Steve went back to his bed and sat on the edge, the IV pole lying on the floor beside him. The IV bag was leaking, spilling fluid everywhere, but he didn't care. He was lost in the memory of the moment before he left for that other world.
***
"Hah... hah... hah..."
A boy, barely sixteen and dressed in his school uniform, sprinted toward a red light at an intersection. He moved with desperate urgency, weaving through the crowd of pedestrians like he was chasing his own life.
"Thump!" "Hey! Watch it!" a pedestrian yelled. "Sorry!" Steve called back over his shoulder, never breaking his stride.
When he reached the crossing, the light had already turned red, signaling traffic to stop. A beautiful girl with silver hair, wearing a different school uniform, stood at the curb, ready to cross now that the cars had halted. But Steve ignored the other pedestrians and lunged forward. He grabbed the girl's hand. She spun around, startled, but before she could utter a word, Steve yanked her back with every ounce of strength he had. The momentum sent her flying safely backward, while Steve stumbled forward onto the asphalt.
"Hooonk!"
Steve turned his head just in time to see a truck. It was barreling through the red light at high speed, already inches away. He didn't even have time to stand. He closed his eyes, surrendering to the inevitable. "Crash." The truck slammed into him, throwing him deep into the center of the intersection. Everything went black the moment he hit the ground.
***
Back in the present, Steve stared at his hands in thought. He touched his head and unwrapped his bandages, then looked at the casts on his arm and both legs.
"There's no mistake. That night, I dreamed that girl would be hit by a truck. I still don't know what happened to her. That dream was so vivid, like an omen, and for some reason, I couldn't ignore it. But after the accident... I'm still alive. What I experienced for thirty-five years in that other world... maybe it was just a dream. But it felt so real. I can still feel the sting of their betrayal. I just don't understand," Steve thought to himself.
As he brooded, a sudden "clang" made him look up. The door had swung open, and a nurse stood there frozen, her mouth agape. She dropped her tray, sending it clattering to the floor. When Steve raised a hand, the nurse didn't stay; she bolted down the hall, screaming for a doctor.
Moments later, two doctors and three nurses rushed in. The doctors began examining Steve, who looked completely baffled. Suddenly, their faces turned pale. One doctor checked Steve's pupils and then stepped back.
"This... this is impossible. Your body was supposed to be completely crushed. When you were brought in, your joints were twisted in the wrong directions. Your spine was shattered. It was a miracle you survived the first hour. You've been in a coma for three months, and we were just waiting for you to pass away," the doctor said.
"Is that so, Doc? I guess the crash was pretty bad then," Steve muttered.
The doctors and nurses traded confused glances, their expressions practically shouting, "What are you talking about?" Steve, seeing their reaction, grew even more confused.
"Um... what is it, Doc?" Steve asked.
"Tell me, what is your name?" the doctor asked.
"Um... Steven. People call me Steve. Why, Doc?"
"Your name is correct. Steven Karlson, sixteen years old, 11th grade. But do you not remember what happened to you?" the doctor asked.
"Um... I was hit by a truck because I saved a girl, right?" Steve asked.
"The part about saving the girl is true," the doctor said, placing a hand on Steve's shoulder. "But you weren't hit by a truck. You were struck in the back by a giant Minotaur's mace. The impact sent you flying and pulverized your spine."
The room fell silent. Steve tried to process what he was hearing. He knew exactly what a Minotaur looked like, but those were supposed to be in the world he had just left. He sat there, jaw dropped, staring at the doctor in front of him—a real doctor in a real lab coat in what looked like a real hospital.
"I need to perform a full examination on you. Is that okay?" the doctor asked.
Steve didn't speak; he just nodded. Throughout the exam, he gave one-word answers, his mind still reeling. Once they finished, the doctors left, leaving the nurses to tidy up. Steve noticed a TV mounted on the ceiling and asked a nurse to turn it on. Every channel she flipped through was the same: news.
Steve's eyes widened. He saw cities in ruins. Satellite footage showed battlefields where superheroes fought goblin armies alongside regular soldiers. Massive monsters—Behemoths, Dragons, Cyclopes—roamed through cracked asphalt streets littered with wrecked cars and burning buildings. The reporters sounded terrified. Steve pinched his cheek, then slapped himself. It stung.
"Is this... Earth? Or... not?" Steve wondered.
[End Flashback]
***
Back in the classroom, Steve watched his classmates gossiping about which superheroes were the coolest. He just scoffed.
"It's been two weeks since I woke up from my coma. For some reason, during those two weeks, I've found people to fight monsters with. I communicate with them, even though I don't actually know who they are," Steve muttered. Then, he whispered one word in his mind: "Status."
Suddenly, "bwuuung," a holographic screen flickered to life in front of his face. He read the text floating in the air.
******************************************************
Profile:
Name : Steven Karlson.
Age : 16 years old.
World : Arendel.
Job : Former Knight Hero.
Power : 300,000.
Element : Void.
Trait : Enhanced Human, Sharp Eyes, Martial Arts Master, Sword Master.
Ability : Element Absorption – Void Blade – Void Energy Blast – Void Barrier.
Special : Dimensional Box, Auto Equip.
Blessing : Temporary Blessing of Holy Goddess.
******************************************************
"Hmm... my abilities and power are the same as in that other world. My money and armor is still in my dimensional box, though I've modified it. But I don't understand this blessing, and this status screen is like something out of a game. I still don't get it, even after two weeks of living a life that's similar to my old one, but clearly not the same," Steve muttered.
He swiped the screen away and glanced at Erica, who was sitting far ahead of him. Because his mother had married Erica's father two months ago while he was still in a coma, they now lived together in the same house—though no one at school knew.
Erica had also transferred to his school just a month ago. She was the very girl he had saved because of his dream—the girl whose rescue led to his coma, his thirty-five-year journey in Arendel, and his ultimate betrayal by the people he thought were his friends.
From the first day she met him, Erica seemed to hate him. Steve didn't mind; he wasn't interested in being open or talking to her anyway, so the arrangement suited him just fine. Their parents were currently away on military duty.
They had married partly for convenience—to ensure Steve and Erica wouldn't be alone and would be safer and more financially stable together. Not wanting to stare at Erica for too long, he turned his gaze back to the front of the room, unaware that Erica was also stealing a glance at him.