Memories surged through Kael's mind, a tidal wave of forgotten lifetimes. He saw himself—not as a mortal, but as the Supreme God who once ruled the heavens.
He saw his dominion over the cosmos, the reverence of countless civilizations across infinite stars. But with power came solitude, and with solitude, the unbearable weight of eternity.
I was alone.
The vision shifted. He saw himself standing before a council of celestial beings—other gods, their faces filled with judgment.
"You seek to abandon divinity?" one demanded.
Kael—no, his past self—stood unyielding. "I seek purpose. What is eternity without meaning? What is omnipotence without struggle? I choose to fall."
A wave of outrage erupted among the gods.
"Then you shall be stripped of all memory! Cast down into the world of mortals! If you are truly worthy, you shall reclaim what you have lost. But if you fail… you will fade into oblivion."
And so, he fell.
The vision ended.
---
The Awakening
Kael gasped, his body trembling as he returned to the present. Elyra and the old man watched in silent concern.
"I remember…" His voice was barely a whisper. "I remember everything."
The Celestial Archive trembled, reacting to his realization. The floating tomes swirled around him, their pages opening of their own accord. They recognized him. The knowledge of ages was his to claim once more.
Elyra stepped forward hesitantly. "Then… what happens now?"
Kael clenched his fists. "Now, we prepare. Because the gods who cast me down will not let me rise again without a fight."
A deep rumble shook the archive.
They were coming.
---
To be continued…