Darkness.
That was the first thing Alex became aware of: an overwhelming, endless void. There was no pain, no sensation of a body, only awareness floating in the abyss. He might have drifted for seconds or centuries. Time had no meaning here.
Then, warmth.
A sudden, sharp contrast — he felt heat against his skin, his limbs compressed, his lungs drawing in air as if for the first time. A wail burst from his lips, raw and uncontrollable, and in that moment, he realized something horrifying and absurd: he had been reborn.
His senses were still developing, dulled and unfocused, but he could make out faint voices and a comforting presence holding him.
"...my queen, the child… he's a male!"
"I know," came a woman's voice, firm but tender. "And if the gods learn of this, especially Zeus, they'll take him from me — corrupt him with their arrogance and turn his soul to shadow."
A second voice whispered nervously, "Then what should we do? He cannot remain here. Men are forbidden in Themyscira."
Alex's mind stirred behind infant eyes. Themyscira? He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Am I… in the DC Universe?
More voices now, women discussing fate, secrecy, and protection.
"I will never harm my own son," the first voice said — the queen.
Another Amazon offered a grim suggestion: "Hide him. Far from prying eyes. Not in exile, but in seclusion — for his safety."
The queen hesitated, then sighed. "Very well. None but those present shall know of him. From this day forth, he shall be known to the world as Alexander. His true name, known only to us, will be Custos — for I believe he shall one day become a guardian of this world. And this is his twin her name will be Diana."
Alex's infant body stirred. The name Diana clicked in his mind. So, she's my twin...
He tried to speak, but only a baby's cry emerged. Inside, however, his adult mind was rapidly processing everything.
Alright. Reborn in the real multiverse. Not a puppet world like the Overseer said — this is the genuine DC Universe. The rules are different. No plot armor. No guaranteed outcomes. This is real. And I need to be ready.
They took him away under the cover of night. The 'prison' they brought him to wasn't a cell but a cold, lonely palace nestled in the heart of an uncharted jungle, cut off from civilization. No mirrors. No metal. No windows facing outward. It was safe, but isolating. A place built to nurture and hide a child from the world.
But Alex was not afraid.
Because deep within his soul, something had awakened.
A white light flickered in his mind, and suddenly he found himself in a boundless green field — serene and endless, filled with flowing streams of energy, too pure to exist in any mortal realm. In the center stood a magnificent mansion, sculpted from crystal and gold, humming with ancient power.
He was inside his Inner World — a realm granted to him by the Overseer, crafted from his request at the edge of death.
He stepped forward, and a calm, mechanical voice greeted him:
[Welcome, Master, to the Treasure Palace.]
[Due to current physical limitations, only soul-related orbs and functions are available for assimilation. Please select from the following to begin initial integration.]
Alex looked around, absorbing the information. Shelves stretched endlessly, each glowing with radiant power. Floating orbs pulsed like stars — each one containing knowledge, abilities, or the essence of long-lost masters.
"This… is beyond anything I could have imagined," he whispered.
The voice responded:
[Would you like to initiate Soul Cultivation Setup?]
"Yes. Start with the best foundational techniques. Use the Library of Heaven's Path to compile and optimize."
[Affirmative. Optimized technique compiled: Soul Refinement Scripture (Primordial Tier). Commencing assimilation.]
A sharp heat surged through his soul. Not painful, but deeply intense — like every particle of his being was being rewritten. His baby body twitched in the physical world, eyes fluttering rapidly. Outside, a nursemaid noticed but dismissed it as a dream.
Inside, Alex was already meditating.
Soul Energy Points Acquired: 25,000
Spiritual Core: Forming... 32%... 87%... 100%
Status: Soul Cultivator - Initiate Rank
He opened his inner eyes, smiling.
"This is it. The path to transcendence. I'm not just going to survive this world — I'm going to rise to the peak."
As the days passed in the real world, Alex developed unnaturally quickly. Though he pretended to be a normal infant, inside he was a scholar, a strategist, and a cultivator. He spent every moment within his inner world, training his soul, organizing treasures, and absorbing knowledge that would take geniuses' lifetimes to comprehend.
In addition to the cultivation orbs, he now had access to a growing list of incredible tools:
Soul Cultivation Techniques (Primordial to Divine Tiers)
Array Mastery Orbs
Alchemy and Medicine Archives
Law Comprehension Chambers
Experience Orbs from Martial Saints and Cultivation Gods
Summonable Avatars of Ancient Masters
The Library of Heaven's Path — a living archive capable of identifying flaws in any technique or individual
Even nutrition wasn't a problem. He had designed his system to extract perfect nourishment and soul energy from even baby food, subtly upgrading his body over time.
"By the time I'm five," he whispered one night within his mind palace, "I'll have the spiritual power of a cultivator at Nascent Soul Stage — if not higher."
He wasn't exaggerating.
One night, while meditating inside his inner world, Alex looked up at the artificial sky, wondering. Trying to remember the conversation he held in the void but only bit of it came to mind. "Overseer," he called. "You said I'd meet the others someday. Apostles like me. I wonder who they are… and what paths they walk."
The wind blew gently across the soul plains, and the stars above flickered — as if listening.
"I'll be ready," he said, fists clenched. "When the time comes, I'll protect this world. Not because I was told to... but because it's the right thing to do."