Everything that begins must eventually end, and souls are no exception. They must pass through countless lives, each one shaping them, until they reach their final stage. A soul that reaches its end transforms into an existence powerful enough to become something entirely different—a new beginning. This marks the journey toward becoming a God or Goddess. To reach this stage, a soul must accumulate merits over countless lifetimes. If a soul fails to collect enough, it is split into fragments, and the cycle begins anew. There is, however, one exception: the Abyss.

The Abyss was once a normal soul, like any other, but it grew greedy. Rather than enduring countless life cycles, it chose to feed on the resentment of all beings and became the embodiment of pure evil. In time, it transformed into a dark paradise, a haven for demons, vile creatures, and shadows. As the Abyss's power grew, it began to mock the gods and the Heavenly Palace, establishing its own Dark Palace and luring mortals to become its followers. People lost faith in the gods and turned to the endless, consuming darkness of the Abyss. At first, it granted their wishes, but always at a price. Once that price was paid, anything could be obtained. Mortals, driven by pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth, sacrificed their own blood and flesh to fulfill their desires. In doing so, they lost their morals, transforming into something far more sinister.

When the ONE TRUE BEING discovered this, he declared war against it. After a long and brutal conflict, the Heavenly Palace was defeated.

After the loss, the ONE TRUE BEING walked through the corridors of his Palace, unable to stop his thoughts from swirling within him.

All these years, I have lived here, yet never once did I take the time to truly observe my own palace. Everything here was crafted by the dear people I cherished and still cherish. It is a profound disappointment to know that I have lost some of them, and I am ashamed for letting it happen. If I had been more vigilant, more ruthless, perhaps this would not have come to pass.

I never imagined I would find myself in this predicament. I was confident in my strength, in my boundless power, but in the end, I was defeated. No, I must not let despair take hold. I am the ‘ONE TRUE BEING,’ the creator of all and ruler of all.

How foolish I was to believe I would never be defeated by my own creation and how blindly I allowed it to unfold.

As he walked through the halls of the Heavenly Palace, he saw no signs of the civil or violent factions. Everything was shrouded in an endless, suffocating darkness. No light could be seen, and even the once lively corridors, once filled with the heated debates between the civil and violent, now lay eerily silent.

After a long and brutal battle against the Abyss, the Heavenly Palace fell. Its ruler, the ONE TRUE BEING, along with a few of his subordinate Gods and Goddesses, was all that remained within its walls. Though the Palace had succumbed to darkness, the ruler's memory of his creation, now consumed by the Abyss, still burned within him. With the last of his dwindling power, he resolved to do the only thing he could: to grant powers and ways to gain strength to those who would need it. This gift would enable them to defend themselves against the Abyss and its vile creatures until a new savior emerged.

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When the ONE TRUE BEING entered his throne room, all the surviving subordinates were present. In the vast expanse of the room, their small number felt insignificant. Where once stood countless gods and goddesses, now only a handful remained. The room, once filled with radiant light and life, had lost its luster; even the grand, unparalleled throne now appeared worn and dim.

“My dear Gods and Goddesses, I fear this is our end. By tomorrow, there will no longer be the proud Heavenly Palace that once shone brighter than anything, the very embodiment of light itself. I do not know how much longer we can hold on. The only solace is that, thanks to the rising gods and goddesses, the mortal world may survive—for how long, though, I cannot say. I am a ruler and a creator. I created everything, including the darkness, yet I was not strong enough to defeat it. Perhaps the Abyss did not deserve my kindness. It was not your fault that we lost; it was mine. I should not have shown mercy to something that did not deserve it. As a creator, there is only one thing I can do now: pour everything I have into creating a glimmer of hope for the future. As your ruler, I ask you one last thing: join me in this final act to forge hope.”

The moment the ONE TRUE BEING spoke, an eager anticipation swept through those present. They were ready to learn what they could do for their ruler.

“Desdemona, what are the odds of success for a soul completing its last cycle and becoming a formidable existence capable of restoring the glory of the Heavens?”

Hearing her name, Desdemona stepped forward and bowed. “My Lord, there are a few souls approaching their final cycle, but only one stands a chance. However, I do not know which soul it is, nor its attributes.”

The ONE TRUE BEING turned to another god. “Cato, do you know which soul it is?”

Cato pondered for a moment before replying. “It is a soul that has been a ruler in every life cycle, one that has earned a name for itself and never shied away from challenges. Even the Abyss holds caution toward this soul. It has inflicted more harm on Abyssal beings than anyone else. The potential is undeniable. This soul is the only one with both civil and violent attributes. There is one more thing, my Lord: this soul has accumulated enough merits to become an independent existence even before completing all its cycles.”

The ONE TRUE BEING summoned the ruler’s soul before him. “My dear subjects, all mortals who have received our blessings to fight against the Abyss have only one god’s blessing. But for the first time, we will bestow our collective power upon a soul. Only one who has endured millions of lives and amassed an exceptional amount of merits can bear such power. Come, join me.”

With these words, the ONE TRUE BEING, accompanied by the other gods and goddesses, channeled their remaining power into the chosen soul, blessing it as the future hope of the mortal realm. One by one, the gods and goddesses faded from existence as their energy was given to the soul, until only the ONE TRUE BEING remained, standing alone.

As he began to dissolve, he spoke his final words. “My dear child, be the hope for my children. Guide them toward the light, and remember, darkness exists only so that light can shine brighter.”

With that, the Heavenly Palace fell silent, steeped in sorrow. This marked the true end of an era—the fall of a generation of gods and goddesses. No one could foresee what fate awaited humanity in the abyss. The Heavenly Palace vanished, waiting for its new ruler to reclaim the throne.

Hundreds of years later, in the mortal realm…

Maids bustled through the grand corridors of a vast palace, their movements quick and purposeful. Suddenly, one of the maids, her steps hurried, was intercepted by a voice.

“Hey, where are you rushing off to?”

“The first prince’s wife is in labor,” she replied, barely pausing as she darted down the corridor toward the chamber at its far end.