Elixic did what none had dared before—he shattered the ancient order by defying Elixer himself, hurling a challenge back at the being who had always ruled unopposed. Elixer, who had expected only submission or fear, was taken completely by surprise. Elixic was no longer the unsure creation he'd once been; he had grown mighty, his strength amplified beyond anything imaginable thanks to the mysterious force of Volva. With Volva at his command, Elixic could weave wonders or unleash devastation, the very fabric of existence bending to his will—if only he could master its boundless complexity. But beneath the surface of this open conflict, far more was in motion than either side realized. Ancient secrets stirred, and the foundation of everything quaked under the weight of new ambitions.
Fury consumed Elixer. He could not abide such defiance, especially from one he considered his own creation, almost a child or extension of himself. The insult cut deeper than mere rivalry; it was betrayal from the very being to whom Elixer had given knowledge, power, even life itself. Pride and wounded trust drove Elixer to accept the challenge, but in the silence of his own thoughts, doubts gnawed at him. He wondered—who had created him? What force had granted him his own existence and power? Night after night, as the cosmos spun in silent harmony, Elixer drifted through his memories searching for answers. Yet every answer unraveled into more questions, a labyrinth with no exit, and the origin of his own being remained cloaked in shadow.
While these titans prepared for war, hidden currents of purpose flowed elsewhere. Someone, shrouded in secrecy, was quietly setting in motion a plan that would change everything: the creation of a chosen angel destined to shape the future of all flesh and blood. Oracle, a being of profound wisdom, knew his own limitations—he could not create life from nothing. Instead, he had discovered a deeper truth: his abilities were not truly his own, but borrowed, flowing from a presence that permeated everything—a force or a being who could summon life out of death itself, using the enigmatic power known as Votimax. Yet Oracle kept this realization hidden, unsure whether the others were ready to face such a profound revelation.
Three days after the act of creation, Elixic set out on a journey of discovery. Restless, driven by both curiosity and ambition, he sought the source of all things, hoping to understand where true power began. He gathered his creations—artifacts and beings shaped by Volva's magic—and steeled himself for the coming conflict.
Elixic refused to accept rivals, especially Elixer, whose rule he now saw as hollow. He had glimpsed hints of something greater—a presence that dwarfed even Elixer, a being so vast and worthy of awe that both rebellion and worship seemed equally inadequate responses. But Elixic would not kneel, not even to this ultimate originator. In his mind, Elixer's claims to supremacy were nothing but bluster, a mask concealing ignorance and uncertainty.
War came suddenly, erupting in the heart of Orbit, in the sacred city of Sectro. Elixer summoned his loyal angels, drawing them close around him, while Elixic and his followers gathered at Orbitrahia, the ancient core of Sectro, a place whose very name carried echoes of forgotten power. The clash that followed was cataclysmic. The streets of Orbitrahia ran wild with chaos as both sides unleashed their full might. Elixic, despite wielding the unpredictable strength of Volva, was ultimately overwhelmed. Forced to flee, he vanished into the hidden region of Behara, licking his wounds and plotting an even greater war—one that would reshape existence itself when the era of flesh and blood finally dawned. He swore a solemn oath: "I will never allow rivals—not now, not when new life fills this world."
Amid this turmoil, a new presence emerged: Optima, the angel whose very essence bridged the realms of life and death. Optima was unique, a hybrid born of paradox—part mortal decay, part undying spirit, infused with the primal force of the one who could create and destroy, the original source. Yet no one grasped the true significance of Optima's arrival. Without Volva's power, most dismissed him as irrelevant, a curiosity rather than a harbinger. Unseen, a shadow trailed Optima—an unspoken enigma about his purpose and the true reason for his creation.
Years ebbed away, and the world changed in subtle ways. Optima, ever vigilant, began to sense a new darkness lurking among them: a malevolent spirit, a stranger from another heaven, whose presence threatened the fragile balance of Sectro. Driven by a sense of destiny, Optima pursued this interloper relentlessly, chasing him all the way to Alva—the dread prison reserved for those who had no place in any world, a place where lost souls were trapped for eternity. This confrontation marked a turning point; it sent ripples through the fabric of reality, nudging every being toward their hidden destinies and opening gateways to realms none had imagined.
On his return from this victory, Optima beheld a marvel: a colossal ring, floating weightless, vast enough to envelop all of Sectro—a heaven apart from any he had ever known. Within its bounds, he encountered wonders beyond description, visions that filled him with awe and hope. Here, he glimpsed the future of flesh and blood: a people destined to thrive, whose hearts would yearn for an invisible spirit whose might eclipsed even Elixer's. This spirit, so overwhelming, so pure, left Optima trembling—he could not even bear its presence. In that moment, Optima was struck by a piercing question: why would these future beings offer their devotion not to Elixer, who claimed divine right, but to this unseen, all-powerful force? The riddle left him shaken, his mind swirling with wonder and doubt, for he sensed that the true story of creation was only just beginning to unfold.
No one in all of history, in all the ages of Sectro, had ever witnessed anything like what was unfolding before Optima. The idea of something called "flesh and blood" was a mere rumor, an unthinkable concept whispered about only in the most daring circles—an abstraction, a dream, a legend. To Optima, the very notion of beings made of matter—of living, breathing forms—seemed impossible, fantastical. But at the same time, it stirred a deep longing in him. If such creatures could exist, they would be the greatest marvels ever conjured by imagination, surpassing all the splendors of Sectro. Yet the truth was bitter: no one knew if these beings would ever appear, nor whether their arrival would be a blessing or a curse. The only certainty was uncertainty itself. And the catch? No one, not even Elixer, the one they hailed as king and god, had the faintest idea when, or even if, these "flesh and blood" would emerge.
