Godtown is a peaceful place.
Children ran through the streets, laughing as they chased one another between the buildings. Gods walked alongside humans without fear, greeting their neighbors, helping one another, and sharing the small joys of everyday life.
There were no armies marching through the streets.
No battles.
No screams.
Only peace.
Above the town stood a massive transparent barrier, stretching far beyond what the eye could see. It surrounded Godtown completely, protecting everything within it.
Everyone knew what the barrier meant.
Nothing from the outside could enter.
For generations, it had kept the shadows away.
At the center of the town stood a statue that almost every child had grown up seeing.
Yorigin.
The statue showed the legendary God of Light standing calmly with his sword lowered at his side, one hand extended toward the people.
He wasn't portrayed as a conqueror.
He wasn't shown standing over his enemies.
He was simply standing among the people.
At the bottom of the statue were the words:
The strongest are always the kindest.
Children often gathered around it.
Some prayed.
Some simply looked up at it when they were afraid.
And whenever someone asked who Yorigin was, they were told the same thing.
He was the god who saved them all.
---
Godtown Academy
"Alright, everyone. Settle down."
The classroom slowly became quiet.
At the front stood Henric, a middle-aged god who had taught history at Godtown Academy for many years.
He opened an old book.
"Today we're going to discuss the Great War."
A few students immediately lost interest.
Others leaned forward.
Henric smiled.
"Don't look so disappointed. You should at least know how the world you live in came to be."
He turned toward the board.
THE GREAT WAR
"Centuries ago, Erebos, the God of Shadows and Master of the Void, declared war against the gods."
The room became quieter.
"His army of shadows spread across the world. The gods fought back, but they were overwhelmed."
Henric drew four simple symbols on the board.
"According to the records, four of the strongest gods eventually appeared together."
He wrote one name beneath the first symbol.
Yorigin.
"The strongest among them."
He looked at the other three symbols.
"They became known as Exsus."
A student raised his hand.
"Who were the other three?"
Henric paused.
"No one knows for certain."
The class murmured.
"Records from the war are incomplete," Henric explained. "Most of what we know was recorded after the battle. Their names have been lost to history, and none of them were ever seen again."
He turned back toward the board.
"But we do know one thing."
He wrote:
EREBOS CANNOT BE KILLED.
"He could only be sealed."
A student raised his hand.
"Then how did they defeat him?"
Henric looked toward the window.
Through it, the students could see Yorigin's statue standing proudly in the center of Godtown.
Henric smiled.
"They sealed him."
The classroom became silent.
He closed the book.
"That was the end of the war."
A student frowned.
"Is Erebos still alive?"
Henric nodded.
"Somewhere beyond our world, sealed within the Void."
"Can he escape?"
Henric gave a small shrug.
"We don't know."
He looked at the old book in his hands.
"Honestly, there is much about the Great War that we don't know."
He smiled.
"History has a habit of losing things."
The bell rang.
The students immediately began talking again.
Henric watched them leave.
For them, the Great War was ancient history.
A story about a legendary god.
A sealed enemy.
A forgotten group of heroes.
Nothing more.
---
Training Hall
"Again."
Arise stood in the center of the training ground.
His shirt was soaked with sweat.
He stared at the training dummy.
Around him, several students watched.
Some were curious.
Most were amused.
Arise took a breath.
He swung.
THUD.
The dummy barely moved.
Laughter spread across the hall.
"That's it?"
"Seriously?"
"Even the new students are stronger than him."
Arise clenched his jaw.
He ignored them.
He stepped forward.
Again.
THUD.
Nothing.
The instructor sighed.
"Arise. Enough."
Arise stopped.
"You're the weakest student in your year."
The words were not new.
He had heard them countless times.
Still, they hurt.
Arise looked toward the window.
Beyond the academy stood the enormous barrier of Godtown.
A world he had never seen beyond.
A world everyone was forbidden from entering after nightfall.
He looked back at the training dummy.
His fists tightened.
He would get stronger.
He had to.
Then, just as he raised his hand again—
A voice whispered inside his head.
"Don't waste your strength."
Arise froze.
He looked around.
Nobody had spoken.
His heart began beating faster.
"Who are you?"
There was no answer.
Only silence.
Arise slowly lowered his hand.
For the first time in his life...
he wondered if someone had been watching him all along.
The bell rang.
Students poured out of the training hall, laughing and talking among themselves.
Arise remained behind.
He stood in front of the training dummy, staring at the tiny mark his attack had left on it.
It was barely visible.
Arise clenched his fist.
Arise: "One more."
He raised his hand.
Instructor: "Arise."
Arise stopped.
His instructor stood behind him.
Instructor: "Class is over."
Arise: "I know."
Instructor: "Then go."
Arise looked back at the training dummy.
Arise: "I can do better."
The instructor sighed.
Instructor: "You've been saying that for years."
