The universe was chaos. No, scratch that – it wasn't just chaos; it was primeval madness. Imagine a ticking bomb, the countdown echoing in your head, and every second you waste talking about how chaotic the world is only makes it more chaotic. That's where I, Serpentine, found myself—bobbing in the stream of dimensions like a duck in a storm.
I had just stolen the Kickstarter budget, you know. The thing that would fund not only my glorious anime debut but also the comic, the game, figurines, and all that sweet swag that comes with supporting something so undeniably cool. The Primordials were still looking for me, and frankly, they were terrible at it. I mean, come on. They're supposed to be primordials. Creators of the universe, wielders of insane power. But when it came to a simple heist, they were worse than an old grandma trying to find her dentures.
So, here I was, standing at the edge of a dimensional rift, a place where the Wheel of Faith universe collided with the infamous French Verse. If you didn't know, the French Verse is like a really bad rom-com, but with more baguettes and an overwhelming sense of existential crisis. You know, the type of place where I could just disappear.
But enough about me. Let's talk about the big reveal. You know, the one you've all been waiting for. No, not the one where I get captured and tortured for my crimes. No, no. I'm talking about the Kickstarter – that magical little thing that makes this whole ride possible.
"Wait, what's that?" I said aloud, leaning over the edge of the rift and pretending I didn't know what was going on.
A little voice in my head told me I was being ridiculous. "You're breaking the fourth wall again."
Yeah, so?
"Just reminding them that if they back the Kickstarter, they'll get exclusive rewards, right? More stretch goals unlocked, exclusive lore – maybe even a shot to be in the anime."
You see, it's all part of the plan. The entire plan, in fact. I know, I know – you're welcome.
Hm? Why is one chapter in third person in first, you ask? Because the author took some sleep inducing meds and is fighting against his literal biology to stay awake and write this chapter. Along with the entirety of the first ten chapters.
It's currently freaking three thirty six am. He's gotta wake up at six thirty.
Cut the man some slack, dang.
Now, back to the action.
I held up the wallet-sized budget, glistening with potential, and tossed it into the rift. A shimmer of light rippled as the money – well, not exactly money, more like cosmic energy, but let's not get bogged down in the details – vanished into the void between universes. I could practically hear the Primordials crying over their non-existent wallets. And let's be real here: if they'd backed the campaign earlier, we wouldn't be in this situation.
I waited for a moment, letting the world breathe, feeling the cosmic tension build. The energy was charged, and I couldn't help but marvel – did you guys know a marvel artist drew our comics – at the artful chaos that was about to ensue. After all, when you're playing with the cosmic budget, every minute feels like a countdown to something explosive.
I turned to the rift and grinned. This was the moment. Time to make the biggest splash in all dimensions. If we hit the right goals, I could... unlock the ultimate reward. No, not that! Stop imagining things!
Just as the rift began to hum, I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. A voice echoed through the dimensional rift, shaking me to my core.
"Serpentine."
It was him. The big guy, the Creator himself, or rather, The Primordial of Fate. A golden skeleton draped in clothing because censorship was apparently invented at the dawn of creation itself.
Not an Avatar this time. The real deal.
The one who never plays nice. His voice wasn't a whisper – oh, no. It was more like a cosmic decree. A warning. A challenge.
I loved a good challenge. I posted a hundred twenty two ideas for the last wheel event. Pretty sure I'm a server wide celebrity by now.
"You're playing a dangerous game."
I stood tall. "You're one to talk. How many times has the universe collapsed because of your little tweaks? Besides, I'm not playing with you, I'm just having a little fun."
"You think you can just... take it? That you can steal from us, from the Architect and Primordials?" Fate's words dripped with a venomous calm. "Do you understand the consequences?"
"Consequences? Brother, the only consequence I'm worried about is not hitting the next Kickstarter stretch goal. You know, the one that unlocks exclusive lore? And trust me, it's really cool lore. Like mind-blowing cool. You won't even believe it."
There was silence for a beat. Fate's presence lingered in the rift, though his form was invisible, like a force pushing against reality itself.
"You do not understand," Fate intoned, his voice growing colder. "What you hold in your hands is far more than just some energy or money. You've meddled with the balance of the cosmos, Serpent. And The Architect won't allow it."
I couldn't resist the urge to smirk. "Look, you've made this about me, but it's not just about me, is it? It's about the backers – the fans – who are literally funding this entire thing. Without them? This entire universe wouldn't exist. The comic, the game, the anime –;all of it. That's on them. And you know what, Fate? I'm just the guy making it all happen."
Fate didn't respond immediately. Instead, there was a sense of the universe contracting. I couldn't put it into words, but I could feel the world around me shifting, like a storm was brewing just out of sight.
And then it happened. Fate manifested. For a brief moment, his image flickered into existence before my eyes – a towering, cloaked in shadows, eyes glowing with the light of ages, a golden skeleton draped in void. I couldn't help but stare, even though I knew I was probably doomed.
The Primordials were tremendously suppressed in this corner of the universe, incomprehensibly so. But a Primordial is still a Primordial through and through, and still far beyond my league.
"I've warned you," Fate said, his voice now like thunder across the heavens. "But you would not listen."
And then, with a sudden roar, his power surged. The ground beneath me split open, revealing a vast void that stretched endlessly in all directions.
I stumbled backward, my hands reaching for the nearest escape route. I flicked the switch in my mind – Dimensional Travel, baby. But not before Fate's attack hit me.
The entire landscape buckled and twisted as Fate unleashed a torrent of cosmic energy that hurled me through space itself, shattering everything in its wake. It wasn't a fancy fate manipulation ability. It wasn't some incredible power. Just a concentrated blast of cosmic energy that worked unfairly well against my Chaos Force.
Curse type advantages.
My body was flung into the rift, and I screamed as the rift seemed to close around me, the echoes of Fate's laughter ringing in my ears.
I had made a huge mistake.
I landed hard – too hard for comfort – on the cold, cracked surface of another dimension. Stars blinked out of existence above me, forming a network of galactic rivulets, and the echoes of my own scream bounced back like a cruel reminder of my predicament.
"Well," I said, pushing myself off the ground, "That could've gone better."
A moment passed before I could even think of escaping. Fate's voice echoed from the rift, his words low and menacing.
"This is only the beginning, Serpent. The Architect's Will has taken notice of your game."
I groaned. "Oh, perfect. This is what happens when I try to add a little chaos to the mix. Thanks, Fate. Really appreciate it."
I glanced up at the stars – each one holding a potential for disaster, for battle, for anything really. But the thing that caught my eye wasn't the stars.
No. It was a bright, shimmering light in the distance. Something good. Or at least, something that could help me get back in the game.
I straightened up, dusted myself off, and cracked a grin. "Well, look at that. A new dimension. A new chance to plug the Kickstarter and give the people what they want."
I reached into my jacket, pulling out a quick-note hologram, typing rapidly. "So, yeah, I may be on the run from Fate right now, but if you want to see more of this – back the Kickstarter. Don't let Fate win. We've still got comics, a game, anime. – and hey, with enough backing, we can unlock some seriously cool plot twists. Not to mention exclusive rewards. You don't want to miss that!"
I hit send.
"Okay, now let's find a way to not die."