Space has always symbolized unparalleled freedom for Jack. Every night he would stare at the stars, whether the day's were good or bad, space was his nightly gaze. Since he was old enough to remember he would remove the screen from his window and crawl up the steeply angled shingle roof to sit on top of the overhang his room was in.
As much as he found solace in the stars, his rooftop was also a haven for him. He found himself reading, studying, or just chilling on top of it. Maybe to get away from the noise of his siblings or just because he needed to be in silence, but none the less he had grown accustomed to the roof.
Jack bathed in the sun, the roof shingles slightly melting his back, as he thought about all the memories he had on the roof.
He was leaving everything behind to move for work. After graduating high school Jack knew he couldn't sit in any more classrooms so he decided to look into getting a job in the trades field like his father.
After a few weeks he got an email from a roofing company that liked his, albeit terrible, resume and offered to move him out to their place of work a few cities over. He was skeptical at first, firstly because he didn't remember applying to the company, and because the deal seemed to sweet.
A company offering rooms and transportation cost for free was suspicious, especially when he had no experience in roofing, but with the mounting pressure of his parents to get a job he pretty much had no choice but to agree.
Taking one last look at the sky he turned his attention to the bright yellow moving truck parked along the curbside in front of his house.
He lived in a quiet borough that had no more than 30 houses and practically never left the surrounding 200 mile region of quiet towns. Moving hurt every single bone in his body knowing that he belonged in the country, but unless he got some money and experience there was no chance of that happening.
Dexterously sliding down the roof and spinning before smoothly entering his window into his now barren room. Even though the majority of his stuff was staying there was a large amount of items thrown away or sold.
Saying goodbye in his heart he opened and shut the door before walking downstairs. He reminisced on all the times he had in the house, knowing deep down inside that this would might be his last time being there.
After 5 minutes his emotions clamed down and he turned towards the front door to leave. Jack's parents had both left for work and he had no one else to say goodbye too.
Walking out the front door he removed the keys out of his pocket and jingled them; this being one of his many ways to calm himself down. Opening the door he turned around to face the quaint house before stepping into the drivers seat of the truck.
When he turned the key in the ignition it was followed by the loud roar of the engine. Pressing his foot on the break he put the truck in drive and watched as all his memories disappeared from his rear view mirror.
***
Jack opened his eyes and didn't find himself inside of his truck, but instead on the rooftop of a building that couldn't have been less than 50 stories. It was nighttime and instead of thinking about how he got to his position he was more focused on the portal that was in front of him.
It lit up the roof without any of its light seeping past the railings. Faint voices rang in Jack's head the longer he stared out the ocean blue wisps of light. His feet moved on their own and he walked into the portal.
On the other side was a lichen covered cave. It carried a heavy damp smell that flooded Jack's nose before he even realized he had entered the portal.
"What the hell? I was driving and ended up here. I knew I zoned out for a little bit but wandering into a portal is a little bit of a stretch."
The only reason Jack wasn't panicking was because of his love for monster fighting webnovels that usually had portals as entrances to dungeons.
In the back of his mind he felt pure excitement at the thought of getting stronger by killing monsters like his favorite characters from novels, but an equal amount of fear was clashing with his excitement.
While he mind wandered about Jack failed to perceive the creature that was slowly approaching him from inside the cave.
It lunged at him with it's crude club that broke his leg in a instant
"AHHHHHHHH!!"
Jack's fight or flight response was triggered but was drowned out by pain. The creature that attacked him was easy to recognize.
Short green body with a protruding stomach. Ears like knives and sharp chipped teeth that had never once been cleaned. It's breath was pungent enough for even Jack to start gagging even with the pain and adrenaline.
A goblin.
In novels and comics they were the bottom of the barrel trash mob, but Jack just had his leg destroyed in one swing. Death loomed over his head as the blood squeezed through the holes made by his bones that poked through his skin.
The goblin laughed as it approached. Trying to crawl on his hands and feet had no effect at reducing the distance between the two.
Eventually Jack passed out from the pain or the blood loss, more than likely the combination of the two. Without being able to defend himself the goblin smashed Jack's body repeatedly until nothing more than a pile of flesh and bones existed.
The goblin knelt down beside the pile of gore and started eating.
That is how Jack died.
For the first time...