Lucas awoke to a strange stillness, the faint scent of salt and damp earth filling his senses. The dim light filtering through a misty haze painted the sky in hues of pale blue and soft gray. He blinked, trying to focus, only to find himself standing on a narrow strip of rocky shore. The steady rhythm of waves lapping against the rocks was soothing yet unfamiliar.
He looked around. Before him stretched a vast ocean, its surface shimmering like liquid glass under the muted light. To his left and right, landmasses jutted out — rugged cliffs covered in dense forests, with the occasional patch of desert-like earth further inland. Somewhere in the distance, he could see snowy peaks and wetlands veiled in mist.
Lucas's mind raced to comprehend where he was. This wasn't any place he knew — not a beach, not a park, not anywhere on his old Earth or the new one he'd just arrived in. Then it struck him: he had entered his Divine Domain.
A rush of memories came back: the glowing shard in the shipping container, the pulse of energy, and the awakening sensation that had overcome him. This world — this realm — was a reflection of his soul, a personal pocket reality born from the fragment of the Supreme Domain embedded within him.
He took a cautious step forward, the ground beneath him firm but uneven. The air was fresh and tinged with salt, carrying a quiet harmony that calmed his nerves.
Lucas's gaze swept across the horizon again. The ocean made up roughly three-quarters of the realm's surface, vast and endless, stretching farther than the eye could see. The remaining land was a patchwork — forests cloaking about a third of it, deserts sprawling in jagged shapes, grasslands rolling gently like emerald waves, and wetlands marshy and mysterious.
This balance between water and land, wilderness and calm, was oddly familiar, yet charged with a divine essence.
He wondered if he was alone.
To his surprise, movement caught his eye — a flock of seagulls wheeling above a small fishing village nestled on a sheltered cove of the land. Smoke curled lazily from chimneys, and figures moved purposefully along the docks and narrow streets.
As he approached, Lucas noticed the villagers looked like ordinary humans, but there was a softness to their eyes, a spark of something otherworldly beneath their humble appearance.
"Mother Earth," he murmured, recalling the whispered legend that every new Divine Domain generates a singular fertile landmass — a cradle for its main believers.
He understood then: these villagers were his believers, the foundation of his Faith Power.
Curious and eager, Lucas stepped into the village. A few heads turned, eyes widening with recognition — not fear, but something akin to reverence.
An elder approached, robes flowing and a gentle smile on his face. "Welcome, Lord of the Waters," the man said with quiet authority. "You have awakened. Our prayers have been heard."
Lucas swallowed hard, overwhelmed. "I… I don't know what to do," he admitted.
The elder nodded. "You will learn. But first, walk with me. There is much to show you."
Together, they wandered through the village, passing simple homes, a marketplace bustling with early morning activity, and a shrine dedicated to the land and sea.
As they walked, the elder spoke softly, "This is your domain, yet it lives beyond your will. Water ebbs and flows; forests grow and wither. It is your task to nurture it, protect it, and shape it."
Lucas nodded, the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders.
Suddenly, a small child tugged at his sleeve. "Are you a god?" she asked wide-eyed.
He smiled gently, "I… I suppose I am."
She grinned, "Then will you help us fish better? Our nets often come back empty."
A plan formed in Lucas's mind — this was just the beginning.
He turned back to the elder. "Tell me everything. How do I strengthen my domain? How do I grow my power?"
The elder's eyes twinkled. "It begins with faith. The believers, their devotion, their growth. And the mysteries your domain holds."
Lucas took a deep breath. He was ready to step into this new world.
The tides whispered around him, a promise of endless possibility.