Darkness... that is all i can see. Nothing but the empty, black darkness that surrounds me. And it has been that way for... well, who knows how long.

I can't exactly remember what happened to me. All i can remember was fleeing from my house and then feeling pain in my chest. And then... nothing. It went away. And the next thing i knew was that i'm stuck here, floating aimlessly through the void.

Questions rang up in my head when I first arrived here. Where am i? What happened to me? Did I die? And if I did, what killed me? Will I ever get out of here? I wasn't sure on any of them.

So, here i am. Just floating in the middle of empty darkness not knowing when i'll ever see light again.

Wait a minute. I see something.

Is that... light?

Light... it has been so long since i have seen it.

I can see the flickering light in front of me, and I can't help but feel drawn to it.

It was if it was calling to me. Wanting me to come to it and touch it's warm, bright light.

And that's what I did.

As I approach the flickering light, I could see that it was glowing brighter and slowly obscuring my vision trying to make it harder for me to see.

But that wasn't going to stop me.

I pressed on as my vision was becoming more obscure with the bright light, but I didn't care. I wanted to touch the light. Embrace it.

I was now arms length at the light and I reached my hand out for it, feeling the warm rays of light touch me.

I then felt myself touching the source of the light, and when I did it... vanished.

Darkness was all i see again.

But I also felt something. Something within me.

A pulse.

(??? POV)

A loud gasp escaped from my lips as I jolted awake, feeling my heart beating fast as I take in huge gulps of air. I could see my vision being blocked by a bright light as I can feel something pressed up onto my back. Something wooden.

As I take in huge gulps of air, I can feel my mind going to panic mode and I tried to calm down and get into my barings.

Once I began to calm down, I could see that my vision was beginning to clear up. As my vision begins to clear up, I could feel the feeling of fabric on me. I looked down at my hands and I see that my arms were encased in some kind of white and brown gloves and sleeves.

"What... what am I wearing?" I asked myself as I ran my hand across the sleeves. It had a comfortable feeling to it and I could see hard armor plating on my elbow, adding some protection.

I then heard a voice.

"Guardian? Eye's up guardian!"

When I heard the voice, I quickly looked up to see the source in front of my face.

It was... a floating object?

It was made of metal and was white in color with yellow tipped ends. It was shaped as a three-dimensional star and had a singular blue, optic eye.

When I saw the floating object, I gasped and tried to back away from it but Instead I felt the same wooden feeling from before. I quickly looked behind me to see that i was pressed up against a tall tree. I then looked back at the object with fear in my eyes.

"Hey, hey. Calm down. There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm not here to hurt you." The object spoke to me in a calming manner, as if it was trying to calm me down.

"W-what are you?" I nervously asked the object, confused on what the thing was.

I saw the objects front and back halves rotate as it spoke. "I'm a Ghost. Well, I'm your Ghost now, and well... let's just say that you've been dead for a long time now. So you're going to see a lot of things you don't understand." The 'Ghost' said to me.

Dead... I've been dead this whole time? For how long? And what killed me? I was just getting more confused.

And, as if it was reading my mind, the Ghost spoke to me again. "Look, I understand that you're confused, and I promise I'll explain everything, but we've got to get out of here. The fallen are gaining on us." It said to him.

"The fallen? What's the fallen?" I asked as I begin to stand up when I realized that I was sitting down the whole time. I then took around at my surroundings. I was in a forest, surrounded by tall trees.

It was then I noticed that my whole body was encased in a suit that was made of the same materials as what was on my hands and arms, with armor plating on my chest, knees and shins. I then reached my hands up and felt around my head to find out that i was wearing a helmet with a wide visor.

Before the Ghost could respond, i hear some kind of howl echoing through the area. Ghost looked out onto the forest where the howling came from. "Oh no... they're a lot closer then I thought." It said with dread in its voice. It then faced me again. "We need to move. Now!"

Seeing how I didn't have much choice in the manner, and seeing how this "Ghost" can provide me the answers I needed, I nodded at the Ghost. "F-fine." I said to the Ghost. "But... where do we go?"

