Chapter 1 — Pain and Awakening
Pain.
It was the only thing Elias truly knew.
The scorching sun burned his skin as sweat mixed with dust and blood, running down his exhausted body. His hands trembled under the unbearable weight of the massive stone block he was forced to carry.
— Move!
The snap of a whip tore through the air.
A man next to him screamed as the blow struck his back, splitting his flesh. He collapsed, too weak to continue.
Elias gritted his teeth.
No one moved to help.
No one dared.
In that world, the weak were discarded… and slaves were worth even less.
He forced his body forward, one unsteady step at a time. His legs shook. His vision blurred. Every breath felt like fire in his chest.
How long…How long will this continue?
Another scream echoed.
Elias turned his head.
The fallen slave was being whipped repeatedly, his body too weak to resist.
Something inside Elias broke.
Before he could control himself, he stepped forward.
— Stop!
Silence fell instantly.
The overseer turned slowly, cold eyes fixed on Elias.
— And who are you — he said, raising the whip — to speak?
Elias's heart pounded, but he did not look away.
— He can't continue… he will die.
The whip came down.
Pain exploded across Elias's back, stealing the air from his lungs.
But he did not scream.
Another strike.
And another.
Until his body could no longer stand.
As darkness claimed his vision, his last thought echoed:
If there is a god… why does he allow this?
Above the Mortal World
Far beyond mortal eyes, a presence watched in silence.
A god.
He had witnessed countless lives… countless souls.
Yet none had ever captured his attention.
Until now.
— Interesting…
His voice carried a faint curiosity.
— Even in despair… he chooses to fight for others.
A slight smile appeared.
— Perhaps… I have found him.
The Divine Task
That night, as the world fell into suffocating silence, Elias dreamed.
The god appeared before him, vast and overwhelming, a presence that bent reality itself.
— You… finally hear me — the voice echoed, deep and absolute.
— I have searched for eras… for centuries… for someone worthy. You… even broken… even lost… still carry what this world has forgotten: a righteous heart.
A divine light began to fill Elias's chest.
— The forces approaching do not seek only to destroy… they wish to erase all existence. And you… will be the one to stop them.
Elias tried to speak:
— Me…? Why me…?
— Because, even without power… you never gave up — the god answered.
— From this moment… you are no longer merely a man. You are my apostle.
Then, as the vision faded, the god added a task:
— Your first mission is to become a knight-apprentice of the Saints. To do so, you must travel to my Central Temple, where the Trial of Proving will determine if you are ready. You will become an apprentice in one week. Until then, meditate upon my being and train your mind to awaken your divine power. The first trial will test this power. Now… I will withdraw.
The Awakening
Elias awoke in the early hours, body still aching, but mind resolute.
I will not disappoint the trust the god placed in me.
He sat in the lotus position and closed his eyes, focusing on the mantra taught by the divine presence:
— Beloved Father… I will protect the world from all evil.
At first, the words stumbled from his lips, each syllable a struggle. But with each repetition, his body responded. His wounds began to heal, and a faint white light shimmered around him, growing stronger as hours passed.
By dawn, his body felt entirely renewed—limbs steady, muscles energized, all scars erased as if he had never been beaten. His spirit surged with vitality.
When he walked to his labor, the overseers gaped. Elias moved with precision, strength, and speed unlike anything they had ever witnessed. Tasks that would take hours for others were completed in mere minutes.
Whispers spread among the watchers: "He… he is no longer the same man."
And they were right. He was not.
Meditation had awakened something ancient and powerful within him. The divine spark was now alive, faint but undeniable, ready to grow.