Lucian Cross never expected his life to end so suddenly.
One moment, he was walking home under the glow of streetlights, earbuds in, the cool night air brushing against his skin. The next, headlights blinded him, followed by the sickening screech of tires. There was no pain, only a flash—then silence.
When Lucian opened his eyes, the world was gone. He stood in a vast starry void, the cosmos stretching endlessly around him. There was no ground, yet he did not fall. No sound, yet he wasn't afraid.
Then, a voice—gentle and warm—broke the silence.
R.O.B.: "Ah, you're awake. Don't be alarmed, young soul."
Lucian turned and saw a figure, not of flesh and blood but of radiant light. Their form shifted between shapes—man, woman, child, elder—never settling, yet always kind.
Lucian: "W-what is this? Am I… dead?"
R.O.B.:chuckles softly "Yes. But don't be sad. Death is not the end, only a turning point. And for you, Lucian Cross… I've decided it will be the beginning of something far greater."
Lucian blinked, still disoriented. "Greater? I was just… a normal guy. Why me?"
R.O.B.: "Why not you? I am what some call a Random Omnipotent Being. Sometimes, I grant souls a second chance. And you, Lucian, have a spark—a yearning for adventure, for stories beyond the ordinary. So, I shall give you the chance to live them."
The void shimmered, and in R.O.B.'s hands appeared a glowing compass, its needle spinning wildly, pointing not north but everywhere. Beside it, a core of pulsating light hovered, radiant with untapped energy.
R.O.B.: "These are my gifts. With them, you will travel worlds beyond your imagination."
They extended their hand, and Lucian instinctively reached out. The moment his fingers brushed the light, warmth surged through him—power unlike anything he had ever felt.
R.O.B.: "I grant you the Dimensional Compass, to guide you across universes. The Adaptable Power Core, to let your strength evolve no matter where you land. And two quirks to shape your destiny."
The air rippled, and Lucian felt two forces awaken inside him. His chest tightened as alien sensations coursed through his body—an overwhelming instinct whispering move, dodge, flow, and a strange warmth in his hands that pulsed with the power to heal and undo.
R.O.B.:
"The first: Restoration Domain. With it, you may heal, protect, and even reject harm itself."
"The second: True Autonomous Ultra Instinct. Your body will move with divine instinct, guiding you in battle beyond conscious thought."
Lucian staggered, overwhelmed as visions of glowing barriers and instinctive movements flooded his mind.
Lucian: "T-this is… insane. You're really giving me all this? Why?"
R.O.B.'s form steadied, their voice filled with gentle mirth.
R.O.B.: "Because life should be more than survival, Lucian. It should be lived. So live—adventure, love, fight, laugh, and grow. These gifts will start small, and you will have to master them. But the journey… the journey is yours alone."
The compass floated into Lucian's hands. Its glow pulsed, pointing forward, and the stars of the void bent around him. His body began to dissolve into light.
Lucian: "Wait! Where am I going first?!"
R.O.B. smiled, their final words echoing as the cosmos swallowed him.
R.O.B.: "To a world of heroes and villains. May your travels be filled with wonder, Lucian Cross."
The compass floated into Lucian's hands. Its glow pulsed, pointing forward, and the stars of the void bent around him. His body began to dissolve into light, like stardust breaking apart on the wind.
Lucian: "Wait! Where am I going first?!"
R.O.B. only smiled, their final words ringing with warmth as the cosmos swallowed him.
R.O.B.: "To a world of heroes and villains. May your travels be filled with wonder, Lucian Cross."
The last thing he felt was warmth—not fire, not pain, but the gentle embrace of possibility.
Then, darkness.
-v-
Lucian gasped awake, air rushing into his lungs as if he had been drowning. He jolted upright, heart pounding, the phantom sensation of the void still clinging to him. But instead of endless stars, he was staring at the ceiling of a small apartment.
Sunlight spilled through half-drawn curtains, painting golden stripes across tatami mats. The sound of cicadas buzzed faintly outside, joined by the distant murmur of a city.
He blinked, disoriented. His body felt… different. Lighter. Stronger. He scrambled to his feet, legs shaky, and caught sight of a mirror leaning against the wall.
