**Chapter One: The Awakening Begins (Part One)**

  The air was thick with the weight of an approaching storm, yet the streets of Varanasi remained alive with the restless energy of its people. The scent of rain lingered, mingling with the aroma of street food and the faint mustiness of old books from the roadside vendors. Among the crowd, Vikky Tripathi weaved his way through the bustling lanes, his mind burdened with thoughts far heavier than the monsoon clouds overhead.

  At twenty-four, Vikky was caught in the relentless cycle of civil service exam preparation—a routine that had consumed the past three years of his life. Every day, he spent hours buried in books, his world reduced to pages filled with laws, policies, and history. Yet, in the quiet corners of his mind, a different world existed. A world of celestial warriors, mythical creatures, and an ideal justice that reality had failed to provide. A world where Vaelith Aetralrox, the guardian of balance, ruled with wisdom and might.

  But that was just fantasy. Or so he thought.

  ### **The Mundane Before the Extraordinary**

  Vikky’s days were monotonous, a blend of early morning study sessions at the local library, short breaks in the nearby tea stalls, and late nights spent drafting essays on governance and law. He had grown used to the judgmental stares of relatives who believed he was wasting time. "Three years and no results," they would say. But Vikky knew he wasn’t just preparing for an exam—he was preparing for something greater. He wanted to change the world, to refine the very laws that oppressed the weak.

  His friends had all moved on. Some had settled into corporate jobs, others had chosen stability over dreams. But Vikky held onto his belief, even if it made him feel like an outcast. The world was flawed, but he refused to accept it as it was.

  That evening, as he walked back to his small rented room, his mind drifted again to Vaelith. His creation. His ideal self. The celestial warrior with command over elements, mythical beasts, and an unyielding resolve to uphold true justice.

  Then, it happened.

  ### **The First Signs of Awakening**

  A sharp pulse ran through his body, like static crackling under his skin. Vikky stopped in his tracks, his breath hitching. The world around him felt... distant. The voices of vendors, the honking of rickshaws, the murmur of pedestrians—all faded into a low hum. He felt weightless, as if his very existence had been plucked from reality and suspended in an infinite void.

  A voice, deep and unfathomable, echoed in his mind.

  *"You have imagined a world beyond your own. You have shaped justice in your thoughts. Now, prove that you can wield it."*

  Vikky clutched his head, the voice reverberating like a thousand whispers layered over each other. He collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he saw something impossible.

  Aetralis Vestige—the celestial armor of Vaelith—wrapped around him like a spectral mirage. Astralis Fang, the weapon of his creation, flickered in and out of existence in his grasp.

  *No... this isn’t real. This is just my imagination...*

  And yet, he could feel it. The weight of the armor, the raw power coursing through his veins. The sensation of a presence far beyond his understanding watching over him. His own creation, his own character, was becoming real.

  ### **The Unknown Entities’ Test**

  Unbeknownst to him, far beyond human perception, cosmic beings observed in silence. They had chosen Vikky—chosen many like him—to test whether humanity could wield quantum consciousness. If humans could manifest power merely by thought and belief, could they be trusted to wield it?

  Or would they become their own undoing?

  As the night deepened, Vikky lay on his bed, drenched in sweat, his body trembling from the experience. The voice still echoed in his mind. He wasn’t alone anymore. Something had changed. Something irreversible.

  He had become a Risen.

  ---

  **Next: Chapter One, Part Two – The Awakening of Regalia Zenovia.**

  ### Chapter One: Part Two

  As the transformation settled within Vikky, his senses heightened beyond comprehension. He could feel the ebb and flow of energy, the pulse of the world itself. But most importantly, a whisper resonated in his mind—Altrox, his primordial sentinel, stirred within the void.

  "Vaelith," the voice rumbled, carrying the weight of wisdom beyond time. "Another has risen."

  Vikky’s breath hitched. The knowledge struck him like a storm, an unshakable truth anchored in Altrox’s celestial awareness. Yet, there was little detail beyond this revelation—only the certainty that somewhere, another human had awakened as a Risen. The implications sent a chill through him. If he had been granted such power, what of the others?

  The presence of Altrox loomed in his mind like a watchful guardian. "You are not alone in this, but I cannot see beyond the veil of their awakening. You must find them on your own."

  Vikky clenched his fists. The world was changing, and he had only just begun to understand his place in it. His own transformation had been a violent upheaval—an unraveling of his ordinary life, replaced by a burden of immense power. Whoever this new Risen was, they were now facing the same revelation. Would they embrace it as he had? Or would they seek to twist it to their own desires?

  His first priority was clear—he had to learn to control his abilities. His newly acquired strength, his summons, his celestial vestige—it all felt like second nature, yet untamed. He needed discipline. Mastery.

  And he needed to find the others before it was too late.

  ---

  Part Two: The Rise of Regalia Zenovia

  Titania Petrova awoke in darkness, her breath unsteady as she clutched her chest. The moment lingered, weightless yet suffocating, as if her body was caught between two existences. A deep, resonating voice echoed in her mind, its tone neither comforting nor hostile—merely absolute.

