Chapter 1: The Fall And Rise of Ambrose

The Vael Family Evaluation Hall was a colossal, sleek structure towering over the city skyline, a beacon of power in the modern age. The interior was cold, almost clinical. High-tech holographic screens floated around the family members as the latest advancements in technology displayed the evaluation results on every inch of the room. Every Vael stood in line today, ready to see if the next generation would be worthy of the name.

Atlas Vael stood alone in the center of the room, his six-year-old body trembling not from fear but from the weight of the moment. The circle around him buzzed with energy, sensors attached to his body, his tiny form dwarfed by the enormous walls around him.

Elias Vael, the Hero King, sat high above the others. His gaze was sharp, unforgiving, like a predator scanning his prey. His Power Core, a glowing, golden orb of raw, unchecked energy, pulsed with every heartbeat. The king's eyes never strayed from his son, the firstborn of his seventh wife, Isla.

Isla watched from the side, her face a mask of suppressed emotion, but her eyes—her eyes said it all. They were filled with the kind of fear no mother should ever feel. She knew what this moment meant.

The Evaluation Officer, an unemotional, faceless figure in a dark uniform, activated the system. A strange, artificial hum filled the air as a hologram flickered to life above Atlas. The crowd's eyes widened, waiting for a reaction from the boy's Power Core. Nothing happened. No light. No aura. Only an eerie silence. The evaluation came up as a flat line.

A cold, emotionless voice echoed in the hall. "Atlas Vael. Power Core unresponsive. Evaluation failed."

The words hung in the air like a death sentence. Atlas's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't show it. Six years old, but already fully aware that failure meant something much darker in the Vael family.

Elias's eyes narrowed. He didn't speak. Instead, he rose from his seat, his presence alone casting a long shadow over the room. His gold Power Core burned with intensity as he walked to the center, his footsteps echoing with power.

"Failure," Elias's voice was low, deliberate. "We do not tolerate failure."

There was no chance for Atlas to respond. There was no plea to be heard. The king's decree was final, and it was the law of the Vael bloodline.

"Guards," Elias's word was like a whip cracking through the air.

Atlas's body was seized by the guards with terrifying efficiency. They dragged him away, ignoring his attempts to struggle, his small body thrown around like a ragdoll. Isla's cry of protest was drowned out by the cold hum of technology.

The hall fell silent as the boy was hauled out of the room. His mother tried to follow, but she was stopped by the cold hands of the other wives, their faces turned away, unwilling to look at the injustice unfolding. She screamed for Atlas, her voice breaking, but no one cared.

They dragged them both outside, their faces expressionless. The modern world had no place for weakness.

The streets outside were slick with rain, the cold biting into their skin. A sleek black vehicle with tinted windows awaited them, its metallic frame gleaming under the artificial lights of the city. No one asked where they were going or why.

The vehicle moved swiftly, the guards' eyes blank, their duty clear. It wasn't until they reached the edge of the city, where the concrete met the wild outskirts, that the vehicle came to a halt.

Atlas and his mother were roughly removed from the car, their legs unsteady under the harsh handling. The river before them stretched wide and merciless. The waters churned violently, carrying the detritus of the city with it. This was where things ended. This was where their lives—her life—was to be discarded.

Elias watched from a distance, his eyes cold and uncaring, a distant king who had already turned his back.

Without a word, Atlas and Isla were shoved toward the edge of the river. The guards didn't hesitate. With a final push, Atlas was tossed into the raging water, his tiny body barely making a sound as he splashed into the depths. Isla screamed, reaching for her son, but the guards didn't care. They yanked her arm back, pulling her away from the river's edge. She cried out for Atlas, tears streaming down her face.

And then she, too, was thrown into the river. The sound of her body hitting the water was a dull, lifeless thud.

There was no final word, no redemption, no mercy. It was over.

Hours passed. The sky above was thick with dark clouds, the river still a churning mass of destruction. But fate had a different plan.

Along the riverbank, a lone figure stood—Professor Heinrich Faust, the rogue scientist who had been chasing after something elusive for years. His eyes, sharp and calculating, caught the faintest movement in the river. His gaze locked onto a small, lifeless body being carried by the current.

There was something about the boy—something that felt… wrong. Something that piqued his interest.

He wasted no time. The moment he saw Atlas's limp form, he dashed into the water, his boots sinking into the muddy riverbed. The cold bite of the water didn't stop him as he dragged the dead child body from the depths.

The professor's hands were trembling, but not from fear—no, there was something else in his chest, something like anticipation.

"Dead hah," Faust murmured to himself, his voice low.

The professor sighed, glancing down at the lifeless body before him. His expression wasn't one of sorrow but of mild disappointment—pity, even.

"Hmm… looks like another one who couldn't handle the world," he murmured, shaking his head.

Just as he turned away, a strange hum vibrated through the air.

"Huh?" He stopped mid-step, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Zero is… reacting?"

A deep, unnatural energy rippled through the room, the very air distorting around the body. The professor's heart pounded in his chest—not from fear, but from something far more dangerous. Excitement.

"But… it hasn't reacted like this since the day I created it," he whispered, his voice laced with fascination. "Does this mean…?"

His gaze flickered toward the still, lifeless form.

"But he's already dead," he muttered.

Silence.

Then—a pulse.

A slow grin stretched across the professor's face.

"Hmm… fine. Let's see if you can defy even death itself… my dear creation."

"Hmm… fine. Let's see if you can defy even death itself… my dear creation."faust muttered, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a small, glowing orb.

This was Zero. The experiment. The unknown. And now, Atlas would be the vessel.

With a single motion, the professor placed the orb against Atlas's chest. Energy surged through the boy's fragile form, and for a brief moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

Atlas gasped for air.

The boy's heart began to beat again.

His chest rose and fell with a ragged breath, and his eyes fluttered open, wide with confusion and fear. But there was no time for words. Not yet.

Professor Rourke watched intently, his face a mask of grim satisfaction. Atlas had been brought back. But the real test—was yet to come.