The air crackled with power, all centering around the woman. If she was here, there had to be something she could do to help.

Focusing on that and not the encroaching darkness at the edges of my vision, I pleaded, “Whatever you can do, please, do it! I-. I can’t even stand. I tried to help her, but it didn’t work. I wasn’t strong enough.”

I’d never bothered with building my strength, and now that negligence was biting me in the ass.

The woman shook her head and waved a hand. “Brute strength isn’t your main stat, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I didn’t come here because you’re strong, after all.”

Right, she could hear my thoughts. That wasn’t disconcerting at all…

She snorted. “You’ll get used to it, kid. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Introductions first, then everything else.”

I glanced at the thug. “How long will he stay like that?” Do we really have time to chat while Anna was still in danger?

Instead of getting irritated with my impatience, she smiled, approval warming her eyes.

“I’m borrowing my husband’s power, so we should have a bit longer before time resumes.” Then she eyed the thug, her gaze hardening again. “We’ll get to him and his punishment in just a minute.”

Facing me, she flicked a hand over herself and spoke. “I am Karma, a spirit hailing from Nexus, a world parallel to your Earth. We can go over the rest later. For now, I’ll skip to the important part.” She jerked her head toward the door. “You want to save that kid, right?”

Hope cleaved through the despair from before, and I nodded, ignoring the sickening way the world spun in response. “More than anything. You can take my life, if that’s what you’re here for, just please let me save her first.”

Karma’s smile widened, her approval doubling down. “You only care about that kid's safety, even while your life blood is oozing out of you. Good, that means I'm choosing right.” She turned serious then, the smile sliding into a frown. “Here’s the deal, human. You’re going to die, that’s just a fact and you’ve accepted that. I can’t directly interfere with this world, not enough to save the girl.”

The air pushed out of me as if I’d been kicked in the gut. Before I could speak though, she raised a finger and continued. “But here’s what I can do. I can give you a power. You’ll only be able to use it one time before your body gives out, but that should be plenty to stop that idiot over there.”

Relief hit like a wave. I could save Anna. She wouldn’t die–not today. That relief faded after a minute though, pushed aside by wariness as I considered the spirit in front of me.

“What are you getting out of this?” I asked, and she smiled, this time with a touch of grimness.

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“Smart of you, to look for hooks in a seemingly too-good-to-be-true offer. Spirits can only give power to their Chosens. By accepting this, you’ll become mine. Our bond will be centered on an oath. If you keep to it, you’ll have continued access to the power I grant. If you break it…”

She trailed off, and the temperature of the room dropped. “Well, let’s just say I’m not a kind spirit to those who break their words. Karma truly is a bitch, and most have no idea just how true that is.”

The air lightened again, and she laughed. “I wouldn't say that back on Nexus though. I find it funny, but my husband…does not. So, don't. Unless you'd like to blink and be an old man, that is.”

A chill worked down my spine, and I shook it aside. Okay, so she was married to a being who controlled time. That was great. If I ever met him, I'd have to be careful not to piss him off…

Putting that away to consider later, I focused on her again. “What do you need me to do in Nexus?” The name felt odd on my tongue, unlike every other time I'd used it in casual conversation. Now, the syllables came out clunky and uneven. Considering the word was now linked to an entire new universe, one could argue that there was a good reason for the word to feel out of the ordinary.

God, a whole new universe no one knew about. If I hadn't seen her appear out of thin air and freeze time, I'd never believe it!

But I had seen it, and she was offering a way–the only way–to save Anna. She could drag me to a fiery hellscape after this for all I cared, so long as Anna was safe before we went. For now, I'd roll with the punches. I’d always been good at that. Which still left the question of what exactly she needed me to do.

Something dark briefly shuttered over her gaze. “That…is a complicated question to answer. Let's start with the bigger, potentially world-ending reason you're needed.”

World-ending?

My stomach dropped. What could she possibly expect me to do against that kind of threat?! I was just a human! A very squishy, easily killed, mortal.

She nodded, reminding me yet again that she could hear my thoughts. “You are for now, but we can discuss changing that if you agree to be my Chosen. First things first though, the threat. You've already guessed that my husband is the master of time, right?”

I nodded, following the best I could.

“Well, he can look into the future. It's how we prevent catastrophes from growing to proportions that are unmanageable. When he went forward this time, he was met with ruin, death, famine…the apocalypse.” Her lips pressed into a thin line. “He couldn't find the catalyst. Usually, he would find me in that time, and we'd work together, but there was no one.”

My throat went dry, and I swallowed. “No one?”

She nodded. “No humans, elves, dwarves, dragonkin, beastfolk or even spirits. Everything was dead. The only clue he found was a half-destroyed journal with a location. With no other clues as to what caused the change, he came back to the present. Which leads us to you and your part in this.”

Crouching to be at my level, she gently tipped my head up to meet her eyes and spoke. “As my Chosen, you will investigate for us. I'll send you to Nexus, directly to where we believe the catalyst began. From there, your job will be to get to the bottom of things.”

So she wanted me to save an entire world I knew nothing about. Piece of cake. A bubble of hysterical laughter built in my throat before I swallowed it down. Focus, Nikolas. Ask questions, get information, and do not panic.

Taking a deep breath, I forced the jittery nerves aside and asked, “If I succeed and the apocalypse is subverted, what then? This ‘Chosen’ thing sounds pretty permanent.”

I'd accept it either way to save Anna, but there was no harm in knowing what was ahead of me.

Karma straightened, visibly preparing herself for the conversation, and I mirrored her, as much as I could with my injury. Hopefully, what she wanted wasn't too strenuous. I wanted to save lives, but not forever.