"Everything sucks lately…" 

Standing in the line at the grocery store he peeked into his wallet to sigh heavily to himself as he held spaghetti noodles and pasta sauce. He gawked around to see the other people in the shop carrying expensive bags, clothing, and toys. 

He looked down at the items he carried as he ran his fingers through his black hair and wondered what led him to be born to such misfortune. The things he had seen so far in his life made him want to scream but he knew it would be pointless. He had been told many times that he was a lucky one by his parents and all of them were telling the truth. He knew that they were trying to make him feel better and that they loved him but sometimes he couldn't believe it. 

"Hey Aeneas!" A voice shouted. 

She gripped his neck tightly as she spun him excitedly around. He struggled in her grip and tried to pull away from her, knowing that she didn't mean any harm.

  "What do you need?" He asked her while looking around desperately for the person who called out to him.

She smiled with delight upon seeing his confused face and then pulled out a pack of cigarettes. His eyes went wide and his body shook from fear as the woman started to light up. He took hold of her arm and twisted it backward behind her. She cried out and fell to the floor, writhing on the floor as she felt the pain.

"Don't smoke inside the damn store!" He scolded. 

"I am bored of waiting for you!" She shouted. 

The line looked like it had at least ten people in front of him. Aeneas picked the cigarettes up, stuffing them in his pocket as people stared at them. She quickly popped out her phone before showing him the latest game she was playing. 

"Bullet Watch?"He asked. 

She pointed at a man in a navy blue suit holding two large guns and standing in a proud pose. She nodded and showed him another picture which had her laughing maniacally as she said.

"Bullet Watch is the most popular shooter game in the world right now! I want you to join me!" She yelled. 

"Lea, you are way too happy-go-lucky and obsessed with stupid characters!" He chided 

He nearly knocked her phone out of her hand while almost dropping the spaghetti sauce in his hand. 

"You are just jealous of me!" She pouted while putting her phone back.  She grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the door away from the crowd. 

"What is your problem?" Aeneas shouted. 

  "Come on, there's a party at my place! Come with me!" She begged. 

"No thanks, I have plans for tonight!" He lied. 

"Ok! Bye, Aeneas!" With a grin she was gone.

Aeneas became pissed as he realized the grocery store line went longer. He randomly placed the items back up on some shelf and walked out of the door annoyed. Watching Lea from behind he watched a group of men in trench coats and colorful hair bump into Lea. 

'Who are these goofballs?" Aeneas questioned. 

A man with bright green hair and a mohawk pointed a pistol with a silencer at Lea's head. Her hands flew up in the air as she stood still looking terrified. Her eyes locked onto Aeneas as he watched in shock.

He watched from a distance, afraid to move, watching his friend's life in danger.  Lea slowly turned to face him and he could only see her eyes as the man in front pointed the gun at his friend.  His breathing slowed down and his heart pounded in his chest. Everything slowed down for him. His mind screamed, "Run!" But his feet wouldn't budge.

'Real life isn't some stupid ass game!' He thought. 

"Aen-!" She shouted. 

The man's finger quickly pressed against the trigger. He watched helplessly as his best friend crumpled to the floor lifeless. The bullet wounds littered her skin causing blood to pool under her body. He wanted to run to help her but couldn't find the strength. The man laughed as he walked away with a smirk as if this were all a joke. 

He watched as they moved past his frozen stance and kept walking until the sounds of the gunshot faded into the distance... 

"This is real. This is real" He repeated, shaking slightly. "This is not a movie". "This is not a dream". "This is not happening"."This is not real". Tears streamed down his cheeks. "This is not real. This is not real. This is not real". He kept repeating it over and over again.

He could hear the shouts and screams of the people in the store, he could even hear sirens. All the time thinking that it wasn't real. That everything wasn't really happening. That he was dreaming. That his best friend was dead.

When Aeneas turn the same pistol was pointed at his face. The man was calm, confident, and smiling. His eyes were dark, almost lifeless. Blood dripped from the hole on the left side of his forehead and down into his shirt. 

He raised the weapon up and aimed at Aeneas's face. 'I should try to run away but it'd be useless. My legs won't move. It's as if someone stuck cement blocks in them and they won't let me move' He realized.

Aeneas closed his eyes as the muzzle came closer to his face. 'This can't be real. None of this is real. None of it. It must be a sick nightmare. A nightmare that ends when your mom pulls you out of bed in the morning and tells you 'Go brush your teeth, you lazy son of a bitch'. Nothing more, nothing less' He thought. 

Hearing the gun go off, he flinched and opened his eyes to see the barrel was no longer in the air, but resting inside his forehead. As the gun hit him he heard it ring in his ears like thunder. He blinked and his world shifted once more.

'If I am dead then where is Lea?' He thought. 

[Metempsychosis cycle has started, but seems to have a problem.] 

'Meta what?' He asked. 

[You were involved in a mass shooting and were unable to save your friend let alone your life.] 

'I can't tell if you are insulting me or not!' He shouted.

[Unfortunately, you aren't dead yet and are going to be given a second chance, but you will be meeting Yash.] 

'Yash?' He thought. 

[To prolong your life in the human world you will work with iConjure Unknown.] 

'What about Lea?'  Aeneas asked. 

[Lea's life has expired from the run-in, unfortunately, but you can save others from her fate, Aeneas.]

'But…why do I get to live?' Aeneas questioned. 

[The human world is complicated and frustrating, but Yash will help you find a reason to live I know it,] 

'Lea deserved to live over me!' He howled. 

Everything started to fade as he opened his eyes, the familiar sensation of being sucked back into reality washed over him. He looked around and realized that he was in the hospital bed

his head began pounding as the sound of gunfire echoed in his mind and tears welled up in his eyes. He wiped away his tears as he sat up in bed feeling sick to his stomach. 

His face was bandaged and covered in bruises and cuts that he hadn't noticed last night, but they were all there. A sudden pain ripped through his body as he felt something stab his chest. His heart stopped beating for a couple of seconds as he held onto his chest.

"Hey, brat! Welcome back to reality!" The man smirked. 

He was a very built tan man wearing a black shirt with a skull logo in the middle with tight jeans. He was muscular and had short blonde hair and grayish-blue eyes. 

"Are you Yash?" Aeneas asked. 

"I am the one and only Yash of iconjure Unknown.inc!" He stated proudly. 

Yash tossed Aeneas a bottle of medicine and sat next to him taking a sip of water. He handed Aeneas another bottle of water he had in a bag. Aeneas took the glass on the cabinet next to him, filled it with water and swallowed the pills. 

"What you took was Olsamine which will speed up your healing," Yash winked. 

"Yash, why was I allowed to live?" Aeneas pondered. 

He quieted for a moment before pulling the curtain around them for privacy. 

"It was a test, I guess?" Yash responded. 

Aeneas rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"You are a smartass. Don't worry you'll be fine," Yash smiled reassuringly.

He heard loud beeps on his phone pulling it out while smiling  at him, "Sorry I gotta go." He said.

"Where are you going?" Aeneas asked. 

Yash showed the game he was playing, making Aeneas annoyed. 

  "Bullet Watch?I don't play games!" He yelled. 

"Don't take it so seriously. There's no need to be grumpy, but soon your avatar will be here too!" He chuckled. "See ya soon kiddo." He waved, picked up his bag

"My what?!" Aeneas shouted. 

Yash walked off humming a song to himself down the hall leaving Aeneas sitting bewildered on the bed. As he stared at the now blank screen above him.