Fate/ Grand Crypter

Chapter 1

Aaron hovered in place, floating in a starless space. The empty void surrounded him, a lightless expanse. But he was not alone here. In front of him hovered or vibrated a small sphere of light. The glow it gave off was soft on his skin but also distant as if a great expanse separated them. The light gave out a small pulse, and as the wave hit his skin, Aaron heard, no, felt words resonate in his ears.

Aaron Kismet, you have died a worthless death. You have achieved nothing of note and pursued no cause or ideal. There was nothing special about your life, save the timing of your passing.

Aaron gritted his teeth, his face heating up in anger.

"Who the fuck are you?" he snapped. "Do you just go around insulting dead men for fun!

You have committed no great sins by the standards of your world, nor have you worked towards any goals that further the purpose of humanity. You claim to protect and care for others, but your actions are largely that of a selfish man. You have no interest in others, yet you delight in the worst instincts of others. You surround yourself with great people, and pretend that you deserve to stand among them-

"SHUT UP!" He yelled. "JUST... shut up! I.... I ..." Aaron's fist curled up into balls, and he glared at the light. "I get it. This must be hell right? Having to float here and listen to something mouth off about me. That sounds about right"

If you recognise your flaws, do you want to take action to change them?

"And how would I do that? Repent here for lying about how much I exercise each day? Please." Aaron began to calm down, his breathing slowly coming back under control. As he regained himself, he looked around assessing his surroundings. There was nothing in the expanse around him, he was floating in nothingness, with only this damned light for company. He continued to search, seeking anything that he could use to get away from the light.

You are not truly dead yet.

".....What?"

As Aaron asked the question, the environment around them changed. He floated above a burning car, other vehicles piled up behind the wreck with people standing around the bonfire looking distraught. Everything was frozen in a single moment, the fire consuming his car locked in place.

I intervened to separate your spirit from your body. You will not be able to return to your world, but your spirit can move on to another.

Aaron was speechless. This was completely insane. All of it was difficult to believe.

"If... I am not dead, then you are not an angel or a devil either right?... Who are you?

My name is Kischur Zeltrech Schweinorg. Aaron Kismet, I have come to ask you for aid.

"Zeltrech.... As in Zeltrech from FATE?" Aaron's eyes widened. Fate was a series of games he had long enjoyed, but he hadn't engaged with the series in a long while. A world of Magecraft and Vampires, it was long and overly complicated, with one of its storied background characters being Zeltrech, the master of the Second Magic.

That is the name and nature you know me by, yes. I hope this experience should demonstrate that I am not just a piece of literature.

The light reformed above the burning vehicle, hovering up to reach Aaron's level.

"I... don't understand. You can't be real, you're just a story, not even some ancient myth. If you are real then..."

In your world, I am just a story. But such stories are often inspired in part or whole by events occurring in parallel universes. Yours is one of many unique variations, but a variation nonetheless. With a bit of effort, I can reach out like this. Let us not spend any longer on the topic of my existence. There is a reason I have spent all this effort on saving you.