lives from there out.

"Damn you all of you. Especially you, Kardor de Vermillion, I hope your rot in hell." He muttered out with his final breathe before everything went dark.