Prometheus had awoken inside the body of an undead, shocked that the power of the blue core had somehow survived. He wanted to rip the door open and challenge the two men for their audacity of imprisoning him once more, his fists clenched involuntarily as corpse magic surged up from within. The bars blocking his escape were solid and unyielding, forcing him to wait in frustration.

Shaking his head, he calmed down. They had simply told him to wait and barred the doors; they hadn't imprisoned him. He decided to look over the descriptions of the titles that had come with his status. To think he would be allowed a connection with the blue core after all this time made him smile wryly.

Supreme Trickster:

You have a deceptive heart but a clear mind. You fooled the greatest olympian with mere bones and fat and endured his punishment.

Effect: +100% to the learning of all skills based on manipulation and illusion.

Titan-born:

You are the child of Iapetus and Clymene, descendants of Uranos and Gaia. You have increased Strength, Vitality, and Toughness.

Effect: +50% to Strength. +50% Vitality. +50% Toughness.

God of Fire:

You gave man fire and changed their fate forever.

Effect: You unlocked the skill, Fire-touched (Passive).

Shunned:

You are hated and frowned upon by all pantheons.

Effect: Most gods, demons, and spirits will attack you on sight.

Twice-traitor:

You betrayed your kin once, then again.

Effect: N/A.

Destroyer of the blue core:

You destroyed the blue core and released its contained power across the world, in doing so, strongly bonding its essence to you.

Effect: As you walk the path, you will feel more at home. Every level will gain one additional path point.]

Prisoner:

You have been imprisoned.

Effect: N/A

Forgotten:

You have been forgotten.

Effect: You have not been remembered by past name or deed.

"Names have power, brother, even yours. Never forget that."

Thinking about his brother caused Prometheus to shake his head again, this time more forcefully. No, I will not go down this path again. Instead, he inspected his skills, some kind of abilities that also were made manifest by the power of the blue core.

Divine soul (Passive):

You are a titan in spirit, born from the union of sky and earth.

Effect: You cannot be affected by external mental interference.

Fire-touched (Passive):

The flame remembers your touch and will follow your will.

Effect: +100% to the learning of all fire-based skills.

Mana-blessed (Passive):

You are blessed with a sensitive mind and can intimately feel mana.

Effect: For every one mind point, you gain ten additional mana points.]

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Consume (Active):

Devour flesh or drink blood to satiate your hunger.

Effect: Rapid regeneration may vary upon inherent quality.]

Although he did know some of what the blue core made possible, he hadn't personally experienced it before. Prometheus had already been an outcast when the blue core was discovered and shared between the pantheons.

I'll have to ask the two men as they come back.

The space around him was drenched in shadows as he stood in silence in the middle of the room, the only source of light coming from the violet-glowing candles. He could not help but marvel at how it felt to see color again, even if he was restricted to the sullen walls of the chamber and its purple glimmers. He had spent so many years in complete monochrome, his only company a psychotic man with an inferiority complex to his father, fellow titans, and others who all hated him, and whatever else the gods, demons, and spirits of the world beyond had discarded down there.

Destroyer of the blue core... At the dawn of creation, he had given man fire. Now it seems he had given man mana. Twice-traitor, the power of the blue core had stated. Indeed, that was one way to think of it, although he did not agree. It reminded him of the years strapped to that damnable rock, attacked and preyed upon by Zeus's eagle, his liver eaten every day until he was saved. Both punishments he had survived – would there come a third crime and a third punishment?

The shuffle of feet from behind the door at the end of the chamber brought Prometheus, once the ancient one, now the black ghoul, out of his reverie. After much clink and clunk, the bars barring it were removed, and the door was pushed open. A young woman wearing a hooded necromancer's robe stepped into the chamber. Her thick, black hair was pulled back and tucked beneath her hood. She advanced confidently, her palms held level and steady.

"Hello there," she said, smiling. "I am Talia. What's your name?"

Prometheus met her gaze, looking into large brown eyes intently, but stayed silent. This made the younger woman raise her brows. She licked her lips and then said. "I heard you were unique. They weren't lying."

"What do you want?" He asked bluntly. Being locked inside this chamber hadn't made him very talkative.

"Straight to the point, I like it."

"That is no answer, woman."

"You're difficult, aren't you? I just want to get to know you."

