"You have been chosen… Number 79."
The voice echoed inside the white, silent chamber.
Cold. Mechanical. Without emotion.
Just like the man standing at the center of the room.
He did not respond.
He did not move.
He simply stood there, eyes forward, expression empty — like a machine waiting for input.
A long pause filled the air.
Then the voice continued.
"We want you to descend to Earth… and proceed to the Heart of Coral."
Still no reaction.
Only silence.
"We know you are a former Malaysian. You are the only one who can reclaim your motherland. Not only that… you possess knowledge of its terrain. Its cities. Its geography."
A faint flicker passed through his eyes.
Barely noticeable.
"So far, all previous expeditions have failed. Every unit sent before you… has been destroyed."
The lights above dimmed.
A holographic projection appeared in front of him.
Earth.
A beautiful blue world.
Then it shifted.
Coral growths spread across continents like glowing veins.
Red. Violet. Pulsing like a living organism.
Malaysia glowed the brightest.
Like a burning wound on the planet.
"We want you to extract the Heart of Coral… and then destroy it."
Silence.
A long, heavy silence.
Finally—
The man spoke.
His voice was calm.
Flat.
Without emotion.
"Yes, sir."
The operators behind the glass exchanged glances.
Not relief.
Not confidence.
Only tension.
Because they knew what he was.
And what he had endured.
"From this moment onward… we will assign you a new designation."
The hologram flickered.
Letters formed slowly in the air.
A Z A M.
"Your codename is Azam. In your native language, it means… Ambition."
For the first time, his eyes moved slightly.
A small shift.
Almost invisible.
"Yes, sir."
"Prepare for your mission."
—
Darkness.
Then—
A faint hum.
A deep mechanical vibration.
Azam slowly opened his eyes.
His vision came online in layers:
System diagnostics. Neural link status. Environmental readings.
He was no longer in the chamber.
He was inside the cockpit of his Armored Core.
Unit name:
MALAYA
Around him, metal walls surrounded the AC.
He was inside a massive orbital descent capsule.
Designed to survive atmospheric entry.
To survive the fall.
To survive Earth.
Azam said nothing.
He simply stared forward.
Through the cockpit screen, he could see space.
Endless.
Silent.
Cold.
And far below…
Earth.
Half of it glowing with unnatural Coral light.
A scar that refused to heal.
The hatch above the capsule began to open.
Massive locking clamps released with thunderous metallic echoes.
Red warning lights switched to green one by one.
Inside his headset, voices began to speak rapidly.
"Capsule pressure stable."
"Thermal shields active."
"Neural sync at optimal levels."
"ALL GREEN."
The final confirmation echoed loudly.
Azam did not react.
He tightened his grip on the control sticks.
The only sound inside the cockpit was his steady breathing.
Then—
The command came.
"We pray for your success."
A long pause.
Azam's eyes reflected the burning Earth below.
His voice answered.
Calm.
Unwavering.
"Yes, sir."
A deafening roar erupted.
Thrusters ignited.
The capsule shot forward.
Then—
It fell.
Descending from the silent heavens toward a ruined world.
Toward storms of Coral lightning.
Toward a homeland lost for one hundred years.
Inside the falling capsule, Azam remained perfectly still.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Only one thought echoed silently in his mind.
Not spoken.
Not heard.
But carved into his very existence.
I am returning home.
—
The descent flames burned across the sky of the fallen Earth.
Like a shooting star.
Like a sign.
Like the arrival of something inevitable.
Something unstoppable.
Something called—
Ambition.