The sound of current from short circuits and the scent of blood filled the room and echoed continuously. The lights flickered every second. Then followed the sound of footsteps outside the room, with the door kicked open adding more noise to the situation.
A tall figure entered the room, his figure slightly thin followed by a black dress all over the body, hair silver gray and reaching the back. Eyes black like a void. He carried a small hanging bag with him over his shoulder, a scarf around his neck covering his face a little.
"Anyone alive?" He called out nonchalantly, tone devoid of any expression.
No response. He sighed slightly and went inside the room. This was a normal situation for this man. His job was to go to laboratories around the world, that got attacked. To find survivors, if there were any to begin with, of course.
None of them ever survive, why should I even care to look out for them. The man thought, not so fond of positive things it seemed. Suddenly, out of nowhere he heard the sounds of the footsteps of another.
A corruption?No the sound feels like someone... He thought, for a moment. Before tilting his head, slightly in confusion. As he mumbled out. "Small?..."
The moment he said those words, he felt a small poke at the back of his leg. He looked down, to his surprise, he found a small child looking up at him, it had fox ears that were far more sharp for a normal foxian among the beast humans of the world.
Its tail not born yet, eyes a heterochromic combination, of a blue diamond(Right) and red ruby(left), follower by a small round face. The colour scheme of its fur however, was a unique combination of black and white. Neither colour dominating the other, both in a perfect harmony.
Its gender however, was a rather intresting case. There were no vital genitals for either gender. Not boy nor girl. Just a small child like body with flesh over it.
The man stared at the child, there was an awkward silence in the room. Until the child broke the silence while tugging to the man's dress. "Bah?"
The man stared for a little longer before he looked at the center of the room, specifically at the large broken capsule. He sighed, realizing the situation. "I see..." He looked back at the child. "So you are the most recent bio-product of this place, huh?"
The child stared at the man, processing the question. Before tilting its head like a confused cat. "Bah?..." The man grunted in annoyance.
It was going to be irritating. The man had the exact thought, he disliked children. And now discovering that he has to bring the child with him safely, he was irritated further. In most cases, there were either always corpses or a few researchers. But it was the first time, a bio-product(The child) was found as a survivor.
"Alright follow me, you little annoyance. I have to get you to the survival site." The man walked out, gesturing the child to follow him. The child followed quietly.
Children were referred as bio-products, because reproduction wasn't preferred anymore in the world as a reliable method to regain population. So children were made through someone's else DNA combined with materials to form the child. Each child was the combination of an individual's DNA and special materials.
The work this man had to do, didn't just involved looking out for attacked laboratories to find survivors, but to look after bio-products as well as an instructor along with other instructors at the survival site. He didn't liked it, however, finding kids annoying to deal.
While walking out, the man pulled out a small rope from his pocket and sighed slightly and stopped walking. By this time, a child would had looked around and get seperated to wander around. The man expected this to happen, that's why he kept the rope. However, to his surprise the moment he turned around, he found the kid right next to his legs looking up at him quietly.
"Huh!?" The man was baffled by the obedience the child showed when he told it earlier to follow him. He thought the world was playing a joke on him right now, and decided to check it.
He started walking again and then after some time, stopped and turned around again, still finding the child following him obediently.
He walked again, then stopped and turned again. Then again. Again. And again. The child still followed him obediently.
Did I found a bio-product that is actually obedient and listens to me? The man couldn't believe the irony of the situation. Raising an eyebrow slightly in amusement. He headed for the exit, not turning back again to look at the child.
The man pulled out his phone and dialed a number, calling for someone. The other side picked it up. "Sneha, there was only one survior in the laboratory in the west. You can teleport us back, it will be quick because I can't ask this survivor to walk on their own to the site."
"Omnithara." The other side called out the man by his name, the tone was of a woman. "Assist the survivors into walking back, you know very well the teleportation is for large sum of people only to ensure minimum wastage of power. We can't use it for small number of just one or two."
The woman hung up before Omnithara could reply back. He sighed in slight annoyance. As he glanced at the child, still looking up at him while tugging to his dress. Omnithara gave out another sigh, not asking the child if it could walk further or not and just started walking, the child following him. But ensured, it was safe throughout the whole journey back to the survival site.
There were reasons for why survival sites existed, why were children created as bio-products and not reproduced, why was the rate of population so low and why the living species weren't all so human.
