"Get out of the way, Selena!" Doric charged the thug who was harassing the girl he loved and slamed the man into the nearby stop sign. CRACK, the mans back seemed to make a cracking sound as he slumped over Doric. Smiling he looked over to Selena expecting her to look at her hero with awe. Instead what he saw in his fading vision was tears streaming down her face as she cried out his name. "DORIC!" looking down at his stomach he saw why she was scared.

He had been shot. "It wasn't supposed to be this way, I was finally going to change my ways, For her…."

EARLIER THAT DAY

It was a bright and beautiful morning when Doric asked Selena out on a date. He could remember every detail of her outfit that day. The long flowing dark hair, the stylish clothing that hinted at wanting attention but not too much. The light makeup to accentuate her looks and the wonderful lightly used perfume that smelled like peaches. 

He knew from the moment he saw her that he was in love. It was freshman year of college for Doric, he was struggling hard to get ready. His short dark hair was a mess after his shower, and his clothes were wrinkled from being on the floor but that did not bother him at all. He Prepared himself in the mirror looking at the dark circles under his eyes that reminded him of the countless hours he had spent studying and playing video games.

Well mostly playing video games he would chuckle to himself as he brushed his teeth. Deciding what to eat was simple. He would open the fridge, see nothing edible, and make himself some buttered toast with some jam on it. Afterwards he would head off to school on his bike since he did not have the money to afford a car. Making his way to the college he would stop at the near by convenience store and grab some new deodorant. He just ran out and if he was going to go on a date with Selena he was going to need it.

As he entered the grocery store he saw a strange man at the cash register. He seemed antsy like he was irritated at how slow the line was moving. His clothes were dirty and Doric could smell him from there. "Ah, probably coming down from a high. Better grab my stuff and hurry along."

He headed to the isle with his favorite stick deodorant and waited in line. Looking at the candy that laid displayed under the counter he decided to treat himself to a peanut butter cup. As he reached for the cup the strange man started screaming at the cashier. 

"Where is my damn change! I gave you a 20 I only recieved 5.26 where is the other 10!"

Looking up at the man, he saw that he was focused dead ahead at the cashier. A few customers looked uncomfortable and fidgeted a little which set the man off even more. 

"What are you looking at? I'm not some animal on display, I don't have rabies!" the man blurted out before grabbing his bag and stumbling out of the store. Doric was worried at first he saw the man eyeing his bike and trying to grab it but the chain he bought last week came in handy. The man jiggled it around a bit tried ripping the chain and then walked off. "Thank god for bike locks…"

Paying for his stuff he waited a moment before leaving, Worried the man might see him unlock his bike and take it he wanted to make sure the bum was gone. A few moments later he would exit the store grab his bike and book it to the college.

"I have an important date with Selena after school. I can't wait! She is so freaking adorable and I am lucky enough to take her out today. Been saving up all month to take her somewhere nice."

He thought to himself as he shook from the excitement. Ignoring the world around him he nearly got hit by a truck but dodged it just in time. Refocusing on his trip he saw the strange man ahead of him. At the school. "How did he beat me there? He went the opposite direction as me." Doric questioned it, but he did not have time to think about it for long. He saw the glint of metal and a scream. A familiar voice.

"Selena!" other students saw what was going on and started making their way away from the scene quietly as they could some whimpering as they did so. Doric on the other hand bolted towards the bum with the gun and slammed himself, bike first into him. Knocking both of them to the ground as well as disarming the man. The gun fell safely in the grass next to Selena who backed up until she was against a wall.

Scared out of her mind she watched as Doric gasped for air. He had hit the grass pretty hard and knocked the wind out of himself. The bum on the other hand was not as phased by the attack and ripped the bike off of himself with strength that seemed to much for someone of his stature. 

Doric saw the man going towards the gun and struggled to tackle the man again. Succeeding he slammed into the man full force into the stopsign nearby. He heard a crack as the man slumped over him. He did not hear the cries of Selena, nor did he hear the firing of the gun. His mind was focused on the date they would have later today. He was focused on the girl he loved. Up until the very moment his mind faded from him and he slept in eternal darkness.

Budum, Badum…His heart was slowing down. Badum…..Badum….Ba..dum… until it stopped.

It was his final beat on this world. "If I am going to go out, what better way then to go out a hero…" the last thing he heard was the sobs of the woman he loved and his heartbeat that beat only for her.

He thought he would fall into nothing a void, or be sent to heaven or wherever people go when they die. But instead he found himself floating in the air. Miles above the ground. He adjusted his view and saw what looked like castles. "Europe maybe?" He thought to himself as he continued floating. "Why would I be sent here after dying…" The farms look beautful and the castle looks new." He was even more confused now. "Wait the castle is in use. By knights?!"

He saw many soldiers dressed in knight outfits leaving the castle they seemed to be heading somewhere. He looked towards the direction they were heading and saw an army approaching them. "Larpers perhaps?"

He did not have time to watch as he found himself teleported to somewhere else. A room, furnished with decoratives that looked medieval and somewhat magical at the same time. He saw a beautiful woman that looked like a princess. She was brushing her hair and humming a tune. It was delicate and seemed to hint at a lover perhaps. He smiled for a moment and enjoyed the tune until it was cut off with a scream. He opened his eyes and saw that she was looking directly at him using the mirror he looked shocked and confused before he was pulled away from the location and into another spot.

This time there was no light where he was. It was pitch black except for a little light that shone very far away down what looked like perhaps a tunnel of some kind. He did hear something though. A woman with a silky voice chanting something. It was in a language he did not understand but it sounded like she was casting a spell. 

Whatever it was it compelled him to move closer. He did, inch by inch he moved until he was in the light. What showed was a strange sight. A room in a cave entrance. The room was furnished with what seemed to be cut onyx and draped with purple silk. Sitting at the table was someone who was so beautiful she could be compared to Selena. Her skin was a beautiful purple hue and her hair was as white as snow. He was saying something while looking at a book. He was mesmerized by her voice.

"Finally!" she said in a light excitable voice. Turning she looked at Doric and smiled. "I've been calling to you for so long, Master!"

"Master, me?" he spoke calmly "I don't know whats going on, is this the afterlife?"

She laughed in a way that warmed his heart and she shook her head. No Silly I brought you back from there. We are back in the material world. I still have a lot to learn from you, so don't go dying on me again!"

Even more confused he looked around. The area was pretty small now that he had more time to study it. "I have so many questions, Who are you, what is the material world and where am I?" He could not stop the flood of questions that seemed to pour out of his mouth. He stopped though as he noticed something.

A clicking as he spoke. "What the?" He looked down at himself and noticed something different. Something well, not there. "My body, where is my body!" He would rush towards the mirror next to the table and look at himself. What he saw was unbelievable.

He had become a floating skull surrounded by wisps of blue fire.