Prologue: A Bet Between Gods

Picture this: two brothers arguing over a game.

Sounds pretty normal, right?

Except these aren't just any brothers.

They're Khaliq and Iblis - honest-to-goodness gods.

Khaliq, the older one, creates stuff.

Iblis? He's all about breaking things.

And right now, they're butting heads over their favorite toy: humanity.

"Come on, bro," Iblis whines, twirling a galaxy on his finger. "Your humans are getting boring. Let's spice things up!"

Khaliq sighs.

He's been through this before. "Your idea of 'spice' usually ends with everything on fire."

But Iblis isn't backing down.

He grins like a kid with a new video game. "How about a bet? We each pick some champions, throw 'em into a world, and see who comes out on top?"

Khaliq knows he shouldn't agree.

But if he doesn't, Iblis might just go and blow up a solar system for fun. "Fine," he grumbles. "But I get to pick the world."

So they choose their players.

Iblis goes for the heavy hitters - conquerors, tyrants, real nasty pieces of work.

Khaliq picks thinkers and strategists.

But here's the kicker: Khaliq leaves one spot open. "My last champion," he says, "will be a wildcard.

Someone from Earth, chosen after the game starts."

Iblis laughs so hard he nearly chokes on a star. "Oh man, you're still such a softie! Fine, have your random human. It'll make winning even sweeter."

As they set up their cosmic chessboard, neither god notices a flicker in the space between worlds. They don't hear a man dying on a cold street, screaming at the sky:

"Give me another shot! I'll show them all what real power looks like!"

And just like that, the game is on.

Gods, legends, and one angry dude named Atenzi, all thrown together in a world called Naaim.

Who's gonna win?

Hey, your guess is as good as mine.

But one thing's for sure - it's gonna be one hell of a ride.