Life is exhausting and meaningless… At the age of 22, I had never envisioned myself becoming someone of significance. 

Whenever faced with issues, I would constantly shrug it off and hope for the best. 

While I held a steady job that afforded me a comfortable life, I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the life I had dreamed of. 

My daily routine consisted of the familiar 9-to-5 grind at the local McLovins, and I yearned for more. 

The only source of pride I could find was the recognition I received as the top-performing employee, boasting multiple 'Employee of the Month' awards. I became the sole late-night leader and produced multiple improvements within the store, but I only truly enjoyed my power over people… >:) 

But what's preventing me from walking away and embracing homelessness?

As I journeyed to work, locked in an internal debate with no clear resolution in sight, I couldn't help but wonder. 

Upon arriving at my work, I once again delved into the familiar, unending routine, switching my mind into autopilot mode… 

Then, a familiar voice shattered the monotony, pulling me back to reality, 

'Yo Jon, you think you can lend a hand with these deliveries?'"

“JON!’

After realizing Josh was speaking to me I processed what he was saying

And what that motherfuker just did was give me an order! And no no no we can't have that, I’ll have to let him know who is in charge!

“ The fuck’s it look like Josh? I’m not your service Bitch?”

“Damn I thought I could at least ask.” he sighed

In an already sour mood, persistent beeping noises were coming from the kitchen. This was no surprise because Yusuf, our carefree burger boy, had forgotten to turn off the grill! Son of a - I’ll have to teach him a lesson!

“ FUCK! Yusuf!! You goddamn bitch, with all that beeping coming from the kitchen you’d think it would censor at least SOME of my swearing!”

Yusuf cracks up and proceeds to stop the grills and table from beeping

“Awe come on man, don’t be so grouchy,” he says in a playful mood.

This man drives me crazy! Not everyone eats butterflies and cries rainbows.

In the midst of all our arguing one of my old childhood friends decided to stop by

This surprised me quite a bit as I hadn't seen him in years!

“ Oh my god!? Brixter!?? What are you doing here so late in the night?”

When I first saw him I couldn't believe how much he had changed! Still sat at a modest 5’7 but his hair had overgrown him.

A curtain of long, jet-black hair veiled his eyes, and as I observed him, I couldn't help but notice an uncanny resemblance to a character from a certain kind of anime. 

If I wasn't mistaken, he bore a striking resemblance to a protagonist straight out of a hentai story!

shit .. not that I’d know… anyway…

Brixter responded pulling us back to the story

“ Yo man I just randomly decided to stop by, I’m also unsure why but I just felt like I needed to see you or something.”

“Well, you’re in luck! I’m running the shift tonight so I have the power to give you free food while starving my workers :) Please  have a seat so we can catch up on the good old days.”

I went back into the kitchen and told my crew I was going on break.

“ Yo Ladies, I’m going on break now I’ll probably be back in an hour! Keep the store running though!”

Josh turned over and looked at Yusuf

“ Um is he allowed to do that?”  

“ Yeah, it's chill! I know we got this man!”

“You know Yusuf, sometimes you're so positive that it kinda gets annoying.” Josh retorted

As I went to go sit down with Brixter I felt something strange, kinda like I was almost being watched in a sense. 

Shaking the feeling I started my conversation with him.

“ So how have you been? It's been a while.” 

“It has been good man! Living up north all by yourself kinda gets boring you know, so I decided that it would be good if I came in town every now and then.”

That's right, the reason why I haven't seen Brixter in so long was because he decided to move up north with his family, I never really did ask why or what was going on.

“Is everything okay with your sister?”

“Why would you bring up my sister? I remember when you and Ronald would also go on about how you guys wanted to bang her. That was pretty annoying you know.” Brixter sneered

“ Well that was in the past Brixter but besides the point! 

"Listen that's just a way of saying I’m happy to see you again!”

*BANG*

Suddenly we heard a loud bang on the door. Brixter turned over and asked

“Um, what was that?”

