Chapter 1 - The Watcher

'There comes a moment when the veil of time dissolves, when the known universe and all its mysteries fold into clarity. That moment came to me not in death, but in ascension. '

  Bright lights, darkness, energy surging. The creation and death of stars in an instant. All things present, past and future, all being observed by me. But what is the purpose of observation if one cannot make a change?

  I see the multiverse, all at once. I see the different timelines; what could have been, what was and what was never. All existing at the same time. Time isn’t something I would use for myself, for I am above time. I am a Watcher.

  I was once man, a scientist driven by obsession and grief, like so many who dare to challenge the natural order. I believed time was a river – one that could be traced, mapped and ultimately manipulated. But now… I see the truth. Time is no river, it is an ocean, vast and infinite, with currents that swirl in every dimensions. Now, I have transcended those mortal limitations. I stand outside the confines of time and space, not merely an observer but a Watcher. From here, I witness every timeline, every ripple caused by the smallest action. I see the smallest decisions cause a ripple in the timeline, making it branch. I see the different possibilities collapse into one as soon as someone makes an action. 

  Yet, I can only observe, and not intervene. I could watch universes and timeline go to waste, but I’m not allowed to intervene. 

  Allowed?

  I do not know of such beings that restrict me from intervening. Yet I feel the uneasiness that I am not allowed. Something built within me. 

  I see the birth of stars, the collapse of empires, and the end of all things. And yet, I remain detached and distant. From this vantage point, I understand what few mortals ever will: that time is fragile, malleable, and in constant flux. There are no absolutes, no fixed destinies. Everything is in motion, shaped by countless forces- seen and unseen. You are made for someone or made to be something. You choose to be that thing; you choose to be with someone. Your decisions shape your future and reality.

  I did not ask for this burden. In truth, I was not ready to be anything more than what I once was: Quantum physicist, time theorist, a mortal chasing his impossible dream. My journey began with the discovery of an ancient artifact, buried deep within the event horizon of a black hole, a relic of a civilization long forgotten – the Ouroborans.

  The Ouroborans were not like us. They were beings who had mastered the art of time manipulation, bending laws of reality to their will. And yet, they fell, consumed by their creations. Their legacy was a warning. But I did not heed that warning. I saw a relic not as a danger, but as an opportunity- a key to unlocking the mysteries of time itself. But time is not something to be controlled. It is something that controls you. They battled with forces greater than them. Forces that desired to put everything in existence to dust. And in that battle, they had made the greatest sacrifice of all, to save their civilization. 

  There are stories I could tell about how I got here, but they wouldn’t make sense to you. For I comprise of all the infinite Me’s that once existed across the multiverse; I do not share one story. Though there was this particular variant of me that had a great deal in the events that lead to my ascension as a Watcher; Dr. grey Nyle from earth 21.