Rain poured heavily over Paris, drumming against the cracked windows of Adrian Veyrel's apartment. The dim glow of the television flickered across the room, the only light cutting through the darkness.
On the screen, the face of a smiling hero appeared — his name shining beneath the broadcast logo.
"Today, national hero Leo Delmare saved eight people from a burning building, thanks to his heroic spirit, Ifrit. The entire nation hails his bravery!"
Applause, cheering, admiration — all echoing from a world that never looked his way.
Adrian stared blankly at the screen. His reflection on the black glass looked hollow, tired, and lifeless."...I wish I could've been a hero too," he whispered, voice low and bitter.
But life had already made its judgment.And he remembered exactly when it had done so.
Flashback – The Academy of the Silver Lance
Seventeen years old, standing inside the grand examination hall of The Order of the Silver Lance — France's most prestigious military academy for Heroic Spirit Users.
Every student had their turn at the ritual: place your hand on the crystal, let your affinity awaken, and see your rank.
When Adrian's turn came, the crystal barely flickered. A faint light shimmered, struggled… and died.
Affinity Rank: FFF
Laughter broke the silence.
"Triple-F? Is that even a rank?""He's a complete failure.""What a waste of space!"
Even the instructors looked away, murmuring to each other.
"No potential… hopeless case."
Humiliation burned through him like acid. He wanted to disappear. But the memory burned itself into his soul.
That night, when he returned home to the rundown apartment he shared with his parents, the air smelled of warmth and cheap food. His mother greeted him with her tired but gentle smile.
"Welcome home, sweetie. How was your day?"
He forced a small smile.
"It was fine, Mom."
She noticed his exhaustion and tried to comfort him.
"You should rest. You have to stay strong if you want to join the Academy."
He clenched his fists. "...I didn't make it in, Mom."
She froze — only for a moment — then smiled again, soft and tender.
"It's alright, Adrian. You'll find your path… maybe not like the others, but in your own way."
Her words were kind.But they didn't heal the wound.
Present – The Rage of a Forgotten Man
Seventeen years later.Thirty-four now. Alone. No friends. No family. His parents long gone — victims of a "heroic" battle gone wrong.
His apartment was quiet, too quiet. The glow of the television lit the empty bottles, the mess, the dust.
Adrian clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"Why him? Why not me? Why does this world keep rejecting me?!"
He roared, throwing whatever he could reach — smashing plates, glass, furniture.The storm inside him raged until he was too tired to scream.
Hours later, he stumbled into the cold night, hungry and numb.Under the flickering streetlights, a battle broke out — a Hero and a Villain clashing near a gas station. Flames burst, debris flew.
Adrian froze. Wrong place, wrong time.
A stray blast hit him in the chest. The world spun. His vision blurred.
So this is how I die…? Pathetic.
He fell to his knees, clutching his bleeding wound.He thought of his past, his failures, his pain. The "heroes" who destroyed everything in their wake, the "villains" who only brought chaos.
"They're all the same… Heroes, villains… none of them deserve this world."
His voice trembled — not from fear, but from rage.
"If no one wants me… I'll make my own world."
The Encounter – The White Being
A violet light erupted around him. The pain vanished.He opened his eyes — darkness. Endless and cold.
Then, before him, a pale, glowing figure appeared. Faceless. Formless.A voice echoed directly in his mind.
"Adrian Veyrel… rejected by your world. Ignored by fate. Forgotten by time."
The words slithered through the void, heavy and calm.
"Would you like… to change that?"
Adrian narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
"You'll know, in time."
A faint blue window appeared before him — glowing letters hovering in the air.
[Regression Available – Accept?]
Adrian stared at it. Then, slowly, a cold smile formed on his face.
"If this is what it takes to change everything… then yes."
The moment he touched the glowing word, the void twisted.A vortex of darkness swallowed him whole.
His last words echoed through the emptiness — low, cold, almost a whisper of laughter.
"I'll rise… from the darkness this world gave me."
The light vanished.And so began the Dark Ascension.