Winter slowly stirred from unconsciousness, her eyes fluttering open.
"Where am I?" she muttered to herself, shaking her groggy head. Memories flooded back. "Right! I fell into that cave!"
She glanced around, piecing things together. "This place is just a hollowed-out mountain. Three tunnels, a few ice chambers—pretty bare-bones! So… am I still inside the mountain, or under it?"
"Lucky I didn't die from that fall!" she added with a wry grin.
The space around her was sealed tight by thick layers of earth, cloaked in darkness. The only light came from a faint glow to her right, spilling out of a cave.
"Come to me, my child!"
A gentle, unfamiliar female voice echoed in her mind, warm like a mother's embrace.
A strange pull tugged at Winter's soul, urging her forward. Trusting her instincts, she stepped toward the cave's entrance.
As she entered, the scene opened up dramatically. Glowing magical crystals studded the walls, just like the ones above in the mountain, illuminating a chamber the size of a tavern with a dazzling, daylight-like glow.
In the center of the vast space stood a massive ice coffin. Inside lay two breathtakingly beautiful women, perfectly preserved despite their apparent death long ago. Their faces were nearly identical, their auras strikingly similar, but their clothing set them apart—one in black, the other in white.
The Black and White Maidens?! Winter's mind raced to the story Kira and the others had shared at the tavern last night.
"Looks like you already know who we are."
A second voice, sharp and commanding yet eerily similar to the first, rang in her head.
Winter glanced up at the ice coffin. Those voices had to be coming from them. But weren't they supposed to have died a thousand years ago?
"We are long dead. This is merely a remnant of our consciousness, lingering to pass on our power."
"You can hear my thoughts?" Winter asked aloud.
"Of course. Our blood flows through your veins."
"Blood? The Isisnu Clan?" Winter recalled the ancient lineage her father and uncle often spoke of. "So, are you really gods?"
"Gods? No, we're not gods. But we are the children of gods."
Perhaps sensing their time was short, the Black and White Maidens pulled Winter into their memories.
---
In this world, there existed beings blessed by the heavens themselves. From the moment they gained consciousness, they wielded powers far beyond those of humans. They called this power magic and named themselves gods.
"Another human asked me today how they can learn magic," one god grumbled. "As if I'd know!"
"If they could use magic, maybe they'd live better lives," another laughed. "Too bad for them!"
"Humans are kind of adorable, though," a third chimed in. "I heard some gods have even fallen for them. How fun is that?"
"Really? I can't wait to see what their future holds!"
Gods and humans lived harmoniously on the continent, and over time, some gods and humans grew close, forming bonds of love.
One day, a shocking discovery spread: the children of gods and humans could wield magic.
"Did you hear? That kid born from a human and a god can use magic!"
"No way! So humans can learn magic now?"
"They're calling them 'Mages.'"
"Awesome! I want my kid to be a Mage too!"
"Dream on! No god's gonna fall for you!"
To pass on their magic, more gods united with humans, ushering in the age of human magic.
---
But perhaps as punishment for gods sharing magic with humans, a new race emerged. Their sole purpose: to destroy the gods. They called themselves demons.
"Demons? What are those?"
"They're like gods, born with immense power."
"Jealous! Are they as friendly as the gods? Maybe we'll all be pals someday!"
"No way. I heard demons hate gods. They're always picking fights, even attacking outright!"
"What?! So they're enemies?"
Soon, the gods, leading their human Mages, clashed with the demons. Both sides suffered heavy losses.
"These demons are relentless! Where did they even come from?"
"Chief, three more of our comrades were gravely wounded by demons. They can't be healed."
"Let them see their families one last time."
"Please, save my family!"
"We've done all we can. I'm sorry."
"You're gods! You have magic! Save them!"
The demons seemed to possess an innate ability to corrupt hearts. They won over humans consumed by darkness, offering them power.
"Why can everyone else become a Mage, but not me?"
"Even if I married a god, I wouldn't get the power! I want it too!"
"Power! Magic! I need it!"
"If I had magic, my family wouldn't have died!"
"Gods have all that power and still can't protect us. What kind of gods are they?!"
Greed, hatred, rage, resentment, inferiority—the demons' whispers stoked the darkness in human hearts. Some humans joined the demons, transformed by their essence into demons themselves. The survival rate was low, but those who succeeded gained immense power.
"Become a demon, and you'll have power!"
But there was another, safer method with fewer risks.
"Kill a god, and you'll inherit their power."
"Kill a god? They're our allies!"
"When they let your family die, did they treat you like an ally?"
"No way! If I did that, I'd never be welcome back in the tribe. And who knows if it even works?"
"Look, just put a wounded god out of their misery. Give them a peaceful end. Try it, and you'll see."
The demons didn't lie. Killing a god granted their power—not just their magic, but a new kind capable of rivaling gods: God-Slaying Magic.
"Traitors! These filthy humans killed their own allies for power and dare call themselves new gods?!"
"Drive all humans from our lands! No more unions between gods and humans!"
"From now on, demons and humans are enemies of the gods!"
Humans discovered they could not only gain God-Slaying Magic by killing gods but also teach it to others. Only humans could learn it—demons couldn't.
It was as if fate had decreed: humans would replace the gods.
"Who gave you the magic you dreamed of?"
"Who saved you and your families from the war between gods and demons?"
"We did!"
"Tell me, who are the true heroes?!"
"The gods are a decaying race, rejected by the heavens, no better than demons!"
"From this day forward, we humans will stand at the top of the continent. We are the new gods!"
Feed the author—vote now or the story starves 😭"
Want 2 chapters a day? You know what to do!