"Damn it… Did I fail to awaken? What went wrong?"
A figure, his entire body shrouded in a faint, glowing light, stood atop a mound of earth. Moments ago, he had just emerged from that very mound — one marked by an ancient, weathered gravestone whose name had long been erased by time. The grave looked neglected, covered in creeping vines, and the mound was overgrown with wild grass.
The man, wrapped in light, sighed as he lifted his face toward the sky, his crimson eyes dim with disappointment. He was tall, his body sculpted and strong. His long, jet-black hair fluttered in the wind, and his red eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
Once again, he let out a low sigh, lowering his gaze to the grave before him. Birds scattered from the nearby trees, startled as if sensing fear. He crouched before the tomb, staring at his nearly transparent hands.
"How many hundreds of years have I been gone…? Why is my resurrection like this?" he muttered, confusion heavy in his voice.
"My body has already been reduced to dust. Damn it, I can't believe this happened to me. It seems the gods have denied me my resurrection. Damn it all—this is infuriating. If that's the case, there's only one option left… I'll have to find a new body. How annoying!"
He kept grumbling, his face twisted in frustration and disappointment, before finally deciding to leave the ancient grave behind with a heavy sigh. But as he stepped away, his eyes widened in awe — before him stretched a magnificent city, glowing beneath an enchanting orange sky.
"What… what is this place?" he gasped.
"How long have I been dead? Has the world truly changed this much?" he wondered aloud, searching for an answer that never came.
He turned toward a man dressed in black, standing on the sidewalk, and reached out to tap his shoulder — but froze in shock as his hand passed straight through the man's body.
"What the—!!" he shouted in disbelief. The realization hit him like a thunderclap: he was nothing more than a ghost. That thought filled him with deeper disappointment than anything else.
"All right… where can I find a body to use?" he muttered, leaving the spot and drifting through the city streets. Towering buildings surrounded him, their lights blazing as the sun set, painting the city in glittering brilliance.
"This place… is incredible," he murmured, still amazed.
Suddenly, a woman's voice caught his attention.
"Come here, children! Mother's going to tell a story!"
He turned toward the sound and saw a group of children gathered on the porch of a small, neatly fenced house. An elderly woman sat before them, smiling as she began to speak.
"100,000 years ago — before the modern age we live in — there existed beings known as immortals. They were eternal, wielding power so great it could shake the very earth. With a single gesture, they could take a human life."
The man froze, eyes widening. The story… it felt eerily familiar.
He slowly approached, listening in silence as the woman continued her tale.
"100,000 years ago, a great war erupted among the immortals. The battle lasted for days, soaking the earth in blood. But before any could claim victory, disaster struck from the heavens! Lightning rained down, scorching the immortals. The ground quaked, splitting apart, and the seas rose in monstrous waves that swept the battlefield clean!"
The woman's expressive storytelling had the children gasping in awe.
"100,000 years ago…?" the man whispered, gazing up at the star-filled night sky. Memories of that war began flooding back to him.
His name was Theodore — an immortal who had lived 100,000 years ago, killed by the wrath of the heavens during that bloody war. A terrifying memory burned deep within his soul.
---
100,000 Years Ago
"Attack!!"
"Charge!!!"
The thunder of footsteps and the roar of battle filled the air. The clash of blades rang out, sharp and relentless.
Blood began to soak the soil. Theodore gripped his sword tightly, raising it high as he commanded his army to strike. His crimson eyes burned fiercely, void of fear.
With a swift motion, Theodore kicked his horse forward, the beast whinnying as it charged. His blade swung in wide, ruthless arcs — cutting down enemies without hesitation. Blood splattered across his armor, but he didn't flinch. Killing had long become second nature to him.
"They're too strong to defeat quickly," Theodore muttered grimly after three endless days of battle.
"Forward! Slay them all!" he bellowed, frustration seeping into his voice.
Then, without warning, the sky darkened — though the sun had been blazing moments before. Purple lightning danced violently across the heavens, striking the earth with devastating force.
"What is happening…?" Theodore whispered.
Bolts of lightning struck down countless warriors, followed by violent tremors that split the ground apart. Some soldiers fell into the cracks, their screams swallowed by the earth. Then came the sea — rising higher, roaring louder, as the world itself trembled.
"This isn't a disaster," Theodore murmured, his voice filled with dread. "This… is heaven's punishment."
He looked up at the storming sky. The waves drew closer, the lightning grew brighter. There would be no escape.
"So this is it… Heaven's wrath upon our war."
He exhaled deeply, closing his eyes amid the chaos, shutting out the screams of panic around him. His lips moved silently as his hands glowed with power, forming a seal.
A blinding bolt struck him squarely.
"I'll accept this death… but I will rise again," he whispered before his voice faded and his heart stilled.
---
That was what had happened 100,000 years ago — a death that still haunted him. Once, he had been one of the strongest immortals, feared and revered. Now, he was nothing but a wandering spirit without a body, searching endlessly for one to inhabit.
"No wonder the world has changed this much," he muttered. "It's been 100,000 years since the Sky's Wrath destroyed everything. Now, the immortals are nothing more than fairy tales."
At least now he had his answer — though it was far from comforting. He should have awakened 10,000 years after the Sky's Wrath, not 100,000. The realization filled him with rage.
"How long do I have to keep searching for a new body?!" he shouted in frustration.
With a heavy sigh, he continued through the bustling night streets. People moved about, unaware of the ghostly figure drifting past them.
He stopped at the sight of a massive screen on a building, displaying a vivid battle between humans and monsters.
"It looks… so real," he murmured, puzzled. But he dismissed it and moved on, focusing on his goal — finding a body.
Eventually, he came across a narrow alleyway. Inside, a young boy lay curled up in the corner, his body bruised and battered, surrounded by others who laughed as they beat him.
"How pitiful…" Theodore whispered, pity flickering in his crimson eyes.
---