Chapter 1: The Ruler's Greatest Miscalculation

⟶When the Absolute Being began the creation of the universe, they separated the forces of Light and Dark into eight pieces each. The Light were known as the Rulers, beings whose sole purpose was to maintain the universe as is, as well as protect it from those who sought to destroy it. The Dark were known as the Monarchs, beings who often brought about destruction and darkness, as well as those who aimed to destroy the universe.

The roles assigned to them by the Absolute Being were set in stone, leading to a never ending war as neither side ever gave in. The Rulers, tired of the war, reached out to the Absolute Being for help, begging them to put a stop to it all. Unfortunately, the Absolute Being had no intention of doing so, finding the war itself to be amusement for them.

Filled with emotions of grief and tiredness, the Rulers decided they had enough and seven of them rebelled against the Absolute Being. The only one who remained loyal to the Absolute Being was Ashborn, who attempted to stop his fellow Rulers. He ultimately failed in doing so and watched as the Rulers succeeded in destroying the Absolute Being.

Completely angered, Ashborn ultimately betrayed the Rulers, instead siding with the Monarchs and heeding the title of the Shadow Monarch. He believed he was on the right side, with those who would understand his plight and fight against the Rulers, but unfortunately, he was wrong. The Monarchs instead betrayed Ashborn, leaving him weak and vulnerable, all while the Rulers' armies were slowly closing in on him. He firmly believed he would be killed, however, in a turn of events, the Rulers instead begged him for forgiveness. Within the ranks of the Rulers, Ashborn was meant to be the greatest fragment of light of them all and if he forgave them, all would be well. That was not Ashborn's wish however, instead he prayed for death, tired of the fighting. He left the Rulers to deal with the war themselves, having ultimately tipped the war in the Ruler's favor through the murder of Braan.

The other six remaining Monarchs did what they had to in order to survive, hiding within the gaps of different dimensions. They planned to come back one day and vowed revenge, rebuilding their forces while the Rulers were none the wiser.

When the next war began, it left Earth destroyed seven times over as the Monarchs had their eyes set on the planet as a means of showing how they still wanted to destroy the universe. In order to protect Earth, the seven Rulers created gates all across the planet as a means of increasing the mana that Earth had lost. It was also a way of protecting the Earth from the inevitable eighth war that was to come.⟵

The Rulers watched as humans began unlocking strange abilities, calling themselves Hunters who set out to complete the gates that kept on appearing throughout the world.These hunters often found both fame and fortune depending on how powerful they were deemed, intriguing the Rulers. They believed that maybe, the humans would be far more prepared than they originally thought for the war, but those hopes were dashed as those who were considered the strongest amongst the humans were far weaker than the Monarchs.

With careful consideration, the seven remaining Rulers came together to create a child of sorts, who was almost human-like, through the use of their own fragmentations of light. An angel who would do their bidding. It left them weaker, but the plan that had formed within their minds seemed better and better as time went on. They modeled him after humans, finding that it was the only way Apollo would be able to blend in when he was sent down to Earth.

The child would become a leader for the humans, as well as a weapon against the Monarchs. Imbued with selflessness, purity, innocence, and powerful light magic, the child known as Apollo would be able to hopefully end the war once and for all. They trained him ruthlessly, forgetting how easily emotions are swayed while a child is growing up. Thousands of years passed by, with no end to the training in sight. Eventually, instead of what they hoped he would become, Apollo was bitter and angry at the universe, finding that he didn't want to live for a purpose that only led him to hardship and wars. He wanted far, far more.

Destruction became the answer for Apollo, as he found himself wanting to rebel against his creators and destroy them once and for all. Unknown to Apollo, the Rulers had always been able to read his mind and learned of the mistakes they had made too late. Apollo began an uprising, using his own powers to create emotionless soldiers who would fight until they were destroyed.

Throughout the long battle, the Rulers realized how powerful Apollo had become and decided to use one last spell against him, one that would take thousands of years before the Rulers could ever use it again. They completely sealed his memories, a majority of his powers, and reverted him back to a baby, with the idea of sending him to live on Earth. If he grew up in a situation that forced him to live a life of poverty and hardship, then Apollo would most likely keep the traits they originally placed within him.There was a low chance Apollo would ever regain his memories, but if he did, there was no way they'd be able to prevent him from trying to destroy them again.

The Rulers decided on sending Apollo to an orphanage in South Korea that was run by a poor church. One of the nuns, Park Min-Seo, was a devout follower of Earth's version of the Absolute Being. Her heart is as pure as someone who has never been dealt hardships, despite the horrors she has gone through. She lived through enough trauma to turn even the warmest of people cold and bitter, yet her soul remained light. Someone so pure would be the best bet in keeping Apollo on the track to become both humanity's savior and their perfect weapon. Why wouldn't a young man, who will become a follower of God, not follow their words that are equal to that of a God's?

With the plan set, they delivered Apollo to Heart's Orphanage in the dead of night, with only a light-blue blanket and a note with his first name on it. The wishes of the Rulers would be fulfilled, with Apollo later on becoming equal to that of a saint, but the horrors he will first have to live through will define him in a way that none of the Rulers saw coming. For they are arrogant beings who are unable to truly understand human emotions and the complexity behind them.

Their arrogance would be their downfall.