In that hall built to be a temple of grandeur where marble walls laced with veins of pure gold twisted beneath a ceiling that nearly touched the clouds silence was the master It was no ordinary silence but a heavy one that pressed upon the chests of those present where nothing could be heard except the echo of ragged breaths and the thud of footsteps that made hearts tremble before the earth
Upon her throne carved from starstone sat Hemera the absolute queen Her features were a terrifying blend of captivating beauty and unyielding cruelty Her purple eyes did not merely look they burned with sparks of deep resentment as if the mere existence of the person standing before her polluted the air of her kingdom
Among the ranks of leaders and rulers stood Arius His head was bowed so low he could almost hear his panicked heartbeat clashing against the cold tiles He realized that his failures were no longer just a stumble but had become a stain of shame haunting him like his inseparable shadow Around him his brothers stood like pillars of light and strength rulers of legendary achievement As for him he was the void that refused to be filled the body to which the cosmic forces refused to grant a single atom of energy as if he were an outcast from nature itself
Hemera cut the silence with a voice as sharp as a guillotine blade Is this the extent of your capabilities Or were you born only to be a shame crowning the brow of our family
Arius head sank further until his forehead touched the cold marble floor He found not a single word to plead for him for courage had committed suicide on the threshold of the mocking gazes surrounding him from every side
Hemera rose slowly from her throne the rustle of her royal robes sounding like a death sentence in the ears She stepped toward him every stride appearing like a deferred execution With her deceptive beauty hiding a predatory beast behind it she looked at him with a contempt that no excuse could heal
Arius murmured in a stifled voice tears burning his broken eyes My lady please forgive me I know that I am
Lacking She interrupted with lethal sarcasm continuing in an icy tone You are not merely lacking you are a burden a stain a disappointment walking on two feet You were born of my pure blood and here you are polluting it with your naivety you wretch
At that moment Lucifer stepped forward from the ranks with confident strides His name alone was enough to make history tremble He bowed before the queen with respect wrapped in malice and said in his deep voice My great lady Hemera this might be the perfect time to purify our blood This failure disguised as a son must be punished for betraying our expectations and rebelling against us with his weakness
Hemera turned to him a bitter smile of amusement forming on her lips A fine idea Lucifer and since you are the most competent and closest to my heart the matter is yours you decide how this nobody is punished
Lucifers gaze widened and he turned toward his brother with eyes that knew no mercy Since his fate is in my hands I suggest something simple and gradual to be erased from existence entirely
Arius tried to rise he wanted to scream to defend his right to breathe but suddenly he felt as if gravity had multiplied a thousand times Lucifers massive energy crushed him slamming his body against the ground with a force that left no room even for a groan
Hemera fell silent for moments looking at Arius body lying like a crushed insect She thought then said in a voice dripping with authority No erasing him from existence is an honor he does not deserve I will strip him of everything of his name his title his lineage and even his memory He will die in the shadows and be cast into the dust of oblivion as if he never existed
She raised her hand and a suffocating royal aura erupted from it It was the energy of Royal Isolation which tears existential bonds She looked at him for the last time and said in a low tone that split the soul Do you have any last words you who were once of my blood
Arius raised his head with difficulty seeing their cold faces and hearing their muffled laughter relishing his fall He smiled with sad irony and said in a hoarse voice All of you a group of corrupt climbers you worship nothing but your power and see nothing else
In that moment the judgment fell The isolation energy exploded with a terrifying silence There was no screaming no light only fading Arius vanished like a dream forgotten upon waking Everyone in the hall laughed excessive mockery as if they had watched an insect crushed underfoot
In the void
The vacuum was dark without color or wind a place eyes could not reach and laws did not govern There Arius body floated motionless as if existence had spat him out of the equation
Suddenly a familiar voice crept into his depths a calm deep voice that sent shivers through his being Arius opened his eyes amidst the thick fog This voice why does it sound like mine he whispered within
The voice replied calmly No you are not dead yet Arius was shocked But I was erased was I not The voice responded in the same tone Yes your old existence ended But I brought you back do not ask how just know that I did
Arius felt a dryness in his throat as if he had not drunk for centuries How long have I been here For years the voice replied with lethal coldness Arius screamed in his mind Impossible I felt it was only minutes The voice replied Time here is an illusion You were dead and alive at once a ghost trapped in the void But I am here to grant you another path a new chance
Arius asked in exhaustion What do you mean I have made modifications to you I fixed what they broke and rebuilt you uniquely You have two choices either stay here in this eternal silence or move to a world ruled by only one law strength No lineage no family no connections only those who possess strength possess the world
Arius felt a mad desire for change I agree Anything is better than this nothingness The voice laughed lightly I knew it I have granted you power suitable for that world operating on a Power Index system The higher your number the more your reality and power increase manifold And there is a surprise in this number you will discover for yourself
The void shook and a swirling portal began to swallow everything I will send you now you will be summoned by someone looking for a warrior but I will turn you into an infant and without clear memories of this conversation prepare yourself
What Wait Arius screamed but gravity pulled him violently and everything vanished
In the other world
Amidst a dark castle under a burning sky the Queen mistress of this world stood in a circle of the blood of hundreds of thousands of soldiers Her purple hair fluttered with the massive energy of the ritual I have offered everything she screamed greedily souls blood loyalty only for that invincible warrior to come
A white light emerged splitting the darkness of the hall like a sword The Queen screamed in hysterical ecstasy I succeeded finally But when the light faded no monster or warrior in golden armor appeared instead a small being wrapped in a glowing veil appeared opening his tiny eyes and making a soft sound Beeeeeh
The Queen froze Her ambitions fell into the abyss of shock She approached the infant trembling with rage Is this what I got An infant After all that blood Is this a cosmic joke
But the child little Arius looked at her with a very calm gaze A gaze that did not resemble that of children but carried something mysterious deep and terrifying something that began to change the air of the room around her .