The reflection staring back wasn't the twenty-year-old gamer who died under streetlights. This Lucian was sharper, leaner, his hair darker, his jawline defined. Most striking of all, his eyes shimmered faintly with silver light, as if holding starlight within.
Lucian: "…holy shit."
His laugh was breathless, shaky, almost disbelieving. "R.O.B. wasn't kidding."
That was when he noticed the desk. A neat stack of papers waited there, his name printed clearly at the top: Lucian Cross. Official stamps labeled him a U.A. High transfer student. Attached was a quirk registry listing two abilities:
Restoration Domain
Ultra Instinct
Beside the papers lay the object that pulsed faintly with light: the Dimensional Compass.
As Lucian reached out, its glow flared, and a soft, feminine voice echoed in his mind:
[Welcome, Lucian Cross. Your journey begins here. Current World: My Hero Academia.]
His heart raced. It was real. All of it.
-v-
Lucian's hand lingered on the compass, its warmth seeping into his skin. The glow dimmed as though settling, waiting, yet he could still feel it pulsing faintly against his palm—like a second heartbeat.
He carefully set it down on the desk and turned his attention to the papers.
The first sheet was an official document, crisp and stamped with the seal of Japan's Ministry of Education. His name, Lucian Cross, was typed in bold at the top, followed by neatly written details in Japanese. His eyes skimmed through, catching enough familiar words to piece it together: transfer student… Musutafu City… U.A. High School.
Lucian let out a shaky laugh. "They even gave me paperwork. Damn, R.O.B. really thought of everything."
He flipped to the next set of pages—a quirk registry card. His photograph, matching the new face he saw in the mirror, was printed beside two entries:
Quirk: Restoration Domain
Capabilities: Advanced healing, defensive barriers, damage negation.
Notes: Experimental, requires stamina management.
Quirk: True Autonomous Ultra Instinct
Capabilities: Reflexive combat instinct, predictive evasion, enhanced perception.
Notes: Rare condition, unstable, untrained.
Lucian whistled low. "So it's official. I'm not just some random guy dropped into MHA—I'm registered, legal, and they already think I've had these quirks."
He leaned back, running a hand through his new hair. Excitement stirred in his chest, tempered by a flicker of unease. "Which means… I've got a history here. Probably forged by R.O.B. But if I'm at U.A., then…" His eyes widened. "…I'll be around the main cast. Deku, All Might, Class 1-A… all of them."
His heart thudded. Watching those characters on a screen was one thing. Meeting them? Training beside them? Fighting villains with them? That was something else entirely.
The compass pulsed again, faint light drawing his gaze.
[Integration complete. Identity established. Legal records, finances, and residence secured. You are recognized in this world as Lucian Cross, age sixteen. Status: transfer student, U.A. High.]
Lucian blinked, then smirked. "Hah. So you're like my personal narrator, huh?"
[Incorrect. I am your navigation system. Purpose: to guide you between universes and stabilize your powers during dimensional transfer.]
"Close enough." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Guess that makes you my travel buddy."
[Designation accepted. "Travel Buddy."]
Lucian stared for a beat before bursting into laughter. "Oh, hell no. I wasn't being serious!"
[Designation locked.]
"...Great. I've got a magic GPS with a sense of humor."
Despite himself, Lucian smiled. For all the surreal madness of his situation, the compass's dry, almost mechanical tone grounded him. It wasn't R.O.B.'s grand cosmic presence—it was something smaller, steadier, almost reassuring.
He spent the next few minutes searching the apartment. It was modest but well-equipped: a futon, a small kitchen, a bathroom stocked with fresh towels and toiletries, even a wardrobe filled with clothes his size. Everything had the faint feeling of being set up for him, like a starter pack in a video game.
Lucian tugged open a drawer and found an envelope tucked inside. Inside were yen bills and a simple debit card with his name embossed on it.
"Well," he muttered, tucking it back. "At least I won't starve."
As he turned back toward the desk, his eyes lingered again on the quirk registry. His fingers drummed against the table.
"Healing, barriers, rejecting damage… Ultra Instinct reflexes…" His grin widened. "Alright. Let's see what this body can actually do."
The compass pulsed faintly, as though in agreement.
[Recommendation: controlled testing advised. Current stamina capacity: low. Overexertion risk: high.]
