Chapter 1: New Life

The cold vacuum of space had always been a silent witness to humanity's achievements and failures. Adam Valar, a brilliant scientist turned astronaut, gazed out of the reinforced window of his Mars-bound shuttle. The crimson surface of the planet loomed below, a stark reminder of humanity’s insatiable curiosity. He adjusted his communication console, noting the spike in radiation levels with concern.

"Control, this is Adam. Radiation levels are spiking—way beyond the projected thresholds. Is this a solar flare?" he asked, his voice steady despite the rising tension.

Static crackled back before the voice of Mission Control broke through, strained and uncertain. "Negative, Adam. We’re seeing… something anomalous. It’s not natural. Hold position, we’re analyzing."

Adam’s brow furrowed. Anomalous? The word gnawed at him. He tapped into the shuttle’s sensors, his scientific curiosity overriding the creeping unease. His calculations painted a grim picture—the radiation spike wasn’t just dangerous; it was catastrophic.

Before he could report back, the world around him erupted. A shockwave of pure energy tore through the cosmos, blinding and unstoppable. Adam barely had time to brace before the shuttle’s systems overloaded. Pain lanced through his body as the radiation engulfed him. His last conscious thought was of Earth, his home, and the unfulfilled dreams he’d leave behind.

Adam awoke to nothingness. A vast, unending void stretched in every direction. Time became meaningless, as seconds stretched into years and years into eternity. He had no body, no form—only thought. At first, panic consumed him. His breaths were absent, his limbs nonexistent. All he could feel was the overwhelming emptiness of his surroundings.

His mind raced in the infinite dark. Was he dead? Was this the end? He could remember his life—his passion for science, the curiosity that had driven him to space, and the mission to explore Mars. Then, the explosion of cosmic energy. His shuttle had been torn apart.

But now, there was nothing. No sound, no light, no sensation. Just endless void.

Yet, even in this suffocating nothingness, Adam refused to give in. He was a scientist, after all. His mind was his greatest tool, and he would use it to survive. With a focus that transcended his confusion and fear, he began to think.

He conjured a thought, a single fragment of memory. His Earth—his home. It appeared before him, not as a mere image, but as something vivid and tangible. The bustling streets of New York, the towering buildings, the faces of his friends and family. They seemed so distant now, like a dream just out of reach.

But the void kept pressing, suffocating, demanding his attention. His mind drifted to the idea of a multiverse, of universes beyond his own. He was no longer confined to one reality, no longer restricted to the limitations of his earthly knowledge. And in this place, he could experiment. He could theorize. He could grow.

Stolen story; please report.

For countless years, Adam immersed himself in his thoughts. He delved deep into the mysteries of the universe, calculating and simulating the greatest challenges humanity had never conquered. He resolved the paradoxes of energy, figured out how to control time, and rewrote the laws of physics. He created worlds and destroyed them, testing the very fabric of existence, refining his mind.

But despite his intellectual triumphs, he was still alone.

Far away, in a corner of the universe that had been stable for eons, a being of immense power staggered. Lord Thanor, an entity so ancient that stars had risen and fallen in his lifetime, had crashed into this universe after fleeing a brutal defeat. His once-immaculate form was charred, his power dwindling. He clutched his side, ichor seeping between his fingers, and glared at the omnipresent force that governed this universe: the Dao.

The Dao was young, incomplete, and yet… unyielding. Its voice resonated, not in words but in undeniable commands.

"Restore the balance. Repair what you’ve broken. Revive the life you’ve taken."

Thanor growled, his pride bristling. "Revive a mere mortal? Waste my strength on something so insignificant?"

"You will comply or face the consequences."

The Dao’s will pressed against him, an unbearable weight even for one as mighty as Thanor. Reluctantly, he extended his power, mending the tears in the fabric of the universe caused by his arrival. Planets stabilized, radiation receded, and life was preserved. But when it came to Adam, Thanor hesitated. Instead of reviving the mortal, he funneled the remaining energy into healing his own wounds.

The Dao’s presence surged with fury. "You dare defy me?"

Thanor smirked, the arrogance of his kind shining through despite his injuries. "You are young, incomplete. Perhaps it’s time someone tested you."

And so, the battle began. Thanor, a powerhouse of unimaginable strength, unleashed his full might. Stars trembled, galaxies rippled, and the fabric of reality itself bent under their clash. But the Dao, though young, was inexorable. It adapted, grew stronger, and turned Thanor’s attacks back upon him.

In a final act of defiance, Thanor poured every ounce of his existence into a desperate strike. "If I fall, you fall with me!" he roared.

The explosion that followed obliterated them both. The Dao’s consciousness shattered, its guiding hand removed from the universe. Thanor’s essence disintegrated, leaving nothing behind. The universe spiraled into chaos, its natural laws thrown into disarray.

Amidst the chaos, Adam’s consciousness drifted. The void around him began to shift, colors and shapes bleeding into existence. He felt a pull, an irresistible force drawing him toward a point of light. For the first time in eons, he felt something other than emptiness.

When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the void. Warmth enveloped him, and unfamiliar sounds filled his ears. His vision was blurry, but he could make out figures moving around him. He felt small, weak, yet alive.

A deep, resonant voice broke through the haze, filled with authority. "The child is born."

A pair of hands cradled him gently, and Adam felt the sensation of being held for the first time in what felt like an eternity. His vision cleared, and he saw a man towering over him, his features sharp, his eyes fierce yet warm. His presence was commanding, like that of a leader, and the moment Adam gazed up at him, he knew this man held power.

The man looked down at him, eyes softening with affection. “You will be called Evan. Evan Walker, heir of the Walker Clan.”

Adam’s mind whirled. This was his new beginning, the start of something unimaginable. His old life was gone, but here, in this world, he had a chance—a chance to grow, to explore, to understand this strange new reality.

The words of the man, the father who held him, were no more than a whisper compared to the questions swirling in Adam’s mind.

And yet, for the first time since he had awakened in the void, Adam felt a sense of peace. The unknown lay before him, full of potential, and as he breathed in the air of this new world, the stirrings of hope, curiosity, and wonder took root in his heart.

This was his new life.