The Ghost shifted it's body parts a bit. "There's an old military base up in the north east. With any luck, there should be a ship that can take us to the last city." It said to me.

I nodded lightly at the Ghost. "Alright... let's go." I said to it.

The Ghost nodded as it spoke once again. "Alright. Hold still." It then approached closer to me and then... dissapeared?

I grew shocked when I saw Ghost dissapear and I looked around for him. I then heard him again, this time a lot closer.

"Don't worry. I'm still with you." The Ghost reassured me as it spoke in my head. "I just put myself inside of your head to aid you."

"How did you-?" I asked but was cutted off when I heard the echoing howls again, sounding closer.

"Move Guardian! Stay low and follow the waypoint! It'll help lead you to the base!" The Ghost ordered me when a small diamond appeared in my field of vision.

It was pointing north east and showed that it was 200 miles ahead.

I was hesitant about this, as I was still confused on what the hell was going on. But I needed answers. So I ran through the forest, praying that I made the right decision in trusting the floating machine.

"Hey Ghost. Where exactly am i?" I asked the Ghost As I ran through the forest, keeping my eyes on my surroundings.

"You're in the European Dead Zone on Earth. Several centuries pass the golden age." Ghost answered to me. It then took notice of something on me. "Are you alright? You're heart seems to be beating in a rapid rate." It asked in concern.

"I-im sorry. It's just... I'm so confused on everything that's happening right now." I said to Ghost. "All I can remember is... Dying. And all of the sudden, I'm brought back to life and bombarded with shit that I don't understand." I said, feeling frustrated from being so confused.

"Look. Once we get to safety away from here, I promise I'll explain everything to you in good detail." Ghost said. "Just bear with me on this, okay?"

I was silent for a minute before I sigh. "Fine. But it better be." I said.

"Don't worry. It will." Ghost said in a reassuraning tone.

Feeling somewhat satisfied, I pressed on through the massive forest. But I couldn't help but feel that I was being watched.

(Timeskip, brought to you by a Chibi Ghost floating over a Chibi hunter Guardian.)

After for running for what felt like hours, I had finally arrived at my designation. The base Ghost had mentioned.

It was tall and old, and was in ruins. Vegetation grew out of the walls and seemed to be abandoned.

"We're here." Ghost said to me. "Come on. Our ride is waiting for us inside. And with any luck, there should be a weapon inside we can use."

"Hopefully I don't have to use it." I mumbled and made my way up the stairs and into the base.

The halls were dimly lit as I walked through it, growing more cautious around my surroundings. It seemed perfect for a surprise attack.

I then arrived at a large chamber which was pitch black, which caused me to sigh. "Great. I can't see jack shit." I complained as I stood at a balcony.

"Hold on. Let me see if I can fix it." Ghost said as it finally appeared by my head and had shined a bright light from his optic eye, piercing the darkness. "Becareful while I'm gone. The fallen thrive in the darkness. We do not." It told me as it floated off.

"Do they actually? Well, that's just perfect..." I mumbled in annoyance as I watch Ghost float away, leaving me alone in the dark, quiet chamber. It was... kinda unnerving.

I then suddenly heard a loud bang which caused me to jump in surprise from the sudden loud noise. I then heard a loud hum following after that as I see the lights within the chamber were turning back on, which would've relieved me.

If it weren't for the creatures that quickly crawled into hiding the second the lights turned on.

"What the hell!?" I yelled out when I saw the creatures crawl into hiding. I then saw Ghost quickly float back to me.

"We need to move, now!" Ghost said quickly as it hovered over me and vanishes into my head. "I found a rifle you can use! It's old and have seen better days, but it'll help you!" Ghost said in a panicked tone.

Another Waypoint then appeared into my HUD, which led through another hallway to an old crate with an old auto rifle resting by its side. I ran down the hall and picked up the rifle, examining it.

