The massive debris field, now heavily guarded by Atlas and Noctus, echoed with the deafening roar of colossal engines. The once desolate battlefield was now alive with movement — the sleek shadows of transport ships cut through the dusty skies, their thrusters igniting the rubble below in waves of blue light.
Soldiers clad in advanced tech suits dropped one by one from the ships, landing with metallic thuds that reverberated across the field. They immediately set to work, attaching reinforced cables and securing magnetic clamps around the Aethex-reinforced room embedded deep within the ruins.
Atlas stood a few meters away, arms crossed, watching the soldiers in silence. His dark visor reflected the scene before him — efficiency, precision, and a reminder of how small he felt compared to those above his rank.
Noctus, however, was nowhere to be seen. The top-tier Heroic had already departed the moment the transport fleet arrived. As much as Helios had wanted to keep him for further support, Noctus had other obligations — and someone like him didn't answer to minor missions for long.
Atlas sighed quietly beneath his helmet.
He was a Heroic, sure — ranked seventeenth in the entire city of Evanguade — but beyond that? In the vast universe filled with Heroics and Celestials alike, his name barely scratched the bottom of any ranking list. If the universe were a pyramid, he was a brick at the base.
Noctus, on the other hand, wasn't just another Heroic. He was one of the greats. A powerhouse standing among the top five on the human side, and even managing to reach the top 500 across the universe. A terrifying feat, considering the number of beings far beyond human comprehension that filled that list.
So why were they even together?
Chance, really. Atlas was stationed in Evanguade, while Noctus had merely been passing through. Helios — ever the opportunist — seized the chance to recruit aid from a passing titan. It wasn't often someone of Noctus's caliber offered help.
The gap between them was astronomical, and Atlas knew it.
"All clear!"
One of the soldiers shouted, giving a thumbs-up.
On cue, the cables tightened, and the transport ships roared simultaneously, lifting the Aethex-reinforced room from the rubble. The air shimmered with heat and dust as the heavy structure rose steadily, ascending toward the horizon. Atlas watched it leave until it became a small black dot in the distance.
"...Another day done," he muttered, before turning away to continue his next assignment.
A few hours later
WHIIRRRR—
The thunderous hum of the transport ships reverberated through the air as they approached the Operative & Heroic's Agency (OHA) Headquarters' Air Base in Evanguade. The area was an impenetrable fortress — lined with automated turrets, combat droids, and security guards in sleek, plated armor. The base shimmered under the city's artificial light, standing as one of Evanguade's crown jewels.
Helios stood at the center of the landing zone, flanked by a squad of Operatives dressed in uniformed exo-suits. Behind him, personnel prepared diagnostic drones and scanning rigs. His gaze was fixed firmly on the sky, waiting.
Then —
THUD—
The Aethex-reinforced Containment Room landed with a resonant crash, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Dust burst outward, but Helios didn't flinch. His cold, calculating eyes narrowed, scanning every inch of the sealed room.
"Open it," he ordered sharply, his voice cutting through the noise.
The squad immediately moved into formation, activating plasma cutters and magnetic tools. Sparks burst and danced around the air as they worked to breach the sealed door. Helios stood silently behind them, clenching his fist.
This is it…
The last hint to Void's whereabouts.
Minutes passed before the final latch gave way.
PFFF—
The pressurized air released with a hiss as the door slowly opened. Operatives stormed in with weapons and scanners raised, sweeping the dark interior.
Helios followed behind them — and froze.
There, lying peacefully on a bed, was a young man. His breathing was calm, his posture relaxed, almost serene — as if the chaos of the world outside had never touched him. His appearance was… unreal. His beauty transcended human norms, with features so sharp and ethereal that every Operative instinctively hesitated upon seeing him.
'Who… is this?' Helios thought, his brows furrowing.
One of the Operatives raised a wrist-mounted console, and a small drone detached from her belt, hovering toward the young man. It scanned his body, emitting soft, pulsating lights. After a few moments, it beeped, signaling completion.
"Send me the scanned files," Helios ordered, eyes still fixed on the sleeping figure.
"On it. Link Transfer."
A holographic panel flashed in Helios's vision.
[Agent 406 Requests Link Transfer]
"Link," he replied.
[Transfer Linked]
[Accessing Transferred Files...]
[Success]
[Name: {Unable to Scan}
Age: 17
Race: Pseudo-Human
Fame: None
NEXUS: Yet to Access
Status: Alive (Sleeping)]
Helios read every word carefully. His eyes narrowed further when he reached the term Pseudo-Human.
"A Pseudo-Human… that's a first," he muttered.
"Wait," one of the Operatives asked hesitantly. "Isn't that an illegal modification?"
Helios shook his head. "Hardly. The hospital this room came from was owned by Daemos Fint himself — and you know how much he despises secret projects. If this boy was made there, it wasn't without purpose."
The other Operatives exchanged uneasy glances, while Helios kept his gaze on the sleeping youth.
Could he be connected to Void…?
Before he could think further, the young man stirred. His fingers twitched, and his eyes fluttered open — slow, confused, disoriented. He sat up, rubbing his eyes gently before blinking several times at the blinding light flooding the room.
"Who… are you?" he asked softly.
But that voice — calm, melodic, almost divine — sent an unexpected ripple across the group. Several female Operatives immediately went weak in the knees, one even fainting outright. The rest struggled to maintain composure as heat rushed to their faces.
Helios sighed deeply. "...Great. I can already tell this is going to be a problem."
He stepped forward, crossing his arms. "I'm Agent Helios — or Adam, if you prefer. Do you remember how you got here?"
The young man blinked. "Mmh… no? I woke up earlier in the dark. The next time I opened my eyes, it was now. I… can't remember anything before that."
Helios's expression fell slightly. The lead he had built his hopes on — gone. Still, there was something about this boy that made it impossible to look away. His skin was pale, his body toned yet frail, and despite looking human, something felt distinctly different.
"You," Helios said finally, "what's your name?"
The young man tilted his head. "Hmh… Amon."
Helios nodded. "Any relatives?"
Amon shook his head. His expression was blank — not confused, not hurt, just… empty.
"Can you walk?" Helios asked.
Amon hesitated, then pushed himself off the bed. The moment his feet hit the ground, his knees buckled. He stumbled forward—
—but an Operative caught him just in time.
"Ah… thank you," Amon muttered, his face flushing pink as he realized he'd fallen against her.
She laughed softly. "No biggie~"
Helios stared blankly.
'...Is he seriously blushing right now?'
He pinched the bridge of his nose. A god-tier face, and a personality like that? He couldn't decide if it was a blessing or a curse.
Either way, Helios knew one thing — this boy, Amon, was about to turn his entire world upside down.