"…Oi."
A voice.
Annoying.
"…Oi! Kid!"
Akiro's eyes slowly opened.
Light filtered through leaves above him.
Green.
Endless green.
"…Hah…?"
He sat up.
Grass.
Soft.
Warm sunlight touched his skin.
The air was fresh.
Too fresh.
"…Where… am I…?"
He looked around.
A forest.
Quiet.
Peaceful.
No blood.
No gunshots.
No betrayal.
"…Am I… dead…?"
"Obviously."
A voice answered immediately.
Akiro turned his head.
There—
By a small river—
Sat an old man.
Fishing.
Barefoot.
Clothes messy.
Hair wild.
He was humming.
No—
Singing.
Loudly.
Off-key.
Like a drunk man who didn't care about the world.
"…What kind of heaven is this…?" Akiro muttered.
The old man scoffed.
"Heaven? Hah! If this is heaven, then I'm the king of gods!"
He pulled the fishing rod.
Nothing.
"…Tch."
He glanced at Akiro.
Sharp eyes.
Too sharp for someone acting like that.
"So you're finally awake, huh?"
Akiro stood up slowly.
Still confused.
Still cautious.
"…Who are you?"
The old man grinned.
A wide, playful grin.
"Me?"
He pointed at himself proudly.
"I'm just a humble old man enjoying his retirement!"
"…You don't look humble."
"And you don't look dead, but here you are."
Akiro paused.
"…Fair point."
The forest was too peaceful.
Too quiet.
It didn't feel real.
"…Then answer me this…"
Akiro stared directly at him.
"…Is this heaven?"
The old man tilted his head.
"…Hmm…"
He looked at the sky.
Then at the river.
Then back at Akiro.
"…What do you think?"
Akiro frowned.
"…I don't know."
The old man suddenly laughed.
Loud.
Carefree.
"Good answer!"
He stood up, stretching his back.
"Because it's not."
Akiro's eyes narrowed.
"…Then where am I?"
The old man picked up his fishing rod and rested it on his shoulder.
His grin slowly changed.
From playful—
To something deeper.
"…You're in between."
"…Between what?"
The old man walked past him.
Stopping right beside him.
"…Between the life you hated…"
A pause.
"…And the life you wished for."
Akiro's eyes widened slightly.
The old man continued walking.
"…Tell me, kid…"
His voice echoed lightly in the quiet forest.
"…Do you still want to be a hero?"
Silence.
The question lingered.
Akiro clenched his fist.
His answer—
Didn't hesitate.
"…Yeah."
The old man smiled.
"…Good."
He snapped his fingers.
The world—
Shattered.
Light consumed everything.
"…Then let's see if you're worthy of that wish."