The world, Aetherion. Once a world filled with species of various kinds. Elfs, Orcs, Foxians, Humans and more. Blessed with the power of the six gods of it, was filled with mana, physical beings and spiritual beings. Those Gods were referred as the Arbitals. Each portion of Aetherion is an Arbital, and Aetherion itself, was the totality of all six Arbitals.
They were the source of everything for the world. Its law, individuals and smaller worlds. Everything was a mere emanation of theirs. They were beyond any form being.
But of course not even gods can be there forever. And exactly, after the Arbitals developed a will and an ego. They diverged from their self. Neither will nor ego could be compatible for an Arbital, especially not both. Thus, it caused each Arbital to diverge into two parts. Referred as Sovereigns and Monarchs.
If a Sovereign was creation, then a Monarch was destruction. Each Sovereign and Monarch being the absolute opposite of each other in authority, yet they could have the same kind of power. Like fire and fire, but one for safety of humanity and other for combustion of humanity.
The existence of Monarchs caused corruption to emanate down to the world, the same livelihood, turned into a corrupted war zone in a short time.
Survival sites were built as counter, to fight back against corrupted species and save other survivors. Reproduction wasn't preferred anymore, because the existence of Monarchs could cause a corrupted child to get born.
After hours of walking, Omnithara sat his belongings down on a rock in a forest in the night. Just as he was about to collect materials for a fire, the child poked his leg again. Holding the material for a fire already. Omnithara stared at the child for a minute, before taking the material from it and sat down.
When he was about to lit the fire after setting up the material in position for it. The child coughed out small embers onto it, starting the fire on its own.
Omnithara stared at the child for that action. As one thought ran across his mind. Not about the self awareness. It was normal for bio-products to behave this smart on their own even if they can't speak yet. But the thought that ran across his mind.
Clumsy... Yet adorably obedient... I am adopting this child once I get back to the site.
By the next day, Omnithara had reached the Survival Site, and a woman with icy blue hair, a pair of water like blue eyes. Her clothing a slightly revealing black suit with a white overcoat, was starting down at the child he brought back. She looked Omnithara straight in the eyes.
"When you said survivor... You meant a literal bio-product?"
"Correct, Sneha."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier!?"
"Someone was in a hurry to hang up on the call."
Checkmate. Sneha had no reply to that. "Well, I am putting her along with the othe-."
"Its not a girl." Omnithara corrected.
"Alright, let me take him there no-."
"It's not a boy either."
"..... What?"
"Combination of both an Elysiari and a Farlain and the most obedient bio-product, that I have ever seen. No gender at all."
"WHAT!?" Sneha yelled in absolute bewilderment, loud enough to cause everyone at the site to hear her.
".... Yeah, this thing is a special case, its even more baffling than Risa and she is made up of literal crystal- wait." She looked at Omnithara. "Did you just said its the most obedient bio-product ever?"
"Yes."
"How sure are you about it?"
"I want to adopt it."
"... I believe you."
Both of them looked at the child, hugging Omnithara's leg. "It likes you." Sneha mentioned. "It seems so." Omnithara replied back.
"It reminds me of you."
"Why?"
"You never talked much back then and just held onto the only thing you liked, refusing to socialize with anyone else... Actually you are still the same."
"I see... I have a child now."
"Yeah, congratulations emo dad. You are also its instructor now by the way since you choosed to look after it."
"You are jealous, that you still haven't socialized properly with Risa aren't you?"
"I hate you... So, what to name it?"
Omnithara thought for some time. "For some reason, I feel like its better to give it two names."
Sneha raised an eyebrow at that, slightly curious at the statement. "Two names? Why?"
"Let's see... Farlains are always female, Elysiaris are always male. It is neither of the two but is the combination of both species... So Tsukiharu(Male) and Miharu(Female)."
"Well that's an interesting perspective to look through... Alright, your kid, both Tsukiharu and Miharu are its name then."
"..... Skylar."
"A third?"
"Just felt like it."
"Alright, its actually better to use this name if I say so. Skylar is a unisexual name unlike Tsukiharu and Miharu."
"Alright... Skylar, that will be your name."
The child's ears perked up in excitement despite the expressionless look on the face.
"Definitely a smaller copy of yours." Sneha mumbled, laughing slightly.
"Better than Risa."
"I WILL KILL YOU!"
And this was how, Omnithara found an interesting bio-product in a world corrupted by ego(Monarchs). Which begins the story of Aetherion, its Arbitals and the diversion, Will and Ego.
End of Prologue.
(Note from the author: This chapter is made like this to explain the history of Aetherion, bio-products and how humanity survives in it. Chapter 1 will begin the actual main story with the MC.)