The war was over.
Or perhaps there was no longer a world left capable of fighting.
The sky itself seemed wounded.
Dark clouds covered the heavens.
The seas raged.
Mountains had fallen.
Kingdoms had vanished.
Across the world, people looked upon the horizon and saw only ruin.
The Great War had ended.
Yet no songs were sung.
No celebrations took place.
No victors emerged.
Only survivors.
And at the center of it all stood one man.
Lothan Xander Maeve.
The Demon of the Abyss.
His silver hair drifted in the wind.
His crimson eyes stared across a broken world.
Around him stretched endless destruction.
The battlefield was silent.
The armies were gone.
The kingdoms were gone.
Everything was gone.
For a long time, Lothan simply stood there.
Motionless.
Empty.
The rage that had once consumed him had faded.
What remained was something far worse.
Nothing.
No joy.
No sorrow.
No hatred.
Only emptiness.
The world feared him.
The survivors whispered his name in terror.
Entire nations prayed he would never move again.
Because wherever Lothan had walked during the war, disaster had followed.
No one knew exactly what had happened.
Stories differed from kingdom to kingdom.
Some claimed he had destroyed entire armies alone.
Others claimed he had challenged gods.
Many believed he had become something beyond demon or mortal.
The truth remained hidden within the chaos of war.
Then the heavens opened.
A golden light pierced the clouds.
For the first time in years, the darkness above parted.
Every survivor across the world looked upward.
Something was descending.
Something ancient.
Something divine.
Lothan slowly raised his head.
He already knew who it was.
The light expanded.
Brighter than the sun.
Warmer than fire.
Countless golden wings unfolded across the sky.
The world trembled.
Not from fear.
From reverence.
A voice echoed across creation.
"Lothan Xander Maeve."
The very air seemed to bow before those words.
The Supreme God had arrived.
The creator of all things.
The ruler of heaven.
The being worshipped by countless civilizations.
Lothan remained silent.
The golden figure slowly descended from the heavens.
No face could be seen.
No form could be clearly understood.
The divine presence was too great for mortal eyes.
Only light.
Endless light.
The Supreme God looked upon the ruined world.
Then upon Lothan.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Finally, the god broke the silence.
"Do you understand what has happened?"
Lothan's expression never changed.
"Yes."
The answer was simple.
Quiet.
Tired.
The Supreme God continued.
"The world stands on the edge of collapse."
Silence.
"The balance between life and death has been shattered."
Silence.
"Millions have suffered."
Still silence.
The god's voice grew heavier.
"And yet you remain."
At those words, something flickered within Lothan's eyes.
Pain.
Regret.
Perhaps even guilt.
But only for a moment.
Then it disappeared.
The Supreme God gazed at him.
Not with hatred.
Not with anger.
But with disappointment.
A disappointment that seemed older than time itself.
"You were given countless opportunities."
The divine voice echoed.
"Countless chances to stop."
Lothan lowered his head.
The wind stirred around him.
For several moments, he said nothing.
Then he spoke.
"I know."
The answer surprised even the heavens.
No excuses.
No denial.
No resistance.
Only acceptance.
The Supreme God watched silently.
Then another question came.
"Do you regret it?"
The world seemed to pause.
Waiting for his answer.
Lothan thought of his father.
His mother.
Kael.
The kingdom of Nethoria.
The peace that once existed.
Then he thought of everything that came after.
The war.
The bloodshed.
The endless suffering.
His eyes closed.
For the first time in many years, a single tear fell.
"Every day."
The heavens became silent.
The Supreme God seemed to study him carefully.
Then the divine figure raised one hand.
Golden energy filled the sky.
A judgement was coming.
The final judgement.
"Lothan Xander Maeve."
The voice shook the world.
"For your actions, you shall not die."
Many would have considered death a mercy.
The Supreme God knew that.
Which was why death would not be his punishment.
"You shall live."
The golden light intensified.
"You shall walk the world you helped destroy."
The air trembled.
"You shall witness the passing of centuries."
Lothan slowly opened his eyes.
The curse had begun.
And the god's final words would become legend.
"You shall never know love."
The world fell silent.
"Every bond you seek shall crumble."
"Every affection you find shall fade."
"Every chance at happiness shall be denied."
The divine power wrapped around Lothan.
Like chains forged from destiny itself.
The curse branded itself upon his soul.
A punishment that could not be escaped.
A wound that could never heal.
The Supreme God lowered his hand.
The judgement was complete.
Yet before departing, the god spoke one final sentence.
A sentence that would haunt Lothan for the next thousand years.
"Perhaps one day you will understand why."
Lothan's eyes widened slightly.
Why?
Why that curse?
Why not death?
Why not imprisonment?
What did the god mean?
But before he could ask, the heavens began to close.
The golden light faded.
The Supreme God disappeared.
The world became silent once more.
Lothan stood alone beneath the dark sky.
Cursed.
Condemned.
And carrying questions that would remain unanswered for centuries.
Far away, hidden beyond the sight of gods and mortals alike, an ancient figure watched from the shadows.
And smiled.
Because the true story of the Great War had not yet been told.
To be continued...