Leonardo Carter was happy today. He whistled a merry off-key tune as he walked to his workplace. His suitcase swung like a pendulum in his hand, and a smile never left his face. He drew multiple annoyed stares from sleepy morning commuters for his whistling, but he ignored them. Leonardo Carter was very happy today.
The reason for this, you ask? Well, after two years of hard, honest work, he was getting his first promotion. After today, he will have a nice, cozy cabin, a coffee on his desk every morning, and ten people to answer to him. Soon, he will have enough savings to buy a motorbike, and no need to walk to the office every morning.
Leo was an orphan who didn't know his parents. His name was the name of the artist he adored, and his surname was the surname of the late caretaker of the orphanage. When he came of age, with his government-sponsored education, creative mind, and sharp tongue, he had managed to get an internship at his dream company. Soon, he was an official hire, and now he was on his way to get position of a manager.
He grinned as he turned to see the office building just across the road. Seeing no vehicle in sight, he started crossing the road. Little did he know, that those few steps would lead him to a promotion that no one on Earth could possibly offer.
HONK! HONK! HONK!
Time seemed to slow down. Smile vanishing from his face, Leo turned his head. His whistling came to an abrupt halt. His eyes widened in horror.
HONK!! HONK!!
A massive truck, swaying madly, barreled down the road towards him. The driver was yanking on the steering wheel, but it was clear that control was far too lost.
HONK!! HONK!!
His body was frozen, refusing to respond. His feet were rooted to the ground. He could not even scream as headlights filled his vision.
HONK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A teen in an anime-themed hoodie, clearly an otaku, watched enviously from the sides as the truck crashed into Leo, whisking his life away… from this world to another.
---
An orb of light streaked silently across the multiverse at speeds incomprehensible by man, as it crossed hundreds of thousands of universes in a moment. Suddenly, it came to a stop, hovering in front of a massive universe, larger than any it had seen in its journey. After a moment of hovering around, as if thinking, it flashed ahead, diving deep into a new, different, more powerful world than the one it lived in before.
---
Leonardo Carter woke up gasping, sitting upright on a rough bed. Sweat covered his forehead, and his breaths came quick and uneven as he tried to calm himself down. His mind spun. He looked around, expecting hospital walls, maybe a few tubes attached to his arm.
Instead, he saw a small room made of wood and stone. His clothes had changed; he was now wearing rough, ragged robes that scratched slightly against his skin. There was a clay pot of water beside the bed and a faint earthy smell in the air.
His eyes moved upward and stopped. Embedded in the ceiling was a glowing pearl, softly lighting up the room. It wasn't a bulb. It wasn't electricity.
A thought flashed in his head, striking him like a bolt of thunder.
Truck-kun… he promoted me to a different, magical world, didn't he?