"Are we sure that he's the one we want? I mean, have you read his report Astor, 'Lesser than Trash' is a pretty damning title, even for Humans. I certainly wouldn't want that to be my legacy." In a gilded palace courtyard in the High Heavens of Illitar, a collection of powerful beings had gathered to discuss who they were going to choose for this century's rebirth. They sat around a circular table made out of pure white marble, as if they had gathered for tea instead of the most important decision of the century. Astor brought a silver chalice up to his lips and drank the liquid within before he responded.
"Of course I'm sure Varkin. It's always the weakest ones who offer the most entertainment." The God of Light simply rolled his eyes at Astor's response, of course the King of Jesters saw this as a prime opportunity for some fun.
"I'm with Astor on this one. There is something about this Alex person that intrigues me. Besides, we've delayed our picking till the last minute, and the Council won't give us an extension. You know what happens when they don't get all the applicants for rebirth and I, for one, would rather not have Reapers sent after me." Klix, the God of Misfortune finally spoke his thoughts aloud and everyone sitting around the table nodded their heads.
All of them would prefer not to have to deal with Reapers, or the Council's punishment for not selecting a beneficiary. Vienna finally sat forward from her seat, her pale white hair cascading down her shoulders as she slid forward the token for whom she had chosen. As the oldest and wisest of the bunch of Gods her opinion was respected; whoever she picked would most likely end up receiving all six votes required for the rebirth ritual to begin.
"You all think too deeply on these things, the only thing that matters is finding the most apt candidate that can stop Him." Her words were spoken with an almost hushed tone, but all five of the other entities shivered, nonetheless. The "Him" she was referring to was none other than Jaskiar, a minor God of Death who had committed the most taboo crime amongst the Gods. None of them dared speak his twisted deed aloud for fear of Fate coming down on them with vengeance, but all Celestial beings knew what sin had been committed.
"We are in agreement then. Alexander Khelton will receive our blessing and be brought back to life as a Hero reborn. He'll need all the luck in the universe if he is to succeed against the God-Slayer." All six gods drained their chalices and slid forward their token with Alex's name on it, forming a hexagonal shape. A beam of light immediately burst forward from the shape and speared the sky above the palace. Vienna smiled somberly at the sight. The Human had been accepted by the Council, and the Goddess could only hope he would be enough to tip the scales.
***
You will never be enough to save them. Alex awoke in an area completely devoid of light. He couldn't make sense of up and down or left and right; all he knew was darkness.
You will always fail them. A splitting headache struck Alex as he was trapped in this space, and his mind was ripped apart by flashes of memories. A strangled gasp tore from his throat, and it was as if this dark place swallowed up the sound.
Those you love are doomed to die. The more Alex thought about where he was, the more unsettled he became, and fear began to set in. The last thing he remembered was… Dying? Pain blossomed from within him, a phantom remnant of the fatal wound that had ended his life.
Your suffering is only just beginning. Whispers were echoing around in his head. Phrases and statements that sent shivers down his spine. He felt the profound truth in them. Something about them resounded within Alex's very core. He would never be enough, he would always be a failure, his loved ones would die. He. Would. Suffer.
No. Alex shook the thoughts that had plagued him all his life. They were like weights dragging him down to the depths of Hell, but he refused to listen to their mocking tone any longer. He had died. The memory of his life was blurry, but he knew that it had been one of weakness. Alex relied on those far stronger than him to protect him, to save him, and in return he had done their bidding.
He had served under their boot for years until they no longer had any use for him. They discarded him and tossed him to the side. Considered lesser than a piece of trash he… A searing pain tore through him and the memory faded into the darkness.
Alex clenched his fists hard enough that his nails dug into his palms. It didn't matter anymore. What he was, who he had been and the things he had done. The life he had led was pointless. The pain and torment he had suffered through for years was finally at an end. A strange calmness settled over the twenty year old as he drifted in this void. He accepted that he was weak and that he had failed everyone who was important to him. If only… If only he had been slightly stronger. If only he had tried just a bit harder. Perhaps then things would have been different.
DING!
A loud ringing noise surrounded him and momentarily deafened Alex. The noise was so sudden that he instinctively closed his eyes, and when he reopened them the darkness that he had been floating around in was no longer an endless night. A blinding light hung just above him, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but was this light smiling at him?
"Welcome Alexander Khelton to the Place In-Between. Congratulations! You have died and accepted that your existence was pitiful, and you were weak. The Gods see something in you that they did not want to let go to waste so they sent me to test your soul." Alex couldn't tell whether this voice was in his head or if it came from the light itself, but its monotone attitude was being undercut by a sense of sarcasm.