Lucian smirked. "Noted. Don't worry, Travel Buddy, I'm not dumb enough to blow myself up on day one."
Still, excitement buzzed in his veins as he stepped back into the center of the room. His hands clenched into fists, eyes locked on the space in front of him.
Time to test his quirks.
-v-
Lucian stood in the center of the apartment, bare feet pressing into the tatami floor. His heart pounded in his chest—not from fear, but from anticipation.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, clapping his hands once. "New world, new body, new quirks. Time for my test run."
He inhaled deeply, focusing on the strange warmth in his chest. It wasn't like energy drinks or adrenaline. It was subtler, like a pool of glowing water resting just below his heart. When he willed it forward, it surged into his arms, flooding his hands with tingling heat.
A faint shimmer danced between his fingers, golden and translucent, as though the air itself was bending.
Lucian's eyes widened. "That's it. That's Restoration Domain."
The shimmer thickened, forming into a curved pane of light like a glass shield. Its surface rippled faintly, humming with a soft vibration.
Lucian grinned, giddy as a kid unwrapping his first console. "Holy crap… I actually made a barrier."
He extended his hand, and the shield grew, stretching until it was large enough to cover his torso. The glow lit up the small apartment, painting the walls in warm gold. He pushed against it with his other hand—it resisted, firm yet flexible, like dense rubber.
But after only a few seconds, the shield flickered and dissolved into golden motes. The warmth in his chest sputtered, leaving him slightly winded.
"Woah—!" Lucian staggered back, hand pressed against his chest. "Okay… note to self: stamina drains fast."
[Observation: output exceeds current capacity. Recommendation: incremental usage only.]
Lucian chuckled breathlessly. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Baby steps."
He raised his hand again, concentrating on the same warmth. Instead of forcing it outward all at once, he pictured a smaller construct—a sphere, no bigger than a baseball. The golden shimmer formed instantly, humming faintly, more stable this time.
Lucian's grin widened. "Nice. Smaller scale, longer runtime." He rotated the sphere above his palm, marveling as it floated weightlessly. "Damn, this is insane…"
On impulse, he pressed the glowing orb against his arm, nicking his skin with a sharp nail. The tiny cut stung for a second—until the glow seeped into it. The wound closed instantly, leaving smooth, unblemished skin.
Lucian's breath caught. "Healing, too. Just like R.O.B. said."
He sat back on his heels, staring at his hand in awe. His chest swelled—not just with pride, but with a strange weight. He'd dreamed about powers like this, sure. But to actually have them? To hold the ability to heal and protect in his own hands?
"…I could save people with this." His voice was soft, reverent.
The compass pulsed faintly on the desk.
[Correct. Application potential: high. User responsibility: yours alone.]
Lucian exhaled, nodding. "Yeah. Mine alone."
But before his thoughts could wander too far, another sensation tugged at him—the second gift. Ultra Instinct.
If Restoration Domain was warmth, this was the opposite: sharp, electric, like a storm hidden in his bones. He closed his eyes, focusing inward.
His breathing slowed. The cicadas outside became sharper, their rhythm distinct. The sway of the curtains, the ticking of a clock, the faint rumble of traffic—all layered into his awareness at once. His muscles tensed on their own, a coiled readiness he didn't command.
And then—move.
Lucian's body lurched sideways, just in time for… nothing. His arm slammed into the wall as his balance broke, pain shooting up his elbow. He collapsed to one knee, gasping as exhaustion washed over him.
"Ugh—hah… damn it…" He pressed a hand to his chest, trembling. His whole body felt like it had just run a marathon.
[Warning: True Autonomous Ultra Instinct requires extreme stamina and mental clarity. Current proficiency: 0.3%. Risk of collapse: high.]
Lucian groaned. "Yeah, no kidding…"
With shaky arms, he dragged himself across the tatami until his fingers brushed the futon. He collapsed face-first into it, the mattress creaking under his weight. His whole body trembled with exhaustion, but the grin on his lips wouldn't fade.
For a long moment, he just lay there, chest rising and falling, staring at the ceiling as sweat cooled on his skin. The compass's faint glow pulsed from the desk, steady and calm.
[Correct. Your journey has begun.]
