On an island hidden from the rest of the world, far beyond the reaches of human discovery, a young man sat alone on a massive throne that overlooked a realm shrouded in secrecy. This young man, Ali, was no ordinary figure; he stood at an imposing six foot eight, with jet-black hair that framed a face too handsome, almost unnervingly so. His midnight-coloured eyes were sharp and penetrating, yet terrifying to many who dared to meet his gaze. He was the newly crowned king of a secret organisation that operated from the shadows, its power and influence stretching far beyond what most would dare to imagine.

Ali's throne room was a blend of ancient majesty and modern design, with towering stone pillars interspersed with sleek, metallic surfaces. The air was thick with the scent of incense, mingling with the faint hum of hidden technology that kept the island invisible from the rest of the world. Yet, for all the grandeur around him, Ali appeared indifferent, as if he had seen it all before. His eyes remained fixed on a massive glass window that stretched across one side of the chamber.

Through this window, he could see the bustling activity below—a sprawling cityscape that defied the conventional rules of architecture. Massive, medieval-style castles stood side by side with gleaming, ultra-modern skyscrapers, their reflective surfaces capturing the sunlight and casting it back in a dazzling display of brilliance. People of all shapes and sizes moved purposefully through the streets, each engrossed in their own tasks, unaware of the watchful eyes that observed them from above.

To Ali, it all seemed perfectly normal, just another day in his life since he claimed the throne. He was about to turn away when, in an instant, everything changed.

The world around him froze, time itself seemed to halt as if caught in a loop. The bustling city below, the movements of the people, the sway of the trees—all of it became suspended in an eerie stillness. Ali's sharp mind registered the change immediately, but before he could react, a suffocating darkness swallowed his vision. Panic surged through him as he realised he could no longer see. Worse still, he couldn't feel his body, as though he had been cut off from his physical form entirely.

Then, just as suddenly as it had all vanished, his senses returned. But what he saw was far beyond anything he could have anticipated.

The darkness receded, replaced by a deep, endless blue that stretched out before him. Ali's breath caught in his throat as he realised what he was looking at—a massive, spherical object hovering in the void. It was the Earth, the planet of his birth, suspended in the blackness of space like a delicate jewel.

"Beautiful," he whispered, awe-struck by the sight. He was so entranced that he failed to notice his surroundings, or even the return of his bodily sensations. It wasn't until he looked down that he realised he was standing on nothing, floating in the vacuum of space. He raised his eyes and took in the rest of his surroundings.

That's when he saw it.

A figure stood nearby, its form outlined in a soft, white glow. It had a humanoid shape, but that was where the similarities ended. Its entire being seemed to be composed of shifting shades of black and red, swirling together in a chaotic dance that never quite settled. The figure exuded a sense of power, an ancient and overwhelming force that radiated from it like heat from a furnace.

"Hello, Ali," the figure said, its voice reverberating through the emptiness of space.

Ali didn't respond immediately. Instead, he raised his right hand to grasp his left pinky finger. Without warning, he snapped the finger backward at a ninety-degree angle, the bone breaking with a sickening crack. There was no reaction on his face, no sign of pain as he casually bent the finger back into place. He waited a moment, then flexed it naturally, as if nothing had happened.

The being watched this display in silence, its dark, nebulous face twisted into what might have been a smile.

"I guess I can't escape from it, even in death," Ali said finally, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. "Are you God?"

The being chuckled, a low, throaty sound that echoed through the void. "First of all, no, I am not the god you're thinking of. Although many of my colleagues like to call themselves that. I am simply one of many powerful beings that exist in this universe. And as for your healing abilities, they are a part of your very soul, Ali, which makes you quite special—and perfectly suited for what I require."

Ali's eyes narrowed. 'A part of my soul, huh? How ironic that the cause of all my misery is now a part of my soul. But who cares? It's all in the past now.'

"So, am I dead?" he asked bluntly. "And if you're such a powerful being, why do you need a pathetic human like me for anything?"

"You're not dead—not technically," the being replied. "Your body back on your Earth is merely in a state of suspended animation, missing its soul. In other words, it's in a coma. And as for your other question, I don't need just any human to complete my plans. For a very long time now, I've been searching for a specific individual—someone with the right attributes, the right mentality. Finally, I found you."

Ali's eyes flickered with interest. "What do you mean, 'your Earth'? And you still haven't answered my question about what you need me for."

The being's form pulsed with light, as if it was gathering its thoughts. "Ali, have you ever heard of the multiverse?"

