Marcus Hale woke to silence so heavy it pressed against his chest.
He inhaled sharply—and choked.
Dust burned his lungs, dry and metallic, scraping his throat as if the air itself rejected him. He rolled onto his side, coughing violently, fingers digging into cracked ground that felt hot even through his gloves.
"This… isn't right," Marcus muttered, his voice hoarse.
The sky above him was wrong.
Not blue. Not gray.
Red.
A vast, endless crimson sky stretched overhead, split by distant storms of dust and light. Two moons hovered far above, unmoving, watching him like silent judges.
Marcus pushed himself to his knees. His body screamed in protest. His armor was shattered, his weapons gone, his communicator nothing more than scorched metal.
He looked around wildly.
"No… no, no—" His breath quickened. "Where is everyone?"
Five hundred warriors had stepped into the teleportation circle with him.
Now there was no one.
Not a body. Not a weapon. Not even footprints.
"Caroline…" he whispered.
The name steadied him.
Marcus forced himself to stand—and the ground trembled.
He froze.
"That wasn't me," he said aloud, eyes narrowing. "I didn't strike."
The tremor came again, stronger this time, rippling outward like a pulse.
Marcus felt it then.
Something answered him.
A pressure settled into his spine, ancient and vast, like the weight of a star pressing gently—but insistently—against his soul.
A voice echoed inside his mind, calm and emotionless.
HOST DETECTED.
LOCATION: MARS.
ENVIRONMENT: HOSTILE.
INITIATING GALAXY SYSTEM.
Marcus staggered back. "Who's there?!"
DESIGNATION REQUIRED.
Pain exploded behind his eyes. Images flooded his thoughts—galaxies forming, worlds dying, civilizations rising and falling like waves.
Marcus dropped to one knee, gasping. "Stop—!"
OLD IDENTIFIER: MARCUS HALE.
NEW DESIGNATION: MARDUST.
The name burned.
Marcus screamed as energy tore through his body, rewriting muscle, bone, spirit. His heartbeat thundered like war drums. His hair fell loose, dark at first—then slowly streaked with silver as cosmic power threaded through every strand.
When it ended, Marcus collapsed face-first into the dust.
Minutes passed.
Hours.
He awoke again, calmer now, stronger.
Slowly, he pushed himself up.
"Mardust…" he said quietly, testing the name. It felt heavy—but right.
He clenched his fist.
The air bent.
A nearby stone lifted, shattered, and dissolved into glowing dust.
Marcus's breath caught. "What… have I become?"
The System responded instantly.
POWER LEVEL: INITIATE.
PATH: MARTIAL COSMIC SYNTHESIS.
OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE. GROW. TRANSCEND.
Marcus laughed—a broken, disbelieving sound. "Typical," he said. "Thrown into hell and told to get stronger."
A memory rose unbidden.
Caroline's voice, sharp and loving:
"Complaining won't save you, Marcus. Move."
He straightened.
"You're right," he murmured. "I'll move."
Earth — One Day After the Mission
The Martial Arts Mansion was silent.
Too silent.
Caroline stood before the elders, arms crossed, jaw tight.
"He's late," one elder said carefully.
Caroline's eyes flashed. "Marcus is never late."
Mayson stepped forward, voice steady despite the fear in his eyes. "Mother… what if something went wrong?"
Caroline turned to her eldest son. "Then your father will fight his way back."
David swallowed. "And if he can't?"
She met his gaze without hesitation. "Then we fight until he does."
Melissa clenched her fists. "I hate this mission."
Ashley whispered, "I hate waiting."
Stephen snapped, "I should've been there!"
"You weren't ready," Caroline said firmly. "And neither were the twins."
Madison's small voice trembled. "Is Dad coming home?"
Michael squeezed her hand. "He promised."
Caroline knelt before them, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. Her voice softened. "Your father keeps his promises."
Even as doubt crept into her heart.
Mars — Year One
Marcus learned pain.
The planet did not forgive weakness.
Creatures of stone and radiation hunted him. Storms ripped flesh from bone. Gravity shifted without warning. He died—almost—more times than he could count.
Each time, the System spoke.
ADAPTATION COMPLETE.
MARTIAL LAW UNLOCKED: GRAVITY WEAVE.
Marcus trained relentlessly.
"Again," he growled, blood dripping from his chin. "Again."
He punched the air—and the mountain behind him cracked.
He fell to his knees, breathing hard. "I can't lose myself," he whispered. "I'm still Marcus."
A voice echoed in his memory—Mayson's, from long ago.
"I'll protect them, Dad."
Marcus closed his eyes. "Hold on," he murmured. "All of you."
Earth — Year Five
The world declared Marcus Hale dead.
Caroline did not attend the ceremony.
"He's alive," she said to the empty house. "I know it."
Mayson bowed his head. "Then we'll be ready when he returns."
David nodded. "Stronger than ever."
Melissa smiled sadly. "Just like him."
Ashley whispered, "Come home."
Stephen clenched his fists. "I'll surpass him."
Madison and Michael spoke together, voices steady now.
"We believe."
Mars — Year Five
Marcus—no, Mardust—stood atop a crater, long silver hair flowing behind him. His presence bent the planet beneath his feet.
He looked up at the stars.
"I'm coming back," he said quietly. "Not as the man who left…"
Energy surged around him, shaking the heavens.
"But as the one who never fell."
The Galaxy System pulsed in approval.
RETURN PATH DETECTED.
For the first time in five years, Marcus Hale smiled.