A Mission

A gentle breeze rustled through the air, carrying with it the deep red and bright yellow leaves of autumn. Eric followed his routine path to class on a Tuesday morning. While his college-level courses weren't exceptionally challenging, his lack of motivation made them feel as daunting as attempting to part the ocean without divine intervention. All in all, Eric found himself in a tough spot. Nevertheless, lacking any intrinsic drive to attend college, he continued on his path to class. After all, what other options did Eric have? He was uncertain about his post-college plans. He could opt to quit and secure a decent-paying job, but he was in no hurry to take on that responsibility. For now, he chose to relish his relatively solitary yet manageable college experience.

As Eric approached his classroom, a thunderous explosion reverberated in the distance. The deafening sound echoed in his ears, and panic spread among the students nearby, prompting them to scream and flee from the source of the blast. However, an inexplicable compulsion drove Eric toward it. Every instinct told him to run in the opposite direction, but he continued moving closer to the explosion, unable to fathom why. He was simply compelled to do so. Was it a subconscious death wish, or perhaps sheer recklessness? His grades might have suggested the latter, but he disagreed. Students jostled him as he moved against the fleeing crowd. As he approached the scene of the explosion, he witnessed a confrontation between two individuals in the sky. The punches they exchanged sent shockwaves through the air. One of them wore tattered, worn-out clothing, as though he hadn't changed attire in years. The other, dressed casually, he could easily blend in with any university student. The casually dressed figure was, for lack of a better term, relentlessly pummeling his opponent. Each blow created painful shockwaves upon impact, yet the battered individual seemed impervious to pain, continuing the fight as if unaffected. By now, all other students had evacuated the area, leaving Eric as the sole curious observer, braving the powerful gusts generated by their clashes. He found it peculiar that no one else had joined him in watching this bizarre spectacle.

As the brawl raged on, the ragged figure delivered a peculiar blow to his adversary. It wasn't a conventional punch; rather, his hand extended straight through his opponent's abdomen, causing blood to gush from the wound. The well-dressed individual, staring at the hand protruding from his stomach in shock, appeared utterly perplexed and disoriented. It was as if, among all the possible outcomes, this was the one he had never anticipated. The wounded figure's gaze scanned the area and landed on Eric. Upon spotting him, he unleashed a powerful punch that sent the tattered adversary hurtling backward into another building. Subsequently, he rocketed straight toward Eric, tackling him to the ground. In an instant, the world around Eric transformed into a blinding brilliance before plunging into a profound darkness. This dark environment soon metamorphosed into a desolate landscape, resembling a desert, reminiscent of the arid expanses of New Mexico or a similar region. Eric found himself overwhelmed by fear as he grappled with the fact that he had been tackled by a wounded superhuman who had flown directly to him. Moreover, he was no longer within the confines of his university; instead, he found himself in the midst of a daunting desert.

Eric, bewildered, stared at the figure and inquired, "Where am I, and where have you taken me?"

"That doesn't matter; the fate of the world as we know it now rests in your hands," declared the superhuman.

"What are you talking about?!" Eric exclaimed. "I can barely muster the motivation to get to class on time! Quit joking around; where are we?"

"LISTEN, KID! I don't have much time; the wound Eleos inflicted was fatal, and I need you to continue our mission, just as I did when my predecessor passed away."

"I don't understand. I'm scared." admitted Eric.

"You don't need to understand; you just need to act. Our mission is to rectify time paradoxes."

"Time paradoxes?"

"That's correct, time paradoxes. The cause of these anomalies is unknown, but we must mend them to ensure the proper flow of time, to secure a future for people like you."

"But how can I possibly do this? I'm just an inept college student."

"The power I will bestow upon you will instinctively guide you to the specific time plane that needs fixing; your task is to correct the abnormality."

"How will I recognize what the abnormality is?"

"The power I will transfer to you will provide all the answers you seek. It's as if an innate intuition will lead you to what needs to be done."

"I'm scared" Eric confessed.

"I understand it's unfair, and I apologize that it has to be you, but given the circumstances, you're my only hope. Please, protect the world." As the superhuman's words hung heavily in the air, Eric's mind raced. It was beyond surreal. Just moments ago, he was a college student struggling to find motivation for his coursework, and now he stood in the midst of a life-altering conversation with a wounded superhuman who had pulled him into an unknown world.

With a mixture of fear and curiosity, Eric took a deep breath and asked, "How do I even begin to understand this power you're talking about?"

The superhuman, weakened and visibly in pain, managed a faint smile. "It's not something you can learn in a classroom, Eric. It's within you, waiting to be unlocked. You'll know when the time comes."

Eric's skepticism remained, but he couldn't deny the urgency in the superhuman's eyes. "What's this mission you keep talking about? Why is it so important?"

The superhuman's expression grew somber. "Time paradoxes, Eric. They threaten the very fabric of reality. If left unchecked, they could unravel the world as we know it, causing chaos and destruction beyond imagination. The mission is to repair these rifts in time and preserve the integrity of our existence."

Eric felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. "But why me? I'm just an ordinary person."

The superhuman's voice trembled as he replied, "The power I'll pass on to you has chosen you, Eric. It's a responsibility that you didn't seek, but sometimes destiny has its own plans. I once felt the same way when I took over this mission."

Eric's heart raced, and panic surged through him. "Choose someone else; I can't be trusted with this mission."

"We're out of time, Eleos is approaching," urged the voice.

Eric's eyes widened as he spotted a man in the distance, strolling towards them with an eerie calmness. "Who the hell is Eleos?" he demanded.

"I don't know, but he exists in every timeline, trying to thwart us," came the response.

"If you couldn't stop him, why do you think I can?" Eric exclaimed. "You don't have to stop him; your role is to fix the paradoxes. Time is running out; take this, my friend. Your life won't be easy, but you'll be saving the world. I'm sorry I had to thrust this upon you."

Suddenly, Eric felt an overwhelming surge of strength coursing through him. The world around him shimmered and then plunged into darkness once more. Now, Eric found himself on what appeared to be a battlefield. Rows of soldiers stood in formation, eyeing each other with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. Where had he ended up?