It was definitely old and had dents and scratches all over it, with bits of rust covering it. The holographic sight was slightly cracked but it was still usable. I then checked the magazine for any ammo to see that it was still filled with bullets.

"I hope you know how to use that thing." Ghost said to me as I loaded the clip back into the old rifle.

"Only one way to find out." I mumbled then pressed on through the hall.

(Timeskip, brought to you by a picture of the hunter guardian killing Fallen Dregs.)

Another fallen Dreg drops down dead from Gunfire as I made my way through a hallway that'll lead me to the hanger. Things were pretty hectic when I made my way through the base as I encountered different types of fallen, from the floating machines called the Shanks to four armed Fallen called the Vandal.

I also had trouble using my gun when i first got it, but thankfully Ghost taught me a few things on how to handle it so I managed to be decent enough to survive this place.

I then finally made it to the end of the hallway and arrived at the hanger, taking in on the surroundings. I saw that it was mostly empty and in ruins like the rest of the place.

Thankfully, there was one ship remaining at the other end of the hanger and it was being suspended up in the air by wires.

As I approached the ship, I saw that it was dark blue with black lines and was in a triangular shape. Ghost then appeared by my head again and floated up to it. "Incredible! A Phaeton class ship!" Ghost said in awe as it began to scan it. "Looks like it's been here for a while. Hasn't made a jump in centuries. Thankfully though, the Fallen hasn't picked it clean." Ghost said to me.

"Think it'll fly?" I asked the Ghost as I waited patiently for an answer.

The Ghost turned back to me and shuttered it's optic eye. "I can make it work." It said before vanishing into the ship.

As I stood patiently for Ghost to get the ship working, I saw sparks and light flared up around it as I heard the engines kicked on and started to burn. I then saw the ship begin to move as the wires that held it were now disconnecting as it was now hovering in mid-air.

"Okay, it's not going to break orbit. But it might take us to the city." Ghost said from within the ship as I stared at awe at it. "Now, about that transmat."

I then heard several loud roars behind me and I spun around to see a group of fallen coming in through one of the large holes on the wall. Behind them was a much larger being with stronger armor and weapons , four arms supporting it as it moved out of the hole like a spider.

I stepped back in fear from the size of the large being as they begin to approach me when I heard Ghost again. "Bringing you in!" Before I can register on what was going on, I saw myself vanish and reappearing inside the ship on a seat.

"You'll be back to face them, when you're ready." Ghost said to me as I felt the thrusters kicked on and shooting off from the hanger bay and into the sky.

As I snapped out of my fear and shock, I leaned back against the chair as I breathed deeply "Holy shit... that was crazy as hell." I said.

"We should arrive at the city in about three hours." Ghost told me as it appeared in the air before me. "Engines are old, and we're low on fuel cells. But we should make it with little trouble." Ghost explains.

"Oh good..." I said as I let out a sigh of relief. Then I realized something. "Wait... are you flying this thing?" I asked it.

"Hm? Oh, no I'm not. The ship is on an auto-pilot system. So, there's nothing to worry about." Ghost tells and reassured me.

"Good to know..." I said to Ghost as I nodded. "Now... about that explanation you promised me earlier."

Ghost nods as it knew what he was getting himself into. "Ask away Guardian. Any questions you have, I'm willing to answer."

I nodded as I made myself more comfortable. "Alright. First off, what the hell happened to the world? Secondly, What the hell were those things back there? Thirdly, Why are you calling me 'Guardian'? And fourthly, where the hell are we going?" I asked my questions.

Ghost was silent before it began to explain everything to me. And let's just say... I honestly didn't thought that this was possible. Ghost explained to me about the arrival of something called 'The Traveler' and how much humanity has changed due to its arrival, to explaining that the Travelers ancient enemy, The Darkness, followed it and brought destruction that plagued humanity for centuries, and explained how Humanity was plunged into a never ending war against those that sought to destroy them and the light.

As I listened through Ghost's explanation and stories, I only had one thing on my mind.

"What road did I put myself into?"