You were in the middle of a strike mission when you died. It was a sniper shot. The projectile went right through the center of your face. The rest of your fire team was forced to leave you behind as your ghost was gunned down. At least it was a painless death. And that's when you met me. "What...what happened?" You asked. "Where am I?" "You died," I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words. "I was covering my squad...then my ghost was over me..." "Yup," I said. "I...I died?" "Yup. But don't feel bad about it. Everyone dies," I said. You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. "What is this place?" You asked. "Is this the afterlife?" "More or less," I said. "Are you God?" You asked. "In a sense. I've had many names over time. You might know me better as the Traveler." "My squad...my friends?!" You asked suddenly. "What about them?" I stoically replied. "Will they be alright?" "That's what I like to see," I said. "You just died and you main concern is for your fellow Guardians. That's good stuff right there." You looked at me with fascination. To you, I didn't look like a god or anything. I just looked like some man. Or possibly a woman. Some vague authority figure, maybe. More of a grammar school teacher than an almighty being. "Don't worry," I said. "They'll be fine. Your friends will honor your loss, and tell tales of how valiantly you fought the Darkness." "Oh," you said, "So what happens now? Do I go to Heaven or Hell or something?" "Neither," I said, "you'll be reincarnated." "Ah," you said. "So my ghost will bring me back again." "Not exactly," I said. "Walk with me." You followed along as we strode through the void. "Where are we going?" You asked. "Nowhere in particular," I said. "It's just nice to walk while we talk." "So what's the point then? If you're so powerful, why are you having to revive us Guardians to fight for you? Why do you force us to relive the pain of death over and over? Besides, every time I'm brought back I have no memory of my past. I'm practically a blank slate." I stopped walking and grabbed you by the shoulders. "Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful, and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A mortal mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are. It's like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it's hot or cold. You put in a tiny part of yourself into the vessel, and when you bring it back out, you've gained all the experiences it had. You've been in a human for only a month, so you haven't stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness. If we hung out here for long enough, you'd start remembering everything. But there's no point to doing that between each life." "How many times have I been revived then?" You asked expectantly. "Oh, lots and lots. And into lots of lives," I said. "This time around, I think you'll be an Awoken Warlock just as the darkness began to return to Earth." "Wait, what?" You stammered. "You're sending me back in time?" "Well, I guess technically. Time, as you know it, only exists in your universe. Things are different where I come from." "Where do you come from?" You asked. "Unsure," I explained, "I come from somewhere. Somewhere else. And there are others like me. I know you'll want to know what it's like there, but honestly you wouldn't understand." "Oh," you said, a little let down. "But wait, if I get reincarnated to other places in time, I could have interacted with myself at some point." "Sure, happens all the time. And with both lives only aware of their own lifespan, you don't even know it's happening." "So what's the point of it all?" "Seriously?" I asked. "Seriously? You're asking me for the meaning of life? Isn't that a little stereotypical?" "Well, it's a reasonable question," you persisted. I looked you in the eye. "The meaning of all of this, the reason I created the first ghosts, is for you to mature." "You mean those of us left on Earth? You want us to mature?" "No, just a few of you. I made the ghosts for just a few. With each new life, you all grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect." "Just a few? But what about all the rest of the Guardians?" "There are really just a few," I said. "In this universe, there's just you, me, and a few others." You stared blankly at me, "But all the people on Earth..." "Just you few. Different incarnations of you." "Wait..." you spoke hesitantly as the cogs began to turn in your mind. "Now you're getting it," I said, with a congratulatory slap on the back. "...Why?" You asked me. "Why do all of this?" "Because someday, you will become like me. Because that's what you are. You're one of my kind. You're my child." "Whoa," you said, incredulous. "You mean I'm a Traveler too?" "No, not yet. You're a fetus. You're still growing. Once you've lived every life necessary throughout this war, you will have grown enough to be born." "So this whole war...this entire conflict," you said, "it's just..." "An incubator." I answered. "Now it's time for you to move on to your next life." And I sent you on your way. You later awoke, a thin blue light surrounding you. You tried to move your legs, but found that you couldn't feel them. You began to look around, not seeing a trace of a body. Somehow you moved over to a puddle not far from where you awoke. What you saw was probably more shocking than you could ever hope to realize. "Now go, and help me create another child," I whispered to your mind as your metal shell began to float off in search of a new Guardian.