Kairis Ash lay curled on a narrow cot in the safehouse infirmary, morning light leaking through cracked windows. The sting of battle still pulsed in his side, ribs bruised, every breath a sharp reminder of how close he'd been to nothing. Elyra hovered at the door, Aeren pressed against her side.
"Don't you think it's time to let it hurt?" she asked, voice soft.
He lifted his head slowly. "Pain means I'm alive."
Elyra shook her head but didn't press more.
As he pushed himself up, the system stirred inside his mind. Not just with skill updates, but with knowledge. Something heavy, ancient, like the turning of titanic gears behind existence.
> [Lore Unlocked: Origin of Aetherys Multiverse]
The Birth of Aetherys & the Web of Gods
Long before mortal clocks ticked, before stars even dreamed of expanding, there was Lucien Dreamveil, known in myth as "The Sole Exception." He existed in a vast emptiness beyond space and time, in the Primordial Void. From that void he willed into existence the World Tree's Branch of Creation, a living cosmic conduit. Through its roots he shaped realms, called universes, stitched dimensions, and realms, each unique yet connected.
He named this grand cosmic system Aetherys—the universe in which Earth-10 (your world) resides. Aetherys is one universe among many in his multiverse, but one which uniquely bears the scars and potential of his creative will.
In his realm, gods arose—some ancient, some born of power and prophecy. Among them is Kaelaris Nyr'then, the strongest being who leads the Constellations, a figure spoken of in The Sole Exception as the head of stars and judgment over celestial paths. In Aetherys, Kaelaris is considered the judge of divine hierarchy, second only to Lucien in many myth cycles, though defiant in his independence.
How "Apocalypse Black" Came to Be
When monsters broke through, when dark matter seeped into life, when death no longer belonged only to the dead, humanity had no word for what was happening.
They called it many names: The End, The Great Tear, The Dark Rising.
But when the sky cracked black, when portals opened like wounds in reality and entire cities drowned in shadow, survivors began calling it "Apocalypse Black" — black as void, apocalypse as rebirth through destruction. A name born in fear, whispered in burning alleys. It stuck.
In lore, it's said Lucien had foresight of multiple apocalypse cycles—he witnessed in the void possible futures where worlds ended black, swallowed by nothingness. The name "Apocalypse Black" is both a prophecy and a warning: the darkness that brings wakefulness, the end that births power.
Present Day: Gods, Rankings, Reality
Now, in Earth-10, under the skies cracked by portals, monsters, dark matter, awakeners, apostles, the power system—all these are permutations of that origin.
Lucien Dreamveil: Creator of Aetherys, God of the Void. His voice is law in the silence between realms.
Kaelaris Nyr'then: Leader of the Constellations, high god of stars, fate, oversight. Some say his judgement falls like starlight.
Other high gods: Nexus, Ragnis, Luthar, etc.—customarily gods of law, war, fate.
Lesser gods: Ada, Golden Rage, Heathar, etc.—patrons of cruelty, passion, chaos, craft, etc.
Kairis' body shivered at what he'd unlocked, not just power, but history.
Aetherys is the name of the universe. Earth-10 is a realm in Aetherys. Many realms before and beyond Earth-10 existed, created by Lucien, then shaped by gods, by conflict, by awakened powers.
The events on Earth-10—monsters, portals, awakeners—are but one manifestation of Apocalypse Black, one cycle of chaos that Lucien foresaw. But this cycle has a thread of hope: the Ash bloodline, the Apostles, those who survive and confront the void, might shift fate.
Kairis stood, putting on his coat despite the pain. For once, the world's origin felt less abstract. It mattered. It meant that his fight wasn't just for survival. It was for legacy. For prophecy.
Kaiyara entered with a Council messenger. The messenger carried an inscription: "You are confirmed to represent the Network at Gathering. Earth-10's Apostle."
Kairis gave no smile. But in his eyes, a dark fire kindled.
Aetherys had rules. Gods had ranking. And now, so did he.