I groan in pain, realizing we had another worker who just so happen to start after doors are locked. 

“That's probably Abe, Our maintenance worker. I’ll have to let him in one second. Oh yeah heads up he starts street fights with middle schoolers so just be aware.”

As I hurried to the door, a feeling of unease washed over me. And when Abe finally stepped inside, I couldn't ignore the sight that met my eyes – blood trickled down from a gash on his head."

“Oh my god!? Abe are you alright!?”

He's panting uncontrollably, I hope I don't get sued for this, Although it is -30 degrees out he shouldn’t be that hurt from the cold.

I leaned forward while I heard him whispering something.

“The- They’re coming..”

“Who's coming?” I asked.

He paused for a moment then said whimpering.

“The bitches.”

“...”

I was taken aback by his stupidity. I don’t know what's worse, the fact that I was actually concerned for this retard or the fact that he made me have a loss of words.

“ Nah nah I’m just playing but something is out there though! For real!”

“Listen Abe I don't have time for your games I’m very busy doing very busy manager stuff! So if you're fine then get up like a big boy and do your job!”

Josh took a look at what was happening and he noticed that something was actually touching the glass of the building door. 

“No I think he might be right, It looks like there is a black man touching the glass door.”

Yusuf comes up to see what all the conundrum is about. After hearing a racist remark like that, even Yusuf lost his patients. 

“Yo Josh you know we don’t allow racism here at -”

Yusuf couldn’t finish his sentence as he saw this black shadowy figure standing at the door. 

When Brixter got up and saw this figure he started to feel pain coming from his head. He screamed out in agony which alerted Jonathan and the rest of the crew.

“Brixter are you good?”

“ Ye- Yeah, I don’t know what that is but I can feel that it's dangerous to be here. We should run while we can.”

At that very moment, the restaurant's windows erupted in a shower of shattered glass, allowing a sinister shadowy figure and his two companions to burst into the establishment. Towering at a staggering 6 feet in height, these figures appeared to be men, yet they were adorned with what appeared to be horns on the side of their heads.

One of the figures swiftly produced a weapon that appeared to be a giant sleek black longbow, pointing it with lethal intent directly at me. The other two figures positioned themselves like goons between the crew and their leader, their intimidating presence accentuated by the menacing spears and battle axes they carried. They were poised and ready to intercept any threat that dared to approach."

“ Jon watch out!”

Brixter shouted as the figure released his bow.

"As the arrow hurtled toward me, an overwhelming sense of dread swept over me, and in that split second, my entire life flashed before my eyes. Time seemed to stretch to a crawl, and in that surreal moment, I glimpsed a metal tray darting into my peripheral vision. 

With lightning reflexes, I reached out and grabbed the tray, narrowly preventing the arrow from finding its mark and piercing my chest. 

The sheer force of the arrow's impact sent me hurtling backward, crashing into the wall.

Gasping for breath, I turned my head in the direction from which the tray had miraculously appeared.

 "Yusuf?" I stammered

Shocked and disoriented, I had little time to gather my thoughts as Yusuf immediately took charge. 

"Josh, grab Jon and get him into the kitchen! Brixter, you help him too," Yusuf barked out orders with urgency in his voice.

Yusuf swiftly scanned the kitchen, desperately seeking anything that might aid them in this fight. His eyes fell upon a meager selection of potential weapons – a pair of scissors, a cutting board, and his trusty spatulas. 

Without hesitation, he seized his two spatulas, adopting a fighting stance as he prepared for the impending confrontation.

 Josh and Brixter, struggling to pull Jonathan to safety, shared a determined look. 

"Guys, get ready to fight," Yusuf commanded

Josh and Jonathan, visibly taken aback by this newfound, authoritative side of Yusuf, couldn't help but feel a twinge of intimidation. It was a side of him they had never witnessed before, and they instinctively complied with his orders.

Josh swiftly rose to his feet and seized a broom, his makeshift weapon of choice to confront these mysterious intruders. 

