Chapter 1: The Awakening
The world had once known peace.
For centuries, humanity believed the gods were little more than myths, stories told to explain the mysteries of the world. But that peace shattered when the gods—those beings of unimaginable power—awoke. The ancient pantheons, spoken of only in legends, returned to the earth, bringing with them chaos, devastation, and death. The evil gods, hungry for power and control, swept across the world like a storm, reducing entire nations to ruins. Hundreds of millions died in the wake of their return, and those who survived had nowhere to turn but the gods themselves.
The only salvation came from the gods who offered protection—at a price. In exchange for their worship and unwavering loyalty, these gods granted humanity power beyond mortal comprehension. Those who accepted the divine bargain became their champions, wielding abilities that rivaled those of the gods themselves. The world had been remade, its balance forever altered, and the worship of gods was no longer a choice but a necessity.
Yet, in those dark times, a single hope flickered for the people who refused to bow to any god.
A prophecy.
It spoke of a human child, one who would stand at the pinnacle of all races and pantheons—above both gods and demons. This child would be born under the most extraordinary circumstances, foretold by the alignment of the worlds and the awakening of the Eye of the Abyss. Some gods coveted this prophecy, others sought to destroy it, and a few dismissed it as mere superstition. But all knew one thing: when this child was born, they would either bring salvation to the world or its complete destruction.
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The great mage Benedict had heard the prophecy and knew that, if the child were to survive, they would need to remain hidden. Using the artifact known as the All-Seeing Eye, Benedict peered into the future and saw the exact moment and place the child would be born. His mind was flooded with visions, of war, of gods fighting over the soul of a single mortal.
It was too dangerous.
In a desperate move, Benedict cast a powerful spell to conceal the child from both gods and men. The cost of the spell was his life, but Benedict knew it was the only way to keep the prophecy from the hands of those who would exploit it.
That child’s name was Gray Ashenfall.
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Thirteen Years Later
Gray had always been different, but he had never understood why. The people in his village treated him like any other boy, but there was always something that set him apart. His father, a simple farmer, often spoke of a stone that had appeared alongside Gray on the night of his birth. “A lucky charm,” his father had called it, though Gray had never thought much of it. The stone was small, dark, and smooth, and he had lost it during his childhood while playing with his friends.
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Now, at seventeen, Gray had long forgotten about the stone—until the night it reappeared.
It was past midnight, and the village was silent. Unable to sleep, Gray had wandered outside, the cool night air sharp against his skin. He often found himself gazing at the stars, wondering what secrets they held. This night was no different. As he stood near the cliffs on the outskirts of the village, staring up at the endless sky, something strange happened.
The ground beneath him trembled, ever so slightly, and a faint glow caught his eye. He looked down to see the stone—the same one he had lost so many years ago—lying at his feet. It pulsed with a soft light, as if beckoning him.
“What the…?” Gray muttered, reaching down to pick it up.
As soon as his fingers touched the stone, the world around him shifted. The stars seemed to blur, and the air grew thick with energy. Before he could react, a figure appeared before him—an old man with piercing eyes and flowing robes. His form was translucent, like a specter from a forgotten age.
Gray staggered back, his heart pounding in his chest. “Who—what are you?”
The old man’s voice was deep and calm. “I am Benedict, the one who shielded you from the eyes of the gods.”
“The gods…?” Gray echoed, his mind racing.
“You are the child of prophecy, Gray Ashenfall. The one who will rise above the gods and demons. But your destiny is not yours to escape. The time has come for you to seek it.”
Gray’s mouth went dry. “What are you talking about? I’m just… I’m no one.”
Benedict’s gaze hardened. “No. You are far more than that. But the gods are awakening, and soon they will discover what has been hidden from them for so long. If you stay here, you will endanger everyone you care about.”
Gray’s heart clenched at the thought of his parents, his village. He had never asked for this—this destiny, this prophecy—but it was clear that he couldn’t ignore it any longer.
“What should I do?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Benedict’s image flickered as if fading. “You must leave. Seek your fate. Find out who you truly are. But be warned—the gods will come for you. There are forces in this world beyond your understanding, and not all of them will wish you well.”
The light of the stone faded, and with it, Benedict’s image disappeared. Gray stood alone under the night sky, the stone clenched in his fist, the weight of his newfound knowledge pressing down on him.
The next morning, Gray made his decision. After saying his goodbyes to his parents, he left the village, determined to discover the truth about his destiny and what lay ahead. His journey would take him to places he could never have imagined—places where gods ruled, where mortals were mere pawns in their games, and where power was the only thing that mattered.
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The City of El Grande
Weeks passed as Gray traveled, surviving on his wits and what little coin he had brought with him. His journey eventually led him to El Grande, a vast city dedicated to the god Nemesis, the goddess of retribution. The city's towering black spires loomed over him as he entered, its streets crowded with merchants, pilgrims, and soldiers.
Gray knew he couldn’t simply march up to the temple and demand answers about his fate. The gods were watching, and any misstep could spell disaster. If he wanted to uncover the truth about his destiny, he needed to gain the trust of the city’s inhabitants—and the goddess they worshipped.
Over the course of several weeks, Gray integrated himself into the fabric of the city. He offered his services, worked alongside the people, and demonstrated unwavering devotion to Nemesis. In time, he was granted a position of significance within the temple, a trusted follower of the goddess. But all the while, Gray’s mind was racing with a single thought—he could not wait much longer.
The more time he spent in El Grande, the more he realized something dark lay beneath the city’s surface. The temple of Nemesis, for all its grandeur and power, was hiding something terrible.
One night, Gray made his move.
He infiltrated the temple’s inner sanctum, determined to uncover its secrets. What he found, however, was far more horrifying than he could have imagined. Deep within the temple’s heart, hidden from the eyes of the people, was Nemesis herself—chained. Bound by chains made from divine iron, Nemesis, the goddess of retribution, had been imprisoned by an unknown force.
As Gray ventured deeper, he saw more—humans, hundreds of them, tied upside down, their throats slit, their blood drained into the ground. The temple of Nemesis, the supposed protector of justice, had become a facade for something far darker.
The sight of the sacrifices turned Gray’s stomach, and his resolve hardened. He could not let this continue.
His hatred for the one responsible boiled inside him, and his growing power, the power Benedict had warned him about, stirred within. Gray knew what he had to do—he would free Nemesis, destroy the temple’s dark altar, and expose the truth to the people.
The gods were not to be trusted, but in Nemesis, Gray saw an ally.
And so, his journey toward the truth, and toward his destiny, truly began.