The blinding spear of light descended like judgment from the heavens.
Kael didn't think—he moved.
Or rather, something within him moved. Instinct, perhaps. Or the divine fragment now woven into his soul.
His right hand raised on its own. His palm glowed with a brilliant silver glyph—an unknown symbol that pulsed with raw power. The light spear struck—
And stopped.
Mid-air.
Frozen in place as though time itself had refused to let it pass.
Kael stared at it, wide-eyed.
The Collector's grin faded. "Interesting…"
The suspended spear of light began to vibrate violently, cracks forming along its glowing surface.
And then—
It shattered.
Exploding in a thousand glittering fragments that dissolved into nothingness.
Kael stumbled back, his breath ragged. Whatever force had stopped that attack wasn't something he fully controlled.
Yet.
The Collector cocked his head, studying Kael with unnerving calm. "I see. You didn't just awaken a spark. You bonded with an unclaimed divinity."
Kael's fists clenched. "I don't know what that means."
The man's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Oh, you will."
With a flick of his fingers, four shadowy glyphs materialized behind him. From them emerged grotesque creatures—twisted humanoid figures made of bone, smoke, and black fire. Their mouths were too wide. Their eyes bled silver tears. Their very presence bent the light around them.
"Most mortals never even feel a divine spark, let alone absorb one," the Collector said. "Yet here you are. A gutter rat… becoming a god."
Kael's body tensed. His instincts screamed danger.
The creatures lunged.
Kael raised both arms, and a wave of silver-blue energy burst outward in a radiant pulse.
The shockwave slammed into the creatures, blasting them back—but not destroying them. They reformed, limbs cracking, shrieking in rage.
One charged him, claws ready.
Kael stepped forward, placing a hand on its chest.
"Break," he whispered.
The creature turned to crystal and then exploded into dust.
Another leapt at him from behind.
Kael spun, eyes flashing, and a silver chain burst from his palm, wrapping around its neck and slamming it into the ground with a thunderous crack.
The remaining two circled him cautiously.
But Kael's hands were already glowing with runes he didn't understand—shapes moving across his skin like living fire.
He pointed toward the sky.
A ring of light formed above him. Then another. And another—three concentric circles that spun and hummed like ancient machines waking from slumber.
Kael's voice echoed without him meaning to speak:
> "Command Seal: Soul Render—Cascade Form."
The circles unleashed a beam of cascading light that split into hundreds of threads—each one piercing the creature's core.
They didn't scream. They simply ceased to exist.
Silence fell.
The air was thick with power. The world seemed to hold its breath.
Kael stood, panting, his body trembling from the strain. He didn't know how he had done any of it. The magic, the runes, the commands—they came to him like muscle memory, as if his soul had done this before.
The Collector clapped slowly.
"Well done," he said, unfazed. "Very well done."
Kael looked up. "What do you want from me?"
The man's smile returned—colder this time. "I want to kill you, boy. Not out of anger. Not revenge. Simply… necessity."
"Why?"
"Because you're not meant to exist."
Kael frowned. "You said that before. What does it mean?"
The Collector took a slow step forward.
"There are many gods in this world. Most are born of belief, or forged from ancient forces. But sometimes, a fragment of divinity—raw, unbound power—slips through the cracks. A remnant of a dead god. A spark with no home."
Kael's eyes widened.
"That's what I touched?"
"Yes," the Collector said. "And by bonding with it… you've become a threat to the Balance."
"Balance?"
"Every god, every divine entity, is part of the order. Their power is accounted for. Monitored. But you—" he pointed a gloved finger—"you are not registered. You are a rogue godling. A flaw."
Kael's voice dropped to a growl. "I didn't choose this."
"No," the Collector agreed. "But power doesn't care."
Kael's heart raced. He didn't understand everything. But he understood one thing: this man wasn't here to reason.
He was here to eliminate him.
Kael took a step back. Then another. His mind raced.
Too much power… too fast. I can't control it yet.
