Wish Granted in the Wrong Way

Subaru shuffled into the dimly lit game store, the dim, flickering fluorescent lights casting long shadows across the worn linoleum floor. The air was thick with the scent of old cardboard and stale air, a fitting ambiance for the decrepit establishment. His eyes darted around, scanning the cluttered shelves lined with an eclectic mix of dusty, forgotten titles. And then he saw it: "Resident Evil: The Phoenix Tears."

The case stood out amidst the chaos, its glossy cover gleaming ominously in the low light. It was the Master Edition, promising not just a game but an escape, a sanctuary from the relentless gray of his existence.

His fingers trembled as he reached for the case, the cover art an intense tableau of chaos and darkness. It beckoned with the promise of hours lost in a digital world far removed from his own. Subaru's life had long been a series of lonely days and darker nights, an endless loop of gaming and solitude behind the heavy curtains of his small, cluttered apartment. The few memories he had of the outside world were tinged with sorrow and regret.

The inheritance he had received after his parents' tragic death had dwindled away, spent on games and junk food. Their deaths haunted him, a grim reminder of his own failure. He had been there, at the wheel, distracted and careless. The accident was his fault, and the guilt had consumed him, driving him deeper into his reclusive lifestyle.

Now, as he stood in the game store, Subaru was nearly penniless, without qualifications, without a job, and without a future. His days were a blur of meaningless hours, punctuated only by the moments he could lose himself in another virtual reality.

Should he work as a janitor? A—

The shopkeeper, a grizzled old man with a permanent scowl etched into his features, broke through his reverie with a barked command.

"Hey! We're closing! You buying that or not?"

Subaru jolted, his heart pounding in his chest. "Yeah, sorry," he mumbled, fumbling with shaking hands to pull his wallet from his pocket. The shopkeeper huffed impatiently, his scowl deepening as Subaru handed over the last of his cash. The transaction completed, Subaru clutched the game to his chest and stepped out into the cool night air.

The streets were deserted, the world around him eerily silent. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a ghostly pallor over the empty sidewalks and shuttered storefronts. Subaru's thoughts drifted, as they often did, to the darker corners of his mind. If he died, would anyone cry? Would anyone even notice? The answer, he knew, was no.

He wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to die and be reborn. In his fantasies, he imagined a new life, a new world where he mattered. Perhaps he could come back as a prince, someone with a destiny. Or maybe as Rimuru Tempest, with a world to conquer, or Rudeus, with a chance to start over. Even Kazuma, with a new life full of adventure and fun. But who was he kidding? Even in his wildest dreams, he couldn't see himself as someone important. He didn't need superpowers or magic. Just a little love and respect, a single person who cared would be enough. A cute girl with silver hair, maybe. Someone to hold onto in this bleak existence.

He looked at both sides of the road. Perhaps he should wait for a truck?

His reverie was shattered by a strange noise, a soft "cressheh" behind him. Subaru spun around, heart racing. In the dim light, he saw something small and indistinct floating around him.

"Lia! Lia! Are you okay?" A frantic voice called out. Subaru's head began to spin, confusion and disorientation washing over him.

'Why does my head spin?'

The world tilted, and he stumbled, struggling to keep his balance.

"Lia! Wake up!" The voice was desperate, filled with panic.

Subaru's vision blurred, the night swirling into a vortex of shadows and light. He felt an inexplicable pull, as if the very fabric of reality was shifting around him. The ground seemed to dissolve beneath his feet, and he was falling, falling into an abyss.

'Am I dreaming? Who is Lia? Why do I feel so dizzy?'

As he regained consciousness, he found himself staring at the source of the voice. A small, floating cat hovered before him, its features barely discernible in the darkness.

"Sheesh, Lia," the figure spoke in a high-pitched voice, grinning slightly. "You nearly gave me a heart failure! Now, are you feeling okay? We still need to find your insignia, remember?"

Subaru gave it a blank look, his mind struggling to process the bizarre scene before him. Despite his depression, he had never resorted to drugs, never indulged in hallucinations. But this... this was something else entirely.

"Are you a VR Talking Tom from Outfit7? Is this a commercial prank?" he asked, his voice trembling.

The cat's ears perked. "Huh?"

"Isn't—" But then he froze. The voice that came out wasn't his own. Panic surged through him, and he looked around wildly, desperate to find something reflective.

He saw some strange, human-like creatures in the distance, but they weren't important right now. He needed to see his face. He needed to understand what was happening. He spotted a fountain nearby and sprinted towards it, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"No way..." he whispered, staring into the water. The reflection that stared back at him was not his own. He was in a different world, in a different body.

The face in the water was that of a young woman with silver hair, her eyes wide with shock. She had large, expressive eyes the color of amethysts, deep and luminous, framed by long, thick eyelashes. Her hair was a cascade of silver, falling in soft waves down to her waist, shimmering like moonlight against the dark water. Her skin was pale and flawless, giving her an ethereal, almost otherworldly appearance.

"Is this…a game world?"

Subaru's hands trembled as he touched his face—no, her face—in the reflection. The sensation was surreal, the weight of his new body foreign and disconcerting. He felt the unfamiliar heft of a chest, the way it shifted as he moved. Long hair brushed against his back and shoulders, a constant reminder of his transformed identity.

"I am in a different world? But as the... heroine?"

Then, he fainted.

TBC