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Chapter 1 – Eternal Darkness
The darkness was eternal — and so was I.
There wasn't even the faintest sign of an exit.
Yes, I died...
It wasn't a glorious death, nor was it cruel.
I simply died in my sleep, probably some sudden illness. And since the day of my death, I've been here — in this place.
Days? Months? Centuries? Millennia?
I have no idea. I only know that I'm here, and I've long since given up hope of change.
That's when it appeared.
(System activated)
"What the hell is that?" I asked, my voice trembling in the void.
(Choose)
Prometheus – Fire – Potential: S
Artemis – The Moon – Potential: A
Thor – God of Thunder – Potential: S
Susanoo – God of War – Potential: A
Loki – The Trickster – Potential: A
Amaterasu – The Sun – Potential: S
Choose... Choose... Choose...
"Well, it's not like I've got anything else to do…" I muttered. "Only three of them have an S potential… and one's a woman. Still, I'd rather stay far away from the Norse gods."
"I choose… Prometheus."
The moment I said it, light engulfed everything.
(Prometheus chosen. Initializing world entry...)
Everything turned white. Then I opened my eyes.
I was standing inside a golden temple. Memories began flooding my mind — all the pain, all the torment — and I finally understood who I was.
(The curse upon you has been lifted. Due to your long period of dormancy, your divinity has decayed.)
A robotic voice echoed inside my head.
(Initializing system...)
Name: Prometheus
Race: Divinity (Fallen)
Domain: Fire
Rank: E
Faith Points: 50/1000 (for Rank D)
(History: Prometheus was one of the Titans — among the strongest who fought alongside the gods to end Cronus's tyranny. He was the creator of mankind, and when he gave them the fire of knowledge, Zeus blackmailed him with threats against humanity, for Zeus feared he couldn't defeat Prometheus alone. To protect his creation, Prometheus surrendered. For millennia, he was tortured and isolated until his divine essence was broken, reduced to that of a fallen god. Now, he depends on human faith to survive. If he regains his divinity, he will be free from the chains of human imagination.)
Millennia of agony rushed through me. And I finally understood why I was still… myself.
Prometheus had died long before his body did. The pain was simply too much.
I sighed and decided to leave the mountain I was standing on.
Apparently, I was in America. Even cursed, Prometheus still lingered among mortals.
I walked down into the city, trimmed my hair, and shaved — though, luckily, my skin was invulnerable. The blade didn't even scratch me.
I looked like a 17-year-old boy.
Blending in would be easy — as long as no one found out who I truly was.
This was a modern world. Walking around claiming to be a god would only cause problems.
That's when I had a stupid idea.
Why not start… at school?
I was still in school when I died.
Might as well finish what I started.
I chose New York as my new beginning.
And the first thing that caught my attention were names I actually recognized — and that terrified me.
Tony Stark existed. A billionaire weapons manufacturer.
Which meant… this was the Marvel universe.
A giant green monster had recently attacked the city — no doubt, the Hulk.
Great. Just great.
The first thing I did was find a man who could forge me some fake documents. Not hard when you know where to look — and thanks to Prometheus's memories, I knew exactly how.
I changed my name to Elias Protheus, my original human name.
With a few simple magical tricks — gifts from Prometheus's divine memory — I conjured enough money to live comfortably.
It didn't take long before I enrolled at Bayville High. The name sounded familiar somehow, though I couldn't place it.
I hypnotized the principal (a little divine influence still worked) and got myself a seat in the back of the class.
The first few classes were mind-numbingly dull.
I started regretting the whole "school" idea.
Then… something strange happened.
A faint tingling spread across my forehead — ancient, powerful, and familiar.
The remnants of Prometheus within me recoiled instinctively. It was like a father sensing danger to his children — a primal urge to destroy the threat.
"Miss Gray, would you please pay attention to the lesson?" the teacher's voice pulled me out of my daze.
I looked up.
A redhead — beautiful, radiant, and utterly breathtaking — turned toward the teacher.
"Sorry, ma'am. I'll focus," she said, turning back to her book.
Jean Gray.
Wait a damn second…
This universe had the X-Men, too?