Chapter 1: GOD

A man sat on a chair. The room he was in had no light, save a lamp atop a table. Aside from the table, there was nothing of interest in the room. There were only a bed and a wardrobe. The man stretched, sighing. Something important was going to happen today. Something that would later change the very world this man inhabited.

On the table was an orb, but it was more than just a white sphere. This globe allowed the man to see events that were happening in the other realms in Yggdrasil. In particular, the man was interested in what was going on in Stella, the realm of the sentinels. For millennia, the demons have warred with the sentinels. It had consumed the man's life. The man's attempts to stop the fighting had been in vain, but he believed he found someone who would bring the war to a close in the future. No, he knew he found someone who would bring peace to the world.

The figure of a small boy appeared in the orb. This boy had sandy hair in messy bangs and bright amber eyes. His skin was tanned, and he was playing with a girl that seemed his age, with both wearing black pajamas. The girl was pretty, with silver-white hair and bloodred eyes. One could see the fangs in her mouth and readily identify her as a vampire if the hair and the eyes didn't give it away. The girl was exceptional given her age. From her aura, the man deduced that she was a royal, the third stage in a vampire's evolution cycle. Royals were part of the elite in vampire society and were quite strong. The boy was less impressive. He had not evolved at all and was just an ordinary weak boy, an average sentinel. But the man knew the boy was much more special than the girl. Yes, the boy had it in him to become the God of this world.

A voice spoke in the man's mind. "You're observing him again."

"Yes," the man said in his mind. "Hello, Lady Veta."

"You can just call me Veta, Tempestas."

"Very well, my lord. The boy's life is as normal as ever."

"Yes, but that will soon change. You know this, don't you?"

"Of course, Veta. That boy is our God. His life must change if he is to fulfill our wish." The image in the orb changed. Now it showed a house, with a field beside it. In the sky were two winged sky dragons. Essentially, they were large hideous creatures, a skeletal corpse on two large wings. Unfortunately, they were quite powerful. One of them on its own was on par with a royal.

"Veta, it seems change is happening sooner than we think. Two winged sky dragons are approaching that boy's home."

"I see that. I did wish for the boy to enjoy his days a little while longer. Fetch him, Tempestas. The boy must not die. Take the vampire he's with also."

Gil and Maria were playing a game of chess on Gil's bed. No matter how hard Gil tried, Maria would often win, although seldom would Gil squeak by with checkmate or draw out the match long enough for it to be considered a tie.

Gil checked Maria's king, but Maria took Gil's queen. Gil took Maria's queen and tried to take her bishop as well, but instead, his rook was taken. Maria then promptly put her rook five spaces to the right of Gil's king, checkmating it.

Gil lay down on his bed. "Damm, I thought I was going to win this time. I honestly shouldn't be surprised. Every time I beat you, it's always because of luck." Maria shook her head. "That isn't true. Sometimes you get lucky. You may not be as good as I am, but you're capable enough of beating me now and then."

"Yeah, emphasize the 'now and then.' I wish I was winning against you more frequently. Losing sucks." Gil got up. "How are you so good at chess, Maria? You're like a grandmaster."

"I wouldn't go that far," Maria smiled. " I played it with my sisters in Tenebris ever since I was a two-year-old. Thanks for the compliment, though."

"You mean you've been playing this since you were a baby in the demon realm?"

"Yeah." Maria's eyes twinkled sadly. "My sisters were a lot older than me, but I would still win. Those were good times, before..."

"Hey, don't start crying again," Gil said.

"I wasn't going to cry!"

Gil smirked. "You looked like it. Do you not like it here?"

"I love it here. I was amazed that your parents took me in, considering I'm a vampire and all."

"You're a kid my age. I think my parents felt sympathy for you because of that. Also, my parents are really nice people. They're against the war, so they'll help anyone in need, demon or sentinel."

"What about you?"

"I agree with my parents. The war is so dumb. It's just racial tensions that fuel the conflict. The idea the sentinels are inferior is drilled into most demons' heads, so I can't really blame them. Oh, I didn't mean you, Maria."

"I know, Gil." Maria ruffled Gil's sandy hair. "I'm grateful you saved my life and took me in. I've been happy living with you."

"You're giving me too much credit. I just found you battered and bleeding on the ground and asked my dad to fix you up. It was the right thing to do."

"You didn't think that I would want to kill you?"

"Not at all. My dad saved your life, after all. He even let you live with us and has managed to hide you for two years. Anyway, I'm glad I met you. It was boring being by myself at home all day."

Gil's mother hollered from the hallway. "Dinner time! That's enough playing for one day!" Gil took the chessboard and put it in a box. "I forgot to ask what we're having for dinner."

"Hopefully, we're eating ramen again," Maria licked her lips, remembering the first time she ate ramen from Gil's mother. "Your mom makes the tastiest ramen ever."

"That she does," Gil nodded. "Come on, let's go. Mom gets mad whenever we take too long."

