Chapter One:

John awoke from a strange dream, the blaring of his alarm dragging him back to reality. He groggily reached out, silencing the noise with a tap, and squinted against the sunlight streaming through his window. After a moment of adjusting, he rolled out of bed and made his way to the bathroom, going through his usual routine of brushing his teeth and freshening up.

As he descended the stairs, he noticed an eerie silence in the house. Normally, his two brothers would be downstairs, but today, it was just him. Shrugging it off, he assumed they had gone out early. After grabbing a quick breakfast, John stepped outside, expecting to see the usual buzz of morning activity—kids playing, elders taking their morning walks. But to his surprise, the streets were empty. Not a single soul in sight.

John frowned, puzzled by the absence of life. Still, he brushed it off, convincing himself that it was just a quiet day. He began his walk to work, but as he made his way through the empty streets, the unsettling silence became impossible to ignore. No cars, no pedestrians—nothing. It was as if the entire world had vanished, leaving him completely alone.

Suddenly, a voice broke the silence, sending a chill down his spine. 

"Are you enjoying the dimension I created just for you?"

Startled, John spun around and found himself face-to-face with a man dressed entirely in black, topped with a hat that cast a shadow over his eyes.

"Who… who are you?" John stammered, trying to make sense of what was happening.

The man's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Didn't your mother ever tell you about me? I thought she would have warned you that I was coming."

John's confusion deepened. His mother had died shortly after he and his brothers were born. How could this man possibly know her? Before he could ask, the man raised his right hand, crossing his fingers. Instantly, the world around them was swallowed by darkness, as if a black hole had consumed everything.

"What's happening? What did you just do?" John demanded, fear creeping into his voice.

The man chuckled, a cold, detached sound. "I'm destroying this pocket universe I created for you. Isn't it obvious?"

John blinked in shock. "Destroying it? What do you mean, you created it?"

But before he could get an answer, the man vanished, only to reappear behind John in the blink of an eye.

"You'd better hold on if you want to live," the man said calmly.

Without hesitation, John grabbed onto the man's shoulders. As the pocket universe crumbled around them, they were left floating in the vast emptiness of space. John's breath caught in his throat as he tried to breathe, but the vacuum of space began to suffocate him. The man simply watched as John's life faded away, only to revive him moments later.

"That's odd," the man mused, inspecting John with a critical eye. "I expected you to have some sort of power or resistance. But you really are the weakest of your bloodline."

He floated closer, extending a single finger to touch John's chest. A green light emanated from the man's hand, and suddenly, John found himself able to breathe again.

"Where is my real universe?" John gasped, his voice trembling with both fear and curiosity.

The man pointed toward the darkness. "There," he said, and John saw a massive bubble, swirling with colours and energies beyond comprehension. "This is the Omniverse, containing everything—every Hyperverse, every Metaverse, every Macroverse, Quantum Realm, Dimensional Layer, Pocket Reality, Mirror Universe, Paraverse, and Transcendent Realm. All within that one massive bubble."

John stared in awe. "I'll try to pretend I understand all of that," he muttered, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight. Then, he asked, "Where are we?"

"We're at the edge of everything," the man replied, his tone growing more serious. "This place is where the mortal and the immortal realms are separated. It's called the Bleeding Edge."

With that, the man opened a portal and stepped through. John hesitated for only a moment before following him. On the other side, they emerged into a long corridor with three doors.

"What exactly are you?" John asked, his voice echoing in the silence.

The man glanced at him. "I am one of the Eternal Beings."

"How many of you are there?" John pressed.

"Three," the man answered simply.

John's gaze shifted to the doors. "And what do those doors lead to?"

"One leads to my dimension, the others to the dimensions of the other Eternals," the man explained.

Just then, one of the doors creaked open, and another figure stepped out to meet them. This being was dressed in a black suit, his face a swirling void of darkness.

"Who is he?" John asked, feeling a shiver of dread.

The man smiled faintly. "Take a guess."

John stared at the void-faced figure, thinking hard. *A black hole for a face…* Realization dawned on him. "Is he… the Void?"

"Yep, that's correct! You get 10,000 points," the man said with a mocking clap. A blue box appeared in front of John's eyes.

"What's that?" John asked, bewildered.

"Just a gag I made up," the man replied, flicking the box away. "Now, shall we?"

As they approached the void-like being, John couldn't resist asking, "Can I spend those points on something?"

The man laughed. "If you want, I could arrange it so you can."

John considered it, then shook his head. "Nah, I don't need that."

They stepped through another door, and John was surprised to find himself in what looked like a normal office room, though it was slightly larger than usual.

"This is your dimension?" John asked incredulously. "But it's just an ordinary office room!"

The man smirked. "This is how I designed it. Everything you see here is part of my dimension."

John frowned, still sceptical. "If this is your dimension, then prove it."

With a look of mild irritation, the man snapped his fingers. The room instantly dissolved into a vast, endless expanse of white, stretching out into infinity.

"Are you happy now? You humans are so pushy," the man muttered.

