The first morning in Themyscira did not come with sunlight.
Themyscira didn't follow the sun.
Instead, its skies shimmered in a soft, eternal twilight—an ever-present golden hue, like the world had frozen at the edge of dawn. Birds he had never seen before soared above palaces carved from white marble and gold. The air smelled of sea salt and lavender. Despite its otherworldly beauty, Koki Sarive couldn't relax.
He stood alone in an open courtyard, his new suit clinging to his body like a second skin, tailored to him as if it had always been his. He looked down at the panther emblem on his chest.
What was this place?
What was he?
And why did Diana Prince—Wonder Woman herself—want to train him?
The answer came in the form of a spear flying at his head.
Koki ducked purely on instinct.
The weapon sliced through the air with a hum and stuck in the pillar behind him. His heart pounded. He spun to see Diana walking calmly toward him, her own spear still in hand.
"You're slow," she said flatly.
Koki narrowed his eyes. "You threw a spear at my face!"
"You're going to face enemies who don't warn you first. If you can't dodge me, you won't survive them."
She wasn't smiling. Not like yesterday. There was no warmth in her expression now—only the focused gaze of a warrior.
"This is how you train?" he asked.
"This is how you survive."
She tossed him another weapon—a practice staff made of shimmering bronzewood. It vibrated in his hands as if alive. The moment his fingers closed around it, he could feel energy spark along his arms.
"Your body is strong," she said, circling him. "Stronger than most gods. But strength is worthless if it's wild. You'll learn technique, discipline, and control. Or you'll break."
She lunged.
Koki barely raised his staff in time to block her strike. The force jolted through his arms, nearly knocking the weapon from his hands. He stepped back, clumsy.
"Come on," she barked. "Move!"
He did. He charged, swinging wide.
Too wide.
Diana parried him with one hand and swept his legs with the other. Koki hit the ground hard, groaning as the wind rushed from his lungs.
"You think power makes you a warrior?" she said, standing over him. "No. Your enemy won't care how nice you are. How kind. They will tear through everything you love—and unless you can stop them, it's all gone."
He blinked up at her. "You don't hold back, huh?"
Her voice softened—barely. "I can't afford to."
She reached down and helped him to his feet. "You're not here to be coddled, Koki. You're here because Theonix believes you can stop gods. So prove him right."
Hours passed like minutes. Or maybe it was days. In Themyscira, time bent.
Every morning, Koki trained with Diana—blades, hand-to-hand, reflex drills, staff forms. Every evening, Queen Hippolyta summoned him to walk the ancient gardens and told him stories of fallen worlds. Of gods who once protected, but now devoured.
"Theonix was once one of them," Hippolyta told him one night beneath a silver tree. "But he broke away. He believed mortals should be more than pawns. That's why he chose you. You are his defiance made flesh."
Koki didn't feel like a god's defiance. He still flinched when Diana struck. Still stumbled. Still bled.
But something inside him was changing.
Each hit he took made him sharper.
Each failure made him harder.
And each night he dreamed—not of home, not of Houston, but of fire consuming galaxies… of a monstrous figure standing in the void, crowned in starlight and darkness, whispering in a voice older than death:
"You are too late, little spark. The end has already begun."
On the seventh night, Koki stood alone on the cliffs of Themyscira.
The ocean below roared like an ancient beast. He clenched his fists, staring at them.
"I don't even know who I am anymore."
"You're becoming who you were meant to be," came Diana's voice behind him.
He turned. She was still in her armor, glowing faintly under the starlit sky.
"Do you really think I can stop them?" he asked.
Diana nodded slowly. "Not yet. But one day… yes."
Koki hesitated. "Why me? I'm just some kid from Texas who plays soccer and lifts weights."
Her eyes searched his. "Because you still care. That matters more than you know."
For a moment, silence hung between them. Then Diana stepped closer, her voice quieter.
"There is something else I need to show you. A place only few are allowed to enter. Tomorrow, you will meet your next trainer."
Koki raised an eyebrow. "Wait—there's someone more intense than you?"
Diana smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."