In the Aurelian Firmament, a world above the clouds, Aurelius Valerion was a god. As the Heavenly Dragon King, he had ruled for ten thousand years. Today was supposed to be his final evolution—the moment he became an eternal being.But at the height of his power, a cold blade pierced his back.
"Why, Caspian?" Aurelius gasped, coughing up golden blood.Behind him stood Caspian Vane, his most trusted general and "right hand."
Caspian's face, usually set in a mask of loyalty, was now twisted with greed. "You've ruled long enough, my King. You are a ceiling that stops the rest of us from rising. To take your place, I must first take your life."
As the ritual failed, Aurelius's divine body began to shatter. The energy he had gathered for his ascension turned inward, exploding with the force of a collapsing star. His soul was ripped from his body and flung across the dark void of the universe.
*City of Neo-Veridian, Earth – Year 2025*
Aurelius woke up to the smell of garbage and the sting of cold rain.
He tried to breathe, but his lungs felt heavy and weak. He tried to summon his dragon fire, but his veins felt empty. He wasn't in the heavens anymore. He was lying in a damp alleyway, his fingers scraping against greasy asphalt.
"Look at him. The 'Prince' of the Valerions is finally in the gutter where he belongs.
"Aurelius looked up. He was now in the body of Julian Valerion, a twenty-year-old failure from a fallen noble family. Through Julian's fading memories, he understood this new world.
Earth had changed. Decades ago, portals called "Rifts" had opened, connecting Earth to the Empyrean Nexus—a network of a thousand other worlds filled with magic, monsters, and ancient cults. Humanity had evolved into "Planar Walkers," using technology and magic to survive.
But Julian was "Void-Born"—someone with zero magical talent. He had been lured here and beaten to death by Balthazar Thorne, the arrogant son of a rival corporate family.
"Hand over your family's remaining Ether-Credits, Julian," Balthazar sneered, activating a humming electronic sword. "Or I'll finish what I started.
"Aurelius—now Julian—slowly stood up. His new body was thin and bruised, but his spirit was that of a king.
A world of machines and portals, he thought, a cold fire sparking in his eyes. And I am at the very bottom. Good. There is nowhere to go but up.
"You speak to me as if I am a common thief," Julian said. His voice was raspy, but it held a terrifying authority that made the rain around him seem to stop. "You have no idea who is standing in front of you."
Balthazar laughed, though he stepped back instinctively. "You've lost your mind! Kill him!"
One of the thugs lunged forward. Julian didn't have magic, but he remembered the secret combat arts of the Dragon Gods. With a tiny, precise movement, he struck the thug's wrist, snapping the bone instantly and catching the fallen electronic sword before it hit the ground.
In a flash, Julian moved. He didn't use the blade; he slammed the hilt into Balthazar's chest. The air left Balthazar's lungs in a violent wheeze as he was thrown back into a stack of crates.
The other thugs froze. This wasn't the weak boy they knew. This was a predator.
"Run," Julian whispered, the neon lights reflecting a golden, reptilian slit in his pupils. "Tell your masters that the Valerion name is no longer a joke. Tell them the Dragon has returned."
As the thugs fled into the night, Julian leaned against the brick wall. His heart was racing, and his body was in pain, but he smiled. Deep inside his soul, he felt a tiny spark of his old power—a Golden Dragon Scale that had survived the trip across dimensions.
The journey back to the heavens would be long. He would have to conquer this world of technology and magic first. But Caspian Vane was still out there, sitting on a stolen throne, and Julian Valerion was coming for his head.
The Dragon was back. And the thousand worlds weren't ready.