Chapter 1: Shattered Peace

Levi was a boy like any other, with neck-length hair that often fell into his dark, contemplative eyes. At 14, he carried the weight of the world on his young shoulders. He was a bit on the skinny side, though his body bore traces of baby fat that hadn't yet melted away. Life on Earth was just as ordinary as ever—school, homework, and the endless routine of days that seemed to blur together. But Levi hated school; it felt more like a cage than a place of learning. Every day, he forced himself to go, putting on a brave face for his parents, who were growing increasingly distant from each other.

His parents were loving, but the love they once had for each other was now fraying at the seams. Arguments had become the soundtrack of Levi's life, echoing through the walls of their home. His elder brother, Ethan, someone Levi looked up to, tried his best to mediate, to calm the storms that raged between their parents. But no matter how hard they both tried, the fights never ceased. Though they never turned physical, the constant tension gnawed at Levi, leaving him feeling like he was being torn apart from the inside.

Scene: Dinner Table, Tension in the Air

Levi's father, Mark, is pushing his food around his plate, his expression grim. His mother, Sarah, looks tired, her eyes red from crying earlier. Levi and Ethan exchange worried glances.

Mark: (breaking the silence) "I don't see why we have to keep pretending everything is fine, Sarah. It's not."

Sarah: (sighing, her voice weary) "Mark, can we not do this in front of the boys? We've talked about this."

Ethan: (gently) "Dad, Mom, please. Let's just eat, okay? We can talk about this later."

Levi: (quietly, trying to keep the peace) "Yeah, Ethan's right. We don't have to fight right now."

Mark slams his fork down, his frustration boiling over.

Mark: (angrily) "This isn't just a fight, Levi! This is our lives we're talking about! You wouldn't understand."

Sarah: (hurt, but trying to stay calm) "Mark, don't. They don't need to be dragged into this."

Ethan: (more firmly) "Dad, we do understand, but yelling won't solve anything. We're a family. We need to stick together."

Levi stays silent, but the worry in his eyes is clear. The tension lingers, unspoken words hanging in the air.

Then, strange things began to happen. It started with the eerie sound of a cat crying outside their house, though no cat could ever be found. The once-warm home began to emanate a cold, foreboding aura that made Levi's skin crawl. Nights grew longer and darker, and Levi found himself waking up drenched in sweat, his heart pounding for reasons he couldn't explain.

One night, Levi woke up to find his brother missing from the bed they shared. Thinking his brother might be fetching water as he often did, Levi shuffled out of the room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. But as he stepped into the hallway, the scene that greeted him froze him in place. His mother's lifeless body lay crumpled on the floor, her flesh grotesquely mangled. His father's head was severed from his body, resting a few feet away, eyes staring blankly into nothingness. And there, in the dim light of the hallway, Levi saw his brother—still alive but barely—being devoured by a monstrous figure.

The creature had a humanoid shape, but its twisted form was anything but human. It giggled, a horrible, spine-chilling sound that echoed through the silent house. "I was waiting for you to wake up, human child," the monster sneered, its voice dripping with malice.

Levi stood frozen, the sight of his family's mutilated bodies overwhelming him. But as he stared at the carnage before him, something inside him snapped. The fear that had paralyzed him gave way to a white-hot rage. His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. He could barely breathe through the fury that consumed him.

The monster, sensing no immediate threat, taunted him, "What's wrong? Not going to run away? It's more fun that way." It waited, expecting Levi to turn and flee, to cower like so many others had before.

But Levi didn't run. Instead, he locked eyes with the beast, his gaze burning with anger. "You foul beast... h-how... HOW DARE YOU!" he screamed, charging at the creature with all the strength he could muster.

The monster, amused by Levi's boldness, easily dodged his clumsy attacks. It laughed, mocking Levi's futile efforts. "Oh? That's a surprise," it said, sidestepping another of Levi's wild swings. With a quick motion, it lashed out, slashing Levi's back, drawing blood.

Levi staggered, pain shooting through his body, but he refused to fall. The anger inside him blazed hotter, numbing the pain. He continued to attack, swinging with all his might, even as the monster toyed with him, dodging effortlessly.

The creature grew bored of the one-sided fight and decided to end it. It struck Levi down, leaving him battered and bleeding on the floor. But Levi, defiant to the end, pushed himself up, his vision blurring as his lifeblood seeped out of him. "I WILL NOT DIE LIKE THIS! I WILL KILL YOU BEFORE I GO OUT!" he roared, forcing his battered body to move.

Far above the Earth, in a realm beyond mortal comprehension, the gods watched in disbelief. A human, an insignificant creature, was standing up to an entity far beyond his power. The gods were intrigued, even amused, by Levi's tenacity. For centuries, the Book of Karleostus, a sacred tome that chronicled the will of the cosmos, had remained silent. But now, it had opened, its pages inscribed with a single command: "Save the child."

The gods could not ignore the Book's decree, even though it baffled them. Why would such a powerful artifact concern itself with a mere human? Still, they had no choice but to obey. With a mixture of curiosity and disdain, they dispatched a low-ranking knight from their realm to Earth.

The knight arrived just in time. As Levi collapsed, his strength finally giving out, a brilliant light filled the room. The monster hissed, recoiling from the holy presence. The knight, clad in shimmering armor, stepped between Levi and the creature, raising his sword. With a single strike, he banished the monster back to the darkness from which it had come.

Levi, barely conscious, felt himself being lifted from the ground. The last thing he saw before the world faded to black was the knight's serene, otherworldly face. "You have been chosen," the knight said softly, his voice echoing in Levi's mind as everything went dark.

When Levi awoke, he was no longer in his home. He was in a place beyond Earth, a place where the gods themselves resided. And as he looked around, he realized that his life was no longer his own. He had been pulled into a world of divine power and ancient secrets.