But John's eyes began to burn from the intense light. "My eyes!" he cried out in pain.

Another snap of the man's fingers, and the office reappeared, John's eyes returning to normal.

"You could've warned me!" John grumbled, still rubbing his eyes. "Did you fix my eyes?"

"No," the man said with a grin. "You gained that ability when you died in the vacuum of space." He tried and failed to stifle a laugh.

"What's so funny about me dying?" John demanded, growing frustrated.

"Nothing," the man replied, still chuckling. "It's just that one of the children of the Mistress of Chaos has no abilities at all—not even minor ones like healing. I thought you'd have inherited something, but it turns out you have nothing."

After a moment, the man's laughter subsided, and he clapped his hands, summoning a glowing white folder. He pulled out several sheets of paper, each one glowing brighter than the last. "These should do," he murmured, and the papers transformed into a shimmering substance.

"What is that?" John asked, intrigued.

"This is Aetherium," the man explained. "It's made of light and can store information, create, form, shape, heal, give… anything. But these are special—they can store power. And I'm going to store something just for you."

He pressed the Aetherium into John's body, causing him to glow brightly. After a few moments, the light faded, and John was left standing there, feeling no different.

"Is something supposed to happen? Because I don't feel anything," John said, puzzled.

"Give it a few seconds. The Aetherium needs to recognize you as its owner," the man replied.

"I never got your name," John realized.

"Call me the Black-Coated Being," he said. "Now, let me modify your Aetherium."

"Modify? What do you mean?" John asked, confused.

"I can give the Aetherium specific tasks to carry out, and it will grant you abilities," the Black-Coated Being explained.

Silence fell as the man began to alter the Aetherium within John. Then, he asked, "So, what abilities do you want? Do you want to fly, have super strength, be faster than light, travel back in time, manipulate atoms, particles, fire, ice, lightning, storms, black holes, or control the stars? You know what? Why don't I just give you everything?"

The Black-Coated Being smiled, his eyes gleaming with a promise of power beyond imagination.

As he finishes the modifications, the black-coated being turns to John and says, "Want to know something interesting? The laws of time here are different. One second here is like ten years on your planet."

John stares at him in shock. "How long have we been here?"

"About ten minutes," the black-coated being replies casually. "So, everyone you knew is now long gone."

John absorbs this, but his response is surprisingly calm. "It's not like I had any friends or family left anyway."

The black-coated being walks over to a massive window, and John follows. They peer out into the void, seeing nothing but endless darkness, expanding infinitely and devouring everything in its path.

"Alright, I've done what I needed. Best be on your way," the being says, opening up a portal.

"But what about my two brothers? Are they going to the same planet as me?" John asks, concern in his voice.

"No," the being responds bluntly. "They'll be sent to different planets in different universes." He then glances back at John and adds, "By the way, the world you're going to is much larger than the sun in your solar system."

Without giving John time to respond, the black-coated being shoves him into the portal and shuts it behind him.

John finds himself plummeting through the sky, having emerged from the portal high above an unfamiliar planet. The ground rushes up to meet him at impossible speeds, and he crashes into the earth, kicking up a massive dust cloud. To his astonishment, he's completely unharmed, despite the impact that should have killed him.

He gets to his feet and surveys the barren landscape stretching out in all directions. No towns, no cities, no signs of life. Unsure of what else to do, John starts walking, beginning his journey to find civilization.

In a nearby city, a man who enjoys helping people is preparing for his day. Everyone in this city has some kind of power or ability, and there's an organization called the Hero Association where these abilities are put to use. This man, however, is disillusioned. When he was younger, he dreamed of being a hero who would save people and battle formidable monsters from outer space. But the reality of his job is far more mundane—he spends most of his time delivering items because his power is super-speed flight.

One day, while flying to deliver a letter to a king, the man spots John trudging across the flatlands. Curious, he swoops down to meet him. "Hello, are you lost? You really shouldn't be walking through this area."

"Why not?" John asks, noticing that the man's feet aren't touching the ground. "And why aren't your feet on the ground?"

"Because this land is filled with poison," the man explains. "Touching it will kill you instantly, even if you were wearing the skin of a dragon."

"Really? I'm still alive," John says, examining himself for any signs of harm.

"You shouldn't be," the man responds, puzzled. "Unless…"

John interrupts him, "I saw you flying. Can you take me to a nearby city?"

The man seems impressed. "You could keep up with my speed? That's amazing. But I can't—I have a delivery to make. I can, however, give you directions to the city." He proceeds to guide John.

"Thanks. What's your name?" John asks.

"My name is Marc. And yours?" Marc inquires, clearly intrigued by this strange man.

"It's John. I'll see you in the city," John replies as they part ways.

As John continues on his journey to the city, he tries to access the powers he was given. He attempts to fly, teleport, and activate various abilities, but nothing seems to work. Suddenly, a hologram of the black-coated being appears in front of him.

"Hello—" the hologram starts but cuts off before resuming. "Is this thing working? Okay, so you won't be able to use the powers I gave you."

