Death was the natural end of all life. All mortals die. It was the ultimate finality. It came for kings and beggars alike. It was equal to all—absolute. No matter how long you lived—a day, a century, a millennium, or even an eon—so long as you were mortal, you would fall into the embrace of death. Just as we are not asked when we are born, we are not asked when we will die. All exist within the circle of life and death. We are all fated to die. Doom was a goddess of fate—she was also the goddess of death. If she wanted anyone—or anything—to end, then it would be the end of their fate. But the Unknown God… he was different. He was the god of the circle itself. The beginning and the end. The god of choice, who believed fate belonged not to deities… but to those who chose. Damon was born in the world of Aetherus… He was a creature molded by the hands of Doom herself. She held dominion over his soul— At least, until Damon made a choice. He called to the Unknown God. With a prayer. With a heart full of burning resentment. He had spoken words only that god would hear. And the god answered. He was given a choice— The same one he was given now. System Reinitialization Complete [Do you wish to proceed?] [Y/N] When Damon had first received the system, he had been given an option. Did he wish to proceed? The Unknown God was cruel… But he was also benevolent. A god of duality. He believed in choice. And that belief had changed everything. Damon's eyes slowly fluttered open… Tears streamed down his cheeks, unbidden, uncontrollable. He had dreamt. A nightmare. The nightmare of the Unknown God. These tears… they weren't his. And yet, he couldn't remember the dream. It slipped away like most dreams—vanished into oblivion. Only the echo of pain remained in his chest. And by the time his vision adjusted to the dim light… even that was gone. His lungs sucked in air. His corpse… now warm. He could feel it— His heartbeat. His memories returning like fragments of broken glass. And there, before his eyes— A floating panel. 'Yes,' he willed. [Welcome back to the Living, Shadow System Individual: Death Dealer] [Your shadow is alive.] Damon stared. There was a warm weight on his chest, but he was too weak to move. Too weak to care. This… this was what he had seen the first time. But what came next was different. [Welcome back, Death Dealer. Your soul has stabilized.] [Time elapsed: 31 days, 6 hours, 17 minutes.] [Restoration Status: Complete.] Damon opened his mouth as if to gasp— But no sound came. He simply lay there, eyes wide, watching the panel flicker. [You have died…] That line. It cut through the fog. Everything clicked. He had learned secrets. Terrible secrets. The first was the truth of the Unknown God. The second— The lie of the gods. And for that… He had died. But the system panel wasn't finished. [You have evoked the ire of the True Gods, the True Demon Kings, the True Dragons.] [Authority: Law Maker has been used to protect you.] [Notice] [Failed] [Failed] [Failed] Damon's heart pounded as the failures flooded the screen— One after the other, hundreds, thousands, millions,blurring past. [The Unknown God is displeased.] [Authority: Karma Maker has been used.] [Your fate has been…] [You have been written out by the God of Inspiration.] [Plot Manipulation Resistance has been used] [Failed…] [True Dragon ***** has devoured you] [Failed] [Failed…] [True demon….. has…] On and on. Time itself seemed to stop. The gods wanted him gone. Truly gone. [You have been destroyed by the God of Cosmos.] [Authority: Dream Maker has been used.] [You are dreaming—the nightmare—of the Unknown God.] [Authority: No Absolutes has been used.] [Successful…] [Your fate has been concealed.] [You have been bestowed the skill: Fate Manipulation Resistance.] [Failed] [Notice: Individual Death Dealer does not meet skill requirements.] [Authority: Creation Maker has been used.] [Mastery Created: Fate Manipulation Resistance Lv.1] [Authority: Life and Death Maker has been used.] [Individual: Death Dealer has been resurrected.] [Memories of Individual: Death Dealer have been sealed. Increase Fate Manipulation Mastery to unlock.] Damon's pupils dilated. He stared in horror. These were thirty-one days' worth of System messages. The true gods. The true demons. The true dragons. All of them wanted him dead. And the Unknown God… He had fought them all. All to keep Damon alive. [Notice: System Mechanic Item has been unlocked.] [You have one item.] [Do you wish to use it?] [Y/N] Damon blinked. His heart swelled with dread. He couldn't remember what he had figured out— And he didn't want to. His death had been too sudden. Too final. Too complete. 'Yes.' [Item: Message Scroll] A small scroll appeared—pure white. The moment it manifested, it fused into the system panel. [Message] [You died knowing the truth. But truth comes with a price. You are resurrected. Your fate is now concealed in the eyes of the gods. You are erased. You now belong to the Abyss. Your next death shall be final. The Unknown God watches with gleaming interest… All has fallen according to plan.] Damon's breath hitched. He had thought his death was because he learned the secret. He had believed the Unknown God had fought tooth and nail to defy the True beings… But no. 'This was all part of his plan…' The True beings All of them had tried to bury the truth. Damon froze. He couldn't recall what the secret was… It was just—gone. His eyes widened. Everything was going according to someone's plan. This… This was what it felt like to be part of a god's design. Damon couldn't even feel resentment. Because in exchange for his memory, he had been given something else—a direction, a purpose, a clue that might save his sister— A gift. A single truth— One that still burned in his soul: The knowledge that would allow him to save his sister. That was his reward. For dying. For being obliterated before he even had the chance to be afraid. He whispered, voice dry and rasping— "The place where I can find the cure…" And in that single breath, the nightmare began again.