Lucian chuckled weakly, voice muffled by the pillow. "Yeah… it really has…"
Within minutes, the weight of fatigue pulled at his eyelids. He didn't even notice the light outside shifting, or the hours slipping past.
When he stirred again, the room was bathed in orange. Long streaks of sunset stretched across the tatami, painting the walls in warm glow. The buzz of cicadas had softened, replaced by the hum of evening traffic and the occasional bark of a dog outside.
Lucian pushed himself up slowly, rubbing his eyes. His muscles still ached, but it was a good ache—the kind that reminded him he was alive.
He slid the curtain aside and blinked.
From the fourth floor of the apartment, the view stretched wide: neon signs flickering to life, windows glowing like scattered stars, and in the distance, the unmistakable silhouette of U.A. High rising above the city.
Lucian's chest tightened. "That's… U.A. The place where it all begins."
The thought hit him harder than expected. He'd watched this world through a screen, seen Deku's shaky first steps, All Might's triumphant smile, the rise and fall of heroes and villains. And now—he was here. Not a spectator. Not a fan. But a participant.
I can actually stand with them. Fight with them. Maybe even surpass them.
Then doubt crept in, cold and uninvited. What if I screw it up? What if I don't belong here?
His reflection stared back at him from the window glass—silver eyes glowing faintly, sharp features unfamiliar yet undeniably his. He wasn't Deku, born for greatness. He wasn't Todoroki, forged in legacy. He wasn't Bakugo, driven by raw ambition. He was Lucian Cross—an outsider gifted with power he didn't yet understand.
"Do I even… belong here?" The whisper felt heavier than the words should.
The compass pulsed faintly from the desk.
[Belonging is not predetermined. It is chosen. Your place will be where you decide to stand.]
Lucian let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head. "You always know what to say, Travel Buddy."
[Correction: probability models indicate optimal response for user morale.]
"...Yeah, sure." He smiled faintly. "Whatever works."
He leaned against the window frame, letting the city lights wash over him. Fear and doubt lingered, but beneath them was something stronger. Determination.
He wasn't here to just exist. He wasn't here to watch from the sidelines. R.O.B. had given him this chance, and he'd be damned if he wasted it.
Lucian pressed his forehead to the cool glass, eyes fixed on U.A.'s silhouette against the twilight.
"Alright," he whispered, voice steady. "Tomorrow, I start my new life. I'll train. I'll fight. I'll live. And I'll become… more than I ever was."
The compass pulsed once in quiet agreement.
[Confirmed. The journey has begun.]
The city outside had slipped fully into night. Neon lights pulsed against the dark sky, and the hum of traffic quieted until only the cicadas remained, their steady rhythm carrying through the thin walls of the apartment.
Lucian finally tore himself away from the window, muscles still sore from his earlier experiments. He stripped off his shirt and let it fall carelessly to the floor before collapsing back onto the futon.
The compass rested on the desk, its glow steady, like a heartbeat waiting patiently for the next step.
Lucian exhaled, the day's weight pressing down on him all at once. Excitement, doubt, determination—they swirled together until exhaustion pulled at his mind. His eyelids grew heavy, and before long, sleep claimed him.
At first, there was only darkness.
Then—light bloomed. A vast starry void stretched out before him, the same one where he had first met R.O.B. But this time, he wasn't alone.
Figures moved in the distance—shadows of people he didn't recognize, yet felt he would one day meet. Some glowed with gentle warmth, others radiated menace, their presence sharp and suffocating. Each one stood across countless landscapes: burning cities, endless battlefields, alien skies, worlds both familiar and strange.
The compass floated in front of him, larger now, its glow pulsating with every shift of the dream.
[Trajectory possibilities: infinite. Fates intersecting. Trials inevitable.]
Lucian reached out instinctively. The moment his fingers brushed the dream-compass, visions exploded behind his eyes.
A dome of golden light shattering under enemy fire. His hands pressed against a wounded ally, mending flesh as their eyes fluttered open. His body moving on its own, weaving through blades and bullets in a blur of silver instinct. And in the distance—faces. Some smiling at him with trust. Others glaring with hatred. A few looking at him with something deeper.
Romance. Conflict. Bonds. Betrayal. All of it flickered in fragments too fast to hold onto.
Lucian staggered back, clutching his head. "What… is this?"
