Prologue: The Fall of a Universe
Darkness stretched infinitely across the cosmos, broken only by the dying embers of shattered stars. The once-magnificent galaxies, woven into an intricate web of celestial order, now lay in ruin. Planets had been reduced to floating debris, their inhabitants long turned to dust. The void trembled as two supreme entities loomed over the battlefieldâbeings from beyond the boundaries of this universe.
At the center of it all stood Zane, the ruler of this universe, known across countless realms as the supreme conqueror. His silver-white eyes glowed with boundless power, his mere presence distorting space-time. Around him, reality twisted and bent, struggling to contain his overwhelming existence. He had fought unimaginable battles, subdued the strongest of warriors, and shaped the fate of entire civilizations. Yet today, for the first time in eternity, he faced an opponent he could not simply defeat.
Before him, two towering figures hovered in the cosmic void. Their forms were ever-shifting, as if they transcended mortal perception. The Intruders. Beings from another universe. Their arrival had turned the strongest warriors of this universe into puppets, bending them to their will. The mighty rulers of countless worldsâdragons, celestial lords, cosmic titansâstood against Zane, their eyes devoid of will, controlled like mere extensions of the invaders.
A deep, resonating voice echoed through the void. One of the entities spoke, its tone laced with amusement.
"You did well to rule this universe, but power has limits. You are not the first to reach this peak⌠and you will not be the last to fall."
Zane clenched his fists. Even now, countless enemies swarmed toward himâwarriors who had once sworn loyalty to him, now reduced to mindless weapons. The entire universe had turned against him.
With a wave of his hand, a colossal surge of energy erupted, tearing through the battlefield. Countless celestial beings were obliterated in an instant, but the tide was endless. No matter how many he destroyed, more emerged, controlled by the invaders' influence.
Zane had already exhausted countless strategies, countless powers. He could not win this battle.
But he had no intention of dying here.
He had foreseen this moment.
Within his soul, a forbidden power slumberedâa technique beyond the laws of this universe, one that even time and causality could not touch. A power only he had conceived.
For a fleeting second, his lips curved into a smirk.
The two intruders sensed something was wrong. They moved to stop him, but it was already too late.
Zane activated his final trump card.
A surge of transcendent energy burst forth, consuming his very existence. The universe trembled as his body shattered into light, scattering across time itself.
But he did not perish.
Instead, 1% of his consciousness escaped into the past, reaching the one being who could rewrite destinyâhis past self.
As darkness engulfed the battlefield, the last thought in Zane's mind was not despair, nor regret.
It was purpose.
"Grow stronger, no matter what it takes⌠and unite them all."
And then, he vanished.
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End of Prologue.