Arise didn't respond.
The instructor walked closer.
Instructor: "Talent isn't everything, Arise. But you're trying to force something that isn't there."
Arise looked at him.
Arise: "What if it is there?"
The instructor paused.
Instructor: "Then find it."
He turned and walked away.
Arise stood alone.
For a moment, he considered leaving.
Then he heard it.
Voice: "Again."
Arise froze.
He looked around.
Nobody was there.
Arise: "Who are you?"
No answer.
The voice was gone.
Arise slowly turned back toward the dummy.
Arise: "Fine."
He took a breath.
He attacked.
THUD.
Nothing.
Again.
THUD.
Still nothing.
Arise dropped his hand.
Arise: "You're not very helpful."
A faint breeze passed through the empty training hall.
Arise looked toward the window.
The curtains moved slightly.
Then the voice returned.
Voice: "You're thinking too much."
Arise frowned.
Arise: "What am I supposed to do?"
A pause.
Voice: "Watch."
Arise stared at the dummy.
Arise: "Watch what?"
Silence.
He waited.
Nothing happened.
Arise sighed.
Arise: "Great. A voice that doesn't explain anything."
He picked up his bag and left.
---
Outside, Godtown was beginning to change.
The afternoon sunlight painted the buildings golden.
Children ran through the streets.
Shopkeepers called to passing customers.
Gods and humans walked together as they had for generations.
Arise walked through the crowd with his hands in his pockets.
Then someone shouted from behind him.
Kael: "Arise!"
Arise turned around.
Kael came running toward him, carrying a small paper bag.
Arise: "You're late."
Kael stopped beside him, breathing heavily.
Kael: "I was getting food."
He held out the bag.
Kael: "Here."
Arise opened it.
A pastry.
Arise: "You got this for me?"
Kael grinned.
Kael: "No, I bought it for myself and decided I hated it."
Arise laughed.
Arise: "You're an idiot."
Kael: "And yet you're still my friend."
Before Arise could answer, Mira walked up behind them.
Mira: "You two are impossible."
Kael turned around.
Kael: "There she is. The person who ruins every joke."
Mira rolled her eyes.
Mira: "Someone has to."
Daren joined them a moment later.
Daren: "Are you three coming or not?"
Arise looked at him.
Arise: "Coming where?"
Daren: "The river."
Arise: "No way. I've got training."
Daren stared at him.
Daren: "You trained for three hours."
Arise: "I know."
Daren: "And you're going back?"
Arise: "Yes."
Kael shook his head.
Kael: "You're insane."
Arise smiled.
Arise: "Probably."
Mira looked at Arise for a moment.
She knew how hard he trained.
She also knew how little it seemed to matter.
Mira: "You don't have to prove anything to them, you know."
Arise looked at her.
Arise: "I'm not doing it for them."
Mira smiled slightly.
Mira: "Then who are you doing it for?"
Arise didn't answer.
---
They continued walking through the center of Godtown.
As they reached the central square, Arise stopped.
Yorigin's statue stood above them.
Ten meters of carved stone.
Calm.
Powerful.
Kind.
The words beneath it caught his attention.
THE STRONGEST ARE ALWAYS THE KINDEST.
Kael noticed him staring.
Kael: "You like the statue?"
Arise shrugged.
Arise: "It's nice."
Kael: "You've been staring at it for thirty seconds."
Arise smiled.
Arise: "I was thinking."
Kael immediately laughed.
Kael: "Dangerous."
Daren chuckled.
Mira smiled.
Arise looked at Yorigin one more time.
For some reason, he always felt strange whenever he looked at the statue.
He didn't know why.
Then he looked away.
Arise: "Come on."
---
That evening, Arise returned home.
He dropped his bag beside his bed and collapsed onto it.
His entire body hurt.
He stared at the ceiling.
Today had been another failure.
Another day of being the weakest.
Another day of pretending it didn't bother him.
He closed his eyes.
Then—
Voice: "You shouldn't be trying to become stronger."
Arise's eyes opened.
He immediately sat up.
Arise: "What?"
Silence.
Arise: "You said I should try again."
Nothing.
Arise: "You told me to watch."
Still nothing.
Arise stood up.
Arise: "Who are you?"
The room remained completely still.
He walked toward the window.
Outside, Godtown was slowly becoming quiet.
The barrier surrounding the city shimmered beneath the evening sky.
Arise stared at it.
Then the voice came again.
This time, it sounded almost as if someone was standing beside him.
Voice: "You're looking in the wrong direction."
Arise's eyes narrowed.
Arise: "What does that mean?"
No answer.
Arise continued staring at the barrier.
For the first time, something about it felt different.
He couldn't explain why.
But somewhere beyond those walls...
something was calling him.
And somewhere far away from Godtown—
a single shadow moved beneath the night sky.
End of Chapter 1