Optima stood on the edge of all he knew, peering into the swirling mists of possibility, when suddenly a thunderous voice shattered the silence. It was as if the very fabric of existence trembled. "Optima, Optima," the voice echoed, reverberating through the air and the depths of his spirit.
Startled, Optima straightened, his senses sharpened. "Whoever's calling me, show yourself!" he demanded, trying to steady his voice against the overwhelming resonance.
But the voice was relentless, calm and mighty, as if it had no need to answer to anyone. "Optima, no one can see me. To behold me is to vanish, to dissolve into nothingness. I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the source of all that exists. Follow me, and I will lay bare the whole truth—the entirety of what is, what was, and what is yet to come."
At first, Optima's mind raced for explanations, searching for familiarity in the unknown. Was this Elixer, playing some cosmic trick? Elixer, the one true god of Sectro—the only divinity whose presence Optima had ever sensed. All his life, he'd been told that Elixer was the origin, that Sectro was the sole heaven, and that beyond it, nothing else could be real. Could this be some test, some secret revelation meant only for him?
But as the encounter deepened, something shifted. In his heart, Optima remained loyal, fiercely so, and suspicion welled up within him. "Are you one of the traitorous demons?" he challenged, bracing himself. "Did Elixer send you to tempt me? If so, you've come to the wrong one. I will never turn against Elixer."
Yet the voice pressed on, its authority unshaken. "Nothing stands alone, Optima. I am the greatest. I am the one who called all things into being, and I alone hold the power to unravel them. I am the foundation, the builder, and the destroyer."
Before Optima could respond, reality itself seemed to twist. The world he knew flickered and faded, and he was swept into a new realm—a place the voice named "VISION." It was not a place of stone or sky, but of pure revelation, where past and future mingled and the boundaries of possibility fell away.
"This is where I will show you what is soon to come," the voice declared, its tones now gentle, almost intimate. "Open your eyes, Optima. See beyond the illusions. Witness the future I am about to create—behold the birth of flesh and blood."
He obeyed, and as his vision cleared, he beheld a world unlike anything he'd known: a blue-green planet, alive with color and life, called Earth. There, in a garden of wonders, he saw flesh and blood for the first time—not just one kind, but a multitude, radiant and vulnerable, each naked and unashamed, each bearing the spark of something new. The sight overwhelmed him; he was struck by their beauty, their fragility, their astonishing diversity. He'd always believed Elixer was the only true power, the sole architect of the cosmos, but now he saw a greater hand at work—a creative force beyond anything Sectro had ever known.
Then, as awe gave way to confusion, the voice delivered a revelation that shook Optima to his core. "I am the beginning and the end. Everything—every world, every being, every secret—belongs to me. I am the ultimate source."
Optima's mind reeled. He had to know the truth, even if it shattered everything he believed. "You created everything? Even us—the angels of Sectro?"
"Yes, Optima. Even Elixer, who has twisted the truth for his own gain. Every being, every power, every corner of existence is mine, even those who claim to rule. You all belong to me."
A chill ran through him. "But Elixer is a god," he murmured, half in denial, half in fear.
"Elixer is only a small god, a shadow of my will. His time is ending. I tolerate no rivals. He cannot stand against me," the voice answered, its tone final and implacable.
Optima hesitated, his mind racing through everything he'd ever been taught, every oath he'd sworn. "Then who are you, truly?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Call me ALL," the voice replied. "I am ALL. All that exists, all that is hidden, all that will ever be—everything is mine."
As he listened, Optima felt the old certainties slipping away, replaced by a new, staggering conviction. The voice—ALL—was not just another power. It was the source, the reality behind every myth, the architect of destiny itself. He burned to know more. "What about those who tried to take your throne?" he asked, his curiosity now blazing.
"I preserve whom I choose," ALL replied. "Bow to me, honor me above all others, and I will preserve you. I will make you second only to me, a ruler over all creation."
Chapter 3: Optima Was Too Powerful
The vision left Optima changed forever. The power he had witnessed—the absolute authority of ALL—was beyond anything he had ever imagined. With trembling reverence, he lowered himself, knees to the ground, and worshipped ALL. In that moment, he made a solemn vow, the kind that could never be undone: "I, Optima, will never worship another. From this day forward, I serve ALL, and ALL alone."
Meanwhile, far away, Elixer felt the shockwaves of betrayal ripple through the fabric of Sectro. His anger was more than personal; it was existential. For the first time, he sensed the cracks in his power, the seeds of rebellion sown by a truth he could not control. Optima now walked in knowledge that threatened to unravel everything Elixer had built. The faithful of Sectro still lived in willful ignorance, clinging to Elixer's version of reality, but their innocence would not last. Elixer knew he had to act, and fast. He began to scheme, desperate to silence the truth, to extinguish the spark of revelation before it became a wildfire that would consume his rule.
The struggle for ultimate power—between Elixer's fading order and ALL's unstoppable reality—was only beginning. Optima, now caught between two universes, stood at the heart of a revolution that would reshape everything.