He sighed in frustration. "And even if you're a sidekick to a Hero, you're still a good guy, and you're still a Hero." He ran his hands through his hair and stood up from his desk. "I'm sick of reading these stories. It's as if everything Hero does for the greater good counts as 'good,' even when it's not."
Asher paced back and forth in his room. It was late at night, and the soft blue light of his laptop was the only thing illuminating his bedroom. "I want a story that isn't just black and white, and instead where there are shades of gray," he continued, thinking about how he could find a story like that.
"I want to find a story where a character is allowed to do things because it benefits him, not because it's for the greater good. I want a character that can take what he wants and do whatever he pleases without being labeled a 'bad guy.'" He sighed, frustrated with the lack of diversity in the genre he was currently reading.
He sat back down at his desk, opened up a new browser tab, and began searching for a story that would meet his needs. As he continued browsing, he found himself looking for stories with villains that had more depth than the usual cookie-cutter heroes.
"Villains aren't just pure evil," he said to himself, scrolling through a page of stories that seemed to fit the bill. "They have motives and goals, just like Heroes. They're not just evil for the sake of it. They have plans, ambitions, and a vision of their own. But they're not bound by the same moral code as Heroes, which allows them to be more flexible, to do things Heroes would never even think of doing."
Asher continued searching, his frustration growing as he realized that most stories didn't seem to have what he wanted. He kept looking, hoping that somewhere in the sea of stories he'd find something different.
But to his disappointment, nothing caught his interest. "This is bullshit," he grumbled. "Why isn't there anything out there that fits what I want? Fuck this, I've had enough." He slammed his laptop shut, got up, and walked out of his apartment, not wanting to waste another second reading these stories.
Asher's thoughts raced as he walked through the dimly lit streets, feeling the chill of the night air against his face. "The only thing I look forward to in this shitty, boring world is entertainment. I mean, I work my ass off and get a break once a week. But what do I get? Fucking boring, repetitive stories." He paused and looked up at the night sky. He felt a mix of emotions welling up within him—frustration, anger, and sadness.
"I just want something exciting and new. I just want a story with more to it. Is that too much to ask for?" Asher sighed and shook his head.
He continued walking, letting his feet lead him wherever they wanted to go. As he wandered through the empty streets, his mind continued to spin. "I really don't like living a life like this. Working for the whole day, taking orders from assholes, and having nothing to look forward to except for the same boring shit. All because I'm supposed to follow the rules and do the 'right' thing. What a load of crap. If I were born in a fantasy world, at least I'd have the power to make a change. At least there would be magic or powers that could shake up the mundane and give me something interesting."
Suddenly, Asher felt a jolt of electricity pass through his body, causing him to drop to his knees. His head was pounding, and his vision blurred as a loud ringing filled his ears.
"Shit! What the fuck?" Asher cried out as the world around him started to fade away and a bright, blinding light engulfed him.
***
When he regained consciousness, Asher was in a completely different place. He was in the middle of a lush, verdant forest, with sunlight filtering down through the thick canopy of leaves. The air was warm and smelled of sweet wildflowers and earth. The ground was covered with thick grass, soft and cool against his skin. He sat up slowly, his mind still foggy, his head throbbing.
"What the..." Asher murmured as he took in his surroundings, trying to figure out how he got here. The forest was peaceful, almost serene. He could hear birds chirping in the distance and the sound of water flowing from a nearby stream.
As he stood up and looked around, Asher realized he wasn't alone. There was another person lying unconscious on the ground next to him, a beautiful young woman with long, wavy silver hair.
However, there was something wrong about this whole situation. Something very, very wrong.
Because the beautiful woman lying unconscious on the grass was not wearing a single thread of clothing. But that was not what was making this entire scene wrong.
It was the fact that Asher was also stark naked. This was the single worst moment in his life; Asher was sure of it. He was completely nude in a forest, next to a woman he didn't know, with no idea how he got here or what was happening.
"What the fuck is going on? Where am I, and why the hell am I naked with this woman?!" Asher cried out in disbelief, not wanting to believe his own eyes. "Did someone kidnap me? Drug me? What is going on here?"