He died… or at least, he believed he did.
His last memory led him to that conclusion. Everything went blank after that one sharp, unbearable moment.
If he really was dead, then where exactly was he now?
"Welcome, Ashen. I am Fobias, Lord of Order and Keeper of Balance."
A deep, calm voice echoed from behind him.
Ashen turned quickly to face the speaker. He froze.
"A God!"
That was the first thought that flashed across his mind when he saw the majestic figure standing there.
The being's presence alone felt overwhelming, radiating a power so immense that it made Ashen feel like a grain of dust standing before a star.
"You flatter me too much," the being said, his lips forming a faint smile. "But I am no God. I am a Lord of Order."
Ashen frowned slightly, not understanding. The title sounded grand, yet strange.
Fobias, as he introduced himself, noticed the young man's confusion immediately.
"Order," he explained, "is the state that defines the balance of the Universe and everything within it."
Ashen didn't completely understand what that meant, but he could tell from the way Fobias spoke that this being held a very high position, perhaps something even greater than a god in the stories he once heard as a child.
"Uhm… what does someone like you want with me?" Ashen finally asked.
He had met a few rich and powerful people in his life, and none of them had ever treated him kindly. So his first instinct was suspicion.
As far as he knew, he had never done anything to deserve standing before someone this important.
But Fobias wasn't a rich man. No, he was something far above that. To Ashen, he was a God, no matter what he claimed.
So what could a God possibly want from someone as worthless as him?
"A request," Fobias said clearly. "I appear before you to make a request. And in return, I shall grant you what you most desire."
Ashen blinked. "What… I most desire?"
It sounded like a scam.
The last time someone told him those exact words, he lost every coin he owned.
Bitter experience had taught him never to trust anyone who promised to fulfill his deepest wish, God or not.
Still, he asked, almost without hope, "A peaceful life… Can you grant me that?"
It wasn't much. Just peace. A quiet, simple life without struggle.
He had learned from experience to be cautious, but he also knew that when opportunity knocked, you had to at least open the door.
Fobias's expression changed slightly, as if he were cornered by the request.
"I am afraid I cannot do that," he said at last.
Ashen sighed inwardly. He should have known better. Still, if he didn't try, he'd never know.
"But," Fobias continued, "I can give you something even more valuable, something you desperately desire, even if you haven't realised it yet."
Ashen raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
Fobias smiled faintly. "A cause."
That caught Ashen off guard.
"I have looked into your life, Ashen," Fobias voiced as he waved his hand.
Light formed around them, creating images, scenes from Ashen's past.
A small child, left alone at the entrance of an orphanage. An abandoned baby, wrapped in an old cloth by a figure whose face was hidden under a hood.
Ashen watched silently as the images played before him.
He saw himself growing up in that orphanage, sitting apart from the other children.
He was never good at expressing himself. Never knew how to connect with anyone. Because of that, he grew up isolated, misunderstood, and alone.
At ten years old, he was forced to leave the orphanage to fend for himself.
No education. No family. No money.
He wandered the streets, taking whatever odd jobs he could find. He slept wherever the night found him, sometimes under bridges, sometimes in empty buildings.
Day after day, he fought to survive.
When he turned sixteen, he finally got a steady job as a delivery boy. It wasn't much, but it kept him alive.
Then, one night, while making a delivery on his scooter, a speeding car appeared out of nowhere.
A hit and run.
That was how his life ended and how he ended up here.
"You have lived as though you had no choice but to accept whatever life threw at you," Fobias narrated. "You never searched for meaning, but I can give you one. With the cause I offer, your ordinary life will become something extraordinary. You will finally have a reason for your existence."
It was a tempting offer.
Had Ashen secretly longed for something like that? Maybe.
Deep inside, maybe he had wished for something greater but was too afraid to admit it.
"What kind of purpose are you offering me?"
Fobias's voice deepened. "The chance to be the saviour of the Universe."
Ashen stared at him, speechless.
Fobias continued, "The Universe is on the brink of collapse because of certain beings, entities who can manipulate time itself. They are known as Regressors."
"Regressors?"
"Yes. Individuals who can travel back in time after death, or even move between worlds. With the knowledge they bring from the future or other dimensions, they disturb the natural flow of events. They change what was meant to happen and prevent things that should never have been stopped.
These disruptions weaken the very foundation of existence. Left unchecked, they will destroy the Universe itself."
Ashen's eyes widened. "And you want me to stop them?"
"Exactly. You will fulfill my request by eliminating these anomalies. In doing so, you will also find the purpose you've been searching for."
It sounded unbelievable. Ashen saving the Universe.
Still, something inside him stirred. Maybe it was excitement. Maybe it was fear. Maybe both.
He couldn't say.
"How do I do that? How can I save the Universe from people who can time-travel?"
Fobias's tone turned calm and assuring. "Do not worry about that. Every person is born with at least one unique talent. It might be weak, or it might be powerful. But you, Ashen… you are different."
Ashen frowned. "Different how?"
"You were born without any talent at all," Fobias paused for a moment before adding, "However, in place of talent, your soul carries an enormous amount of pure energy, the likes of which I have never seen in any first-dimensional being."
Even someone as old as Fobias, who had existed since the beginning of creation, found that extraordinary.
"On your home world, this energy was sealed, restricted by the world's laws. But once you leave it, you will awaken. Then, your true potential will be revealed."
Ashen's heart lifted.
Fobias then held out his hand, summoning ten glowing rings. "Take these. They will help you control your energy once it awakens."
He tossed them toward Ashen, who caught them with shaky hands.
"And this," Fobias added, tossing him a heavy book. "It contains records of techniques and arts you will be able to perform once you learn to awaken your pure energy."
Ashen stared at the items in his hands. For the first time, he felt hope. Maybe this really was the chance he had been waiting for.
"What will my first mission be?" he asked, unable to hide the curiosity in his voice.
Fobias's tone darkened. "There is a world that was meant to be destroyed. However, a Regressor went back twenty years in time after his death and saved it."
Ashen listened closely.
"You will go to that world, before the man dies and returns to the past. Your task is to eliminate him before he regresses."
Ashen's brows furrowed. "Wait… if I kill him, won't he just regress again?"
Fobias shook his head. "Not quite. The authority I will grant you will make it impossible for anyone to time-travel or reincarnate if they die by your hand."
Ashen finally understood, or at least, enough to grasp the meaning.
Fobias extended his hand once more. "So, Ashen… are you ready to become the saviour of the Universe?"
Ashen took a deep breath. Was he ready? He didn't know.
But he was dead, and this was the only path in front of him.
"Yes," he said firmly. "I'll do it."
A faint smile crossed Fobias's face.
"Then I hereby name you, the Dimensional Crusader. The first of your kind."
Light burst from within Ashen, a glowing mark carving itself deep into his soul.
"Now go," Fobias narrated, his voice echoing across the vast space. "The Universe awaits salvation through you."
Ashen's body began to dissolve into bright particles of light, scattering into the endless void.
His journey had begun.