A massive ocean raged endlessly, its waves violent enough to swallow even the largest ships without leaving a trace. These colossal waves crashed and rose one after another, yet upon them stood a single island—floating, immovable, defiant. The island rose high, so high that its peak seemed to pierce the clouds themselves. At its front stood two enormous gates, towering and divine, resembling the very gates of heaven. Upon them, written in glowing gold, were the words शान्तात्मा प्रविशतु।, one word etched into each door. The gates looked ancient, mysterious, untouched by time. On each door, two massive tigers were carved, so lifelike that they seemed ready to leap alive at any moment. Before the gates stood a massive army, unmoving in the rain, their presence declaring a single truth to the world—no one shall pass this gate as long as they stand.
A massive wave struck the island head-on, its force monstrous. Water crashed into the army, yet not a single soldier moved. They stood firm. Before the army stood nine figures, separated from the rest. These nine wore black armor, dark and heavy, while the army behind them wore white. One of the nine stepped forward and spoke, his voice loud, sharp, absolute.
NO ONE SHALL PASS!!
NO ONE SHALL PASS….
NO ONE SHALL PASS….
The ocean itself fell silent, as if submitting to the firmness of that declaration.
"Commander Rivera… do you think he will come?"The man who spoke appeared to be in his thirties. A long spear was gripped tightly in his right hand. His expression was dark, tense, and filled with restrained fear.
A man standing at the center of the nine had a tobacco pipe clenched between his lips. He inhaled deeply, then slowly released a cloud of smoke before speaking. "Commander Acker, we are called the Nine Great Warriors of the Eternal Bloodline, under the sun and the moon. Why are you afraid?"
Commander Rivera turned slightly. "Who is this person you all keep talking about? Why does fear linger even among you?" one of the nine asked.
"Hey, newbie, shut the fuck up. You don't know shit," another snapped coldly. "He's a psychopath. He believes this gate hides a treasure, and that son of a bitch wants it. If he desires something, he'll kill everyone in this world to obtain it. He slaughtered his own brother and father for an empty throne."
"They say his kill streak crosses five hundred thousand… and still counting."
"And now that son of a bitch wants to enter this sacred gate—untouched since the era of the first human and steal what lies beyond it."
The newbie laughed. "Commander, he's just one man. In front of nine warriors and two million soldiers. Do you really think he'll survive? He'll die right here if he comes. A fool walking into his own death." He laughed again.
"Commander, should I stop this foolishness?" Acker asked Rivera quietly.
"No need," Rivera replied calmly. "Let him be . Let the soldiers gain confidence from this."
Suddenly, the air shifted. A violent surge of pressure swept forward. Ocean waves rose unnaturally high, and the wind screamed as it rushed in one direction. A massive blast of wind slammed into the army and the commanders alike. Soldiers shielded their eyes as rain and pressure overwhelmed them. Then through the storm a voice was heard.
"How are you, Commander Rivera?"
Shock spread instantly. Rivera's eyes widened. "Shields up! Ready to attack!" he roared. Soldiers responded at once, forming ranks, weapons raised, defenses locked.
Floating calmly in the air was a man who appeared middle-aged, perhaps in his forties. Dark feathered wings spread behind him. He wore a white three-piece suit and a long black coat that reached down to his knees. In his left hand rested a sword—shaped like a katana, yet longer, heavier, and far more menacing.
"Commander Rivera… you are hurting my feelings," he said calmly."I merely asked how you were. And you respond by preparing to attack me."He paused, wings unmoving."I am deeply hurt."
The soldiers stiffened.
"I see you still react before thinking," the man continued."Still letting fear command your hands.""Still the same."
I see you still hold a grudge over your wife's death."
"You haven't changed, Dev," Rivera spat. "You still hide your true face because you fear we'll recognize you—and kill you."
"You misunderstand," Dev replied evenly. "I was about to remove my mask and show you my face. A final courtesy before your death… and the death of everyone here."
"Oh?" Rivera sneered. "Then show me, Dev. Show me your true face."
Dev toke out a coin from his pocket and flicked it into the air. The moment it spun, it vanished. The air warped. His presence shifted. The man before them transformed—now a dangerously handsome figure in his twenties. A V-shaped build. Long, untamed hair. Piercing blue eyes that calculated death itself, paired with a faint smile. He wore the same white three-piece suit and long black coat, both floating with the wind. Black feathered wings spread wide behind him.
