Prologue One
Nicholas Liao Cheng was born on July 17, 2007, in Malaysia, a child of Chinese descent raised in a bustling household with a family of six. His father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, and younger brother formed the core of his life. Though the world around him was full of activity, Nicholas's life was one of quiet introspection. He grew up in a family that cared for him deeply, yet his internal world often felt like a maze, particularly when navigating the complexities of communication.
At the tender age of three, Nicholas was diagnosed with autism. His world was differentâlouder, more chaotic in ways others could not understand. His parents, determined to help him, sought therapy, sending him to the hospital every Saturday to help him learn how to connect with the world around him. For nearly ten years, Nicholas wrestled with this silent battle, each day a step towards recovery, but a journey fraught with emotional pain. As the years passed, his ability to express himself improved, but the scars of isolation and the struggle to communicate remained etched into his soul.
The school was a battleground for Nicholas. From elementary through high school, he was the quiet kidâthe one who kept to himself, focusing more on his notebooks than on his classmates. His talent in drawing and creativity often shone through, but he kept it to himself, never sharing his art with the world. Unfortunately, his silence made him an easy target for verbal bullying. The taunts and insults became unbearable, so much so that Nicholas reached moments where he thought of ending it all. On more than one occasion, he found himself standing on the edge of a balcony, or banging his head against the walls in futile attempts to escape the pain. His struggle for acceptance and understanding seemed unending.
Despite this, Nicholas persevered. He found solace in his world, a world that revolved around his imagination. Movies, video games, and his growing passion for writing became his escape. He found peace in the stories he crafted, building entire universes in the pages of his notebooks, where anything was possible. He was a casual gamer, playing alone, lost in worlds where he could control the narrative. His creativity led him to win a few awards throughout his student years, but his achievements were often overshadowed by his internal turmoil.
At the age of fifteen, Nicholas received his first phone, a device that allowed him to communicate with others, though he continued to be solitary by nature. He worked part-time jobs during his school years, contributing to his family and learning to navigate the adult world. Eventually, Nicholas graduated and passed his SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia), but his journey was far from over. He continued his life as a worker, an independent writer, and a person quietly observing the world around him. Life, though ordinary on the surface, held a deeper significance for Nicholas, a significance that he had yet to discover.
Then, at the age of seventy-seven, Nicholas died. It was a natural end to a life that had been full of hardship and perseverance, yet his story did not end in the finality of death. Instead, it was only the beginning of something far greater, something beyond comprehension.
When Nicholas opened his eyes once more, he found himself in a place unlike any he had ever seen. His surroundings were unfathomableâendless stars stretched across the sky, black holes swirled in the distance, and constellations flickered like whispers of ancient knowledge. The very fabric of reality seemed to bend and twist, held together by forces beyond his understanding. The air, if it could be called that, was thick with an energy that crackled like static, filled with raw, untamed magic.
He was not alone in this strange place. Before him stood a figure, a deity whose presence exuded an immense power that made even the stars seem insignificant. The being had no name, no form that could be comprehended by the mortal mind. It existed beyond the very fabric of the multiverse, its essence more powerful than the gods that governed entire realms. Nicholas, still dazed and confused, managed to ask the only question that seemed to matter: "Is this heaven? Or is this hell?"
The deity, who called itself Michael, responded with a voice that resonated like the hum of the universe itself. "This place is neither heaven nor hell," Michael said, his tone as ancient as time itself. "For me, it is nothing but an eternal prison. My powers are beyond the comprehension of any god, and I have been cursed to exist alone in this void, surrounded by infinity, with no one to share my existence."
Nicholas's mind raced. How could a being of such immense power be trapped in such a place? But Michael quickly reassured him that he was not alone in his isolation. "Luckily for you," Michael continued, "you have company now." The air shimmered around them as if something grander was about to unfold.
Michael, in his infinite wisdom, offered Nicholas a deal. A bargain that would change the course of his life forever. "You have no name for me," Michael said, the weight of the statement lingering in the air. "Give me a name, and I shall be your loyal advisor, your companion, your guide. In return, I will bestow upon you powers beyond imagining."
Nicholas, still grappling with the enormity of his situation, thought long and hard. His mind spun through names and histories, searching for the perfect one. And then, as if from some deep part of himself, the name came to himâMichael. It felt right. It felt like the start of something new.
From that moment on, Michael, the nameless deity now given form, became Nicholas's loyal advisor, his guide through the vast and uncharted realms. Nicholas himself began to transform, his body and soul absorbing the incredible power that Michael bestowed upon him. As the days passed, Nicholas tested his newfound abilities, and to his awe, they worked. Reality itself bent to his will. The feeling was intoxicating. For the first time in his life, he felt truly alive, truly capable.
But as the power flowed through him, Nicholas realized that this was only the beginning. He was no longer just a man; he had become a being of godlike power. More powerful than the gods who once ruled the multiverse. More powerful than the Architect who built the very foundation of existence.
The two of them, master and advisor, teleported to an unknown place on an unknown planet. It was here, in this uncharted realm, that Nicholas's new life began. The moment he stepped onto the soil of this strange world, he knew that nothing would ever be the same again. His past life, his struggles, his painâthey were gone. In their place was an eternal future full of limitless potential, where the only boundaries were the ones he chose to impose upon himself.
Thus began the journey of Nicholas Liao Cheng, the once ordinary boy from Malaysia, now reborn as a deity with the power to shape the universe itself.
(PROLOGUE ONE END)