It was a day like any other in Kerrville, Texas. The sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the town. The streets were quiet, the locals going about their business in the small community nestled near the Guadalupe River. Nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until the Boom.

It started as a low rumble, almost imperceptible at first, like the distant roar of a thunderstorm. But within moments, it grew louder, shaking the ground beneath the town like the roar of a furious beast. Windows rattled, and car alarms wailed in response. People stumbled out of their homes, hands covering their ears as the earth-shattering BOOM tore through the air, leaving a ringing silence in its wake.

Before anyone could process what had happened, the sky itself seemed to split apart. High above Kerrville, something impossible appeared. A towering white structure, gleaming with an unnatural metallic sheen, materialized in the sky just outside the town. It was unlike anything anyone had ever seen, stretching so far into the heavens that its peak was lost among the clouds.

The tower dominated the skyline, casting an enormous shadow that blocked out the sun. It was as if day had suddenly turned into night. The air grew cold, and a sense of dread settled over the town like a heavy blanket. Everyone who looked up at the tower felt the same overwhelming presence—a mix of awe and terror.

As their eyes trailed up the enormous structure, the surface of the tower shifted in color, starting as a dull, metallic grey but slowly transitioning into a deep, blood-red hue near its peak. At the very top of the tower, something even more horrifying awaited.

A massive, demonic figure hovered over the tower’s apex. Its body was colossal, its skin a sickly yellow, and it had the head of a humanoid creature—except it was far from human. Twisted horns spiraled from its skull, and its scaled eyelids slowly opened, revealing nothing but black, hollow pits where eyes should have been. Its mouth, disturbingly sewn shut, gave it a grotesque appearance, as if it had been silenced for centuries.

Then, without warning, a voice boomed into the minds of every human on Earth. It wasn’t heard with the ears, but felt deep within their bones—a voice that was both ancient and terrifying.

"Humanity’s trials have begun," the voice declared. "10,000 of the best humanity has to offer will be sent as the Vanguard to humanity’s Azura Sanctuary. Struggle, strive, survive. Attain the power to defend your race or perish as countless others have before you."

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Fear gripped the hearts of the people. Some screamed, others fell to their knees, but all shared the same question: What was happening? And what did this voice mean by “the best humanity has to offer”?

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A few miles outside of Kerrville, near the old bridge that crossed the Guadalupe River, a man sat alone, oblivious to the terror that had just unfolded. His name was Wolf, though no one in Kerrville knew his real name. He was a drifter, a stranger to the town, yet oddly familiar to anyone who passed by him on the street. He had lived longer than anyone could comprehend—an immortal, cursed to live through the ages.

Wolf was a man who had seen the rise and fall of civilizations, who had mastered every known form of combat and magic. But no one knew the truth about him. There were no other immortals left, for he had killed them all. Those who had abused their power to control and commit unspeakable atrocities against humanity met their end by his hand. They had called him "The Immortal Reaper," the one who protected humanity from itself, the silent guardian of Earth.

As he sat on the bridge, his gaze was fixed on the gentle flow of the river beneath him, the rippling water reflecting his scarred, weathered face. The calm of the river brought him a rare moment of peace, something he had not felt in what seemed like eons.

“Nothing more peaceful than this,” he murmured to himself, watching the sunlight dance on the water’s surface.

For once in a very long time, his mind was clear. For centuries, he had walked this earth alone, sworn never to attach himself to another soul. And yet, he had broken that vow.

Carlee.

Her name alone sent a warmth through his chest, a feeling he had thought long buried. She had reignited the spark he had thought extinguished. Carlee had not only stolen his heart, but she had given him something he never thought possible—a son. Creed was only four, but in the boy, Wolf saw the hope and light of a future he had long abandoned. For Creed, he would protect this world. He would fight again.

Wolf’s eyes drifted to the horizon, where the ominous tower now loomed in the distance. He felt it before he saw it—the disturbance in the fabric of reality, the presence of something ancient and dark.

“It begins,” he whispered.

As the shadows of the demonic tower stretched across the land, Wolf stood from the bridge, his eyes narrowing. He had lived through countless wars and faced unimaginable horrors, but this—this was different. This was a new trial, one that threatened not just Kerrville, not just Texas, but the entire world.

The time had come to fight again, and this time, he wouldn’t be fighting for himself. He would be fighting for his son, for Carlee, and for all of humanity.

The Immortal Reaper was ready.