The Devil in One
Chapter 1: Betrayal
Once, she was a goddess.
Now, she is something far worse.
Long before the collapse of order, Aris stood at the peak of existence—a flawless being who ruled over multiple universes. She was not merely divine; she was an absolute, a goddess whose power touched both creation and destruction. Yet that very perfection became her curse.
The gods feared her.
They whispered that her beauty was unnatural, that her presence bent laws, that one day she would surpass them all. And so, before that day could arrive, they branded her with a name that would justify their hatred.
Devil.
Aris was cast down from the Mountain of Eternity—the sacred place where only gods were allowed to exist. The fall stripped her of her title, her honor, and her place among them. But even then, she did not fall alone.
She still had Maki—her closest friend, the one who smiled beside her when the gods turned away.
She still had Icaro—the one she loved, the one she trusted more than her own soul.
Or so she believed.
One day, Maki and Icaro came to visit her in the Pristine Universe, the silent realm where Aris had been exiled. The moment she sensed their presence, her heart trembled with joy.
"You came," Aris said softly, a rare smile touching her lips. "How are you? It's been so long."
Maki looked away.
Icaro said nothing.
After a long silence, Maki finally spoke, her voice cold and distant.
"We're fine. But from now on… you can't see us anymore."
Aris froze.
"What do you mean?" she asked, confusion creeping into her voice. "Did I do something wrong?"
She never received an answer.
The sound came first—a sharp, violent crack that tore through space itself.
Before Aris could react, something pierced her body.
Pain exploded.
She staggered back, blood staining the ground beneath her feet. Her vision blurred as she looked down—and saw the weapon.
It was Icaro's.
Her knees gave way.
"Why…?" Aris whispered, her voice trembling as she collapsed. "Why would you do this?"
Maki stepped forward, her eyes burning with jealousy long buried.
"Why?" she repeated, laughing bitterly. "Do you really think you're the only one allowed to be beautiful? Everyone ignores me. Everyone worships you. So yes—you deserve to die."
Aris coughed, blood staining her lips, yet she smiled.
"Icaro will stop you," she said weakly. "He's the only one I trust."
Maki's smile twisted.
"Then look closely," she said. "Who do you think struck you?"
Aris turned her head slowly.
Their eyes met.
And in that moment, something inside her shattered forever.
Her laughter echoed faintly through the dying universe—not madness, but despair.
"So this is how it ends," Aris whispered. "Very well."
Her consciousness faded, but her will did not.
As darkness consumed her, she spoke one final vow:
"I will return.
I will take my revenge.
And your deaths will not exist even in your dreams."
Her body fell silent.
And the universe believed she was dead.
But death…
was only the beginning.
Ch-2
After Aris's Death
After Aris's death, the celestial–crystalline universe began to collapse in silence.
Stars dimmed. Dimensions trembled. The flow of existence itself became unstable, as if the universe had lost its anchor. In the deepest layer of the infernal order, Saturn, the Lord of all devils, sensed the disturbance immediately.
Something was wrong.
For the first time in countless eras, Saturn left his throne.
But he was late.
Aris lay before him—her once radiant form shattered, her existence barely holding together. Her soul flickered like a dying star, suspended in front of Saturn, torn apart by betrayal and power beyond repair. She was alive… yet already crossing the boundary of death.
Saturn looked at her in silence.
Then he spoke.
"Tell me your final wish."
His voice was calm, but the universe listened.
"You will be reborn," Saturn continued. "In another universe. Another reality. You will have no memories of this place, no pain, no hatred."
Aris's soul trembled.
"No."
Her voice was weak, but her will was not.
"I don't want another universe," she begged. "I don't want to forget. Reborn me in the same universe. Let me remember everything. Let me take my revenge."
For the first time, Saturn hesitated.
Then he sighed.
"…Very well."
A deep vibration echoed through existence.
"Your wish is granted."
A blinding light erupted—so bright it erased shadows, so loud it silenced gods. Aris felt herself being torn apart, rewritten, compressed. Her soul screamed as reality folded around her.
And then—
Darkness.
When she opened her eyes, she was no longer there.
She was somewhere else.
A different place. A different dimension.
For a moment, Aris believed she had been betrayed again—this time by Saturn himself. The world felt unfamiliar, distorted, layered in unfamiliar laws.
But slowly, she realized the truth.
She was still in the same universe.
Just not the same dimension.
To return to the old dimension—the one where her death began—she would need power beyond imagination. Power enough to tear through realities.
Before her stood the path.
Seven islands.
Each one a world of its own.
Each one as vast as a universe.
Each one ruled by forces that devour gods.
Only by conquering all seven could she reclaim her past…
her memories…
and her true name.
Somewhere deep within her new form, Aris smiled.
The universe thought she was erased.
But she was only delayed.
To be continued.