  "Arise, Regalia Zenovia."

  Light flooded her vision, though there was no clear source. Titania blinked rapidly, her law books and laptop scattered across her study table. The cold Moscow night seeped through the cracked window, but the frost that should have chilled her skin instead bowed before her presence.

  Something was different.

  She knew, instinctively, that she had changed.

  Titania’s hands trembled, though not from fear—rather, an unfamiliar power surged through her veins, making her very essence feel untouchable, sovereign. She stood, gazing into the mirror across the room. The reflection staring back was both hers and... more. Golden markings traced intricate patterns along her arms, fading as she willed them to. A pulse of authority radiated from her core, filling the space around her with an invisible weight.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  She turned sharply. The presence was not just internal.

  In the far corner of the room, standing with folded wings of fractured light and shadow, was Azrathiel. The fallen seraph watched her with unreadable eyes, his very existence humming with celestial energy.

  “You have awakened,” he stated, his voice layered with an ancient resonance.

  Titania swallowed, the realization dawning on her. This was no dream. No hallucination.

  “…What am I?” she asked, her voice steadier than she expected.

  Azrathiel tilted his head slightly, his wings shifting as if the question itself was amusing.

  “You are what you have always envisioned. The Sovereign of Dominion.”

  The weight of his words settled within her. Titania’s mind spun—this wasn’t just about power. It was about control. Authority. She took a deep breath, drawing on the clarity that years of legal studies had sharpened within her.

  “Then… what is my purpose?”

  Azrathiel studied her, then gave a slow, knowing smile. “That is for you to decide.”

  The First Command

  The world had been broken long before she gained this power. Titania had always despised the chaotic struggle for dominance among nations, the empty promises of leaders who sought only their own gain. If she had been given this gift, this authority—it was not to sit idle.

  She needed to reach the others.

  But how many were there?

  Unlike Vaelith and Dominus, Titania had no celestial dragon to inform her of how many Risen existed. She could only assume she was not alone in this transformation. If this was a test, then others had surely been chosen as well.

  Her gaze flickered to the television screen, where muted news reports displayed footage of ongoing political tensions. She needed reach. Influence. A stage where her voice would be heard by those like her.

  She had just the man for that.\

  Titania Petrova sat on the grand balcony of the Kremlin, her gaze fixed upon the sprawling cityscape of Moscow. Beneath her feet, the world still moved as if nothing had changed, as if she were still the same powerless law student she had been just hours ago. But everything was different now.

  Azrathiel, the fallen seraph bound to her, stood silently at her side, his radiant wings dimmed as he observed the world through hollow eyes. The power coursing through her veins was intoxicating—absolute authority, the will to command. She clenched her fists, feeling the pull of her dominion over all living creatures, from the smallest ant scurrying beneath the balcony to the wolves prowling the distant forests.

  For a time, she had merely tested her power, bending the wills of passing guards, making them kneel without a word. She had gazed upon a stray dog, watched it whimper under her unseen authority, and then released it with a mere thought. This was no longer a question of what she could do. It was now a question of how far she would go.

  Titania knew she was not alone. If she had been chosen, then there were others.

  "They will come for you, eventually," Azrathiel spoke, his voice both soothing and haunting. "If you do not find them first, they will find you. Some will stand with you. Some will seek to oppose you."

  She turned toward him, her golden eyes glimmering with newfound resolve. "Then let them come. But first, they must know where to find me."

  The Russian President stood at the podium, addressing the nation in a live broadcast. His tone was calm, diplomatic, the usual polished rhetoric of a seasoned leader. To the untrained ear, he spoke only of world affairs, stability, and Russia’s role in the evolving global landscape. But to those who had awakened—to those who had become Risen—his words carried a hidden message, laced with Titania’s influence.

  "As the world advances, we stand at the precipice of great change. Forces unseen shape the tides of our future, and now, more than ever, those who understand must step forward. A gathering is inevitable. Moscow, two nights from now. The fate of our world will be shaped by those who are ready to grasp it."

  It was vague enough to go unnoticed by the public, yet unmistakable to those attuned to something greater. A meeting, a call to the Risen. A silent challenge to all who had transcended humanity.

  Far from Moscow, in a dimly lit apartment in India, Vikky Tripathi sat in front of his television, his hands clasped together. The Russian President’s words echoed in his mind, but they were not alone. Within him, a deeper awareness stirred.

  Altrox.

  The dragon’s ancient voice rumbled through his thoughts like distant thunder. "Another Risen has spoken. I sense the call. The count has changed."

  Vikky inhaled sharply. He was not alone. Someone else had awakened, just like him. And they were making a move.

  His grip tightened. He had barely begun to understand his own power, yet already, a decision loomed before him. Would he answer the call?

