James Hollaway was, by all accounts, a loser. He worked as a coder for Infinity Games, a company that didn't appreciate his hard work, but he was too much of a pushover to say anything. His life revolved around gaming, particularly role-playing games where he could pretend to be a hero, and civilization games where he could build up a town into a city, a city into a country, and a country into an empire.

James hadn't always been like this. There was a time when he was a brilliant chess player, winning tournaments and earning accolades. But that drive had been fueled by one person: his overbearing mother. When she passed away, the fire in James's heart dimmed, leaving him adrift in a world that seemed to have no place for him. The only solace he found was in gaming, where he could lose himself in worlds where he mattered.

He also lost touch with his friends after his mother's death. They tried to reach out to him initially, but he kept pushing them away until the calls and messages stopped. Now, he didn't have the courage to reconnect or make new friends, which meant his days of roleplaying with others were long behind him.

One fateful day began like any other. James trudged into the office, already dreading the interactions he knew were coming. As he settled into his cubicle, his boss, Martin Graves, stormed over.

"Hollaway!" Martin barked. "Where's the code for the new patch? The investors are breathing down my neck!"

James opened his mouth to explain that he had already sent it, but Martin cut him off. "And hurry up! I don't have all day to wait for you to get your act together."

James nodded mutely, feeling the familiar sting of resentment and frustration. He knew Martin would take credit for his work again, presenting it as his own at the next meeting. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but James swallowed it nonetheless.

As he worked, his coworkers Sarah and Tom stopped by his desk. "Hey James," Sarah said with a friendly smile. "We're going out for drinks after work. You should come with us."

Tom nodded. "Yeah, it'll be fun. We haven't seen you outside of work in ages."

James forced a smile. "Thanks, but I'm busy tonight. Maybe another time."

"Alright, but the offer stands," Sarah said, giving him a concerned look before they walked away.

James's mind was elsewhere. He was thinking about "Kingdoms of Mythoria," a new village-building game he was excited to try. It promised a rich fantasy world where he could immerse himself in the intricacies of managing a growing settlement. The thought of diving into Mythoria kept him going through the drudgery of his workday.

After hours of coding and dealing with Martin's tirades, James finally left the office. His mind was already in Mythoria, planning out the strategies he would employ to build the perfect village.

As he walked home, he saw a little girl dart into the street, oblivious to the truck barreling towards her. In that moment, James's body reacted instinctively. He dashed forward and shoved the girl out of the way, feeling the impact of the truck a split second later. Pain exploded through his body, and darkness consumed him.

In the void of unconsciousness, James felt a strange sensation, as if he were floating. A voice, neither male nor female, whispered in his mind, "Your courage has been noted."

James tried to speak, but no words came. The voice continued, "You showed promise, but only in your last moments. Such potential wasted until the final act."

James felt a pang of regret but also a flicker of hope. The voice seemed to contemplate for a moment, then spoke again, "You are to be given another chance. A world that you might like but will not be kind to you."

The darkness shifted, turning into a swirling vortex of colors. James felt himself being pulled, stretched, and compressed all at once. The sensation was disorienting, and he struggled to stay conscious.

The voice calculated something in the background, then continued, "Prepare yourself for a world where you will need to prove your worth from the start. You will have the opportunity to become the hero you always pretended to be. Do not waste this chance."

The sensation intensified, and James felt himself being pulled through the vortex, his consciousness fading in and out.