It was a PE lesson for sixth-graders of a certain school in America. The kids were told to run three circles inside the broad school gym.

Most of the 11-12-year-olds found the task rather easy. Of course, there were some exceptions.

One of the boys, who looked more like a 9-year-old, slowed down to a walking speed just after on circle. As the kids jogged one after another and he was in the middle, his classmates didn't like the change.

"You are weak as usual, Scrawny!" one of the other boys mocked. "Just go home already. No one needs you here!"

The other children just laughed at the ridiculed boy.

"Chris Ashwood, get back in line!" the PE teacher shouted at the tired boy instead of reprimanding his bully.

Chris mustered all of his strength, trying to run fast enough to get back to his place among the kids. But when he caught up to the group, one of the boys just pushed him back with a taunting smirk.

Chris lost his balance and fell on his butt. He tried to hold back his tears but just couldn't. He started to cry both from the pain and frustration.

The other children give him glances filled with derision and amusement. Some whispered to each other with repulsive smiles. Only a little few felt some sympathy, but none of them got the courage to comfort him.

"You really such a problematic child, Ashwood!" the teacher spitted in annoyance as he approached the boy.

The man roughly grabbed Chris, trying to make him stood up. Strangely enough, the boy fell yet again as soon as he got on his legs.

"T-teacher!" Chris cried. "I-I can't feel my feet and my calf..."

The man shouted at the boy to stop lying to him, but it only made Chris more frightened and desperate. Soon, the teacher realized that perhaps there really was something wrong with the boy's leg.

It was the day Chris Ashwood started to lose his body to the illness. The day when his already terrible life became even more unbearable.

***

Sixteen years old Chris was lying in bed inside his sanatorium room. His parents were rich enough to provide him comfortable living conditions even after he had become disabled. But they also treated him as a burden and rarely visited him. For them, his younger sister and older brother were more important.

Spending his days alone wasn't that bad to him. He had already gotten used to it. At least he had his laptop to listen to online lessons. And, what was even more important to him, he could use it to escape this boring life of solitude.

Most of his free time Chris spent playing online video games. There, he could talk to other people without them looking down on him.

He especially loved MMORPGs. In those role-playing games, he could become someone else. He had even gotten an online girlfriend, even if they never planned to meet each other in person. It was for the best, though. With everything below his waist paralyzed, he didn't want to become a burden to even more people.

Unexpectedly, he heard a knock on the door of his room.

"You can enter," he said briefly, thinking that it was just a nurse. As he wasn't in the midst of anything important inside the game, he placed his laptop near his bed without logging off.

"How are you doing, Chris?" an unexpected voice greeted the boy.

Pleasantly surprised, Chris looked at the newcomer. "Grandpa John?!"

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"Haha, who else could it be if not me?!" the elderly man laughed heartily. "Your useless parents are too busy with their stupid bullshit to visit their second son!"

As an ex-military man, his grandfather had never held back his harsh language. Honestly, though, Chris loved him the most out of his whole family. John Ashwood was his most frequent visitor, after all. Only with him, the boy could feel like a normal human being. The rest — be it his parents or siblings — had always looked at him with the compassion one shows to a man with no future.

For the next hour, Chris completely forgot about the laptop. With sincere interest, he listened to the stories told by his grandfather, even if he had already heard most of them. Chris also shared some of his recent experiences in the games.

At some point, when both of them didn't have any new stories to tell, John looked at his grandson with a solemn expression.

As his grey eyebrow creased in a frown, the old man said, "There's something I need to give you, Chris. This is something extremely important to me, but it could be life-changing for you. Perhaps, this little thing could even cure you..."

The teen tilted his head in confusion.

"What kind of thing could save someone in my condition?" the boy asked. "Even the best doctors know nothing of my disease and acknowledge that it's incurable."

"There's a story I never told you, my dear grandson," the old man replied without answering the question. "This is something I never told anyone. Not even my late wife."

His grandfather's words made the teen even more bewildered. He knew that his grandmother was the most important person to the old man.

John started to recount a tale that seemed like fiction, but Chris knew that his grandfather wasn't someone to tell lies.

"Even before your father was born, back when I was just a nameless soldier at a merciless war, my unit met with a terrible calamity. Most of my comrades lost their lives against overwhelming enemy forces. We were surrounded, our deaths set in stone. But then... an angel descended from Heaven and saved us. Or maybe it was a devil in disguise, this I can't say. What I know is that She was the most beautiful person I ever saw. And the most ruthless one as well."

The old man actively gesticulated as he continued his story. "With a wave of her delicate hand, she destroyed dozens of armored vehicles and killed hundreds of enemy soldiers in a blink of an eye. The scene of slaughter she created didn't make her even crease her brow. Then, she found me, among other soldiers. Her gaze made me petrified both from awe and terror."

Chris listened to his grandfather without interrupting. Even if the described events were completely unbelievable, he didn't dare to make any disrespectful remarks.

"She approached me and only said one sentence. I remember it as clear as if it was just a few minutes ago. 'One day,' she said, 'a special child will be born among your descendants. A child with an unfair fate but with limitless potential. Give this item to him a month after his 16th birthday.' And then, she gave me this."

John took a peculiar item from the pocket of his trousers. With curiosity, Chris studied this shining coin that was about two inches in width.

"Take this, my grandson," John said as he placed the coin in the boy's hand. "And let's wish that the words of the angel will prove true and the life of boundless potential awaits you."

"T-thank you," the teen murmured, not knowing what to think. "What about other soldiers from your unit? Did they saw her too?"

The old man shook his head. "As soon as she left, it seemed as if all of them lost their memories. None of them could remember how exactly we defeated the overwhelming numbers of enemy soldiers. I'm the only one who knows the truth. Now you are the second."

Chris didn't know what to think, so he just changed the topic of conversation to something else. After talking about nothing in particular for some time, his grandfather left.

A week later, the boy learned that John Ashwood peacefully died in sleep the next day after giving him the coin. Chris bitterly cried and mourned the death of his closest family member. He swore to believe in the fantastic story his grandpa told him on this fateful day, no matter how incredible it seemed to be.

***

Only one week remained until his 18th birthday, but Chris knew that he was never going to become a legal adult. Even if his doctor tried to reassure him, the boy knew that he didn't have any time left.

The paralysis almost reached his heart, and his right hand had already become useless. With the fingers of his still usable left hand, Chris held a strange antique coin.

On one side of the coin was the face of a peerlessly beautiful woman. A majestic tower decorated the other side.

When he looked at the coin from one angle, it seemed to be made of bronze. But from the other angle, it changed its color and even texture as if it was made of another metal. Depending on the illumination, it could be either bronze, steel, silver, or gold. In the complete darkness, though, the coin started to radiate dim light. It could be either violet, green, yellow, or red.

Even though this mysterious item didn't cure him, Chris still believed that the coin hid a deep secret. He knew that it changed something, even though he couldn't figure out what exactly.

"So sleepy..." he whispered to himself.

Then, Chris Ashwood closed his eyes. Forever.

It was the end of his life on Earth, but his Legend didn't even start yet.