Ali nodded. "It's a theoretical concept. Multiple universes existing simultaneously, each with different versions of events and outcomes."

The being nodded in approval. "That's right. The multiverse is real, Ali. There are countless variations of your Earth—some where you didn't survive the gene and died in that torture room as a child, some where you were never in that room at all. There are even worlds where you don't exist, nor does your healing gene. But here's the part that concerns you: there are also other worlds out there, worlds that are created purely from the imagination of a collective group of humans on Earth. These worlds start as simple ideas, but the more they are shared and imagined by others, the more real they become. Eventually, they take shape somewhere in the infinite expanse of the multiverse."

Ali's interest was piqued, but he remained silent, allowing the being to continue.

"And that's what makes your kind different," the being said, its tone growing more intense. "You humans hold a power that even you don't fully understand. You have the ability to create entire worlds—realities that even the strongest of my kind would struggle to replicate. These newly created realities hold a resource that is incredibly valuable to us. We call it ORIGIN. But, if it were easy to harvest, I wouldn't be asking for your help."

Ali's mind raced as he processed this information. "So, this ORIGIN… it's something that can only be obtained from these imagined worlds?"

"Correct," the being replied. "But it's not as simple as just reaching into these worlds and taking it. Many of my kind have tried, and they've all failed—some fatally. These worlds are fiercely protective of their ORIGIN, and they have mechanisms in place to defend it from intruders. However, one of my oldest friends discovered a way around this problem. He realised that the only ones who could successfully harvest ORIGIN were the humans who created these worlds in the first place."

The being paused, letting its words sink in before continuing. "He figured out that by sending a human into one of these worlds, that human could disrupt the flow of reality as an outsider. This disruption would eventually open a small link, through which my friend could begin to harvest ORIGIN. The process was slow, but it worked. However, the cost of transporting a human from Earth to one of these worlds was significant, and the amount of ORIGIN harvested was relatively small."

Ali smirked, a flicker of understanding crossing his face. "Let me guess—you didn't help him back then, and now he won't let you use his method?"

The being's form flickered with something akin to frustration. "Exactly. That 'bastard,' as you put it, has monopolised the entire process. He lets other powerful beings—'gods,' as they like to call themselves—participate, but only under strict conditions. They can sponsor humans to send into these worlds, and the god with the best-performing humans gets the most ORIGIN. But my old friend won't let me join, despite our long history."

The being's voice grew darker. "When his invention became widely known, the other powerful beings threatened to destroy him unless he shared it. So he did—but only partially. He allowed them to partake in the ORIGIN extraction, but kept control over the device itself. He named himself the 'Reincarnation God,' and his device is known as Reincarnation Paradise. That, my friend, is where you come in."

Ali's smirk widened. "And how exactly do you plan to get me into this 'Reincarnation Paradise'?"

The being teleported directly in front of Ali, startling him enough to make him step back instinctively. The being's form shimmered with amusement as it leaned in close. "Here's the lucky part," it whispered. "I stumbled upon a world that has a semi-finished teleportation link to Reincarnation Paradise. That means they're going to be sending humans there soon. My genius plan is to send you to that world before they activate the link. You just need to harvest origin by interfering with that world, survive long enough, and when the link is fully operational, I'll send the both of us through it—right into Reincarnation Paradise."

Ali considered the plan, weighing his options. "And what if I say no?" he asked, his voice steady as he locked eyes with the being.

The being tilted its head slightly, as if contemplating the question. "I can't force you to do it," it admitted, "but I can promise you this: it will be far more fun and exciting than how you were living before. So, what's your answer?"

Ali turned away from the being and looked back at Earth, its blue oceans and green lands captivating him even from this distance. 'More fun… maybe that's what I need,' he thought. Without looking back at the being, he asked, "Can I come back after we're finished?"

"Only if you become very strong," the being replied. "If not, you'll die in there, and your soul will never be able to return."

Ali took a deep breath, something that should have been impossible in the vacuum of space, yet he felt the air fill his lungs. "Let's go," he said, his decision made.

The being's form shimmered with delight. "I'm very happy with your decision, Ali. I'm confident that our partnership will work out exactly as we hope. My name is Veska, by the way." Veska extended a dark, nebulous hand towards Ali.

Ali hesitated for only a moment before reaching out and shaking the being's hand. The contact sent a shockwave of energy through his body, as if a circuit had been completed.

"Welcome to the beginning of a new journey," Veska said, its voice filled with a strange mix of anticipation and satisfaction.

Five extra chapters on patreon.com/Rondo312