02 - The Fall

I awoke to a scorching heat attacking me from every direction. I opened my eyes in shock and looked around me. All I could see was fire. But I couldn't see very far, walls encircled me and were only a few meters away. These thoughts were all I could generate while I was trying not to scream from the flames. A few centuries ago, I had battled a fire dragon, these were definitely hotter. In that split second of thought, I realised that only one place had fire more painful than dragon flames - Hell.

This couldn't be happening. Father always tolerated my fits of rage - what he called 'tantrums'. Maybe I had pushed him too far? I looked up, realising that I wasn't in a room with walls. I was in a crater. I was actually in the infernal realm, I had been expelled from heaven!

I tried to fly out of the terrible flames. Nothing happened. I attempted everything I could think of, I had no powers. Just what had he done to me? With great effort, I looked into my soul. Nothing. Not one speck of power. I was a powerless, lowly mortal. I tried to stay calm and think of my priorities, figure out why this happened, regain my former power and destroy my family!

"I should probably get out of this fire first though"

With great physical effort, I painstakingly climbed out of the deep crater and lay on my back, gasping in the toxic air. Fortunately, I still had my perfectly baptised body. This meant that heat and miasma couldn't harm me. Without it, I would have been a liquid by now.

I looked at myself. My body was still in good condition and perfectly fine. Sighing, at least I still had my physique. In heaven, I was one of the most handsome angels and was fawned over by thousands of people. A grain of my golden hair would've sold for thousands of Platinum Coins. Being the son of God had its perks. But being a son of God didn't change the fact that I was completely naked. I didn't have my sacred treasure or any relics, I was powerless and naked. Too old to be embarrassed, despite me looking in my 20s, but deeply irritated!

You may think of God as an omnipotent existence that cannot be rivalled, and this is true. But my father was first called God due to his rank of cultivation. I was currently a Rank 1 Copper! This meant that a look from even a pitiful Ruby could kill me. In comparison to my past self, a Seraph, it was like night and day.

I slowly stood up, working out never before felt aches and cricks, wishing that the Earth would devour me. Around me was a field of luscious green grass. Everything looked like heaven or even the mortal realm, except for the sky. It was red. The red sky and extreme climates were the only differences between Hell and every other plane of existence. Well…and the demons, but they're not as bad as one might think.

Thanks to my royal upbringing, I had access to thousands of rare books, reading every single one and turning myself into a walking encyclopaedia. Thankfully, my divine level memory had survived my fall back to copper, so I knew almost everything recorded about the infernal realm and its inhabitants.

Ignoring the blistering summer heat, I began my trek to look for any civilization whatsoever. I needed to become powerful - and fast.