  Part three

  **Chapter 1: The Awakening of Louis Belt**

  Louis Belt had never known stability. An orphan from the streets of Detroit, he had spent his entire life clawing for survival, drifting through shelters, odd jobs, and brief stints in foster care. Society had failed him time and time again, showing him nothing but the harshness of reality. Justice, in his eyes, had always been a lie—a fragile concept bent to the will of the powerful.

  But he had imagined something different.

  Deep in his soul, he had forged **Dominus Aurelion**, a being of absolute power and sovereign will. A ruler unshackled by mortal constraints, delivering justice without bias or hesitation. And on one fateful night, when the boundaries of reality blurred, his consciousness was touched by something beyond comprehension.

  A **Risen** was born.

  ### **Louis Belt's Awakening**

  It began as a searing pulse within his skull—a voice, ancient and commanding, whispering of his *true* nature. His breath grew ragged as golden embers danced along his skin, forming intricate sigils that glowed with celestial intensity. The air around him trembled as an overwhelming force surged within. He clutched his chest, feeling a presence unlike anything human.

  Then, the room *shifted.*

  Before him, in a burst of blinding crimson flame, a massive being materialized. A titanic dragon with scales of obsidian and veins glowing like molten lava. Its amber eyes locked onto Louis, intelligence radiating from within.

  **“I am Zarconis,”** it rumbled, its voice reverberating in Louis’ very soul. **“You are Dominus Aurelion, the Absolute Tyrant. Your will is law, your power unyielding. Rise, for the world shall know you.”**

  A surge of understanding washed over him. He was no longer merely Louis Belt. He was something more. Something beyond human constraints. His power, once a figment of his imagination, was now **reality.**

  ---

  ### **The Call to Action**

  Days later, as he adjusted to his newfound existence, Louis watched the Russian President’s speech from a dimly lit motel room. The world was already shifting. **Another Risen had stepped forward—Regalia Zenovia.**

  She had declared her intentions, subtly yet firmly asserting her will over Russia. But more than that, she had laid down an invitation, seeking others like her.

  Louis smirked.

  *She wants to gather the powerful? Fine. I’ll answer. But on my terms.*

  Turning to Zarconis, he gave a simple command. **“Give them a response they won’t forget.”**

  The dragon’s molten gaze burned with understanding. Without another word, it soared into the night sky, ascending higher and higher until it breached the very heavens. Then, with an earth-shaking roar, **Zarconis breathed fire upon the sky.**

  For ten full minutes, the Russian night was illuminated by an otherworldly blaze. It did not spread or burn—this was no ordinary fire. Instead, the flames twisted and curled, forming a massive message visible for miles.

  **“Antarctica.”**\

  **“One week.”**

  And then, as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished, leaving only stunned silence in its wake.

  ---

  ### **The World's Reaction**

  #### **Russia’s Immediate Response**

  - The Kremlin was thrown into chaos. Air defenses scrambled, mistaking the phenomenon for a potential attack or a secret weapon.

  - Fighter jets soared through the skies, but they were powerless to stop the flames that burned without fuel.

  - Civilians flooded social media with recordings of the event. Theories ranged from divine intervention to extraterrestrial activity.

  #### **International Reactions**

  - **United Nations Emergency Summit:** World leaders convened in a closed-door meeting, struggling to determine whether this was an act of war or something far more profound.

  - **Religious Groups Stir:** Some proclaimed the event as a sign of divine will, while others feared the rise of false gods.

  - **Scientific Confusion:** Experts debated whether it was an unprecedented atmospheric phenomenon or a classified military project.

  #### **Media & Public Frenzy**

  - News outlets coined terms like *“The Skyfire Phenomenon”* and *“The Antarctic Prophecy.”*

  - Online conspiracy forums exploded. Some linked the event to Regalia’s speech, others to myths of the apocalypse.

  - Governments initiated covert investigations to track down the source.

  ---

  ### **Regalia Zenovia’s Perspective**

  From her balcony in the Kremlin, **Titania Petrova**—now Regalia Zenovia—watched the fire unfold with sharp golden eyes. Even Azrathiel, her fallen angel companion, observed in fascination.

  She had expected responses, but **not this.**

  The sheer scale, the audacity of such a grand display—this was not the work of someone who wished to remain hidden. This was a *challenge,* an open declaration. Whoever had done this was powerful, fearless, and possibly reckless.

  Her mind raced.

  *Antarctica… Why there? And why a week?* Was this a trap? A test? Or something greater?

  Her lips curled into a smirk, though beneath it, a flicker of irritation lingered. **Her move had been careful, calculated. But now, the game had escalated.**

  ---

  ### **Vaelith Aetralrox’s Reaction**

  Across the ocean, in a small Indian apartment, **Vikky Tripathi**—now Vaelith Aetralrox—watched the event unfold on his screen.

  A knowing chuckle resonated in his mind.

  **“A bold one has emerged.”**

  Vikky clenched his fists. *There’s no hiding anymore. The world knows.*

  The era of the Risen had begun.