Chapter 1: The Pact Beneath the Ash
Falcrest.
A kingdom unlike any other.
Known across Therys for its beauty, its power, and its deep connection to the gods. The skies above it were always clear. The wind carried a scent so sweet that travelers wept when they breathed it. The rivers shimmered like liquid crystal, and crops never failed. They called it the envy of the world — the shining jewel of the continent.
Here, the strong ruled. The powerful were rich. Mages, knights, and priests lived like kings. The more power you had, the more the gods blessed you. And the more the gods blessed you, the more the people bowed at your feet.
I was born in this kingdom. I was supposed to be a prince among giants.
My mother, Gaia, was the greatest mage in Falcrest. They said the gods whispered in her dreams and answered her every spell. She wore a crown of light and could command fire, ice, and wind with a single thought.
My father, Karsht, was the general of the King's Knights. The strongest warrior the kingdom had ever seen. People feared him as much as they worshiped him. His blade was said to have slain ten thousand enemies, and he never once bled in battle.
They were the perfect match. The golden couple. Everyone believed their child would be a legend. A hero. A god among mortals.
But then I was born.
And I was… nothing.
I couldn't stand on my own feet. I didn't cry. I didn't smile. I couldn't lift a wooden sword or light a candle with magic. The priests checked me and said something was wrong. That I was "unblessed." I had no magic in my blood. No divine touch. The gods had turned their faces away from me.
My parents were humiliated.
They kept me hidden. Locked in a quiet room in the far corner of the estate. I wasn't allowed to eat with them or speak to guests. I would often hear my mother's voice through the walls, full of anger.
"I wish he had never been born," she would say. "What did we do to deserve this shame?"
I saw the servants whisper behind my back. When they brought me food, they never looked me in the eye. I was a burden. A stain on my family name.
Sixteen years passed like this.
Then one day, someone knocked on my window. A girl — no, a noble. Her name was Era. She was from the Asmongold family, the highest of the noble bloodlines. They were rich, powerful, and favored by the gods. She should've ignored me like the rest. But she didn't.
She came back again and again, always bringing sweets and stories. She told me of the world outside — of markets full of color, of magical duels, of cities built on mountains. Her voice was kind. Her laugh real. She never looked at me like I was broken.
I think she saved me.
But good things don't last in this world. Not for people like me.
One day, she stopped coming. Days passed. Then weeks. And then I heard the truth.
She had been killed.
Whispers spread through the house — hushed voices saying she had been found guilty of "heresy." They said it was the Heralds. Those who served the Church. Those who claimed to speak for the gods. They called themselves holy, but everyone feared them. If they accused you, there was no trial. No mercy.
Era was dead. Just like that.
My world collapsed. The only person who had ever loved me — gone.
I stopped eating. Stopped sleeping. I stared at the ceiling for days, waiting to die.
No one cared.
No one came.
Until my eighteenth birthday.
The door opened. For the first time in my life, my father walked in. He didn't bring a gift. He didn't say a word.
In his hand was a dagger.
His face was cold. His eyes were empty. There was no anger — just… relief. Like he was finally cleaning up a mess.
He walked straight toward me.
I didn't fight. I didn't run. I just stood there, watching.
He plunged the dagger into my stomach.
The pain was sharp, hot. I fell to the floor, gasping. My blood soaked the floorboards. He leaned down, close to my face.
And he smiled.
Then he walked away.
That was the last thing I saw — the proud smile of a man who had just erased his greatest failure.
Now, I sit in darkness.
I don't know how long I've been here.
I feel cold. Weak. Empty.
But I'm not alone.
A voice surrounds me. Deep and thick, like smoke and fire.
"You've had a hard life," it says. "So the gods rejected you, and now you crawl to me. You wish to turn to the devil? What can you offer me in such a broken state?"
I raise my head.
"Who are you I ask?"
"I have been known by many different names. The devil, Lucifer, lord of the underworld. But you can call me Averon. What do you wish?"
"Give me your power in return for my soul." I whisper. "I will ruin this world they love so much. I will tear Falcrest apart. I will watch their chosen burn and scream."
The voice laughs. Not kindly — more amused.
"Your soul? I've eaten a thousand like yours. That's not enough."
I pause. "What do you want, then?"
"I need an heir," the Devil says. "One to rule in my name. One to carry on my legacy. To lead the underworld after me. Are you willing to be my heir? To serve demonkind forever? To become the nightmare the gods fear?"
My voice doesn't shake.
"If that's the price… then I accept."
"Good," the voice whispers, curling around me like a shadow. "Then rise… my son."
I open my eyes.
The sky above me is dark. A full moon shines down through the trees.
I'm lying on the cold ground, dirt beneath my fingers. I realize I'm no longer in my room. I've been dumped in the middle of the forest. Left to die like trash.
I hear growling.
I tilt my head and see five wolves, circling me. Their eyes gleam in the moonlight, teeth bared.
But I feel no fear.
In fact… I feel strong.
I slowly stand up. My body doesn't ache. My wounds are gone. My skin feels tighter, my muscles heavier. I look down and see a new form — lean, powerful. No longer thin and frail. No longer helpless.
For the first time in my life… I can feel mana.
It dances in the air around me. A force I've never sensed before. Like invisible threads brushing against my skin.
I move my hand through the air. It feels heavier, alive with power. I smile — a small, dark smile.
The wolves stop growling.
They whimper and slowly back away, fear flashing in their eyes.
Then they run.
I'm not prey anymore.
"Remember your pact, my heir."
The Devil's voice echoes in my head, low and sharp like a blade.
My smile fades.
"I remember," I say aloud. "I remember everything."
I look down at my bloodstained shirt and bare feet.
Then I look up at the road ahead.
Falcrest.
They threw me away. Left me for dead.
Now I'm coming back.
Stronger.
Changed.
And I will burn their perfect world to ash.