The Collector's body began to shimmer, his shadow elongating unnaturally. "Next time we meet, I won't test you. I'll end you."
Kael raised his hand, but before he could summon anything, the man vanished—consumed by his own shadow.
Gone.
Just like that.
Kael stood there, panting, shaking, and alone.
The silence returned.
---
Hours passed.
Kael wandered.
He passed through streets he once feared—where the hungry prowled and gangs ruled. Now, people stepped aside when he walked past. Some stared. Some bowed their heads.
He didn't know if it was fear… or reverence.
Eventually, he reached the outskirts of the city, where the stone buildings gave way to twisted forests and forgotten ruins. He needed space. Time to think.
And answers.
What am I now?
As he walked into the woods, a voice rang in his mind again. Familiar now.
> "Would you like to see your status?"
Kael stopped.
"Status?"
> Affirmative. Displaying Divine Core Interface.
A glowing screen of light appeared in the air before him, words written in clean silver text.
---
[Name]: Kael
Race: Mortal (?)
Divine Core: Fragmented — (Origin: Unknown Deity)
Tier: Ascendant-Class (Unregistered)
Divine Attributes:
Soul Density: 12% (Awakening)
Power Regulation: Unstable
Divine Affinity: Null, Creation, Judgment
Domain Alignment: Undefined
Skills Unlocked:
Command Seal (Stage I)
Divine Pulse (Passive)
Celestial Chain (Activated)
Soul Render – Cascade Form
Temporal Perception (Locked)
Threat Level: Severe / Unknown
---
Kael read it twice.
Mortal (?), it said.
Unregistered…
He wasn't even fully human anymore.
"Command Seal… Soul Render…" He whispered the names of the abilities, and they echoed in his mind like old songs.
He closed the interface.
I need help.
---
Kael remembered something.
An old legend.
Deep in the Silverpine Forest, past the ruins of an ancient temple, there lived a mad sage. A seer. Banished by the gods for knowing too much.
The Oracle of Shattered Stars.
They said she spoke in riddles, read destinies, and could see fragments of forgotten truths.
If anyone could tell him what he was, it would be her.
Kael turned toward the trees.
And walked.
---
The forest was alive with silence. Not the peaceful kind—this was the kind that made your skin crawl. As if something ancient slumbered just beneath the moss.
Kael walked for hours.
The deeper he went, the more the world warped. Trees grew too tall. The sky faded to gray. Whispers brushed against his ears.
Then—
He found it.
A circular ruin. Stone pillars crumbled, half-swallowed by vines. At its center, a shallow pool reflected the stars, even though it was midday.
Kael stepped forward.
And a voice echoed around him:
> "The godless one arrives…"
Kael froze. "Oracle?"
A woman stepped from behind a pillar. Eyes covered with a silver cloth. Hair pale like starlight. She looked no older than thirty, but her presence made the forest bow.
"You carry a stolen spark," she said.
Kael opened his mouth, but she raised a hand.
"Do not speak. Listen."
She walked around him in a slow circle, fingers brushing the air. "You were chosen not by chance, but by rejection. The fragment sought one who had lost everything. Someone empty enough to be filled."
Kael frowned. "What does that mean for me?"
The Oracle tilted her head. "It means you are a vessel. And vessels can either ascend… or break."
Kael clenched his fists. "How do I control it?"
The Oracle paused. Then pointed at his chest. "By understanding who you are. And what you must become."
She reached into her robes and handed him a small stone—inscribed with shifting runes.
"This is a Waystone. Follow where it burns brightest. It will lead you to the first of your Trials."
"Trials?"
But the Oracle was already fading.
"One more thing," she said, her voice distant. "You are not the only one to bond with a divine spark."
Kael's heart skipped.
"There are others?" he asked.
"Yes. Some chosen by fate. Others… by force."
Her eyes, though blindfolded, seemed to pierce through him.
"And one of them… is hunting you already."
---
[TO BE CONTINUED]