The sky above the Flame Gardens shimmered with the bright hues of molten reds and fiery oranges, casting an ethereal glow upon the land. The air was thick, charged with anticipation, and a sense of dread loomed in every corner. As the masses gathered, the energy in the air began to surge. It was as if the very earth itself could feel the weight of what was to come.
Aiden stood among them, his fists clenched at his sides. He couldn't shake the feeling that the entire world had turned against him. And he was right. The god of war, Vael'thyr, was coming, and there was no escaping the fate that awaited them.
The ground trembled beneath their feet as a deafening roar echoed through the sky. The clouds parted, revealing a figure descending from the heavens. Vael'thyr appeared in his true form—a towering figure with golden eyes that blazed like the sun, his body muscular and rippling with power. He wore armor made of ethereal fire, his hair a wild cascade of flames. His presence was overwhelming, suffocating in its sheer majesty.
With a single step, Vael'thyr landed on the earth, sending shockwaves through the Flame Gardens. His feet made no sound upon impact, but the energy he radiated seemed to reverberate across the landscape, like the prelude to a thunderstorm. He stood tall and mighty, exuding the kind of power that made even the bravest warriors falter.
"Let the countdown begin!" Vael'thyr's voice boomed, filling the air with an almost divine resonance. It was as if the heavens themselves were announcing the start of something catastrophic.
At his command, a screen materialized in the sky, the numbers flashing in bold, ominous font: 10… 9… 8… 7…
Aiden's heart pounded in his chest, and his mind raced. The countdown... it was real. The event of doom was starting. He could feel the weight of it pressing down on him.
But it wasn't just the countdown that terrified him; it was the realization that he was standing at the precipice of something far greater than himself. Vael'thyr, the god who had cursed him, stood before him, and he wasn't sure how to survive what came next.
"6… 5… 4…" the countdown continued.
Aiden's fists tightened. He had no idea how to survive this. He wasn't even at level 50 yet. The screen above him flashed with the rapidly decreasing numbers, and the air crackled with the sense that something dangerous was about to unfold.
But before he could even think of a plan, a sudden shift in the atmosphere made everyone freeze.
Kaelis, who had been observing the scene with cold amusement, raised his hand. He stepped forward, grinning like a predator eyeing his prey.
The air around him crackled with malicious energy, and without warning, he blasted the ground beneath him with a surge of power. The explosion sent dozens of lower-level participants flying, their bodies tumbling through the air like ragdolls.
"Pathetic," Kaelis sneered, his voice dripping with disdain as he watched the chaos unfold. His eyes glinted with superiority as he surveyed the fallen participants.
Aiden gritted his teeth, his anger flaring. He wasn't going to let this happen, not again.
But just as the tide of destruction seemed about to surge further, a figure appeared. Jin, the boy who had become his friend, stepped into the fray. His yellow eyes glowed with determination, his body emanating an aura of calm amidst the chaos.
"Aiden, this isn't your fight," Jin called out, his voice carrying over the battlefield.
Aiden blinked in surprise. What did he mean by that?
"We need to get to the Flame Gardens, now," Jin continued, urgency in his tone. "We have no time to waste."
Before Aiden could respond, Jin grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the chaos. They darted through the crowd, weaving between the bodies of fallen participants as the god of war, Vael'thyr, remained standing in the center of it all.
As they approached the entrance to the Flame Gardens, Aiden couldn't help but look back. The landscape behind him was filled with destruction. Kaelis continued to toy with the participants, his smile growing more sinister with each passing moment.
But it wasn't Kaelis that frightened Aiden now—it was what awaited them in the Flame Gardens.
The entrance loomed ahead, a massive archway adorned with fiery runes that seemed to glow with their own heat. As they stepped through, Aiden's senses were immediately overwhelmed. The air was thick with the scent of burning wood, and the ground beneath his feet felt unnervingly warm.
The Flame Gardens were unlike anything Aiden had seen before. A vast, sprawling landscape stretched out before him, filled with pools of molten lava, massive pillars of fire rising from the ground, and trees with leaves that burned with a bright, otherworldly glow. The flames danced around them, licking at the sky, casting long, twisting shadows on the ground.
This was the heart of the Event of Doom. Aiden could feel the pressure building in the air. His pulse quickened, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, he felt small. He wasn't ready for this.
Jin released his grip on Aiden's arm, stepping forward into the center of the Flame Gardens. "We have to stay here until the event begins. It's the only way we'll survive."
Aiden looked around, taking in the surroundings. The vast expanse was filled with others—warriors, mages, and fighters of all kinds. They were all here for one purpose: to participate in the Event of Doom. But as he looked around, he realized something that chilled him to the core.
Everyone here had a purpose, a reason to fight. They were all united by one thing: the promise of power, the promise of survival, the promise of victory. And yet, Aiden knew that not everyone would make it out alive. The countdown had started, and soon, the flames would be unleashed.
Suddenly, a loud roar echoed through the air, causing the ground to shake. A massive figure appeared in the distance, silhouetted against the blazing sky. It was the Shadow Monarch—the boss of the Event of Doom.
The enormous creature emerged from the darkness, its form shifting and morphing like a living shadow. It was a towering figure, its body cloaked in darkness, with glowing red eyes that gleamed like embers. Its monstrous form stretched far above them, dwarfing even the largest of the participants.
Aiden's heart raced as the creature stepped forward, each footfall sending shockwaves through the ground. Its voice rang out, deep and guttural, as it issued a command to the assembled crowd.
"Foolish mortals," the Shadow Monarch growled. "Prepare to die."
Before anyone could react, the Shadow Monarch surged forward, its shadowy tendrils reaching out to strike. But just as the attack seemed inevitable, something unexpected happened.
Blue energy erupted from Aiden's body, surging through the air with blinding intensity. His body was filled with a power he hadn't felt before, a force that surged within him like an unstoppable wave. The Shadow Monarch's tendrils were frozen mid-air, their movements halted as time seemed to slow.
Aiden's eyes glowed a brilliant blue, and with a single movement, he unleashed a burst of energy that obliterated the shadowlings that had accompanied the Shadow Monarch.
"Level 42," the voice of his personal assistant echoed in his mind, its tone calm and analytical.
But Aiden barely registered the notification. His focus was solely on the creature before him, the Shadow Monarch. His fury boiled over, the flames of his anger flickering in his chest as the Shadow Monarch stood frozen, its form still writhing in the energy Aiden had unleashed.
And then, for the briefest moment, everything stopped.
Aiden's gaze locked with the Shadow Monarch's glowing eyes, and he could see the confusion and disbelief in its dark gaze. The shadowy figure wasn't just stunned—it was afraid.
"Time…," the Shadow Monarch muttered, its voice trembling. "What have you done?"
Vael'thyr, who had been watching from afar, appeared suddenly in front of Aiden. His golden eyes flickered with anger and shock. "The Time God... betrayed me?" he whispered, his voice thick with rage.
Aiden stood tall, defiant. "I will make you bleed, Vael'thyr. One day, I will make you regret ever crossing me."
And with that, time surged forward once more.