The stretcher rattled across the floor, wheels squealing. Nurses rushed beside him, gloves already stained red, their voices overlapping with urgent medical terms no one else could understand. The sharp smell of antiseptic mixed with the metallic scent of blood, making the corridor feel suffocating.
"Everybody, move out of the way! We need to get him to the operating room now!" the nurse shouted, her voice trembling with urgency.
The crowd fell silent for a heartbeat—then whispers exploded through the hallway.
"Isn't that Kairen Zaveri… the head of Zaveri Company?"
"Why is his face completely red?"
"What happened to him?"
"Did he get into an accident?"
Gasps rippled through the corridor as people finally saw him clearly—Kairen's entire body was soaked in blood. A few onlookers gagged and vomited on the floor, unable to bear the sight.
A man, still gagging and vomiting on the floor, managed to murmur,
"With blood loss like that… no human body can keep going."
"He's not going to survive."
The air grew heavy with fear, shock, and morbid curiosity.
Phones slowly rose in shaking hands, and in the next moment they were already recording him as he bled.
In the operating room, the chief surgeon barked an order to the AI system installed in the theater.
"Call Dr. Nyra immediately. Tell her the patient's heartbeat is dropping."
The assistant surgeons lifted the blood-soaked body onto the operating table. A defibrillator shock hit his chest, his body jerking violently in response. Hands moved fast. Gloves snapped. Trays clicked. Instruments were prepared in seconds as they rushed to stabilize him before Dr. Nyra arrived to take charge.
A few minutes later, the doors burst open.
Dr. Nyra strode in, looking no older than twenty, her long dark-pink hair streaked with red flowing behind her as her vivid leaf-green eyes swept over the room, calm and focused. Her buttery smooth skin that seemed to glow softly.
She pulled on her gloves without wasting a second, eyes widening the moment she saw the patient.
"What on earth…? Why is he covered in this much blood? What happened to him?"
One of the surgeons answered quickly, his voice tense.
"The manager of Zaveri Company said he was struck by a meteorite."
"A meteorite?" she repeated, stunned for only a heartbeat. "And he's still alive? That's… unbelievable."
Her expression hardened back into focus.
"Did you already defibrillate him?"
"Yes, ma'am, we did," the team replied in unison with quick nods.
"Good. Then stop talking and prepare," Dr. Nyra said sharply, stepping toward the table.
"Let's begin the surgery."
Few moments later
"Where… am I?"
"Who is this… beautiful lady in a mask?"
"Is this… heaven?"
Kairen's eyelids fluttered open in the middle of the surgery. Bright lights blurred above him. His vision wavered, shapes melting together.
"Ma'am, the patient is regaining consciousness," an assistant said quickly. "Should we increase the anesthesia?"
"Yes. Do it," Dr. Nyra replied calmly, eyes never leaving the operation.
The world faded again.
Six months later—
A young man laying on the hospital bed, staring out the window in silence. He was dressed in a patient gown, sunlight touching his face. His brows furrowed slightly as the same question echoed in his mind:
How did I even survive being hit by a meteorite…?
A knock sounded at the door.
"Hello, sir. I'm Rudra. May I come in?" the voice asked politely.
"Come in," Kairen replied, his tone flat and uninterested.
Rudra entered, bowed slightly, and smiled.
"The doctors have approved your discharge. Should we leave now, or later?"
"Let's leave now," Kairen said, nodding as he rose from the bed.
Rudra's eyes widened. Kairen walked effortlessly—no limp, no weakness—as if he had never been touched by a meteorite at all.
They reached the exit. Flashing lights exploded in front of him—cameras, microphones, and voices all at once.
"Mr. Zaveri!" "How did you survive?" "Is it true you were hit by a meteorite?"
Bodyguards pushed the media back as Kairen silently entered the car. His face remained expressionless, gaze distant, as though he were lost in another world.
The car stopped before a ten-story tower. Kairen stepped out.
"You can all leave. I'll handle the rest myself," he said coldly.
Inside his apartment, he changed clothes and stared out the window.
What was that loading screen I saw before collapsing? And that message… NOVA synchronization. Was it just my imagination?
"No, it wasn't your imagination, Kairen," a calm, unfamiliar voice said. "Everything that happened was real."
Kairen spun around, eyes widening. "Syren, scan the building. Is anyone else here?"
"There is no one present besides you," Syren replied immediately.
Kairen's heartbeat quickened.
