Beyond the reach of mortal sight, beyond the veil of stars, there lies a realm untouched by time, a world woven from pure divinity. It is a place spoken of only in myth, where Immortals walk beside Beasts, Hybrids, Elves, and Goblins, and where all manner of creatures, both celestial and infernal, live beneath the light of a god who shaped eternity.
That god is known by all names and none, yet among the living, it is called The Great One.
Neither male nor female, neither human nor beast, The Great One is the essence of existence, the soul of all that breathes, the balance of light and shadow, creation and destruction. It was from its will that the cosmos was born, and from its silence that order found form.
In the beginning, The Great One forged the Five Major Realms, vast dominions of unimaginable scope. Within each realm bloomed galaxies beyond counting and worlds teeming with life. To each realm, the Great One appointed a disciple, five beings born from divine rings of its power, the first and purest of all deities.
To guide the living and preserve balance, The Great One decreed the Heavenly Principles, sacred laws that governed the harmony of heaven and earth. Under these laws, all flourished. The stars sang in reverence, and the Realms gleamed in perfect unity.
But harmony, like still water, can conceal unrest beneath its surface.
For among the five, there was one whose heart questioned what others accepted.
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In the Grand Hall of Creation, where the walls were forged from the bones of starlight and the floor reflected the entire cosmos, the youngest of the Five knelt before his Master.
He was Enfer, the God of Darkness, Ruler of the Dark Realm, where shadows breathed, and night was eternal. His form was calm, his presence noble, but within his chest stirred a quiet storm.
"Master," he said, his voice echoing softly against the endless hall. "My realm stands in peace. My people walk in order. Must they, too, bow to the Heavenly Principles? Can a god not trust his own creation to discern right from wrong?"
The question hung in the air, fragile, dangerous.
For a time, The Great One did not answer. Silence fell upon the hall, deep and suffocating. Enfer's pulse quickened. He could feel his divine aura coiling within him like a caged flame, aching to be released.
Then, the void spoke.
"Rules are rules, Enfer. The Heavenly Principles are not to be questioned. They bind all from mortal to god. No realm shall be exempt."
The voice carried neither anger nor warmth. It was simply final.
But Enfer's heart, bold and wounded, refused to yield.
"Master, I only seek to—"
He never finished.
A single wave of divine force crashed upon him like a collapsing universe. The air screamed, and the marble beneath him shattered. Enfer was thrown across the hall, crashing through stone and light. Only a desperate barrier of magic kept his soul from splintering.
Above him, The Great One stood motionless, neither wrathful nor merciful, but absolute.
"You know well I despise the obstinate," it said. "Must I remind you that I am a merciless god… and you are but an ant?"
And then, silence— heavy and eternal.
As darkness closed around him, Enfer's final thought was one of quiet despair:
You are the infinite, and I… the unseen.
And thus he fell into slumber, his divine body dimming like a dying star.
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"Enfer? Enfer, can you hear me?"
A gentle voice, soft as light through crystal, reached his ears.
"Lux, calm yourself," said another voice, low and gruff. "He's a deity. He won't perish from being thrown into a wall."
"A wall?" Lux's tone rose, indignant. "That was the Grand Hall! And Master was the one who threw him! It's a miracle he isn't dust!"
"Lux," murmured a smooth, composed voice, "speak of our Master with care. Do you wish to lose your tongue?"
"Eek—" Lux squealed softly.
"Enough." The words came like the whisper of wind. "You'll all give him a headache before he even wakes."
"Sister Amina!" Lux turned, her glow brightening.
Amina approached, serene, radiant, her presence healing the air itself. "How fares he?"
"He lives," said the rough-voiced man, Milleth. "No fatal wounds, though the pride might take longer to heal."
Amina bowed her head slightly. "Then perhaps… Master was merciful."
But in her heart, doubt flickered like the first ember of a storm.
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They were called The Five Holy Ring Deities. Aeter, Amina, Milleth, Lux, and Enfer, born from the Great One's five divine rings, eternal symbols of creation's balance.
Aeter, eldest of the Five, God of Eternity and Ruler of the Everlasting Realm, domain of the Immortals. Wise, steadfast, ever beside the Great One's throne.
Amina, second-born, Goddess of Life and Ruler of the Reality Realm, home of humankind. Keeper of order, she governed the Heavenly Palace in their Master's absence.
Lux Carpe Diem, the radiant third, Goddess of Light and Ruler of Realm Fantasia, haven of Elves, Fairies, and creatures of magic. She was joy given form, her laughter echoing beneath the Tree of Hope.
Milleth, the fourth, God of Strength and Ruler of Realm Gladiator, kingdom of beasts and warriors. A being of unmatched might, whose voice could shake the mountains he trained upon.
And last, Enfer, God of Darkness and Ruler of the Dark Realm, sanctuary of demons and shadow mages. The most solitary of the Five — a scholar, an experimenter, a seeker of truths buried beneath silence.
Beyond them, countless minor deities watched over galaxies and worlds. Newly ascended immortals were granted dominion over single planets; as their realms multiplied, so did their titles, from Immortal, to Minor Deity, to Deity.
Thus was the hierarchy of heaven. Vast, perfect, unyielding.
But perfection can breed discontent, and order can smother freedom.
And in the quiet heart of the Dark Realm, the fallen deity stirred not in anger, but in awakening.
Something ancient was calling his name.