"What? Why not?" John asks, disappointed.

"There's something blocking them, or maybe your vessel isn't ready yet," the black-coated being explains.

"So, I'm just a normal human on an unknown planet? Great," John mutters.

"Don't worry," the being continues. "I boosted your physical abilities while you were in my dimension. But be careful—you're now 100 times stronger than you were before. Enjoy your journey!" And with that, the hologram vanishes.

"Wait, I still have questions!" John calls out, but it's too late. The hologram is gone.

"Well, let's see what these physical boosts can do," John says to himself. He crouches into a running position and dashes forward, breaking the sound barrier in an instant. When he jumps, he soars high into the sky, spotting the distant city before plummeting back down. Despite the impact, his body remains unscathed.

"Still need to work on landing," John says, dusting himself off. He looks in the direction of the city. "Alright, let's see how fast I can get there." He dashes off, reaching the city in mere seconds.

"That was faster than I expected," John remarks as he takes in his surroundings. The city is filled with people exhibiting a wide array of powers, and while the city is more advanced than anything on Earth, there are still many familiar elements.

As he wanders through the city, John notices a massive building towering over the rest. "That's the Hero Association," comes a whisper from behind him.

John turns to see Marc. "Hey, Marc!"

"Hello, John," Marc replies, glancing up at the Hero Association. "Can you believe it? The biggest building in the world, and they have me delivering letters."

"Do you ever get to fight anything?" John asks.

"Not really. Most of the time, they just send you out to do errands," Marc sighs, looking back at John. "Do you have a place to stay?"

"Not yet. I don't even have any money," John admits.

Marc thinks for a moment. "I could let you stay with me, but the landlord might get mad. There's a spare room he has, though." Marc pauses before adding, "There's also a fighting tournament coming up. You should enter. The prize is 1 million Uther."

"Alright," John says, excited at the prospect of a fight. "When does it start?"

"In two weeks," Marc responds. "But let's go register for it first."

"Let's go," John agrees.

They walk towards the tournament venue, which is two miles from the Hero Association. After a mile, Marc, tired of walking, starts flying.

"I don't know how you can walk for hours. I hate walking," Marc complains.

"We've only been walking for 40 minutes," John laughs. "How are you tired already? Are you sure you're a hero?"

"I'm not tired. I just don't like walking," Marc retorts.

Eventually, they reach the tournament venue. Entering through the front door, they approach the registration desk.

"We'd like to enter the tournament, please," Marc says.

"Are you registered with the Hero Association?" the woman at the desk asks.

"I am," Marc replies, showing his credentials. "But my friend isn't. He's new in town."

"Then he'll need to take a test," she says, leading John to a room filled with various equipment.

"What kind of test is this?" John asks.

"It's a test to determine your strength. Shall we begin?" she responds.

The first exercise is lifting. John is instructed to lift a piece of equipment, which starts at 10 kg. He lifts it effortlessly, moving on to 50 kg, and finally stopping at 5,000 kg. The woman notes his performance as above average.

"Now, let's test your speed," she says, leading him to a treadmill. John begins running, accelerating to speeds faster than sound, but finds he can't go any faster. He's reached his limit.

"Pretty fast," the woman comments. "Now, let's see your vertical jump."

They move to the jumping area, and John notices holes in the ceiling. He crouches and leaps with all his strength, soaring through the roof and reaching the clouds before descending and shaking the entire building upon landing.

"Alright, you're qualified to fight in the tournament," the woman concludes, leading John back to Marc.

"So, did you pass?" Marc asks.

"Yeah, I did," John replies as they're handed their tickets. "This ticket has your number. When the tournament starts, just show it to me, and you'll be allowed to compete," the woman explains.

As they leave, John asks, "What now?"

"I'm going back to my apartment. What about you?" Marc replies.

"I'm going to find somewhere to train," John says.

Marc nods and flies off to his apartment, while John heads back to the open landscape where he first arrived.

After a few minutes, John reaches his training spot. "That didn't take long. Let's see what I can do here," he mutters to himself as he surveys the area. He spots a boulder the size of a mountain and decides it'll make a good training object.

"Okay, how am I going to lift this?" he wonders aloud, realizing the boulder is much heavier than the 5,000 kg he lifted earlier. After some thought, he decides to break it into smaller pieces. 

John backs up and begins punching the boulder. His hands accelerate, becoming a blur as they deliver a relentless barrage of blows. Eventually, the boulder shatters into pieces, some as large as trucks.

Meanwhile, at Marc's apartment, he scrolls through the news on his phone. As he goes through various headlines, one catches his eye: "Seven Heroes Found Dead Under Mysterious Circumstances." Concerned, Marc clicks on the article and reads further. The victims were all heroes, and eerily, they were ranked similarly to him in the Hero Association.

Marc feels a chill run down his spine. He's never been one to worry much about danger, but the fact that heroes at his level are being targeted hits close to home. The article provides few details, only mentioning that the police are investigating, and the causes of death are unknown. No signs of struggle, no obvious wounds—just dead.