Rivera stared. "Is this… your true face? Your real age?"
"Yes, Commander," Dev replied. "This is my true appearance. Consider it my final gift to you. How could I deny you respect at the end?"
"I never imagined," Rivera muttered, "that a man in his twenties could shake the entire world with madness."
"Commander Rivera," Dev said coldly. "Move aside. Let me pass. There will be no bloodshed."
Laughter erupted. "Do you think I'll allow that?" Rivera shouted. "You think you'll pass those gates without a fight—without bloodshed?"
"As expected of you, Commander Rivera," Dev replied calmly."I was hoping for bloodshed. History needs a new chapter. One reconstructed through millions killed by Dev. The rhythm is perfect, don't you agree?"
"Enough of your bullshit!" the newbie shouted. "I'll kill you here and now!"
"Commander Rivera, give the order," Acker said firmly.
"Soldiers—shields up. Ready to attack!"
"Aye! Aye!"
Fear and tension filled every soldier's face.
Dev tightened his grip on the sword in his left hand. "This is getting exciting," he said softly. He flapped his wings and descended toward the battlefield, his leather coat billowing violently in the storm.
"ATTACK!" Rivera commanded.
The soldiers surged forward. Forces collided from both sides. Steel met steel. And thus began a battle that history would record as the opening of a new chapter in the world.
The book closed.
The surroundings shifted.
A modest apartment from the 1950s appeared. Nearby stood an old burial ground. On a worn sofa sat a young boy, resting in a woman's lap. A book lay open across his knees.
"Mom," the boy asked softly, "is this the person your father?"
The woman looked at the image in the book. The features resembled the man described, though not perfectly. She smiled gently, choosing comfort over truth. "Yes. This is your maternal grandfather Dev Ravenshade."
"And my name is Dev Ravenclaw ," the boy said, then added, "but outside… my name is—"
"Edward Shade," both mother and son spoke together.
"Good boy," the mother praised softly. "Now sleep."
I am Dev Ravenclaw .I am five years old.My mother's name is Helena Ravenclaw .My father's name is Kenzo Shade.
My father works as a librarian in the Heavenfall Empire, in Shade Kingdom, on Royal Street 54—territory once recognized as belonging to the Shade family. One of the Nine Eternal Royal Bloodlines, sworn under the sun and the moon. One of the Forbidden Fragment holders. My father is the younger brother of the clan head, yet he failed to awaken his bloodline. Because of that failure, he was cast out without hesitation, stripped of his name, his status, and his authority, and reduced to a librarian earning minimum wage. Blood meant nothing once power was absent.
My mother and father fell in love during a time of pursuit and bloodshed. She was being hunted, branded a culprit, chased without mercy. My father rescued her when no one else would. Time passed slowly. Trust formed in silence. Eventually, she revealed her past—her lineage, her parents, her sins. My father accepted everything without hesitation. He chose her despite knowing the consequences. They married quietly. I was born after that choice, not as a blessing, but as a risk.
It is still five years away from the awakening of my bloodline. Yet my mother already fears it. She believes I may inherit my grandfather's ability. She knows that if anyone discovers the truth, I will be hunted and killed without mercy. But I do not fear that outcome. My grandfather was not a man who feared the world. He was a man who created fear. The world learned to step back when his name was spoken. I do not fear becoming that.
There is one more truth.I am not originally from this world.I am from Earth.
I transmigrated here by means I do not fully understand. On Earth, I studied Computer Science Engineering. I did not want to become a sheep—someone who follows the crowd without thought. Yet I became one anyway. And I was bad at it. I quit.
It was a great disappointment to my parents. They believed I would become the savior of the family. I was not. And I was not sad about it. I was happy. Cold. Detached.
I thought only of myself. I did not live for others.
The only things I excelled at were manipulation, maintaining a perfect poker face, and acting without emotion. Family issues, a broken home, and a father who was a psychiatric patient taught me one skill above all others -- control.
I learned to hide intent.I learned to lie with calm eyes.I learned to bend people without raising my voice.
This is me.
We will see what collapses first.
The world that stands before me,
or the one standing inside me.