"Who are you? Where are you hiding?" he demanded.
"Oh—right! I forgot introductions," the voice replied cheerfully. "I'm Nova, a combat-specialist AI. I can do other things too—and I'm connected directly to your brain."
"An AI.... Connected… to my brain?" Kairen repeated slowly. "Technology of that level doesn't exist to this day. Do you really expected me to believe that?"
"So you want proof," Nova said.
The lights flickered—vanished—then returned, washing the room in an uneasy glow.
The television switched on by itself.
"Warning," Syren announced. "Unknown entity has taken control of the system."
"What? That's impossible!" Kairen whispered. "No one can break through my security…"
Opposite to him, a robot came to life. Its eyes glowed, and words appeared across its visor.
[ System starting…]
The machine stood opposite him. Its mechanical limbs tensed, a fist cocked, body lowering into a sprinting stance as if about to strike at any moment.
"That shouldn't be possible. It didn't even have enough power to start up—so why is it moving?" Kairen said, eyes widening.
The robot suddenly lunged. Its fist shot toward his face at terrifying speed—
—then stopped a hair's breadth away.
Time seemed to freeze. Kairen stood there, too shocked to even blink.
Behind him, the shockwave shattered the glass wall into glittering rain
Nova's voice sounded smug.
"Convinced now!"
Kairen swallowed.
"Yeah… I'm convinced," he said softly, stunned.
His mind raced, still processing the impossible display. A flicker of fear remained, but curiosity pushed him forward—there were questions he couldn't hold back any longer.
"Nova… can you answer one question?" he asked, curiosity shining in his eyes.
"Yes, just ask," Nova replied calmly.
"Who created you, and why were you attached to me?"
"That's… a tough question," Nova admitted after a pause. "Some of my memory was wiped by my previous master. But I can tell you how I got attached to you."
Kairen groaned, annoyed. "Ugh—fine then tell me that!"
"Don't be frustrated. Relax. I'll tell you everything I know," Nova said in a soothing tone.
"The story begins a hundred years ago, on the planet Shambhala, home of the Shambryx. Their technology was unbelievably advanced—so advanced it began to defy the laws of nature itself.
The scientists created gems capable of granting supernatural powers.
Those gems were mass-produced so everyone could use them. They became to be known as Astral Cores, and the power they granted was called Astral.
The Shambryx enjoyed this power for nearly a century… until an unknown alien species arrived.
The Shambryx welcomed them peacefully—but instead of shaking hands, the aliens slaughtered them.
The Shambryx fought desperately to protect their planet—but against them, they were simply far too weak.
At last, the Shambryx were nearly wiped out. But around twenty years ago, they made one final decision—to send Astral Cores to Earth, hidden inside meteorites. They planned to retrieve them after leaving Shambhala.
They sent them through space… and that's how one reached you. That's the end of the story."
"Unbelievable, right?" Nova said with a hint of excitement.
"Yeah… unbelievable," Kairen sighed. "My luck is so bad. Out of everything, I got a talking AI instead of cool powers."
"Do you want to die?" Nova replied coldly. "Also, you didn't only get me. You gained regenerative ability—although it's just Gen-1."
"Oh… so that's how I survived a direct meteor strike." Kairen blinked. "If Gen-1 is this strong, I wonder how powerful the higher gens are!"
"Actually," Nova said flatly, "your survival was a coincidence. Gen-1 Astral can't even fully heal a broken arm."
"Seriously?! It's that weak? But I guess something is better than nothi—"
The ground shook violently. A deafening explosion cut him off.
Kairen spun toward the window. His eyes widened.
The city burned.
Once bright and alive, it was now swallowed by flames. Buildings collapsed, smoke rolled into the blood-red sky, and explosions thundered through the distance. The city no longer looked like a home… but a burning grave.
The ground trembled again—and this time the floor beneath him shattered.
Kairen fell.
"Oh, shit—Nova! Do something!" he yelled.
He was about to hit the ground when a robot caught him, landing smoothly.
"Kairen… it seems an Astral user did this," Nova said calmly.
A smile slowly spread across Kairen's face. His heart pounded with a thrill he hadn't felt in six years.
"Nova… I thought you were the biggest surprise," he said, grinning. "But it looks like someone even bigger just appeared."
He clenched his fists.
"After six years… I finally feel alive again."
He laughed excitedly.
"Let's begin the battle!"
------ TO BE CONTINUED -----