Chapter One: The Lost Epitaph
Thunder rolled endlessly across a mountain that seemed to pierce the heavens themselves. Bolts of lightning carved jagged scars in the clouds, yet above that chaos a laugh rang out—loud, triumphant, unrestrained.
"Ha! At last! A primordial-level epitaph!"
The voice belonged to a man of diminutive height, his frame no taller than a child's, yet his presence carried the weight of eons. His beard was a tangled storm of silver, his eyes burning like twin stars long since collapsed. A dwarf—ancient beyond measure, older than the suns he had watched die—stood before a creation that defied all reason.
Floating inches above the ground was a construct shaped like a twisted figure-eight, or perhaps the endless loop of infinity itself. Its surface bore carvings—too many to count, markings so fine and complex they seemed impossible to exist, as if the symbol were both no larger than an atom and at the same time vaster than galaxies. Power rippled off it in wild, uncontrolled waves.
The dwarf reached forward, gnarled hands trembling with desire. "Now let us see who dares to rival me… with this in my grasp—"
But he stopped.
The air around the epitaph wavered, cracked, and twisted. For a moment the mountain, the storm, even causality itself bent unnaturally around it.
"Huh? What's happening?"
The dwarf's voice rose with confusion, then alarm. The distortion ceased as suddenly as it began—and the epitaph was gone.
"My… epitaph?" His words boomed louder than thunder. "Who dares steal from me?!" His fury split the skies, yet there was no answer.
Far beyond his reach, in the cold emptiness of the void, the epitaph had become a streak of light. It tore through the dark like a falling star, warping space and time with every pulse, vanishing into the endless reaches of creation.
On a distant planet, far removed from storms and ancient dwarves, the night was quiet.
A boy no older than sixteen stumbled through the narrow alleys of a quiet town, breath ragged, heart pounding. His name was Seth. Average in every way—average looks, average grades, average physique—yet right now, his life was anything but.
He glanced behind him, hoping he had escaped, only to collide head-first into someone waiting ahead.
"Where do you think you're going, trash?"
The words froze him. Slowly, Seth turned. Three figures blocked the alley, shadows stretched long under the dim moonlight. At the center stood Sam—golden-haired, pride etched into his smirk. The son of a wealthy tech magnate, heir to everything he desired. Everything… except Sophia.
Ever since Seth had dared to ask her out a year ago, Sam had made him his favorite target.
"I asked you a question," Sam said, his tone sharp as broken glass. His two friends flanked him, both smirking with cruel anticipation. One had raven hair that gleamed with unnatural sheen, his gaze dripping arrogance. The other, shorter with sword-like brows, wore a mask of purity that made his malice all the more jarring.
"Heh, brother Sam," the raven-haired boy chuckled, "he looks like he's running."
"Good thing he's slow," the other added. "Otherwise, he might've gotten away."
Seth's body trembled. He wanted to run, to scream, to fight back—but fear anchored his feet to the ground.
"Let's not waste time," Sam said coldly. "We've got a party to catch."
The three descended on him like wolves. Fists slammed into his ribs, his gut, his face. Every blow forced the air from his lungs, until all he could do was curl into himself. They laughed as they left him crumpled on the ground, satisfied, their footsteps fading into the distance.
Minutes passed before Seth dared to move. Tears blurred his vision as he forced his battered body upright. Each step back to his hostel room was agony, but somehow he made it, collapsing face-first onto the bed. Exhaustion pulled him under almost instantly.
He didn't see the cracks forming in the air above him.
He didn't hear the low hum of power vibrating through the room.
As Reality itself split apart in silence.
From the void, the epitaph emerged. Its presence was suffocating, bending the world around it. For a heartbeat, all of existence seemed to pause. Then, like a spear of light, it plunged straight into Seth's sleeping body.
The pressure vanished. The room stilled. To anyone else, it was as if nothing had happened.
But deep beneath the earth, at the site of a long-slumbering world core, something ancient stirred.
Eyes that had been closed for ages opened once more, staring upward. Its awakening rippled across the land, whispering of change.
The world had noticed.
And it would never be the same again.