veron

On the planet Sinithor, twin brothers veron and Niro were born. Their mother died of illness after twins turned ten.

veron was crippled. His arms and legs were useless, leaving him unable to walk or even lift himself. Niro, on the other hand, was perfectly healthy, he became veron's hands and feet. He carried his brother everywhere on his back, brought him whatever he needed, and never once complained.

veron was no ordinary cripple. He possessed an intellect unlike any other. He spent his days studying, learning, and designing. Whenever he needed books, tools, or materials, Niro would fetch them without question. veron trusted his own mind. Niro trusted his brother.

While veron worked on a new project, Niro began feeling ill. It seemed harmless at first just exhaustion and a mild fever. veron barely noticed, believing that after finishing his work he would have plenty of time to take care of him. After all, carrying another person every day would tire anyone.

Niro continued helping him, assembling every piece exactly as veron instructed. Every screw, every joint, every mechanism was placed exactly where veron said it belonged. Nearly a week passed before Niro realized what they were building.

Hands.

When they were finished, veron calmly instructed Niro how to amputate his useless arms and attach the prosthetic ones. Though shocked, Niro trusted him completely and did exactly as he was told.

For the first time in his life, veron could use his own hands.

They were faster, stronger, and more precise than any natural hands Niro had ever seen. With them, veron could craft almost anything.

His next project was a pair of legs.

As they worked, Niro's condition worsened. His fever remained, and a cough appeared a cough that refused to go away.

When the legs were complete, veron had Niro amputate his crippled legs and attach the prosthetics. This time, their roles were reversed. veron carried Niro wherever he needed to go while desperately trying to discover what was killing him.

His search eventually revealed the truth.

Something was destroying Niro from the inside. His flesh was mutating into something grotesque. The cause was an unknown form of energy.

Radiation.

veron continued his research until the truth finally revealed itself.

The radiation had touched them before they were even born. It had reached them while they were still in their mother's womb.

It was the same unseen force that had probably killed their mother.

It was the same force that had mutated veron.

Yet somehow, it had spared his life. Instead, it had left him crippled and gifted him with an extraordinary mind a mind that would grow into that of a genius engineer.

But Niro had not been spared.

The radiation had left a ticking bomb inside him, a poison that had silently consumed him from within since the day he was born.

Now, after years of waiting, it had finally begun to claim his life.

Despite all of veron's brilliance, he could not save Niro.

After Niro's death, veron became obsessed with biology and radiation. He came to believe that biology itself was flawed. It had made him a cripple. It had left his mother and brother too fragile to survive. Flesh was weak. Humanity could never truly be safe until it evolved into something stronger.

Not long afterward, veron heard of a new ruler the Grey Emperor a man who sought to cure human nature itself.

veron went to him and offered his services.

The Grey Emperor accepted.

From the Emperor, veron learned that the radiation had a source. It came from a place. It even had a name.

veron pledged to build the greatest army the universe had ever known.

In return, once the Emperor's goals had been achieved, they would destroy the place that emitted that energy.

They would destroy the Mind.