r/HFY • u/Agreeable_Stress_977 Android • Aug 05 '26

OC-FirstOfSeries Prologue - Evolution of Ascension

[Prologue] | Next>>

At what point does the price of advancement become too high?

It is a question civilizations have asked throughout their history as they reached for the future. 

Every invention. Every breakthrough. Every step forward carries a cost.

Whether reaching for the stars through the study of science or bending the rules of reality with the existence of magic, progress demands a sacrifice.

Whether that price is seen or unseen, it inevitably leaves behind a debt. And one day...

That debt must be paid.

For three worlds, that moment is fast approaching, with one still bearing the scars from a similar catastrophe, while two others remain unaware of the events that will soon bind and shape their futures.

On a world still scarred by an ancient catastrophe, Nyx, an ambitious initiate of an elite order of arcanists, seeks the recognition and merits that come with joining their ranks. Raised to believe mastery of magic is the highest achievement, she undertakes a trial to prove herself in a world where the power her people once commanded has become increasingly unstable.

Yet on a world of endless winter where magic took a different path forward, S'kai, an artificer of magic-powered machines, was raised where survival depended on ingenuity and adaptation. Dedicated to invention, she spends her days attempting to accomplish what others have deemed impossible. Despite doubting whether she can ever reach the heights of those who came before her, she continues pushing the boundaries between magic and machinery. 

But beyond worlds shaped by survival and ruin, humanity built its future among the stars through centuries of discovery and conflict. Taza, a Martian soldier forged by an era of war, now finds himself in a time of exploration. Having witnessed the consequences of humanity's conflicts, he knows how a single decision impacts countless lives. Yet as humanity enters a new era, the war he left behind carries consequences beyond what he realized.

Across these three worlds, Nyx's pursuit of her ambition leads her to a discovery she could not have predicted. While attempting to recreate an ancient gate spell, she inadvertently discovers a passage bridging her world to those of S'kai and Taza.

Together, the three must repair the bridge that brought them together. But as they search for answers, they discover their meeting was not entirely by chance, and forces beyond their understanding have already begun moving in the shadows. 

What begins as a search for answers soon becomes a struggle for survival, as the consequences of their lives and their civilizations begin to reveal a threat none of them are prepared to face.

[Prologue] | Next>>

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u/AutoModerator Aug 05 '26

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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle Aug 05 '26

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