The compass's voice echoed around him, calm and unyielding.
[Potential futures. Not guarantees. User choices will determine outcomes.]
Lucian dropped his hand, chest heaving, but his jaw tightened. "…Then I'll choose. I'll make sure it's the path where I can protect the people who matter."
The void pulsed with light, almost approvingly.
And then—everything shattered.
Lucian jerked awake, breath ragged, sweat dripping down his temple. The ceiling above him was the same plain one he'd fallen asleep under. The compass still rested on the desk, pulsing faintly in the dark.
For a long moment, he just sat there, chest rising and falling, the remnants of the dream burning behind his eyes.
Finally, he let out a shaky laugh. "Guess even my dreams don't want to let me off easy."
The compass pulsed once.
[Correct. Difficulty level: inevitable. Preparedness: necessary.]
Lucian lay back down, pulling the blanket over himself. His body trembled with exhaustion, but a grin spread slowly across his face.
"Fine. Bring it on. Tomorrow, I start for real."
With that, sleep took him again—this time, deeper, calmer, carrying him into the dawn of his new life.
-v-
The first rays of dawn crept through the curtains, soft and golden. Birds replaced the cicadas, their chirps threading through the quiet city.
Lucian stirred awake, groaning as he stretched. Every muscle in his body reminded him of yesterday's trials—the weight of Ultra Instinct, the drain of Restoration Domain. But beneath the ache was energy, a fire urging him forward.
He sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes, and spotted the compass on the desk. Its glow was faint in the daylight, but steady. Waiting.
[Status: New day. Current World: My Hero Academia. Objective: U.A. High entrance confirmed.]
Lucian chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. No pressure, huh?"
[Correction: Significant pressure expected.]
"Thanks for the pep talk," he muttered, rolling to his feet.
The apartment was modest but fully stocked, courtesy of R.O.B.'s little intervention. Fresh clothes hung neatly in the closet—plain shirts, jackets, and a standard U.A. uniform folded crisply in the drawer.
Lucian pulled it out and held it against himself in the mirror. The uniform fit perfectly, navy blue with white stripes, the fabric light yet durable.
"…Damn." He smirked. "Guess I clean up pretty well."
Still, a flicker of nerves tightened his chest. U.A. wasn't just any school. It was the school. The place where legends walked, where kids trained to be heroes. And now, somehow, he was one of them.
He set the uniform aside for later and dressed casually for the morning. A simple white shirt, black pants. As he moved through the motions—washing his face, brushing his teeth, making a quick breakfast from the stocked fridge—he found himself muttering thoughts out loud.
"What if I mess up? What if I stand out too much? Hell, what if I don't stand out enough?" He paused, staring into his cup of tea. "…What if I'm just a background character pretending to be the main one?"
The compass pulsed faintly from its spot on the table.
[Reminder: Narrative framing irrelevant. User agency determines role.]
Lucian snorted into his tea. "You really gotta work on your bedside manner."
[Unnecessary. Efficiency optimal.]
He grinned despite himself, shaking his head. The AI voice was blunt, but oddly comforting in its own way.
By the time he stepped out of the apartment, the city was fully awake. Musutafu buzzed with life—students in uniforms rushing to schools, workers in suits heading to trains, vendors opening stalls. The air was fresh, tinged with the scent of street food and exhaust.
Lucian slung a bag over his shoulder, the compass tucked safely inside, and paused at the edge of the street. His silver-glowing eyes caught in a shop window reflection. For a moment, he just stared.
"This is it," he whispered. "Day one of being a hero-in-training… or something like it."
The compass pulsed from within his bag, a faint warmth against his side.
[Affirmative. Adventure probability: high. Hazard probability: also high.]
Lucian smirked, stepping forward into the bustling street.
"Good. Wouldn't want it any other way."
Chapter 1 Finished
...
OK now that chapter 1 is here hehe i want everyone to comment if some of them are shat or out of place just comment and ill make the change.
about my other fic... I wrote them when my exam was about to begin so i kinda rushed some of those Chapters and releasing some stress... And from it i think i didn't do well on my prelim exams huhu (╥﹏╥)
this chapter is kinda short since this is just 3k+ words but I'm gonna work my way up
Enjoy, Leave a Review, Comment and Give me those Stones