### Chapter 2: The Bakery Incident
Elrik pivoted. "Heroes need allies," he reasoned, targeting Solhaven's bakery, run by Mira, a cheerful girl with flour-dusted braids. She seemed like a love interest—classic isekai subplot bait. "I'm Elrik, destined for greatness," he said, biting into a melon bread.
Mira blinked. "Cool. Can you sweep the floor?"
Elrik swept like it was his training montage, imagining a future where he and Mira cheered Kael's party from the sidelines. He overheard them planning a quest to the Cursed Forest for the Crystal of Eternity. "I'll tag along, save the day, and steal Mira's heart!" he told his broom.
The forest was a nightmare of sentient vines and glowing eyes. Kael's sword glowed like it had a sponsorship deal. Lyria's fireballs rewrote physics. Zane's new leather jacket defied budget cuts. Elrik, wielding his broom, shouted, "I'm here to help!" A vine snagged him, dangling him upside down. He swung the broom, yelling, "Take that!" The vine dropped him into a mud pit.
Kael's party grabbed the crystal, saved the world, and didn't notice Elrik crawling out, broom broken. Back at the bakery, Mira handed him another melon bread. "You're… muddy."
"Hero stuff," Elrik mumbled. His ambition whispered, *"Keep going."*