The Guardian Of The Multiverse: A Hero's Burden

The Burden Of Memories

(Marvel, DC, images, manhuas, and every anime that will be mentioned and used in this story are not mine. They all belong to their respective owners. The main character "Karito/Adriel Josue Valdez" and the story are mine)

Ace slept soundly on his bed, experiencing a level of peace he hadn't felt in half a century. For the first time in what felt like forever, it seemed possible that he could get a full eight hours of sleep. The constant fighting, jumping between dimensions, battling villains, and even taking on 300-foot monsters had all become routine. What he hadn't realized—until now—was how deeply it had affected him. Not physically—his body had adapted to the grueling challenges—but mentally. The endless cycle of conflict and the weight of countless unfortunate events stacked upon his shoulders. It was heavier than he had ever imagined.

When he first gained his new powers and learned the truth about his origin, he thought he could handle it all. But he had severely underestimated the burden of his role. His first "official" mission had spanned half a century, and even after completing it, there was no reprieve. He was captured, tortured, and then forced to fight someone who might as well have been a god in his own right. The mental scars ran deeper than he cared to admit. He owed Peter more than he could ever express—without his intervention and the power boost that allowed him to surpass immeasurable speeds, the battle might not have ended in Ace's favor.

Now, after what felt like an eternity of relentless battles and hardship, Ace finally had the chance to rest. Yet, even in the stillness, something gnawed at the back of his mind. It wasn't the Sarah Fortune he had briefly encountered in this dimension that haunted him—it was the Sarah he had known in another. The one he had fought alongside for fifty long years. No matter how much time passed, those memories refused to fade.

Would this world's Sarah Fortune be anything like the one he knew? The question lingered in his thoughts. If she was the same—if they shared even a fraction of the connection he once had with the other Sarah—what would that mean for him? For her?

The thought pulled him from his slumber. Ace blinked groggily, his eyes heavy with exhaustion and his hair a disheveled mess. For a moment, he simply sat there, caught between the haze of sleep and the weight of memories that refused to let go.

...

"Ugh..." Ace muttered as he gently rubbed his eyes, staring blankly ahead. He stretched his arms, the satisfying pop of his joints echoing through the room, and sighed in relief. The others must be in that lab the Guardian mentioned in our group chat, he thought as he cracked his neck.

Heading toward the bathroom, he quickly handled his business before exiting his room. As he walked through the castle's hallways, he couldn't help but be mildly impressed by the changes Artoria and Adriel had made. Even with his limited observation, he could sense the improvements to the castle's defenses.

His original destination had been the Guardian's room, but his stomach growled loudly, forcing him to change course and head toward the kitchen instead.

When Ace arrived, he spotted a group of chefs chatting among themselves. As soon as one of them noticed him, the group straightened immediately, their postures stiff with formality.

"Lord Ace," they said in unison, the head chef stepping forward. "It's great to see you in good health."

Ace blinked twice, caught off guard by their reverent tone. He wasn't used to being treated like royalty. Sure, he'd been treated with respect plenty of times before—whether as a member of Whitebeard's crew or during his travels across dimensions. Adriel had once explained that it was due to his Guardian Aura, which naturally attracted narratives toward him, including the characters in each verse. According to Adriel, it was essentially "max-level Passive Rizz by default," much to the Guardian's annoyance.