"Please sit down, Mr. Frye," the old man offered as they entered the room.

  The room struck Ash as an interrogation chamber with a table and two chairs on opposite sides. However, that was the least concerning thing he had encountered thus far, and as such, he did not question the design choices, simply sitting down at the table.

  "As I said, I know you must have many questions you wish to ask. But let me properly introduce myself first," the man in the suit said as he sat opposite Ash. "My name is Russell Dane. I am the Director of this place."

  Russel placed the clipboard before himself, tapping his finger on the papers and sizing Ash up with a smile.

  "And you. You are Ash Frye - 21 years old, college dropout. Family history is full of tragedy, isn't it, Mr.Frye? Your parents tragically passed away in a car accident when you were just 16 years old. Leaving you to raise your little sister alone, which must have been tough." the Director spoke, his expression and eyes unreadable, the smile never vanishing from his face.

  Ash swallowed as his head spun, full of confusion and hurt. But beyond that, he recognized where this was going. He was about to open his mouth to protest, but Dane continued.

  "But that wasn't all. You were also quite a gifted kid, weren't you? I mean, all those achievements in combat sports - you could have gone on to become professional or try for the Olympics. However, that is not what happened. Instead, in 2022, the Citrus General Hospital tragedy occurred. The blaze claimed over 40 lives, and among those names... Anna Frye."

  Ash gripped the table, his knuckles white, as he struggled to breathe. He remembered running through the blaze as it raged on, licking at his body, but his concern was his little sister, who he held in his arms. That was the last thing he remembered before the building collapsed.

  "W-Why. Why are you bringing this up?" Ash asked through gritted teeth.

  "Please stay calm, Mr. Frye. It will soon make sense." Russel spoke calmly, his tone unchanging, "You never recovered from that loss, did you, Mr. Frye? In the past 3 years, you have not done anything of note. A few dead-end jobs, but that is it. A sad end to a man who could have reached for the stars."

  "I am still failing to see the point. Did I get saved to be grilled here?" Ash responded, anger swelling in his heart.

  "Patience, Mr. Frye. I am certainly not here to judge you. Instead, I want to bring forth an opportunity." the Director responded.

  "Opportunity? What do you mean?"

  "What you have experienced and are about to hear will change your life forever. Unfathomably so. Before I continue, I will ask you: Do you wish to continue to find out the truth, which will shatter everything you know now? If you do not, we can arrange for you to return to your previous life. However, I warn you that things will never be the same."

  Ash deliberated in silence as he took in the words of the man sitting opposite him. The questions of that night burned in his mind; something beyond curiosity had entangled deep in his mind. He yearned to learn what happened, he wanted the truth. And besides, what life did he even have to return to? There was nothing.

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  "I want to continue." he simply responded.

  "That's great to hear, Mr. Frye. Then, I shall briefly explain what we are and what we do. As well as the reason you are here."

  Russell stood up from his chair, turning his back to Ash.

  "During the very early years of the period known as 'the Dark Ages' of humanities history, high-standing leaders of religions from all over the world all received what can only be described as 'Divine Revelations.'" the Director spoke steadily, letting each word sink in. "Despite the vastly different belief systems and histories, they were all deciphered with an eerily similar message - humanity and reality are threatened by great powers of unknown origin. These unknowable powers are looking for a way into our reality. A symptom of their influence is the appearance of what we refer to as 'Anomalous Entities.' or A.E."

  Ash blinked as he digested the words. His head span and vision blurred, but he listened in silence.

  "The being you encountered is one of those aforementioned entities. More on that later, however. After the revelations were received, word spread amongst some of the most powerful men of the period. Scholars, religious leaders, rulers, and men of note all came together, and for the sake of humanity, they established the Hidden Sanctum of Sacred Forces or H.S.S.F. The goal of this organization was to battle and research the influence of the unknowable powers and what they are." the Director explained.

  "These unknowable powers, do we know what they are?" Ash responded, swallowing heavily.

  "I am afraid you do not have clearance to be privy to that information." the older man smirked, "For now."

  Ash nodded, attempting to take the information in. It was a lot, and yet he found himself hanging on every word. Perhaps because he had seen the being that attacked him that night, which made denying anything quite hard.

  "H.S.S.F lives on to this day. However, we are not H.S.S.F. We work closely with the organization, but our mission is different. We are the Anomalous Threat Suppression Bureau. Otherwise known as ATSB. We are a 'secret' organization, much like H.S.S.F. Simply put, what we do here is neutralize and suppress A.E. Our concerns are global; we work independently of any government. We care not who sits at seats of power, for that is a fool's game - we are the ones who hunt the very things that bump in the night. We ensure that the fools can keep playing their games and that the layman can be at peace."

  Ash felt goosebumps crawl up his skin, his hair standing on end. He struggled to find words.

  "What I mean by all this, Ash Frye, is that I would like to extend you an opportunity. Your chance encounter with the A.E. impressed us. You were a man faced with an unknown threat, and yet you responded valiantly. You were outmatched, yet your combat skills and quick thinking were sharp. And most of all, you were able to act. I have seen many great men, who had seen many atrocities and challenges, freeze when faced with the unknown." the Director turned around and approached Ash as he spoke, meeting his eyes - full of burning passion, "Ash Frye, we would like you to join Anomalous Threat Suppression Bureau as a Hunter. Find out the world's truths and fight the battle that matters - one for the sake of the entirety of humanity."

  Ash blinked as Russell pushed the clipboard up to him and placed a pen on top. The young man regarded the papers in front of him with reverence. His mind wandered through his past, his long-dead dreams, and his desires to be more; they were lost. And yet, at this very moment, Ash felt something like a spark in his heart, which spread to his lungs. Passion? Desire? He did not know what it was. He took the pen, fidgeting with it, as he started a hole through the documents. Then, he simply nodded his head.

  "Alright. I have made my decision." Ash responded tersely as he promptly signed the document.

  Mr. Dane smiled widely as he took the clipboard and stuck his hand out.

  "Mr.Frye, this is a new start for you—a chance to be more than life has given you. Welcome to the Bureau, " Dane said.

  Ash responded by simply sticking his hand out and clasping the man's hand.