Chương 1: Chapter 1: Prologue
Chapter 1
Aiden Veritas always knew he was different. It wasn't the way his dark hair shimmered with a hint of blue under the sun, nor was it the mysterious birthmark on his left shoulder blade with a resemblance to a trident.
It was something deeper, an unshakable pull towards the ocean that had been a part of him since childhood. It wasn't anything mysterious, it was just due the environment he grew in.
Aiden grew up in a quaint seaside town where the Atlantic waves crashed against rugged cliffs. His earliest memories were filled with the scent of saltwater and the rhythm of the tides. As a boy, he spent countless hours exploring the rocky shorelines, imagining himself as an ancient explorer searching for lost treasures. But it wasn't until his tenth birthday that his fascination took a more profound turn.
His father, a renowned historian, gifted him a thick, leather-bound book titled *Legends of the Deep*. The cover was adorned with detailed illustrations of mythical sea creatures and sunken cities.
Aiden's eyes widened in awe as he turned the pages, absorbing tales of Atlantis, the fabled underwater kingdom that had fascinated humankind for millennia.
Aiden's curiosity grew into an obsession as, with age, he devoured every piece of literature he could find of the mythical kingdom, from ancient texts to modern interpretations. His bedroom became a shrine to the lost city, adorned with maps, sketches, and artifacts he had painstakingly collected.
Anyone out there would find this disturbing but his parents encouraged his passion, recognizing it as a gateway to a deeper understanding of history and myth.
It was during his early teens that Aiden stumbled upon his first DC Comics issue. While browsing through a local bookstore, he found a comic featuring Atlantis and Aquaman.
Intrigued by the depiction of Atlantis as a thriving undersea kingdom, Aiden bought the comic and eagerly read it, and that was how a once focused young man fell into the thralls of fantasy.
The World of DC Multiverse captivated him, introducing him to a rich lore and heroic tales that intertwined with his fascination for Atlantis made him nigh-delusional as he always pondered the question…What if…
He became an avid reader of DC Comics and its counterpart, Marvel and other related genres. He felt profound connection as he read the stories of Arthur Curry, the half-Atlantean, half-human king who battled villains both above and below the waves.
Aiden's teenage years were then marked by his dual life as a diligent student by day and an amateur archaeologist by night. He excelled in his studies, particularly in history and literature, drawing connections between ancient myths and modern storytelling.
His peers often teased him for his "head-in-the-clouds" demeanor, but Aiden didn't mind, it just meant that their heads were either below the cloud or were still clouded.
(A/N: See what I did there?)
He was content with his books, his maps, and his dreams of uncovering the hidden details of Atlantis.
It wasn't until his senior year of high school that Aiden's passion took a more practical turn. During a family trip to Greece, he had the opportunity to visit the island of Santorini, often cited as a possible location of Atlantis.
Standing on the sun-drenched cliffs, overlooking the azure waters, Aiden felt a profound sense of belonging. It was as if the island itself was calling out to him, urging him to delve deeper into its mysteries, but alas the trip came to an end.
After graduating with honors, Aiden pursued a degree in archaeology and ancient history at a prestigious university. His professors were impressed by his encyclopedic knowledge of ancient civilizations and his uncanny ability to connect disparate pieces of historical evidence.
Aiden's thesis, titled *Atlantis: Myth or Misunderstood History?*, garnered critical acclaim and was published in several academic journals, but despite his academic success, Aiden yearned for more.
He wanted to experience the thrill of discovery firsthand, to dive into the depths of the ocean and uncover the remnants of a forgotten world.
After completing his doctorate, he joined a renowned team of marine archaeologists on an expedition to explore underwater ruins off the coast of Crete.
The team believed these ruins could be linked to the Minoan civilization, one of the many cultures speculated to have inspired the legend of Atlantis.
The expedition was grueling yet exhilarating. Aiden spent countless hours diving, meticulously documenting every fragment of pottery and every weathered stone.
