It was a dark, quiet night in Houston, Texas.
Koki lay sprawled across his twin-sized bed, shirtless, earbuds in, his chiseled frame relaxed for once. The faint rhythm of Afrobeat music pulsed through his headphones as his phone screen glowed with highlights from a soccer match. He had just finished a brutal home workout, and now he was letting his muscles cool down—until the sudden silence.
The music cut off.
He sat up, pulling out his earbuds, looking around. His room, usually warm and grounded, felt… hollow. The lightbulb above flickered and buzzed. Then came the sound: not thunder, not footsteps, but something older than both—like the groaning of the universe folding inward.
A blinding flash exploded from his ceiling.
Koki didn't even have time to scream.
His body landed gently—too gently—on a cold, stone floor.
He opened his eyes. Darkness swirled above, vast and endless like a night without stars. The room was massive and dome-shaped, lit only by ghostly blue torches lining obsidian pillars. Strange symbols shimmered faintly in the stone beneath him, and he realized it wasn't just a room—it was a throne hall.
But not a human one.
He blinked hard. Around him stood dozens—no, hundreds—of women. Warriors. Each one carried weapons etched with ancient designs, and their faces wore a stoic calm. They all stared at him in silence. Their armor gleamed silver and gold. Their presence was powerful, holy, terrifying.
Koki slowly stood up. His body felt heavy, like gravity was doubled here.
Then he saw her.
She stood at the center of the gathering, tall, majestic, wrapped in sleek white and gold armor. Her black hair curled in waves down her back, and her glowing blue eyes pierced straight through him. She was regal. She was radiant. She was unmistakable.
Wonder Woman.
Koki's breath caught in his throat.
She stepped forward, her gaze sharp but unreadable. "You are not dreaming, Koki Sarive," she said. Her voice was calm, powerful, the kind that didn't need to shout to command attention.
He stumbled over his words. "Wait—how do you know my name? Where… where am I?"
Another voice answered—older, smoother, filled with years of wisdom.
"You are in Themyscira, child. The realm of the Amazons," said the woman who emerged behind Diana. Her long silver hair was braided, and her white robes shimmered like moonlight. A golden crown rested on her head.
Queen Hippolyta.
Koki was now completely sure he was either hallucinating or dead.
"Themyscira?" he echoed. "That's not… real. That's from comics."
Diana's expression softened just slightly. "Real enough now. You were chosen. By Theonix."
His eyes widened. "Who?"
Hippolyta stepped closer. "A god older than the stars. He has sent you to us. You are not here by chance, Koki. You are here because the universe needs you."
Koki looked down at himself. His shorts and tank top were gone—replaced by something unlike anything he'd ever worn. A black and white bodysuit covered his form, trimmed with gold. On his chest gleamed a panther-like emblem, outlined in gold. A gold skull decorated his left shoulder armor.
"What the hell is going on?" he whispered, flexing his fingers, feeling the power humming beneath his skin.
Diana approached, her hand lightly touching his chest emblem.
"You carry the mark of balance," she said. "Power, guided by responsibility. But power without understanding is dangerous. That's why I will train you."
Koki looked up at her, eyes wide. "You're going to train me?"
Diana gave a rare smile. "You may have strength and speed… but that alone won't save the multiverse. If we are to survive what's coming, you must become more than powerful."
She turned to the others. "You must become infinite."
And as Koki stood among the Amazons, the weight of destiny settling on his shoulders, he could feel it—the shape of something massive pulling him forward.
Not a dream.
A beginning.