Chapter 0 – The Beginning of Everything

Rain poured down on the hospital roof, creating a tik… tik… tik… sound that felt like a countdown for a young man named Wataru. His body was thin, his bones jutting out, and an IV drip pierced his arm. His eyes were dim, but behind them, a small flame still tried to hold on.

“Why… why do I have to stop here? I haven't even had a chance to feel the warmth of a family… or see the outside world with my own two feet.”

His inner voice echoed softly, mixed with the beeping sound of the monitor: beep… beep… beep….

From a young age, Wataru had suffered from cancer, accompanied by a disability that made his body frail. He only knew the world through the hospital window, worn-out books, and a TV screen that played anime and the news. His dreams were simple: to walk on open land, to have an adventure, and just once—to feel a sincere hug from his parents.

But fate gave him no chance.

His body felt heavier, the air thinner. The sound of the monitor changed from beep… beep… to a long, flat line.

BEEEEEEEEEEP!

Darkness.

But… it wasn't the end.

When Wataru opened his eyes again, he was startled by a blazing red light and the sound of explosions shaking his ears.

BOOOOM! TATAKATAKATAKA!

The sound of machine guns and the roar of giant machines filled the air. He was lying amid the ruins of a building, his body small—like a baby’s—and a woman whose face was unfamiliar yet felt warm was holding him tightly.

Blood streamed from the woman’s temple, her smile gentle even as her life faded.

“Kyle… I’m so sorry, Mama… take care of yourself… you’re not alone…”

The voice faded, the woman's body went limp, and her last embrace left a wound in a heart that had just been reborn.

The baby’s body—Wataru, or now, Kyle—trembled violently. His cries broke through the sound of war.

But amid those cries, another voice infiltrated his consciousness.

“Initialization… soul protection started. Subject: Kyle.” “I am Nexus. An artificial intelligence system, created by your parents. From now on… I will be your guide.”

Instantly, the shattered world seemed to fall silent. A blue light in the form of a digital mesh surrounded baby Kyle, protecting him from bullets and building fragments.

Nexus was more than just an AI. It carried fragments of Kyle's parents' consciousness, the last program they left behind so their child could survive in a world full of war and hatred.

From that day on, the journey of Kyle the Lone Wolf began. Not as a hero, nor as a villain. But as someone thrown into a world of conflict—and who chose to walk his own path.