Clouds of ash filled the bleak sky as another of the meteorites landed in proximity to the Tower's location. People of all kinds, reduced to their basest instinct, littered the world's view from atop the only skyscraper intact in the city.

 

Starlink city, a once bustling area, brimmed with economic growth, pristine living spaces, and incredible modern technology, had been reduced to rubble in mere months after The Company began its attack. Now all that was left in its place were the mutated remnants of humanity and the everlasting red fog that surrounded the city perpetually.

 

Watching from the only skyscraper left standing in the chaos, a middle-aged man watched it all unfold in front of his eyes. He watched the world itself slowly degrade into something unrecognizable. Callously looking out the window, the man's dark skin color and piercing yellow eyes made his frown even more pronounced.

 

The world outside had grown inhospitable, far past the point of recovery. Once The Company released the first chemical bomb onto the city, he understood the ramifications.

 

His war with their forces had led to this disaster, yet, he refused to show any regret.' This was what the people wanted, so this was what they were getting,' he thought to himself. However, no matter how many times he reminded himself, it did not change what he had done.

 

Using his Immortal Tower, he sheltered himself from the bombings using the natural force field produced by its surface while the others took the brunt.

 

'They should've known better than to surround themselves with him,' he chanted, but it still couldn't change the guilt he felt from all the pain his presence had caused.

 

However, outwardly, he retained his stoic facade, giving false hope to the final dregs of humankind.

 

"Quite the savior I am," Lucian thought in self-depreciation.

 

If it helped with anything, Lucian didn't want this to happen at all. All he wanted was to finally give the people who struggled to live, people like him, the ability to pave their own path.

 

Yet it was all for naught.

 

"It's time to go," he said quietly to himself as he walked towards the mechanical contraption in the center of his office.

 

"Howard. Call Anna," He spoke to himself as the device in his ear whirred into action, immediately sending a signal as the phone rang silently before abruptly hanging up.

"Is she still mad at me?" Lucian asked himself as he shook his head. If she were any other person, he wouldn't be bothered whatsoever. Unfortunately, Anna was the love of his life.

They met when they were young in a bar. When times were much simpler. She had clumsily spilled her drink all over him, nearly putting him in a rage. But he couldn't. The moment he saw her face, something changed in him. Even now, he couldn't quite place it. He had never had such a feeling before in his life.

At first, it started as a fling since they were both busy and didn't want to get too attached, but that quickly changed the more time he spent with her. Soon they were spending every night with each other until they could bear to be apart. She was the only person he could truly be himself with.

But now, things have changed.

The burden he bore grew heavier, and time was never enough. They fought over the dumbest things, and a thin but unmistakable rift was created between them.

He never wanted it to be this way. But he couldn't let the world suffer for his selfishness.

The room was in darkness, with the only light shining through from the sun's rays out the window. Notebooks, wires, and the remains of space food were left all over the office, which showcased the man's living conditions. The man, similar to his environment, looked equally haggard and unorganized, ringing true to the old saying that "a disorganized room is the reflection of a disorganized man."

 

The only area free from his mess was the surroundings of the contraption in his room which signaled the importance of the device.

 

The device was about the shape of an egg with multiple wires and tools implanted all over it. It had a large glass front which opened as soon as the man got close to it. The space in it was mostly taken up by the adjustable seat placed in its center, while the surroundings sported different buttons of different colors for the user to access.

 

He closed his eyes and fell back within the pod, sealing himself within with glass.

 

"Starting the pod takes significant energy from the skyscraper's protective system. However, everything should be fine as long as I can leave before its collapses. That is if this test device even works." Lucian thought while forming the neural link through concentration.

 

"Just a couple more seconds until-" BANG! The door's lock was blown apart, flinging debris across space as a familiar face swung the door open.

 

"You've grown sloppy, Old Man Lucy," Elijah smirked as he shook his head in disappointment.

 

Slowly he walked towards the pod until he was face to face with the man. Nearly seven feet tall, Elijah was a walking fortress. Coupled with his broad frame and chiseled muscles, he would be a nightmare to fight against.

 

"Lucian. Why are you doing this? You could've lived the life you deserve with your talents." He began.

 

Lucian was unable to retort, his shock apparent on his face. He did not expect Elijah to be the one to storm into his lair.

 

Elijah had been one of the first testers of the future serum he had invented, and he had known him since he was young. He practically raised him from a toddler to an adult. He was also one of the main reasons he and Anna argued so much.