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Meanwhile, Jonathan, still recovering, observed Brixter trembling in fear, realizing the gravity of the situation had taken its toll on his friend

As the ominous figures closed in I tried to find peace with the end

"I hate to cut our reunion so short, Brixter, but I hope you can prepare for the end." 

In a desperate plea, Brixter interjected, "No! Don't fight these guys! I can see they're part of the Dark Elf tribe from the Ruri kingdom!" 

Jonathan, still bewildered, retorted, "Ruri kingdom? Is that some kind of video game?" 

Brixter, clutching his head with both hands, winced in agony as his headache had come back even worse

still struggling with the throbbing pain in his head, "I... I don't know, but I can sense that these guys are bad news."

 "It doesn't matter where they're from." 

Yusuf's gaze grew piercing and intense as he declared, "No one messes with my friends." 

His unwavering determination radiated in the direction of the shadowy figures. The leader with the bow sensed the palpable bloodlust in Yusuf's stare, causing a shiver to course through him.

 With a simple gesture of his right hand, he commanded his army to launch their assault.

The figures carrying the spear and the axe start making their entrance into the kitchen, 

Yusuf urgently shouted, 

"GUYS!" 

He swiftly devised a plan. "I'll take on Waraxe guy. The rest of you, deal with the one with the spear." 

With remarkable agility, Yusuf dashed towards the figure wielding the axe,

 launching a swift attack with his two spatulas, then skillfully evading further confrontation. He sprinted away, heading for the guest service area to create some distance.

The figure with the axe, unaffected by Yusuf's attack, grew increasingly irritated. Driven by this frustration, he pursued Yusuf, effectively luring him away from the rest of the group. 

In the dimly lit kitchen, a palpable sense of hopelessness hung heavy in the air. Josh couldn't help but verbalize their dire situation, muttering, 

"This looks like it could be the end." 

But I brought a glimmer of hope, as I declared with my newfound determination, 

"Maybe not yet!"

My adrenaline-fueled resolve pushed me into action. 

I sprinted toward the oil station, snatching up a basket filled with piping hot fries. 

With a quick motion, I flung the fries at the figure wielding the spear, adding a battle cry to his assault, 

"V*F?#&$H5>!" The creature staggered, temporarily distracted and disoriented by the sudden onslaught of hot fries.

Confusion gripped Josh as he questioned, "What? What did that thing just say?" 

But there was no time for answers, as I swiftly took charge of the situation, stating, 

"No time for that! I'll keep him distracted. Josh, Brixter, seize the opportunity to land a good hit!"

 As Brixter struggled to move, his mind raced with a sense of déjà vu. 

"This... This feels familiar," he mused. "I can only sense that... They're after me?"

The Spear figure thrust his spear towards Brixter but was saved when Josh pushed him away.

“Hey, Buddy! Let's try not to die today okay?”

In an attempt to seize the opportunity, I crept up from behind, hoping to execute a sneak attack on the creature. 

However, it became evident that the figure had already sensed my presence, its keen instincts seeking any opening. 

In a swift countermove, the creature swung the blunt end of the spear back into my arrow wound, causing me to recoil in pain.

Meanwhile, the shadowy figure had set its sights on Brixter and was advancing toward him. 

But before it could reach its target, Josh lunged forward, wielding the broom as a makeshift weapon, and delivered a powerful blow to the figure's head. 

The broom shattered upon impact, leaving the creature infuriated. 

With an eerie display of power, it unleashed a mysterious force of wind that sent Josh hurtling across the kitchen, crashing to the floor.

As the spear-wielding figure closed in on Brixter, it swiftly seized him by the neck, lifting him off the ground, and leaving Brixter gasping for breath in its relentless grip.

Back to Yusuf, the figure with the axe had finally caught up to him, positioning itself menacingly in front of him with the weapon poised for a devastating swing. 

Yusuf's quick reflexes saved him as he deftly ducked under the impending blow, narrowly avoiding a potentially lethal strike.

