I thought the nightmare couldn't get worse. I was wrong.
Every step I took was soaked in fear and blood. Monsters swarmed me from every direction, their claws tearing through my defenses, their hunger insatiable. I fought back—desperately, savagely—cutting down anything that stood in my way. But exhaustion clawed at me. How long could I last?
Then, in the abyss of my despair, they came—others like me, or unlike me. Warriors with fire in their eyes. Creatures twisted by fate. And one… a human.
Together, we stood against the darkness, not out of hope, but out of sheer will to survive.
There were seven of us chosen.
Besides me—the oldest of the Originals—there was *Lyra*, the fierce Werewolf. Her silver eyes pierced the darkest night, and her strength was unmatched, able to topple trees with a single strike. Lyra's kind hid in the shadows of ancient forests, avoiding human settlements for fear of persecution, living in packs bound by unbreakable loyalty.
Beside her stood *Thalor*, the enigmatic Shadowborn. Neither fully spirit nor flesh, his form flickered like a living shadow. Thalor's race existed in the spaces between light and darkness, invisible to human eyes unless they chose to reveal themselves. Their secret was their survival.
Then there was *Kael*, the Flameborn Dragonkin. His scales shimmered with an ember-like glow, and when angered, his breath could ignite the very air. The Dragonkin retreated to volcanic mountain ranges and hidden caverns, their presence whispered only in old legends and forgotten myths.
Alongside him was *Seris*, the swift Windrider Elf. Tall and lithe, her emerald eyes sharp as the arrows she loosed. The Elves kept to secluded glades and ancient groves, weaving magic into the winds that shielded them from human discovery. Their grace was a secret guarded fiercely.
And finally, *Ryn*, the ancient Stone Giant. Towering over all, his skin was like cracked granite, each step shaking the earth beneath. Giants like him dwelled deep in the mountains, hidden beneath layers of rock and mist, unseen by humans who feared the unknown.
Between us all stood a lone human—*Jace*—unarmed, untrained, yet chosen by the same mysterious fate that bound us.
Then, the god appeared.
His voice thundered through the ruins, offering salvation. A chance to leave this dying world behind and be reborn in a new realm—a world where power ruled all and the strong crushed the weak beneath their feet.
Six of us.
Seven, I corrected myself silently
Six others beside me.
Could I trust this god's promise? I am no hero. I am no savior. I am just a man… a monster.
But if I want to live—really live—I have no choice but to follow.
So I stepped forward into the unknown.