Prologue- The Edge of Reality

The universe was not what it appeared to be.

At least, that’s what they told me— those who saw beyond the veil. Those who glimpsed what lies beneath the surface of existence, who touched the edges of the infinite and walked away with their minds shattered, but a whisper of the infinite lodged in their skull.

What if everything you thought you knew— about life, about death … was wrong? What if the truth is a thousand times stranger, more elusive than we dare to imagine?

I once believed that the world was simple. That's what we saw was all there was. The stars, the sky, and the earth below us were all governed by predictable rules. But the universe doesn’t play by rules. It bends them, sometimes breaks them.

I didn’t know it then, but I was about to learn that the world was just the beginning.

Was it a chance encounter? Or a moment of fate? Suddenly, the line between reality and fantasy blurred. The system that I use to imagine, the powers, the strange force that pulses through my veins… wasn’t supposed to happen to me. I wasn’t anything special. Just... ordinary.

But ordinary lives are rarely what they seem.

Some part of me was chosen to walk a path that would uncover the mysteries of the cosmos, mysteries that have been hidden from mankind for centuries. And though I didn’t understand it at the time, my life would never be the same again.

It wasn’t just the power I gained. It was the knowledge. The glimpse of something vast, something ancient, something that had always been there, just out of reach.

Now, the world as I knew it feels like a fragile dream, and I’ve only begun to wake up.

The journey has begun. But it seems I am not alone in this…

And what happens next? Well, that’s a story for later.

***

In the dimly lit room, the sound of a pen scratching across paper fills the air. A faint sigh escaped as the writer furiously typed.

“...and that’s the intro. Perfect. At least I hope it doesn’t sound too cheesy…” the writer muttered, troubled.

Click... click... click...

“You know, I still can’t believe you’re wasting time writing. How long are you going to keep doing this?”

The second voice came from across the room; its owner was clearly absorbed in a video game, mashing the buttons in frustration as the tattoos on his body pulsed with a divine golden hue to show his mood.

“It’s not wasting time… I have a feeling this… this fate!” The writer pauses, glancing at the screen. “And… I need to finish this first.”

A heavy sigh followed, and a chair scraped against the floor as the gamer stood up and walked toward the writer.

“You’ve been at it hours,” the gamer sighed, though the smirk in his eyes betrayed amusement. “You don’t even have readers… let alone humans, even those long-ears don’t read your stuff…”

Step, step, step…

A sound of frantic footsteps echoed as the third person entered, voice sharp with authority.

“Move. NOW.”

The door slams open. The gamer flinches at the noise.

“Do you mind? I was on a winning streak!”

“No time for your streak. The portal is unstable and will close soon. We need to get moving. Don’t make me drag you.”

“Right. Fine, I’m coming,” the gamer grumbles, but with a smile. “You’re just jealous because I was winning.”

The writer sighs and puts the pen down, turning to the screen.

“Last time I checked, you still haven’t figured out how to finish the game without a cheat code…”

“Cheat codes are for losers,” the gamer retorts with mock indignation.

“Just move,” the third person demands, voice less patient this time. “The clock’s ticking.”

With a final, exaggerated grunt, the gamer reluctantly gets up, and the trio hurries toward the door. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed, mingling with the distant hum of something far greater than their trivial squabbles.