The rain hammered the earth, washing away blood, but not the memories.
Arhaan staggered to a ruined hut, his vision blurring. His palm throbbed where the sword had cut him, and his chest still burned with the strange energy that had erupted moments ago.
He collapsed to his knees, gasping. The children he saved were huddled nearby, their eyes wide with fear and awe.
"Go… hide in the mountains," Arhaan whispered, forcing a smile despite the blood at his lips. "Live. Don't give up."
The eldest boy hesitated, tears streaming down his face. "B-but… what about you, brother Arhaan?"
Arhaan's smile hardened into determination.
"I'll protect you… even if I have to fight the heavens themselves."
The children fled into the night.
Alone, Arhaan's body finally gave in. He fell forward into the mud.
Darkness.
A vast void spread before him. Black skies, endless chains wrapped around his soul, and in the distance—seven colossal seals, glowing faintly. Each seal pulsed like a heartbeat, restraining something immense and divine.
Arhaan's breath caught. "What… is this place?"
A voice, ancient and solemn, echoed within the void.
"Child abandoned by the heavens… you carry the chains of a forgotten god."
From the shadows emerged a figure—neither man nor beast, cloaked in starlight. Its eyes gleamed with the weight of eternity.
Arhaan's heart pounded. "Who are you?"
"Once, I was Azariel, the God of Mercy… betrayed by the heavens, shattered, sealed within mortal vessels. You… are the last fragment that bears my essence."
The seals pulsed violently, as though recognizing Arhaan's soul.
"Each seal you break will awaken a fragment of my divine power. But beware… every step defies heaven's will. Tribulations will descend. Gods themselves will move to erase you."
Arhaan clenched his fists. His body trembled, not from fear—but from conviction.
"If the heavens despise kindness, then I'll rewrite their laws. If gods fear me, then I'll surpass them."
The void shuddered. One of the seven seals cracked further, light spilling into his soul.
Azariel's voice thundered.
"Then rise, Arhaan—the world shall know the name of the boy who defies destiny."
Dawn.
Arhaan's eyes snapped open. The storm had passed.
His wounds were gone—replaced by a faint golden mark glowing on his chest, shaped like a broken chain.
He stood slowly, the ruined village silent around him.
The Iron Serpent disciples had fled in terror during the night. But this was only the beginning. Word would spread. Sects and clans would come for him.
Arhaan clenched his fist, the golden glow pulsing.
For the first time in his life, he felt the path ahead.
A path carved in defiance.
A path that would lead him… to godhood.