Yusuf couldn't help but taunt his assailant, a wry smile on his face. 

"Is that the best you can do?" 

The figure responded with a guttural and incomprehensible utterance, prompting Yusuf to remark, 

"What? What kind of language is that?"

Yusuf confidently adjusted the grip of his spatulas, treating them as though they were sharp daggers, despite their actual dulled state. 

The axe-wielding figure could sense the latent threat emanating from the improvised weapons and prepared for the confrontation.

“ Lets begin shall we?”

With determination, Yusuf leaped into action, launching himself at the figure with the axe. 

Their clash began with Yusuf expertly blocking the incoming assault. Narrowly escaping each blow.

Seizing a moment of shock on the figure's part due to Yusuf's unhuman reflexes, he swiftly delivered a blow to the knee, knocking his opponent off balance.

As Yusuf readied for a critical overhead swing, the bow-wielding figure acted with speed, firing an arrow that grazed both sides of Yusuf's arms. 

The sharp pain forced Yusuf to relinquish his spatulas, rendering both of his arms temporarily unusable.

Fueled by frustration and determination, Yusuf shouted, 

"You're... YOU'RE UNDERESTIMATING ME!" 

The commanding creature, recognizing the threat posed by Yusuf, persisted in his relentless assault, firing a barrage of arrows in rapid succession. 

Leaving Yusuf with little time to recover or strategize. He needed to act swiftly to avoid the incoming projectiles and find a way to regain control of the situation.

The axe figure, readying a finishing blow, didn't anticipate Yusuf's next move.

Despite the pain in his arms, Yusuf displayed unwavering fearlessness as he charged the disoriented figure, determined to secure victory. 

Taking cover between the store's support pillars to shield himself from the barrage of arrows, Yusuf rapidly closed the distance between himself and the grunt.

Seizing the moment he had created by closing the gap, Yusuf launched a swift and precise rising knee strike to the grunt's chin.

 The impact further disoriented the figure, causing him to stagger back, reeling from the force of the blow. 

Yusuf was regaining control of the battle with his tenacity and strategic strikes.

Quick on his feet, Yusuf acted to eliminate any further threats, swiftly kicking the axe away to ensure that no more lethal blows could come from the defeated minion. 

Undeterred by his injured arms, Yusuf dropped to the floor and, using his mouth, retrieved one of his spatulas. 

As the figure began to recover from the dazing blow and began to regain their composure they assumed a defensive stance, getting ready to counter any further attacks from Yusuf.

However displaying a slight edge in speed in this crucial moment, Yusuf swiftly ducked between their arms and drove his spatula into the figure's heart, sealing its inevitable demise.

Triumphant and exhausted, Yusuf proudly proclaimed his victory, his voice resonating throughout the store. 

"I KILLED ONE OF THESE MOTHERF*****S!"

The realization that Yusuf had managed to defeat one of the menacing figures filled me and Josh with hope.

If Yusuf could do it, then there was a chance to overcome these enemies. We rose from the ground, determined to rejoin the battle with renewed strength.

As Brixter struggled, choking under the firm grip of the remaining figure, Josh and I sprinted toward our friend from opposite directions. We were united in our determination to rescue Brixter and confront the remaining threat. 

The tide of the battle was turning, and they were ready to seize the opportunity.

The spear-wielding figure displayed an unsettling composure in the face of Yusuf's battle cry, even perhaps hinting at a twisted smile. 

The chilling calmness of this adversary sent shivers down our spines.

Dropping Brixter, the figure swung the great spear straight through the metal tables, guiding the blades in our direction. 

The deadly attack left us with no choice but to prepare for a desperate defense.

In a selfless act, Josh sacrificed his own well-being to protect me.

The heroic act cost Josh his arm.

As both me and Josh struggled to regain our composure after the devastating attack, the spear-wielding assailant wasted no time. 

In a swift and ruthless move, the figure drove the spear through Josh's ribs, causing a searing and agonizing pain. 

