1 The day Fate’s cogs turned.

Deserts, by all means has always been an unfavorable place to stay in. The sheer heat and valleys of sand that that seemingly stretched out forever would bore anyone even if they stayed for a short time.

But not for a peculiar person currently sitting on a rock.

This person, he didn't mind the heat despite the fact he wore a black coat all over and a blank, white mask under his hood that covered the majority of his face. It's as if the heat didn't exist at all, he still focused on fiddling with his fingers like a child.

Not only that, the area around him isn't all sand and dust. There ruins of what seems like great temple buried under the hot sand. The sight of the temple's structures poking up from the sand kept that kept him pretty much occupied.

He waited and waited until someone came.

This new individual walked out from a swirling portal of darkness that distorted its surroundings. The newcomer wore the exact same coat with the only difference is the number "16" that's printed on the right side of its hood. The portal soon disappeared behind the newcomer and the person waiting waved with glee.

"So? How was the coat I gave you?" The odd fellow asked the newcomer.

"...It works alright. Like you said, it repels darkness, it's amazing." The newcomer replied as he took off his hood, revealing a man in his early twenties with shaggy brown hair and blue eyes. His face seems to absent of emotion when he looked at the hooded man.

"Well, I did made the coat, it'll do it's purpose as intended! It'll be the uniform of our group after all." The hooded man proudly said. "Now, how'd it go? Your trip?"

Hearing this question made the brown haired man sigh a little bit before sitting beside the hooded individual. He looked up to see the blue sky where he revealed his answer.

"I think, I found the reason for my existence."

"Oh? Really now? Tell me more."

"Wherever I went, back and forth between worlds. Everything's the same." The man said with a disappointed tone. "Conflict raged on, distrust and greed, such as the true nature of living beings. Not just humans. Where weakness exist, the darkness in their hearts come along too..."

"Sounds like your trip between worlds made you experience a lot of things, got even a little bit more then you anticipated. Seeing all that chaos and stuff must've really opened your eyes wide open huh?"

The man looked down, held his hands together and let out a deep sigh. "The darkness that lurks the hearts of people grows with each act of malice. It's the desperation of the weak what drive this darkness to take over. They make these delusions as a form of justification for their actions, nothing more than mere acts of evil. The weak hungers for more power, and people with power craves for even more power. Over and over again, this cycle plunges them deep in their own madness. That is how darkness stains people..."

"So basically, the weak will do whatever means necessary to justify their actions just to, let's say, to obtain a sense of self? Can't just let them be until their 'darkness' consumes them?" The odd fellow suggested in a playful manner.

"I cannot unfortunately. Because left alone, both worlds would be thrown into chaos. But of course, you can't truly remove chaos. For chaos and order are both sides of the same coin. Such as the concept of light and darkness. The more you control and restrain it, the more it will act against you. I've seen it first hand in my travels. It was foolish, so that's why I came to the conclusion of putting chaos and order in absolute balance."

"That sounds tedious, why not sit back and watch how things play out?"

"People by all means, are stubborn. Making them listen is difficult enough. More so than understanding the emotions down under." The man replied. "It's just a matter of common sense."

"Ugh fine fine...both worlds needs you to bring balance. I'll give you that one." Said the odd fellow after standing up from his rocky seat and walked a couple of steps forward. "But do you think you can actually do it?"

"I don't know what I can do or how I will do. But I will act. Besides, I can't trust that machine you made, FATE to handle important things in the future."

"I suppose letting an artificial lifeform to alter the future might be a...pretty dumb move. I did make FATE in my image, so it's decisions are rational enough. But hey! Don't let something like FATE stop you. That's why! You can make a change, you have that power right~? You might be able to change both worlds!"

Hearing the word "power" made the man chuckle for a bit. A sort of icebreaker for their serious conversation. Well, he's the one that's being serious all this time, the odd fellow seems to take everything as a joke with every suggestion he made.

"Power huh...I don't know about that. There's of course, 'her' to keep everyone in the group in check." The man explained with a smile. "With her around, I don't think I'll be able to achieve my goal."

"You're just going to let her boss you like that? Listen to me, what she thinks doesn't matter. You believe that the worlds needs you. Sounds like your path is already secured in place, make your way forward and don't look back." Said the odd fellow striking a pose with his index finger pointing up towards the sky. "Now, which it'll be, young Xavier?"

With only a smirk, the answer is clear. The man known as Xavier is now sure as the clouds of hesitation dispersed from his heart completely. He knew that from now on forward, all of his actions are that of justice and order. This alone couldn't make him any more satisfied.

"You know, for some odd reason, all of this, my goal and meeting you feels like it's supposed to happen. Like this coat for example, it's like it's made for me." Xavier looked at his coat with sheer fascination on his face.

"Hmmmm, no. You'll cast it aside soon enough."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean, you'll grow out of it."

"Oh? Really now?"

"If you truly posses great power, the darkness or chaos that lingers between worlds won't control you. As a matter of fact, you might be strong enough to control it instead. You won't need something like a cheap coat to keep you safe from it." The odd fellow for once, in the entirety of their conversation said this seriously. Not even a hint of playfulness can be found.

"Then what about you, Master? Why don't you take off that coat of yours? Aren't you powerful too?" Xavier question his master.

"Oh me? I just don't want to, that's why, meoww~!" The master replied while imitating a cat rubbing its face.

This master of his, is truly an odd man. What secrets does he keep? Is he somehow, aware what the future lies ahead? These questions raised inside Xavier's head and so he asked:

"Master, who are you really? It's only been a year since I met you. And within that year you made me, one out of twenty, to be your only apprentice. Are you perhaps some sort of fortune teller?"

With a chuckle of amusement, the master replied. "I could be anyone really. I could be someone that's ultimately good, or someone as evil incarnate. I could say my existence is relevant, or irrelevant. The thing is, the truth is what you see with your own eyes. And what you see now is the truth."

"Hmm...even with being your apprentice for an entire year I still couldn't tell who you are. Even now that I asked you directly, you wouldn't tell me. I guess it's all to preserve that all mysterious, yet goofy around vibe you. Am I right?"

"That and...well, you're smart enough to figure it out eventually." With that the master walked away leaving behind his last words. "The stage is set, and so are the actors."

In the master's playful and mischievous ways, he gave the way for his apprentice, Xavier a very important role to play. What seemed like a simple role, was the element that would connect all future events to come.

The master soon bestowed, twenty of his followers their black coats. 7 of which that had its own unique design. He also tasked them along with FATE, an artificial lifeform he created from his own image, to watch upon the two worlds in his steed.

Soon after, the master disappeared without a trace. Like how one can erase a name from a sheet of paper. But his followers didn't look for him, they knew this event will come and it's their duty to fulfill their mission.

Now, fate's cogs turned as it was meant to be.