"Beep... Beep... Beep..."
"Haaah!"
My eyes flew open as I sucked in a desperate breath.
White.
All I saw was white.
A smooth white ceiling stretched above me, unfamiliar and sterile.
I stared at it for several long seconds.
I'm alive?
How?
The memory remained painfully vivid.
The cold steel against my throat.
The sharp pain as the blade sliced through flesh.
The warmth of my own blood flooding my mouth.
The suffocating sensation as I drowned in it.
Instinctively, my hand flew to my neck.
Smooth skin met my fingertips.
No wound.
No scar.
I let out a shaky breath.
I never wish to experience that again.
Slowly, I pushed myself upright.
The room spun for a moment before steadying.
I looked down at myself and frowned.
Someone had dressed me in a strange blue garment that reached my knees. The back was completely open, held together by nothing more than a single string.
What manner of attire was this?
I threw aside the blanket and swung my legs over the edge of the bed.
The moment I stood, something tugged at my arm.
I glanced down.
Several thin wires connected me to the strange machines beside the bed.
With a scowl, I ripped them free.
Annoying contraptions.
Ignoring the loud protests the machines immediately began making, I surveyed the room.
Three walls were plain white.
The fourth was entirely transparent.
Curious, I approached it.
The cold surface pressed against my forehead as I gazed outside.
My breath caught.
This was not my home.
There were no crimson sandstorms sweeping across endless deserts.
No emerald plains stretching beneath golden skies.
No towering white spires of the Celestial Palace.
Instead, grey and black structures dominated the landscape. Massive buildings rose toward the heavens like crude imitations of mountains.
Metal pathways crisscrossed below, filled with strange moving vehicles.
Where am I?
Did my brother abandon my corpse upon some distant world?
I released a heavy sigh.
I needed information.
As I leaned away from the glass, movement caught my eye.
I froze.
A stranger stared back at me.
No.
Not a stranger.
My reflection.
I stared in stunned silence.
This isn't me.
My fingers slowly traced the unfamiliar contours of my face.
What sorcery is this?
Where is my body?
Where was my dark bronze skin that gleamed beneath the sun?
My long blood-red hair?
My black eyes?
My body, tempered through millennia of war, powerful enough to slay lesser gods with my bare hands?
My gaze drifted upward.
Blond.
Neck-length blond hair.
I nearly collapsed.
This was blasphemy.
Golden hair belonged solely to the Sun God—my father.
No one else.
And these blue eyes...
They reminded me far too much of my traitorous brother.
A fresh wave of anger surged through me.
Yet none of that mattered.
There was something far more important.
Mana.
Panic clawed at my chest.
If I had lost my mana...
If I had lost the divine gift Father bestowed upon me...
Then what remained of me?
"Bang!"
My fist slammed against the glass.
Spiderweb cracks instantly spread across its surface.
I closed my eyes.
Calm yourself.
Breathe.
Assess the situation.
Find a solution.
I repeated the words like a prayer.
Eventually, my racing thoughts settled.
I closed my eyes and focused inward.
Every living being possessed a spiritual center.
For my people, it resided near the solar apex.
I silenced my thoughts.
Muted the sounds around me.
Listened.
Nothing.
No mana.
Only the weak pulse of mortal life.
My jaw clenched.
"Fine," I growled.
If this pathetic body could not generate mana, then I would borrow it.
Mana existed everywhere.
Within the wind.
The earth.
The stars.
Mana was woven into the very fabric of reality.
I expanded my senses.
At first, there was only darkness.
Then—
Light.
Countless tiny particles shimmered into existence around me like floating dust illuminated by sunlight.
Mana.
Relief washed through me.
"Come."
The particles obeyed instantly, drifting toward me.
Excellent.
My authority remained.
Though imprisoned within this vessel, my divinity still existed.
That was all I needed.
The door suddenly burst open.
"Sir! What happened?!"
A dark-haired woman with brown skin rushed inside.
She froze upon seeing me standing beside the cracked window.
Judging by her expression, she looked moments away from bursting into tears.
She spoke rapidly in an unfamiliar language while cautiously raising her hands.
As though calming a dangerous beast.
I discreetly raised a finger behind my back.
[Allis Commuenta.]
Mana flowed.
A glowing magic circle briefly formed before vanishing.
Instantly, understanding flooded my mind.
"-Sir! Please calm down. Dr. Alissa will be here shortly to answer any questions you may have."
I inclined my head.
It took me a moment to realize why she was terrified.
I glanced over my shoulder.
The window was covered in cracks.
Ah.
I had frightened an unarmed civilian.
"My apologies, milady," I said, softening my tone. "May I return to the bed?"
"S-Sure," she stammered.
I moved slowly.
No need to alarm her further.
Once seated, I offered her a reassuring smile.
"Would you be kind enough to tell me where I am?"
She blinked.
"The infirmary wing. In the Hub."
She spoke as though that explained everything.
It explained nothing.
What exactly was 'the Hub'?
A city? A fortress? A planet?
I considered asking further questions but decided against it.
The doctor would arrive soon enough.
Besides, there was no immediate danger.
And if danger did appear...
I still possessed enough power to escape.
Several minutes later, an elderly woman wearing a long white coat entered alongside a man dressed in blue.
This species certainly favored blue and white.
"Hello, Mr. King," the older woman said with a warm smile. "I'm Dr. Alissa Bolton. I'd like to perform a few examinations while explaining your situation. Is that alright?"
I nodded.
One of the attendants retrieved the wires I had previously discarded.
Since resisting would only attract suspicion, I allowed him to continue.
He attached a clamp to my finger and wrapped a strange cloth around my arm.
Moments later, the doctor nodded approvingly.
"Blood pressure, oxygen levels, heart rate—everything appears perfectly normal. Exceptionally healthy, actually."
She performed several additional examinations, including shining an irritating light into my eyes.
Finally, she stepped back.
"Mr. King, what is the last thing you remember?"
I frowned.
I certainly could not tell her the truth.
"Everything is... blurry," I said after a moment, lowering my gaze. "I'm not sure. Could you please explain what is happening?"
I even added a slight tremor to my voice.
Mortals tended to reveal more information when they believed someone was vulnerable.
"You were on a mission with ten other agents," Dr. Bolton explained gently. "Your team was ambushed by an armed group. Three agents died at the scene."
She paused.
"Three others, including yourself, sustained severe injuries. You were the most critically wounded. Doctors at a local hospital stabilized you before you were transported back here."
Her expression softened.
"You've been in a coma for six months, Mr. King."