The battle had taken a grim turn, and the stakes had never been higher.

With a sinister air of triumph, the assailant lifted Josh's lifeless form as if it were a gruesome trophy, casting a pall of fear and despair over the remaining survivors.

 The realization of their loss weighed heavily on all of you, and the cruel irony of the situation left you questioning the absence of our plot armor. The battle had taken a devastating turn, and the odds were stacked against you. The future seemed uncertain, and the fight appeared to be nearing a bleak and unfavorable conclusion.

“ &&#ND*#!”

As the assailant made a cryptic utterance, which could only be deciphered as "I killed one," 

I was consumed by a potent mix of rage, despair, and grief. 

In an outpouring of raw emotion, I screamed out in anguish, 

"JOSH!!!"

"A man can't die in peace? What does it look like, Jon? I'm not your hero, b****."

In a surprising turn of events, Josh's voice resounded amidst the chaos, brimming with an unyielding determination. 

He defied the notion of a peaceful death.

With remarkable strength, he forced the spear back to the ground and assumed a wide and sturdy stance, gripping the handle with unwavering strength. 

He let out a resounding scream, 

"NOW FINISH THIS AND LET ME SLEEP!" 

As the situation grew increasingly dire, Brixter lost consciousness from the lack of oxygen leaving only me.

I found myself facing an impossible decision. It was clear that not everyone would make it out of this battle alive. 

The weight of responsibility fell upon my shoulders to make the tough call.

Considering the circumstances, I had to prioritize and make the difficult choice to ensure the survival of as many as possible. 

The battle would have to be fought with sacrifice in mind, and the outcome would carry a heavy emotional toll. 

Tears streaming down my face, I hesitated, torn between my friendship with Josh and the dire necessity to save the others. The weight of the responsibility was almost overwhelming.

As I was on the verge of giving in to my fear and reluctance to leave Josh, a calm breeze flowed through the store, bringing with it a moment of unexpected tranquility.

Brixter had awakened and his demeanor shifted from fearful to confident,

 he muttered, "I'm starting to remember now... but I guess that's not what's important right now.”

The bow figured shocked yelled out to Brixter

“%9V$%#!?”

“Yes, I now remember everything!” Brixter replied back 

Brixter approached the bowed figure with an aura of immense energy surrounding him. Even though I couldn't see this energy, I could feel its power, as if it pulsed through the air, sending shivers down my spine.

I watched in amazement as Brixter spoke those strange, unfamiliar words with confidence. I had no idea what they meant, but somehow, I interpreted them as 

“Let's end this.”

The fact that Brixter could communicate in their language was indeed puzzling. Questions swirled in my mind like a storm, and with each passing moment, the mystery deepened.

My eyes widened in shock as Brixter summoned a radiant sword, illuminating the room with its brilliant light. The speed and precision with which Brixter had conjured the weapon were astounding. I watched in awe as Brixter became engulfed in the same radiant glow, making it seem as if he was an embodiment of the sword itself.

I strained to make sense of the words Brixter had uttered just before he vanished. 

"Light creation, type shroud." 

The phrase echoed in my mind as I tried to grasp the significance of what I had witnessed.

In the blink of an eye, Brixter reappeared, holding the arm of the bow figure and brandishing an arrow. 

The speed of his movements was astonishing, jumping an incredible distance in an instant. It was as if Brixter had defied the laws of physics. 

The commanding figure's irritation and pain were palpable, and the scream for the spearmen to return only added to the chaos of the moment.

 The tension in the kitchen escalated rapidly as Josh and the spear user found themselves in a dangerous standoff. 

Brixter was about to finish the commander, but he sensed the spear user's impending attack from behind. He had dropped Josh and began to pursue Brixter.

 In a split-second decision, Brixter shifted his focus, and their blades met with a resounding clash.

The sheer heat and power emanating from Brixter's weapon proved overwhelming, causing it to cut through the spearmen's weapon as if it were mere butter. 