It was during one of these dives that he made a discovery that would change his life forever—a submerged temple, unlike anything he had ever seen. The walls were adorned with intricate carvings depicting scenes of a great battle, eerily similar to the tales he had read about in ancient texts.
As Aiden carefully explored the temple, he found a hidden chamber. Inside, resting on a pedestal, was a crystal shard glowing with what he could term an otherworldly light.
He felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu as he reached out to touch it. The moment his fingers brushed against the crystal, a torrent of visions flooded his mind—memories of a life he had never lived, of a time when he was not just Aiden Veritas, but a prince of a great kingdom, leading warriors into battle and forging alliances.
The visions were disorienting and left Aiden shaken. Emerging from the water, he gasped for breath, his mind reeling from the revelations, no matter how he thought about it, it didn't make sense. His colleagues thought the same and cajoled him of being a potential returnee.
However, somehow it didn't feel wrong.
He knew his life would never be the same, not the way some would think though. The discovery of the temple and the crystal shard made headlines, and Aiden was hailed as a pioneer in marine archaeology and as he thought, his life took a drastic change.
(A/N: I'm not going to go into details on how he suddenly got rich.)
Despite his new life, he felt a growing sense of unease, as if the visions were not just of the past, but a premonition of something yet to come. The mysterious part of all this was…No matter how hard he tried to recall the images, he comes out blurry, but when he least expects it, they pour in so chaotically, rendering him unable to actually decipher them.
Driven by an insatiable need for answers, Aiden delved deeper into his research. He contacted experts in various fields, from historians to physicists, seeking to understand the nature of his visions and the true history of the underwater ruins.
His journey led him to acquiring knowledge on Fields not of his own, ancient texts and forbidden knowledges.
In the midst of his research, Aiden began to notice a shadowy figure following him.
At first, he dismissed it as paranoia, but the figure grew bolder, appearing at the edges of his vision, leaving cryptic messages warning him to stop his quest.
Undeterred, Aiden pressed on, determined to uncover the truth. As the months passed, Aiden's health began to deteriorate. He suffered from constant headaches, vivid nightmares, and a feeling of impending doom.
Despite his declining health, he was consumed by his quest, pushing himself to the limit. Throughout this time, Aiden found solace in his family—a loving wife named Emily, and two young children, Sarah and Thomas.
Emily was his anchor, supporting him through late nights of research and comforting him during moments of doubt. Sarah and Thomas filled his life with joy and laughter, their innocent curiosity a reminder of what truly mattered.
One fateful morning, while on a routine dive to document the ruins, Aiden experienced a sudden, excruciating pain in his chest.
Struggling to reach the surface, he felt his strength waning and by the time he was pulled from the water by his colleagues, it was too late. Aiden's heart had given out, claimed by the immense stress and strain of his pursuit.
As he lay on the deck of the research vessel, surrounded by his frantic team, Aiden's thoughts turned to his family. He thought of Emily's warm smile, Sarah's infectious laughter, and Thomas's curious eyes.
He had always meant to spend more time with them, to cherish each moment, but his quest had consumed him.
With his last breath, Aiden whispered a prayer for his family, hoping they would understand his passion and forgive his absence. Darkness closed in around him, and he felt a profound sense of regret.
When Aiden opened his eyes, he found himself in a place that defied comprehension—a vast, luminous expanse filled with swirling energy and countless stars. He felt weightless, as if floating in the cosmos. There was no figure beside him, no voice echoing in his mind. It was a moment of pure stillness, a pause between one existence and the next.
Time seemed to stretch and contract around him, and Aiden felt a sense of peace wash over him. Memories of his past life flickered like distant stars in the night sky—his childhood by the sea, his studies and discoveries, his love for Emily and their children.
He realized now how precious those moments had been, and how much he had sacrificed in pursuit of his obsession.
As the luminous expanse faded, Aiden felt himself being pulled towards a distant light—a faint glimmer of hope in the darkness. He closed his eyes, letting go of regret and embracing acceptance.
Whatever awaited him on the other side, he was ready.
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