Reddit Stories 2019

Hero

It started out simple. I just started out in the hospital when I discovered my powers. I wanted to help people. But I'd never been around death before. I'd been sheltered from it all my life. Even at New Hope Memorial, it was a week until I saw someone die.

Her name was Petunia. She was a withered old lady who laboured on every movement. Her wrinkled old hands were frail and cold. The staff knew she was on her way out and Petunia had accepted it long before then. She had no family, so we drew lots. Someone had to stay with her until she died.

It was not long after midnight. I didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't the golden light traveling from her heart to mine. I didn't expect the warmth that filled me after. I didn't expect to feel so powerful.

I certainly didn't expect to enjoy the experience.

That's when I discovered my destiny. I knew I wanted to help people, but it wasn't as a nurse. It was as a hero. Petunia was frail in life, but her soul was strong and invigorating. I was faster and stronger. I could do more.

It was easy to establish myself as a hero after that. Within a couple years, I was a global name. Nations tried to buy me off so I could act as their personal defense force. I didn't accept. Others tried to take me down. They didn't succeed.

If I was earth's only hero, I had to be impartial. I had to be powerful. And I had to win.

Always.

I had learned in an accident how the soul power works. I chose to harvest my power from the sick and dying because I didn't need more than that, but the further from death my source was, the more power it gave me. I didn't need that to save the world countless times, but desire for more always sat in my mind.

To sate the hunger, I made time to sit with the dying. I claimed that one of my powers would allow them pass painlessly. Sometimes I claimed I could get them into heaven, if the family needed it. Whatever it took to make sure I could continue protecting the living. Even after a decade, I kept the source of my power a secret.

For a long time, life was good.

Then the demons came.

They weren't actually demons, I think. Just powerful monsters from another world. They appeared en masse all around the world from portals, wreaking havoc and turning the land to ash. We had fought aliens before - they tend to follow power - but we had never fought anything so powerful.

The world watched as I faced the army. I fought their leader. His punches shattered stones and left bruises on my cheeks. His magic countered my powers. We tore through Milan, our battleground, turning the city to rubble.

He was the first bad guy who could hold his own against me. But I had a trick.

I grabbed the demon's wrist with both hands, holding on to him as he kicked at me. I'd never used the trick in combat, and never publicly so bystanders could watch, but I knew what would happen if I failed. The earth had to be protected.

A golden thread of ethereal energy floated out from my heart, wrapping around the demon's body. He screamed as the gold punctured his body, searching for his heart and, within that, his soul. Even beaten and bruised, I enjoyed the feeling. My powers didn't care what kind of soul they took. They only cared about the power.

So did I.

A cold feeling struck my heart and my eyes widened in surprise. The demon understood immediately and a wicked fanged grin crossed his face. The golden strand dissolved and the demon threw me off, sending me crashing into irreplaceable Roman architecture. I felt panic set in as I stared at the monster. Even after an entire city of fighting, he looked just as strong as before. I hadn't left a mark.

Worse, my ultimate move had failed.

He had no soul.

I crawled through the rubble, trying my best to ignore the pain in my body. Even with hundreds of lives stored, I was no match for the demon.

The sound of crying caught my attention. A young boy cowered in the corner of the ruined room, clutching his knees. He looked terrified and was coated in dust, but otherwise alive and healthy.

"Hey, kid," I said in my best Italian. I offered a comforting smile. "It'll be alright. I'll kick their butts."

The boy looked at me with wide wet eyes as I crawled over to him. Sniffling, he ran to me, wrapping his arms around my neck in a scared embrace. I put an arm around him, keeping a brave face.

"It will all be okay," I whispered. The golden thread pierced his heart. It wouldn't be enough. I would need more. But it would do for now.

"It will all be okay."