With the spear user disarmed and vulnerable, Brixter swiftly took the opportunity to defeat the remaining minion.

 However, as he turned to face the commander, he witnessed the commanding figure conjuring a portal and a desperate escape move, the commander dragged himself through the portal, leaving Brixter standing there, stunned by the sudden turn of events.

I had been watching this incredible display of combat the entire time, and could only marvel at Brixter's remarkable skills and the mysteries that continued to surround him. The kitchen had turned into a battleground of extraordinary abilities and high-stakes encounters, leaving everyone involved with questions and a sense of awe.

Brixter, having transformed back into his original self, laid on the floor unconscious, his once-powerful aura now dissipated. His hair had turned white, a stark contrast to the energy he had displayed just moments before.

As time passed, the authorities arrived at the store, including the police and an ambulance. 

They quickly attended to the injured, providing emergency aid to Yusuf and Abe, who had been hurt during the altercation. Their priority was to stabilize the wounded.

Afterward, they approached Josh's lifeless body to confirm the grim outcome of the battle. The scene was one of devastation, with two injured individuals, one unconscious, and one tragic loss.

The authorities, confronted with a situation they couldn't easily explain, seemed to take the simplest route by writing it off as a suicide attempt. 

It was a frustrating and disheartening outcome, especially given the bizarre and inexplicable events that had just occurred. But I knew trying to explain the truth, about the mysterious force and the intense battle we had faced, would likely only lead to more confusion and disbelief.

Feeling a mixture of rage, disbelief, and frustration, I ran out of the store.

Jonathan's frustration and anger boiled over as he couldn't comprehend the authorities' decision to categorize the incident as a suicide attempt at a McDonald's, a place associated with happiness and fast food

As I made my way down the alley, still grieving over Josh's tragic death, my body's physical state began to catch up with me. The adrenaline that had masked my injuries was fading, and I could feel the depth of my wounds. 

The loss of blood was starting to take its toll, making me feel lightheaded and disoriented.

In a dazed and disoriented state, Jonathan thought he saw a glimmer of light in the distance and instinctively chased after it, hoping for some sign of help or safety. 

However, as he drew closer, a sense of foreboding and misfortune enveloped me,

To my dismay, the glimmer of light turned out to be nothing more than a passing truck on the road but my realization came too late to avoid the oncoming vehicle. 

The truck struck me with brutal force, sending my body hurtling through the air.

In those fleeting moments, as time seemed to slow down, my life flashed before my eyes. The world around me blurred, and I found myself in a surreal state of calm and introspection, contemplating the events of the day and the strange turn of events that had led me to this fateful moment.

As my life hung in the balance, I was flooded with introspective thoughts. 

At just 22 years old, I couldn't help but feel that his life had been cut short and that it had lacked the meaningful impact he had hoped for. 

The sense of powerlessness to protect those I cared for weighed heavily on my mind. Dying in such an ironic and seemingly senseless way, struck down by a passing truck, only added to my feelings of frustration and disbelief.

In these final moments, my thoughts swirled with unfulfilled dreams, missed opportunities, and the stark realization of life's unpredictability. 

It was a somber and contemplative end to my young life, leaving behind a sense of longing for what might have been.

Not even the main protagonist in my own life…

My contemplations continued, even as I grappled with the aftermath of the accident. I found myself in a peculiar situation, still having an inner monologue with myself even after what should have been my passing.

The question that haunted me was an existential one: Could it be that consciousness persists in some form after death? It was a profound and unsettling thought, one that challenged the boundaries of my understanding and beliefs.

As I pondered the mysterious persistence of my consciousness, I suddenly found myself in a dark, empty room. It was a disorienting and unexpected shift in my perception. 

With each passing second, the room gradually became more visible, revealing its surroundings.

And then, to my astonishment, I recognized someone familiar in the room. 

I called out, my voice filled with a mix of surprise and disbelief. It was an unexpected and surreal encounter, one that defied his previous understanding of what had transpired after the accident.

“Josh?”