As Prometheus simply stared at her, the young woman sighed dramatically. "And here I thought we could take the easy road... COME" A formless pressure began to emanate from her as she spoke the last word, but Prometheus felt it slip by and around as if it couldn't find him.

Talia Darkhand's active skill, Command undead, has been successfully ignored.

The young woman tried again, but the result was the same. "Fine, let's do it the other way." she said as she began reciting in a murmur, "Oh ye from the depths of seventh layer, Come to my call, and honor our oath, Be my familiar, arise and bow... oh faithful Ag'droth!"

On the ground in front of her, a spreading darkness appeared; from within this black pool of shadow, a hand stretched up and grasped its edge. It was ash-gray and was connected to a thick, long, and sinewy arm that came after. Pulling itself out of the malicious mirror, the creature stood to its full height and flapped its two wings, ushering a mighty shriek.

"Subdue it, Ag'droth." came the female voice, and in a blink, the creature of ash lunged.

Prometheus had no chance to dodge before it collided with him, sending him sprawling to the floor. He scrambled to his feet, but it was too late. It had already pinned him against the wall, its razor-sharp claws digging into his flesh. He felt a moment of intense pain as a deep wound opened in his arm. In an instant, he found himself trapped in an unforgiving, ashy embrace.

Talia chuckled softly and brushed off the dust and debris that her clothes had caught from the brief altercation. She walked over and put the black ghoul's head in her hands, her breath hot but rancid and foul. "You should have listened from the beginning, my soon-to-be servant..." She turned to her demonic familiar. "Hold him tight. We must hurry."

They left the chamber of black stone, the ashy creature carrying the black ghoul like a child carrying a toy, its massive Strength making sure Prometheus couldn't move at all.

They passed through a long corridor that led out to a crossing of which Talia picked the left path, but as they were making a bend further down, a man and a woman in black robes came walking from the opposite direction. The two stopped in shock, looking back and forth between the ashy creature, holding the black ghoul, and Talia. Their eyes widened, and the man opened his mouth to shout in alarm, but Talia was quicker – a black bolt of something shot out from her hand and took him in the throat.

Blood spurted like a geyser. The bolt had cleaved straight through, and she was dead before she hit the floor.

Talia then crashed into the second one, both falling to the ground. When she came up, she carried a bloodied, jagged dagger, which she wiped off the now-dead man's robe.

"Hurry," she told her familiar, and both began to run, the black ghoul still unable to move.

After even more running through corridors, light other than that of torches appeared. They flew up the stairs like wraiths and emerged into a verdant sea of lush green life. A breath of moist, hot air punched the black ghoul right in the face. Around them, towering trees coiled in vines and foliage fought to reach the sky. Birdsong echoed in the thicket, and animal activity was visible amongst the trees. Tall grasses swayed in the warm wind, reflecting the gentle sunlight filtering through the leafy canopy high above. It was a sight to behold, more so for someone stuck with only white and black for many millennia.

In front of the opening to the carved cave base stood a six-legged lizard creature the length of three horses, a forked tongue darting in and out of a snarling maw. A mane of wiry red adorned its head while hardened leather plates protected its long back. Talia gestured for the demon to hop on, but just as she was about to do the same, a voice emerged from the trees behind them.

"To find master's fifth disciple here, what a joy indeed. "

The young woman, who had been so easy-going until now, froze in her tracks.

A figure in an elegant suit of armor appeared from the trees. He was not very tall, the size of an average man perhaps, but his features were handsome and delicate, like a budding flower. His skin was pale, his cheekbones defined, his eyes red as blood, and his voice chipper.

"Oh, my dear Talia." the figure shook his head as he approached. "Why, why, why..."

Talia backed away, raising her arms. Her face was bone-white, all blood drained in an instant. "no, this is a mis–" Before the black ghoul could blink, the figure held the young woman in his arms, his mouth to her neck, and bit down. She visibly tensed, quivered, and then relaxed.

The figure held her out at arm's length and smiled faintly, caressing her cheek with one pale hand.

"I've wanted to do this for a long time, you know."

Then he unbuckled the sword from its sheath with the other hand, still caressing her cheek, and ever so slowly stuck it through her chest and out through the other side. The sound was wet and soft, like a long kiss. She coughed blood onto his face, which he licked away.

Then, as if disgusted, he dropped her and turned around to the black ghoul and the demon, blood all over his face, with a brilliant smile.

"You must be my new friend. I'm Ezra. It's so very nice to meet you."