A man dies on Earth.

He had a good life. Children that didn't resent him, a wife that loved him until the end. Grandchildren even.

All in all, maybe not the most exhilarating life but in the end, he reflected and decided that

“Yes, he had a good life.”

What more could one ask for.

His soul moved on. This surprised him, since he wasn't religious.

But, ever the curious man, he decided to see what happens next. Not that there was much choice.

A celestial being; he assumed; appeared before him.

“Welcome in the hereafter, little soul.” The being took what he recognized as some sort of datapad.

“Give me a moment here, I'll take a reading of your existence”

The being’s hands began glowing, and a gentle flood encompassed him.

“Good, good… All in all, a life well led…wait a second, what’s this?…Earth? Oh…in that case..”

The celestial, with a wave, conjured forth a bureau around us.

“Little soul, you have a choice. Earth is deemed one of the Null worlds in the realities of the Multiverse.

Eons upon eons ago, it was decided in the Celestial Bureaucracy that those souls that died on a Null world would be given recompense. A chance to experience another reality.”

“Now, this is not reincarnation. If you would want that, I am afraid that only the world you come from is an option. Or you can choose Eternal Peace and dissipate into the Celestial Realm.”

“However, you can offer a gift of Power to another soul. Part of you, your core, will fuel the gift. The other soul born will inherit some traits of you, but is very much itself. This is as much as we can offer.”

The man, the soul is reeling with this information, insofar as reeling was still possible.

There was always more? But Earth was dead, in a sense?

“Can this gift of Power be anything?” The man asked.

The celestial nods “Anything you can dream of. But be aware that certain gifts would only be possible in certain realities.

”Magic?”

The celestial chuckles “You wouldn't believe how many from Null worlds ask that.”

The man thinks…he has time to formulate his thoughts. The celestial doesn't mind.

“My gift to the other soul is this. I wish it would go to a boy born in a world that my world would call ‘classic fantasy’. He will have the potential to grow into a master of Martial Might, greater than anything his world has seen. You say part of me will travel with? Let it be my sense of Duty.”

The Celestial smiles and nods “Well done, little soul. A powerful Gift indeed. Duty is not the choice of most souls, but it is a powerful anchor.”

…

“He is almost here, Clarice, one last push!”

A man outside is pacing when suddenly he hears a cry. He storms in, past the midwives.

The priestess smiles at him, carrying a bundle.

The man looks at his son and hears the priestess ask him by what name he will be known.

“Kaelen, we will call him Kaelen.”