Chapter 1 : Prologue
"Burn… burn it all to ash!"
My voice boomed across a destroyed battlefield where heaven and earth had forgotten peace long ago.
Everything was on fire—the ground, the sky, even the air itself.
Nothing was spared.
I didn't intend to. No stone was going to be unturned.
Flames twisted like snakes through the clouds, and I could feel them rushing through me, boiling my blood until every heartbeat roared like an explosion.
It was amazing.
It was out of control.
It was wild.
All around, the sky burned red.
A wall of chaos under which gods came down like falling stars.
Bright beings of gold and white filled the heavens, their wings spreading wide as if to cover the whole world.
Each one held a weapon that shone brighter than the sun—blades of pure light, spears made from lightning, hammers that carried the weight of judgment.
And all their eyes were on me.
To them, I was an insect.
A human speck daring to spit at the throne of forever.
And maybe I was.
I raised my right hand, fire spinning around it like a living storm.
The flames touched my skin, burning but familiar, almost comforting.
My body shook under the heat, covered in sweat, ash, and blood.
Some of that blood wasn't mine. But most of it was.
I didn't know how long I'd been fighting.
Maybe hours.
Maybe days.
Maybe I'd been stuck in this war since the start of time.
It didn't matter anymore.
Because only one thing still burned brighter than the flames.
That was my will to fight back.
"Quinn of the Eternal Flame," a voice boomed from above.
I looked up to see one of the gods coming down.
His armor shone like hot silver, his wings spreading wider than any mountain.
His stare cut through me like judgment itself.
"You dared to go against the divine order," he said, his words echoing across the battlefield like a thousand drums.
"Today, you will fall for good."
I could barely stand, but the corners of my lips twisted into a grin.
"Then I'll fall," I said roughly, "but I'll take you down with me."
I pushed my hand toward the burning sky.
Flames burst outward, forming the shape of a huge snake.
It hissed and jumped at the gods, eating the heavens themselves in a burning wave.
The snake hit one god, then another, swallowing their bright forms whole.
Screams tore through the sky as divine light burned and faded.
Feathers rained down like dying stars.
But the light… never truly disappeared.
The heavens split open again as the remaining gods raised their weapons.
Beams of divine light shot downward like rain, but each drop was death itself.
I tried to dodge.
I blocked one strike with my arm, another with a wall of flame.
There were too many.
Too fast.
Too strong.
Then…
Pierce—!
Pain like lightning shot through my chest.
"Ah…!" My breath caught as I looked down.
A blade of light stuck out from my heart, its brightness blinding.
Then another went through my stomach.
Another struck through my shoulder.
Each sword went deeper than the last, and the strength left my body until my knees gave out.
My flames flickered weakly around me, like dying coals in a storm.
The gods above looked down—without feeling, out of reach.
My vision got blurry.
The world of fire grew dim.
The air felt colder with every heartbeat.
"So this is it…" I whispered as I fell backward into the dark.
"Burning… feels so cold…"
And then, there was nothing.
No sound.
No heat.
No pain.
Just darkness.
Endless and silent.
"Is this how it ends, Quinn?" I whispered into the void, my voice shaking.
But the deep darkness gave me no answer.
******
I woke up with a gasp.
"Ah!"
I was on the ground—rolling, clutching my chest, my heart pounding as if trying to escape my ribs.
My body trembled uncontrollably.
The memory of those swords, that unbearable pain, burned through my mind again and again until I could barely breathe.
But when I looked down… there was no wound.
No light.
No blood.
Nothing.
"I… wasn't stabbed?" I muttered, my voice echoing strangely.
I touched my chest again, then my arms, and then my face.
I was whole, untouched and warm.
Slowly, I sat up… and then, I froze.
The world around me was blank.
Not black, not gray.
It was white. Plain, spotless white.
An endless, pure white that stretched forever in all directions.
No horizon, no sky, no ground.
Just light.
Soft and steady, but without a source.
It felt like being trapped inside a dream without an end to it.
"What the hell is this place?" I whispered.
Ding—!
A clear, mechanical tone rang in my head.
[Welcome to Godsfall Online.]
[Please name your avatar and select a class afterwards.]
[Your time starts now.]
I froze. "Godsfall Online…?"
That name hit me like a thunderbolt.
Memories surfaced.
Late nights, headlines, excitement that shook the world.
Humanity's greatest creation. A game that felt more real than life itself.
I remembered the news stories.
It is said that a strange star had fallen into the Earth a long time ago.
This star was immaculate, shining with energy that had never been seen before.
Scientists studied this star and energy alike.
Several experiments were carried out, until one that ended tragically, almost clearing a fourth of Earth in the accident.
Desperate to harness and contain this strange energy that threatened to wipe out the entire world, resources were tailored towards this project.
Eventually, something was born from it and that was Godsfall Online.
Players could enter with their minds, leaving their physical bodies behind.
The world was a perfect simulation of life, with emotions, sensations, even pain.
But… how the hell did I get here?
My last memory was…
...Wait a minute.
Was I dreaming?