 

Although his initial purpose to him was for testing, he had always seen him as the son he never got the chance to have, which was why he trained him stronger and faster than anybody else. In a sense, he was the culmination of everything he created.

 

He wanted his son to be able to thrive in this world like his father did, but Anna disapproved. She had always wanted the experiments to end. To send Elijah away. She had never trusted him.

 

Now it seems she was right.

 

"You know, now that you're about to die, I have to admit I've always hated you, especially that blank stare on your face like everyone else is beneath you. It's taken all my will not to kill you, but I'm sure you knew that already right? How could you not after what you did to me all these years?" he spoke calmly as he stopped in front of Lucian's pod.

 

Lucian stared melancholically, unsure of what to say.

 

"Truly unfortunate. A Creator such as yourself stuck inside a pod waiting for his death," he laughed, malice slowly seeping into his emerald eyes. "Haha. But that's just what I love about these uncertain times."

 

Lucian Villin was a name known to all in the Fusion Era. As the creator of many techniques involving the human body, he was one of the pioneers in transforming humans into superhumans in an era where fiction and fact intersected. His creation made humans faster, more robust, and even more intelligent. Longer lifespans became possible, spaceships were created, planets were terraformed, and humans grew greedier.

 

Staring back at Elijah's face, he spoke for the first time. "So, I take it you've thrown in your support with the others then," Lucian said as his eyes reddened, his grief unable to be suppressed. "Why? I had given you everything you had ever needed to survive this world. When The Company murdered your parents, I raised you myself! I would never consider myself the perfect parent to you, but I have done my best considering the situation. I've made you powerful, wealthy, and intelligent. Do none of these count for anything? And now, you're working with your parent's killers?"

 

Hearing this, Elijah grew paused in shock. He had never seen Lucian show much expression until now. Lucian had always been a stoic man to everyone around him.

 

Elijah's initial shock turned to howling laughter that petered off as he looked toward Lucian in hatred. "The Arrogance! You must've been blinded by your hubris, 'O' Great Creator .'Your facade might fool your followers, but I have known you far too long to know what is truth and what is not." He roared as he stared at Lucian.

 

"Heh, you must still see me as the weak boy that came to you for guidance, for direction," he said with a slight chuckle as he got closer to Lucian's face, his voice growing more insidious. "Do you think experimenting on his son is what a father does? Do you think putting his son through a harsh tempering project is what fathers do?" He said, unsheathing his sword

 

With a shrug, he continued. "Doesn't matter either way. What's done is done. Just like what you did to me can't change, neither can what I did to Anna." Elijah said with a slight grin.

 

Lucian's eyes grew wide as soon as he heard that name. "No... you didn't... tell me you didn't..." Lucian sat in shock as a small tear poured down his eyes.

 

"That was the face I was waiting for! Oh yes, I did, actually. She cried your name so often that you would've thought she was enjoying it. Well, now she's dead, but I made sure to take care of her body. Piece by little piece." Elijah said with a loud laugh.

 

Time stopped as Lucian stared at the man in front of him, mortified. Elijah's laughter began fading away as an eerie silence occupied his mind, threatening to drive him mad as his face twisted between grief and extreme hatred. Tears flooded Lucian's face as he threw his head back in anguish; a silent roar escaped him.

 

He thought back to all his memories of her. Her beautiful smile, her quirky personality, her big heart; all of it gone simply because he wanted to change this world for the better.

 

All he had ever wanted to do was to reach his true potential humanity had. Every creation he had invented was for that express purpose. Yet, no matter how much he tried, the world took just as much as he gave, leaving him a hollow husk with nothing to love or care for.

 

Now, the one person that had stood beside him no matter what had been killed by the person he considered a son.

 

Suddenly something seemed to click in Lucian's head. His tears stopped, and his face relaxed. The sounds of small patterings of meteorite rocks appeared again as Lucian's expression reverted to his blank expression sending chills down Elijah's spine.

 

With a calm gait, he began. "From now on, you will no longer be related to me. I am no longer related to you. However..." he said as his eyes turned red, an unfathomable hatred in his eyes.

 

"If I escape, I will stop at nothing to remove your stain from this world. That I swear to you." Lucian said venomously, contrasting his calmness as Elijah stood in wariness.

 

With a thought, Lucian ceased the Tower's protective function. The small pattering of the rubble's impact on the Tower began to create a sound of destruction as electric currents moved through to its precipice, specifically to the room where Lucian was located.

