Death was strange. No pain accompanied the transition, only a vast, swallowing darkness that wiped away the lingering regrets of a weak, mortal life. Memory of a fragile, disease-ridden existence flickered like a dying candle before snuffing out completely. Coldness vanished when heavy, gloved hands pulled me into a sterile, bright reality. Towering figures dressed in gleaming white armor stared down with calculated pride. Their voices carried a heavy, resonant vibration that rattled my newly formed bones. "A healthy male," one of them announced, his tone devoid of warmth but rich with expectation. "His genetic purity registers at ninety-nine percent." Those words took months to fully comprehend, filtering through a developing infant brain that carried the sharp, terrifying intellect of a grown man. Viltrum was a world of cold marble and unforgiving steel. Born during the golden age of the empire, before the madness of the Great Purge tore our people apart, I learned the rules of survival early. Weakness was a death sentence. Day after day, the gravity of our homeworld pressed down like a physical hand, demanding strength. I pushed my tiny body to the absolute limit, driven by the lingering horror of my past mortality. My tiny fists struck the obsidian training blocks until they bled, only for my rapid Viltrumite healing to seal the wounds overnight. Memories of my former fragility spurred me onward. Never again would I allow myself to be at the mercy of sickness or fate. That silent vow became my anchor, guiding me through the brutal training regimes designed to weed out the weak. Instructors praised my progress, calling me a prodigy of the empire. Yet, I kept my distance from the other children, knowing their friendship was a liability. Trust was a luxury for the doomed, a vulnerability that would eventually be exploited in a society built on the survival of the fittest. Combat trials became my proving ground. During my first real match, my opponent was a larger boy who smirked, confident in his size. I did not smile; I simply watched his stance, waiting for the slight sway in his balance before launching forward like a missile. My fist connected with his jaw, the sound of fracturing bone echoing through the amphitheater. He fell instantly, gasping for air as blood pooled on the white stone beneath him. Standing over him, my heart rate steady, I felt nothing but a cold satisfaction. As my power grew, so did my awareness of the universe around me. Watching the grand warships of the Viltrum Empire depart for the stars, I observed their absolute dominance. Dread of the future kept me focused, knowing the Scourge Virus would one day devastate our species. Knowledge of the future became my hidden shield. Survival demanded more than just physical strength; it required foresight. Decades of research in the imperial archives revealed hidden secrets, anomalies, and unexplored sectors of space. Rumors of multi-dimensional technology intrigued me. If I could harness a power that transcended our biological limits, I would never have to fear the virus or the wrath of Grand Regent Thragg. My status would rise above any ordinary Viltrumite, making me the ultimate master of my own fate. Stealing a scout ship had been surprisingly simple, given my high rank and impeccable record. Charted coordinates led me far beyond the imperial borders, heading toward a world ignored by the empire as a useless rock. My vessel slipped through the void, a silent predator hunting for its ultimate prize. --- Friction roared against my skin as I broke through the upper atmosphere of this forgotten world. Scarlet clouds parted violently around my descending form, turning to superheated steam in an instant. My eyes, enhanced far beyond the capabilities of any mortal instrument, locked onto a concentrated energy spike miles below. Gravity felt like a plaything as I adjusted my trajectory, diving steeper into the crimson haze. Wind tore at my dark hair, but my jaw remained set, teeth clenched against the immense atmospheric pressure. A fierce, familiar thrill surged through my veins, hot and intoxicating. This planet had no name in the imperial archives, only a designation, a footnote of cosmic dust. But my stolen sensors had picked up a unique energetic frequency emanating from its core—something that did not belong to this dimension. My flight speed doubled as I pushed my limits, eager to claim my prize. Centuries of military training made my movements fluid, almost effortless. Below me, jagged obsidian peaks pierced through the red fog like the teeth of some ancient, slumbering beast. Adjusting my flight angle, I cut through a thermal updraft with a sharp crack that shattered the sound barrier. Shockwaves rippled outward, flattening the sparse, alien vegetation clinging to the mountainsides. Static electricity crackled along my forearms, small blue sparks dancing against my skin as I dove deeper. My body absorbed the friction, my Viltrumite cells thriving under the extreme physical stress. Memories of the fragile human I once was still haunted the edges of my mind. Haunted by the rhythmic, pathetic beep of a hospital heart monitor, I vowed to never return to that state of weakness. That memory was a ghost, a reminder of what happened when you lacked the power to control your own destiny. Now, my own heart beat with the force of a tectonic shift, steady and unstoppable. Power was the only absolute truth in a chaotic multiverse. Without it, you were simply waiting for a stronger entity to crush you beneath their heel. Refusing to be crushed, I accelerated toward the dark earth. Speed increased as I angled straight down toward a deep, volcanic fissure. Molten rock glowed dimly through the thick smog, reflecting off my silver and white uniform. My boots broke the sound barrier again, creating a shockwave that flattened the surrounding ash dunes. Sensory input flooded my brain. Sulfur scorched my nostrils, and the ambient heat rose to levels that would vaporize steel. For a Viltrumite, it felt like a warm summer breeze. Pulling up sharply, I hovered just yards above the bubbling magma lake inside the fissure. Air pressure displaced the molten stone, forcing a massive wave of fire to crash against the cavern walls. Hovering effortlessly, my eyes scanned the basalt chamber. A faint, rhythmic pulse echoed in the back of my mind, drawing my attention to a stone ledge. Sitting upon a natural pedestal of cooled lava was the source. An ancient, multi-dimensional artifact rested there, completely untouched by the extreme heat. Darkness seemed to cling to the object, absorbing the light of the surrounding lava. Its obsidian surface was etched with intricate, geometric patterns that seemed to shift and writhe under direct observation. Slowly, I drifted toward the ledge, keeping my guard raised. My analytical mind cataloged every detail, searching for traps or defensive mechanisms. Nothing stirred in the cavern, yet the air felt incredibly heavy, charged with an alien potential. This device was my key. If the rumors of its capabilities were true, it would allow me to transcend the limitations of my own universe. No longer would I be bound by the fate of the Viltrumite Empire or the threat of the Scourge Virus. Forging my own path across the stars, I would collect the power of a thousand worlds. Gentle landing shook the platform slightly, the dust beneath my boots instantly vaporizing. My hand hovered just inches above the dark stone, fingers twitching with anticipation. A deep breath filled my lungs with toxic fumes that my advanced biology easily neutralized. Narrowing my eyes, I focused all my senses on the artifact. It felt alive, a beating heart waiting for a master to claim it. Powerlessness was a disease I had cured long ago. This artifact was the ultimate immunization. Reaching out, I prepared to claim my destiny. As his hand closes around the pulsating, obsidian artifact, a blinding flash erupts, not from the device, but from within his own mind, revealing a cryptic symbol etched into his very being, mirroring one on the relic itself.

Scarlet Skies, Shattered Memory