The Boy who Refused to Kneel
There was nothing - replaced by an endless abyss where dead stars wandered without purpose.
What remained above was a cracked sea of darkness .
Cracks stretched across reality itself.
Behind those cracks lay things that no mortal mind could understand.
Broken worlds floating like i was nothing .
Entire civilizations had vanished.
Their histories forgotten .
Only silence remained.
At the center of that silence there is a throne.
A throne carved from the remains of fallen worlds .
Countless symbols covered its surface.
Each symbol represented a civilization.
A civilization that had once existed .
A civilization that had once fought .
A civilization that had eventually erased .
Upon that throne sat a man.
Or at least...
Something that resembled a man.
His golden glowing eyes overlooked existence itself.
His expression remained calm.
Indifferent.
As though everything that had happened was merely another page in a very long book.
The architect behind countless experiments.
The ruler before whom entire worlds kneel.
And before him stood a human.
A single human.
Blood stained his feet .
His body looked as though it should have collapsed long ago.
His clothes were torn in pieces .
His skin was covered in blood .
One arm was missing.
A deep wound stretched across his chest.
But he remained standing.
The surrounding divinities watched him in fear .
None of them understood how he was still alive.
By all logic..
By all calculations...
By human limits.....
The human should have died .
Yet he stood there.
Breathing.
Refusing to fail .
The man in throne observed him quietly.
Then he spoke.
His voice echoed throughout the shattered heavens.
"You have come far."
The human said nothing .
Silence.
"You survived wars."
Silence.
"You buried countless companions / friends ."
Silence.
He rested his chin upon one hand.
His gaze never left the human.
"Interesting."
A faint smile appeared.
"Even now, you refused to answer ."
The human slowly raised his head.
Their eyes met each other's.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Several lesser divinities knelt
Not because of the clan head.
Because of the human .
Something about this man felt wrong .
The man in throne noticed their reaction.
His smile widened slightly.
"Do you hate me?"
The question echoed through the battlefield .
The human remained silent.
He continued.
"Do you blame me for your suffering?"
Silence.
"Your family's death ?"
The human's fingers tightened.
"Your brother?"
The battlefield became colder.
He observed everything.
Every movement.
Every reaction.
Like a scientist studying a specimen.
Then he leaned forward.
"And if I told you..."
His golden eyes narrowed.
"...that your tragedy was insignificant?"
The surrounding divinities fell silent.
The human's breathing slowed.
He continued.
"Millions suffered."
"Billions suffered."
"Entire worlds suffered ."
His voice remained calm.
He spread his arms.
"They all served their purpose."
The silence that followed felt endless.
Then the human laughed.
A small laugh.
Tired.
Emotionless.
Broken.
The kind of laugh that comes after losing everything.
Several gods frowned .
He merely watched.
The human slowly lifted his remaining hand.
Not toward the throne.
Not toward the divinities.
Toward the sky.
Toward the broken abyss above.
His voice was hoarse.
"You call this purpose?"
The question lingered.
He remained silence
The human lowered his hand.
For a moment, neither side moved.
The battlefield remained frozen.
Then something strange happened.
The shadows beneath the human's feet shifted slightly.
Barely noticeable.
Like a ripple crossing the surface of water.
The surrounding divinities immediately froze.
One took a step back.
Another unconsciously tightened his grip on his weapon.
None of them understood why.
Only instinct spoke.
An ancient instinct.
The instinct that prey feels before the arrival of a predator.
The movement disappeared.
He remained silent.
His smile slowly faded.
Not completely.
Only slightly.
But for the first time since the beginning of the conversation...
His attention sharpened.
The human noticed.
The smile appeared on his own face .
Yet both understood.
The battlefield had changed.
Something unseen now stood between them.
Something neither the gods nor the human acknowledged.
A long silence followed.
Finally...
He stood from his throne.
The surrounding heavens trembled.
Entire worlds shook.
Several divine beings immediately knelt.
Yet the human remained standing.
Alone.
Broken.
Bleeding.
He stared at him.
For the first time in countless ages...
His golden eyes no longer held amusement.
Only curiosity.
And something else.
he had not felt for a very long time.
Uncertainty.
---
Broken memories flickered before the eyes like the scattered glass
One was already wondering how much pain a person could endure before they broke.
A small black cat sat behind a school building.
It swayed its tail
A boy crouched in front of it.
He carefully broke a piece of bread into smaller pieces.
The cat immediately began eating.
The boy smiled.
It was a small smile.
One nobody at school had ever seen.
"Eat slowly."
The cat ignored him and continued devouring the bread.
The boy laughed quietly.
For a brief moment...
Everything felt normal.
Neither the boy nor the cat noticed the four figures watching from the other side of the building.
One of them was already smiling.
