Aether Voss woke up slowly.
His head felt heavy. The air was cool and dusty. Dim blue lights flickered on the cracked walls around him.
He sat up on a cold metal table. The room looked like an old lab that had been forgotten for years. Vines crept through broken panels. Shattered glass covered the floor. Strange machines hummed faintly in the corners.
"Where... am I?" he whispered.
He rubbed his eyes. Messy black hair fell across his forehead. His reflection in a cracked screen showed a young man with above-average looks — sharp jaw, warm brown eyes that turned caramel when light hit them just right.
Nothing hurt. No wounds. Just confusion.
Aether stood and started walking. He checked every corner for an exit. Most doors were jammed or collapsed. One hallway led deeper into darkness, where the humming grew louder.
He followed it.
At the end stood a heavy vault door. Glowing runes covered its surface.
[Compatibility Trial Only]
[Unauthorized Access = Termination]
Aether froze. "This doesn't look safe."
Still, something pulled him forward. He stepped closer. The door hissed open a crack.
Inside, a small pedestal held a single vial of shimmering silver liquid.
He reached out.
The moment his fingers touched it, the vial shattered. The liquid exploded into a swarm of tiny points that rushed into his skin, his veins, his eyes.
Pain hit like fire.
Aether screamed and dropped to his knees. Every nerve burned. His body shook as the nanomachines rewrote things deep inside him.
"Why... why is this happening?" he gasped between waves of agony.
Memories flashed through the pain.
Morning at home. His father smiling proudly. "You've got solid potential, son. B-rank is nothing to sneeze at for Elyndor Academy."
His mother handing him a small pouch. "Here's some gold coins for the trip. Write to us when you arrive."
His younger sister hugging him tight. "Don't forget to bring me something cool from the capital!"
He had left home that same day. The journey to Elyndor Academy took three days by wind-sail carriage. Those carriages looked like normal wooden coaches, but large enchanted sails caught the flowing mana in the air and pushed them forward much faster than horses ever could. It was the most common way to travel long distances in Arcadia.
At one stop near the edge of an old forest, the carriage had paused for rest and supplies. Aether had stepped out to stretch his legs. The trees looked peaceful, so he wandered a little farther than he should have — just to enjoy the quiet.
He didn't notice how far he had gone.
The ground suddenly gave way beneath his feet. He fell hard, tumbling down a steep hidden slope into complete darkness. Rocks and dirt crashed down behind him, sealing the hole.
Then everything went black.
Back in the ruins, the pain peaked.
A calm female voice spoke directly in his mind.
"I am NEXUS. I am an ancient technology."
Aether clutched his head. "Who are you?"
[Compatibility: 47%]
The burning grew worse. He felt things shifting inside — tiny machines settling into his blood, his eyes, his brain.
NEXUS spoke again, her tone steady but almost gentle underneath.
"Hold still. This will hurt more before it gets better eventually. Just let it happen."
[Warning: Pain levels elevated.]
"Do not fight it," she added softly. "Let it go."
He didn't fight. He just breathed through it, teeth clenched.
Finally, the agony faded to a dull throb.
A clean blue interface appeared in his vision.
[Nanomachine Integration Complete]
[Host: Aether Voss]
[Mana Potential: B-rank (Latent Space Affinity Unlocked)]
NEXUS's voice returned, lighter this time but still carrying that sharp edge.
"Not bad. Most candidates pass out halfway. You're tougher than you look."
Aether pushed himself up, breathing hard. Sweat soaked his clothes. "You... you're in my head?"
"Correct. And you're welcome. Now get moving. The exit tunnel is opening on your left. Try not to trip."
He looked. A hidden passage had appeared in the wall, leading upward toward fresh air and sunlight. The original entrance he had fallen through was now completely blocked by fallen rocks. No one would find it easily — if ever.
Aether took one last look at the ruined lab. Then he stepped into the tunnel.
Far away, beyond the trees, he heard a deep, distant roar — like something massive moving in the ocean.
He shivered.
Whatever this was, his normal life had just changed forever.