"Suffice to say that you did pass the test, but by the Gods, you are an absolute mess. I had to lock a lot of your memories and even that almost was not enough. Seems like the Void is keen to have you in its hideous clutches too. Fascinating." Though the voice was speaking to Alex, it felt as if he was more of some sort of science experiment. He was curious however, as to why the gods had taken an interest in him now. They didn't seem to care what happened to him when he was alive. "Ahem, forgive me, I am Virgol the Administrator. You have been selected for rebirth by the Gods to be a Hero of the Realms!"
Hundreds of years ago
Jaskiar toyed with the silver ring on his finger, a constant reminder of why he was on the path he currently walked. His once golden eyes had slowly turned dark over the years, but today was the day they had fully transitioned into pure orbs of darkness.
"W-Why?"
A weak voice called out from behind him and the minor god of Death turned around to look at the speaker. "Whoops." Jaskiars voice was empty of emotion, lacking any sense of remorse for the sins he had just committed. "Missed one." In an instant he flashed over and grabbed their neck in a vice like grip. He looked at them like they were nothing but an object blocking his way.
"Why?" A throaty chuckle escaped from his lips, "Because you are all idiots who know nothing of true power. You squabble over petty things and then deign to look down on others for the same thing simply because they weren't born a Celestial. Because you waste your years sitting on golden chairs acting high and mighty when you're just as fucked up as the races you lord over. Because you could be so much more, if only you had the guts to just take what is so rightfully yours. Because you take and take and TAKE, and you hurt others without considering the consequences!" Jaskiar practically spat out the last few words, rage threatening to overtake him. He had no real quarrel with this particular Celestial, or any of them for that matter, they all just reminded him of the bastard who had raised him.
They were all exactly just like his father. All fake smiles and pretenses, waiting for a moment of weakness so that they could pounce. His grip tightened around the figure in his grasp, and he slowly choked the last bit of life out of them before tossing them to the side as if they weighed nothing.
The body crashed into the pile of all the others, ten in total. All of them were the highest beings of this realm, yet they still died just like any mortal. Weak. They were all so weak. And each one he had killed had only fueled the intense hatred he had felt for them. As Jaskiar continued to walk through the now empty courtyard towards the palace hall and the Realm Core held within, he couldn't help but thumb the ring on his finger once more. "Don't worry mother. I will make all of them pay for what they did to you, especially father. They will kneel and beg for forgiveness, or they will die…"
Present Day, The In-Between
"So, you see. Ever since that fateful day where He slaughtered the gods of an entire realm, a war has been raging on. One that has brought ruin and destruction the likes of which has never been seen before. The Rebirth Protocol was enacted to bring back special individuals, such as yourself, to fight as champions for the gods against the Dark One." The voice sighed, and to Alex, it was as if it rolled its eyes.
"Even with total annihilation of all the realms they refuse to get over themselves and have to use the Heroes as proxies of their will." The screen-like apparition that had shown the visuals of Jaskiar massacring Celestials faded away, and Alex was once more left in the darkness. Turns out, he did have a voice inside his head, the light was just a representation so as to not scare those who had been chosen.
"You were chosen by the six ruling gods of the realm of Vorcast, there used to be a seventh, but he sided with the Unholy One and has been a constant thorn in our side ever since. Your first task as a Hero will be to bring him in to face justice and answer for all of his crimes." Alex sighed inwardly. He had died and basically became a puppet to be used by the gods, what terrible luck did he have to end up with such a fate?
"Now, don't be so cynical, it is a blessing to be chosen. Most realms are blissfully unaware of the divine fracture that has occurred and have yet to get involved. You came from such a realm, a backwater place really, so you should be grateful that you are being elevated to such a position!" He rolled his eyes at Virgol's words, how could becoming a toy for almighty beings be considered a good thing?
"It just is, trust me kid. You will see. I will be sending you straight to the Human capital on Vorcast called Fareon. You will need to speak with a man named Charles, he is privy to your situation. He will make sure you are well equipped and prepared to deal with the Fallen god. You will most likely have to collect a set of artefacts known as 'Heaven's Grace' and from there you will need…" The Administrator rambled on for who knows how long, giving Alex precise instructions on exactly what to do and what was required of him. Suffice to say it was a lot. "Any questions? No? Good. Welcome to the War of the Realms!"