Congratulations, You’re The Hero—Unfortunately

They say humans aren’t meant to be alone. That friends are essential, that life without connections is empty. That being alone is… wrong.

Yeah, sure. And brussel sprouts are delicious.

People say a lot of stupid things—and I used to believe them. I thought if I smiled at the right times, laughed when everyone else laughed, and pretended to care about things I didn’t, then maybe I’d fit in. I’d have that picture-perfect group of friends you see in ads for canned coffee.

Turns out those commercials lie. The only thing I got was a collection of “maybe next time” texts and some very educational lessons in human hypocrisy.

The truth about people is… they leave. They lie. They betray. Sometimes people walk out without saying goodbye. Sometimes they stay, but only out of pity. Sometimes they just smile while sticking the knife in.

It hurts, but they don’t always seem to care.

It’s believed that loneliness is this terrifying thing you have to escape from. Almost like it’s a disease.

But being isolated isn’t a punishment—it’s an absolute luxury. No one nags at you or uses you. You’re free to do what your heart desires without the weight of others on your shoulders. People say loneliness will eat you alive, but I’ve been living off of it like it’s a three-course meal.

If life’s a game, I’ll play through it solo. I don’t need party members. Just me, progressing through my own story at my own pace.

Does that make me bitter? Maybe. Immature? One-hundred percent. But at least I’m honest about it. Unlike the people who insist they “love being around you” and then ghost you once something better comes skipping along.

So yeah, I’ve made peace with it. This is my life. Alone is fine. Alone is safe.

This is the kind of thing I find myself thinking about often. Whether I’m brushing my teeth in the morning or riding my bike home from school, these thoughts flood my brain.

In this case, I found myself thinking about it while waiting at the station for the next train to arrive.

My mom had asked me to go shopping after school for some ingredients she needed for dinner. I had asked her why she couldn’t have had one more child to do these chores for her, but she just sighed and rolled her eyes in response. I guess she didn’t approve of my joking around.

Oh well.

I just wish I could move out and live on my own.

A few minutes later, the train arrived. I stepped on quickly so I could locate a seat away from where most people would be. Shortly after the last person had gotten on, the train doors slid with a heavy clang, sealing me in with a bunch of strangers and a single goal: survive until my stop without making eye contact.

Rush hour in the city is a special kind of hell. Not the fiery kind—more like a suffocating swamp of humanity and deodorant commercials playing nonstop. The ads above the seats blared their usual lies:

“Connect! Life’s better together!”

Sure. And free trials never auto-renew.

Many people were glued to their screens, scrolling endlessly. It’s funny, really. People can’t stand silence, so they fill it with artificial noise. Me? I’m just fine watching the world go by.

A younger couple stood near the door, sharing a pair of wired earbuds and whispering sweet nothings to each other.

Could you save the PDA for off the train? Some of us are trying to keep our sanity here.

Romance? Nah, not for me. I figure it takes a special kind of person to put up with someone else for hours on end, day after day. What's so exciting about being stuck in a relationship anyway? I just don't get it.

Some kid a few seats beside me was hammering away at a mobile RPG. His party had two mages, a healer, and some kind of dragon knight.

Not a bad choice, kid.

The train jolted slightly, and my reflection in the window shook with it. Same tired eyes. Same average face. Just another NPC in the background of someone else’s life.

I wondered, not for the first time: If I vanished now, would anyone around me even notice?

I didn’t get much of a chance to contemplate that question.

The lights flickered. Once. Twice. Then pitch black.

At first, I thought it was some kind of power outage.

That can happen on trains right?

Someone gasped. Another muttered about the train stopping. My phone screen lit up briefly—then died. No power. No signal. Nothing.

That's not weird at all...

Suddenly, it was silent. It wasn’t just quiet, this was real silence. The kind that consumes sound and spits out nothing.

Then came the sensation. Falling. No—floating. My stomach dropped like I missed a step, but there was no floor to catch me. Warmth wrapped around me, like sinking into a heavy blanket.

And then—light. Blinding, white, everywhere.

***

When my eyes adjusted, I was lying on my back, looking up at a sky so clear and blue it seemed fake. Grass brushed against my arms. There was a slight, gentle breeze that carried the smell of wild flowers.

This… was not the train.

I sat up slowly, trying to process it all. Was it a dream? Coma? Alien abduction? Sure, let’s just go with that.

Okay, sooo… either I’m dead, or someone slipped something into my convenience store coffee.

Before I could give the grass a feel for texture realism, a shadow fell on me.

“Welcome, Hero.”

I turned my head. Standing there was… well, exactly what you’d expect if someone said fantasy summoning ritual. Dark blue robes. Silver hair. A giant freaking staff. Her eyes sparkled like starlight—either magic or seriously impressive contact lenses.

“Hero?” I repeated, blinking.

“Yes,” she said, her voice warm and reverent. “You have been summoned here to save this world.”

Well, great. I’ve been promoted from loner to unpaid intern.

I looked down at myself. Same school uniform. Same old sneakers. Definitely not equipped for… whatever this is.

“Save the world…?” I said slowly. “I couldn’t even save myself from group projects.”

She tilted her head in confusion. “I’m sorry?”

“Never mind,” I sighed. “So…this is real?”

Her smile widened like I’d just asked if water was wet. “Of course. You are the chosen one.”

Chosen one? Yeah, because I was always the first pick… said no one ever.

Sigh.

So much for my single-player game.