 

Quickly waking himself from nervousness, Elijah smiled slyly. "You must be out of options here! Unfortunately, I've already deactivated the self-defense mechanism of your Tower, little Lucy. I suggest you think of something else!" he said with a small chuckle, immediately activating his armor's inherent ability.

 

It began to glow as a green forcefield surrounded his whole body, further amplifying his strength.

 

The currents gathered into the pod as it began to light up. Crackles of energy lifted the pod into the air as the room filled with electric currents.

 

"Oh no, you don't," Elijah said as he moved towards the pod. Unfortunately, the pod interference significantly restricted his movements.

 

Green energy covered his body, enabling him to move moderately well.

 

With a slash, the blade extended, hitting the pod directly and sending it tumbling back, using this chance to sever the wires on the pod, significantly weakening its power supply and functions.

 

Lucian willed the pod back into place as the electric currents raged even more fiercely. They began to pull towards the pod, replacing the wire's function!

 

Shocked, Elijah paused for a second in thought. Lucian used the chance to control the Tower's protective system and let out a laser beam aimed at Elijah's head.

 

Elijah dodged to the left as he began his next assault. He launched himself at the pod with his movement technique, enabling his speed to increase significantly.

 

Meters away, he firmly planted his weapon through the glass, directly into Lucian's shoulder.

 

As he tried to pull it out, he realized Lucian had gripped his weapon. Electricity instantly traveled down the blade, delivering a paralyzing shock to Elijah and temporarily incapacitating his movement.

 

Energy currents began to snake towards the outer walls as the devices all around began to turn back to life. They aimed at Elijah, charging up for an attack.

 

Elijah's eyes widened as he realized he was targeted with lasers from multiple locations. His armor went into overdrive to protect his body from the beams.

 

Most were blocked, but a small amount bypassed the shield, significantly damaging his body.

 

Letting the weapon go, he dropped to the ground, taking multiple steps back to distance himself with no weapon to attack

 

He was losing.

 

Lucian floated with the pod in the air as electrical currents surrounded his body passively like the tentacles of an octopus.

 

Landing on the ground once more, Elijah took a breath and stared at Lucian with wariness in his eyes.

 

"Good armor," Lucien said, unaffected by the blade stuck in his shoulder.

 

"I underestimated you. You control the currents, don't you?" Elijah said as anger flooded his eyes.

 

Lucian didn't respond. He simply stared at him blankly.

 

Irritated, Elijah let out his trump card. "I'll underestimate you no more," He grabbed the device on his waist as it began to flash.

 

Far above the Tower, a ship of enormous size flew casually under the sun. It was quite small compared to the much bigger ones the Company used for commercial use. However, its most useful ability was its camouflage ability, allowing it to blend into the surrounding until needed, which was why Lucian's protective system did not pick up on it nearby.

 

Suddenly one of its six beam cannons began to aim, specifically at Lucian's observatory, energy gathering in its nozzle.

 

Sensing this through his connection with the Tower, Lucian grit his teeth. He would have never expected his enemies to invest so much into this attack. With the help of Elijah, they quickly infiltrated his Tower. And now, to make things worse, he was forced to use his shielding capability to power his attacks; the rest was stored in the pod for activation! If they attacked right now, there was no doubt he would succumb to it.

 

Being attacked from both sides, Lucian thought quickly. "I have to escape before the ship aims." Lucian thought, drawing even more energy into the pod. It began to light up with multicolored lights.

 

However, Elijah began another assault on the device glass, disorienting Lucien's and preventing him from concentrating on channeling. The ship's cannon lit up with raw energy. It wasn't long before it shot down its beam.

 

Elijah sensed the energy signatures in the air as he immediately escaped through the exit, jumping off the Tower through one of the many cracks in the walls.

 

Left on his own, with a beam aimed above his head, Lucien could only concentrate on using the pod to escape. However, the pod lost significant energy from that encounter, slowing the process even more. He knew it wouldn't be enough for the device to activate correctly.

 

Left with no choice, he yelled as he ignited the reserved energy in his body to power the pod. The energy he used to build up his body quickly transferred to the pod. His body began to wither, and white hairs appeared on his previously black mane. "As long as my soul is still intact..." as the pod grew brighter.

 

Right before the beam divided the Immortal Tower in half, a bright star shined for the briefest moments, signaling the end of the Fusion Era and the start of a new era that many will remember as the humble beginning of the single person that changed the multiverse as a whole.

 

The Era of Luminosity.