Ascension of the Mortal God

Chapter 1: The Fall of a Mortal

The heavens rumbled. Thunderclaps tore across the sky as divine judgment descended upon the mortal realm.

A lone warrior knelt before the Celestial Pantheon, his once-pristine armor now cracked and bloodied. Chains of golden light bound his wrists, forcing him to bow before the gods who once blessed him. His name was Kael Ardyn—the strongest mortal to have ever lived. And yet, here he was, kneeling like a mere insect.

"Kael Ardyn," the voice of the Supreme God boomed, echoing through the grand celestial hall. "You have dared to rise above your station. You have dared to wield the power of the gods. For this, you shall be stripped of your strength and cast into the Abyss, where even death will not grant you release."

Kael gritted his teeth, his silver eyes burning with defiance. "I fought in your wars. I bled for your cause! And now you discard me like a broken tool?"

The gathered gods—beings of untold power, wreathed in divine radiance—watched him with cold indifference. They sat upon their golden thrones, gazing down upon him like one would an ant.

The Goddess of Fate, cloaked in swirling veils of silver mist, let out a sigh. "You were never meant to ascend, Kael. Mortals exist to serve, not to challenge." She waved her hand, and Kael felt an unbearable weight press upon his soul, as if the heavens themselves sought to crush him.

The Supreme God raised his scepter. "It is decided. You shall be erased."

A massive sigil of annihilation formed beneath Kael, golden runes spiraling outward in a formation designed to obliterate his very existence. But as the spell activated, something stirred deep within him. A memory—a whisper from an ancient power long forgotten.

You are more than they allow you to be.

Kael's body shuddered as a surge of unknown energy coursed through his veins. His chains trembled. His mind, on the brink of destruction, latched onto that whisper, that promise of something greater.

The gods saw it. A flicker of resistance. A moment of rebellion.

The Supreme God narrowed his eyes. "It seems you have not yet accepted your fate. No matter. The Abyss will break you."

The celestial floor beneath Kael cracked open, revealing a swirling vortex of black flames and infinite darkness. The Abyss—where forsaken souls wandered for eternity, forgotten by both gods and men.

As the void pulled him in, Kael let out a final roar. "I swear upon the heavens and the stars themselves—I will return! And when I do, I will cast you all from your thrones!"

The last thing he saw before the Abyss swallowed him whole was the Supreme God's impassive gaze and the faintest hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.

Then, everything turned black.

---

Time lost meaning in the Abyss. There was no light, no sound, only the whispers of the damned and the ever-consuming void.

Kael fell for what felt like eternity. His body had long since been stripped of its power, his divine blessings erased. Pain was his only companion, an endless torment that gnawed at his soul. His rage kept him from succumbing to despair.

At some point—perhaps minutes, perhaps centuries—he landed. The impact did not kill him, for in this place, death was a mercy never granted.

Kael lay motionless, the weight of his defeat crushing down on him. Was this his fate? To rot in the darkness, forgotten?

No.

That whisper again. Stronger this time. Familiar.

With great effort, Kael forced himself to his knees. His surroundings were nothing but shadows and distant echoes of suffering. Yet before him, a faint, flickering light shone—a crimson ember burning in the void.

He reached for it, drawn by something beyond reason. As his fingers brushed against the ember, a voice resonated within his mind, ancient and powerful.

"Rise, Mortal. Take what was stolen from you. Become what the gods fear."

A flood of energy surged through him. Not the divine light of the gods, but something older, something raw. Kael gasped as power he had never known ignited within him.

For the first time since his fall, he smiled.

The gods had made a mistake.

He was not broken.

He was reborn.

And soon, the heavens would tremble.

To be continued-