The two got to the kitchen and groaned when they saw what was being served at the table. "Spinach and broccoli, a torture combo for every kid in the world," Gil thought. But he and Maria sat down and ate it anyway. Gil's mom was strict about food, saying that they shouldn't be complaining about what they eat because millions of people don't even have a roof over their heads. Gil agreed with her, but still... broccoli was terrible.

Maria knew how Gil's mother was. She had to eat everything on her plate, or she would get a brutal punishment, like cleaning the whole bathroom in an hour. Maria slid some of her broccoli on Gil's plate, to his annoyance. Gil did the same to her. The golden rule was to treat others based on how they treated you, right?

This went on for a while. Maria waited for Gil to slide food on her plate, then quickly told Gil's mother what was happening. Gil was caught red-handed, but his mother knew what the two of them were doing. She admonished the two of them and gave them a warning. They could be good kids and eat their food without a fuss or do all the housework for a week. Gil and Maria decided the first option was better.

Then a terrifying roar filled Gil's ears, followed by another one. Gil's father came home without his left arm. His cropped blond hair was stained with blood. "Take the kids and get out of here! Two winged sky dragons are coming on your four o'clock!"

Gil's mother ushered Gil and Maria through the back door. But the storm dragons had already arrived. One of them spewed out black flames, burning what used to be Gil's home and his father along with it. Wings sprouted from Maria's back as she rushed to save Gil and his mother. But she only managed to save Gil. His mother was burnt to a crisp so quickly she couldn't even scream.

"Mother! Dad!" Tears flowed from Gil's eyes. Most of Gil's life had been peaceful and happy. He hoped his family would be able to escape the despair brought about by war. It was a naive thought, but who could blame him? He may have been a smart kid, but he was still a kid nonetheless. He lived an ordinary life with no understanding of the hardships one faces in war and took his life for granted, thinking things would remain constant. He was like any other child, with hopes and dreams, and did not comprehend how devastating war could be or that innocent civilians suffer the most in every large-scale battle. Or rather, he didn't want to believe his family would be next to die. Why would he?

Maria had a hard time escorting Gil to safety with him failing about in her arms. "Gil, stop!" Tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm just as upset as you are! So please stop. I don't want you to die too." Gil did not respond but obliged. He glared at the sky dragons with pure hate, anger boiling within his soul.

Suddenly, Gil's body began to glow, shining brightly. Maria felt the air being sucked in his direction. The light blinded her, and when she opened her eyes, she saw wings made out of light on Gil's back, as well as a golden sword. Before she could react, Gil accelerated towards the winged sky dragons with lightning speed.

Maria had difficulty keeping up. She yelled at Gil to slow down, but he didn't seem to pay her any attention. Maria knew he was enraged and how Gil would react, given his personality. He wasn't going to run away. He would fight or die. But it was also part of the reason she harbored a crush on him, aside from him being cute. She decided to support him against the sky dragons because even if his powers had awakened, he was no match for them as he hadn't evolved yet, and that as a royal, she was equal to the beasts in strength.

But Maria soon realized that Gil did not need her help, that he had somehow surpassed her in the blink of an eye. One sky dragon had his head cut off in an instant. The other breathed fire on him, but Gil's wings covered him, and he sustained no damage. The dragon swung its fist at him, but Gil cut the creature's arm off and then cut its body in two. Maria hovered in the air, her mouth agape at what she saw. Did Gil really become more powerful than her in a single second? Before, he couldn't even use his powers. Maria deduced that he had evolved into a nebula; otherwise, he would not have the strength he displayed.

Maria flew to Gil. He was still crying. Maria embraced him tightly and let him scream all he wanted as she cried silently. She felt so utterly useless. Maria promised Gil that his family would be safe with her around, but Gil alone defeated the sky dragons. She couldn't even help him.

A horned man appeared in front of them. He had shaggy brown hair, dark skin, wore a buttoned-up black shirt and black jeans. "Now, you taste the misery of losing your beloved parents. How does despair feel, boy?"

Gil ignored him. Maria tightened her grip on Gil. "What's it to you? Are you the one who sent the monsters to us?" The man shook his head. "No. My master ordered me to protect you, although it seems the boy can now protect himself to some extent."

"What are you after?" Maria asked. "What does your master want?"

"My master has expressed her interest in that boy you're holding, vampire."

"What does your master intend to do with him?"

"She wants him to become a God."

"Pardon?"

"You two will understand someday in the future." The man held out his hand. "For now, come with me. I'll be willing to take the two of you in."

Maria declined. "How exactly am I supposed to trust you?"

"You can sense my aura, can you not? You know how powerful I am. If I wanted the two of you to do my bidding, I could force the both of you to without any difficulty. But I'm offering a request to you. Is there anywhere else for you to go, now that your home is gone? You just have to trust me. I assure you won't regret accepting me."

Maria hesitated for a while. A stranger comes and offers to let the two of them live with him, right after their former home was vaporized. She was still suspicious, but she didn't know what else to do. She told herself that she would shoulder all responsibility if anything at all happened to Gil.

Maria shook the man's hand. "Very well. We'll live with you."

"Good choice," the man said. "He moved his arm in a circle, and a black portal materialized in the air. "Now, let us be on our way."