Prologue 3: The Battle Between A Human And A God

Ethan had heard her words clearly, but the implications twisted in his mind like a double – edged sword. The possibilities she presented danced tantalizingly at the edge of his thoughts, but doubt began to creep into his mind.

 "Is this her trap?" [He murmured, his heart racing] "Think, Ethan, think. This could be my chance to end her." [The thought solidified his resolve] "When she comes closer, I'll strike with all my strength."

 "Okay. I'm ready to become your essence. But promise me you'll give me more power" [He said, his voice steadier than he felt inside.]

Advika's lips curled into a smirk, a predatory gleam in her eyes as she stepped closer, invading his personal space. Ethan's instincts screamed at him to act, but he hesitated, captivated by the danger she exuded. Their bodies were mere inches apart when she seized his chin, pulling him into a kiss that ignited a fire within him.

Surprise coursed through him, and for a moment, he found himself lost in her embrace, surrendering to the intoxicating depth of her kiss But then, the burning sensation within him flickered, and reality crashed back.

He immediately understood and used his shadow power, 'Shadow Teleportation' and in an instant, he was gone, standing a safe distance away, breathing heavily. He wiped his lips, a mixture of confusion and anger swirling inside him.

 "You… you didn't give me powers; you're sucking mine dry… You lied!" [He shouted, his voice trembling with fear.]

For a moment, Advika stood there silent, her expression unreadable. Then, she turned to him, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

 "Oh, dear. I'm making you my essence of power. The ritual is simply this… don't run away from me…"

 "Stop lying to me!" [He interrupted, desperation creeping into his voice.] "You used 'SOUL KISS' to take my strength, to turn me to dust… you're draining my soul!" [His words hung heavily in the air between them]

 "You've misunderstood, dear… I'm making you my…" [She began, but he cut her off again.]

Before she could finish, he immediately conjured a dark aura sword in his both hands, it's edge glinting ominously.

 [Advika smirked] "You're making a big mistake. Fine. If my plan doesn't work, I'll make it work after killing you. I thought to gain your power by a 'SOUL KISS', by sucking your soul – to give you a painless death. But you chose fight instead of indulge in pleasure. Fine, come at me…" [She said with a challenging tone, forming a dark scythe in her hand.] "This is the battle between a god and a human…

 "Pleasure? Taking souls from their bodies? You call that pleasure? [Ethan charged at her; his aura swords poised to strike.]

Their weapon clashed with a deafening impact, the sound echoing like thunder. The ground beneath them trembled as Ethan pushed against her scythe, his determined unwavering.

 "Yes, this is the power I needed." [She said, eyes glinting with malice.] I'll take your power and make your soul mine, just as I've done with others."

As she pushed him back, Ethan felt the force of her power. He used his aura sword to brace himself, but he was airborne for a heartbeat, suspended in disbelief. In that split second, she closed the distance, ready to strike again.

Instinctively, Ethan used 'Shadow Teleportation' once more and reappearing beside her. With a swift motion, he plunged his aura sword into her back. She stood frozen for a moment; shock evident on her face as blood spilled from her mouth. HE pushed his sword deeper into her back.

Ethan merged his other power, 'Shadow Flame', into the sword embedded in her.

 "It's over now, Advika. I've unleashed my most powerful combination against you…" [He asserted, pushing the Flaming sword deeper]

 'Cough' [She chocked, blood spilling onto the ground.]

 [Ethan's confidence surged.] "This is easier than I thought. I expected more of a challenge –"

But then he felt a chilling sensation. His sword hand began to disintegrate into dust, the particles swirling away into nothingness. Advika turned to him, her expression one of triumph as she absorbed the remnants of his aura sword.

 "H – How did you?" [He stuttered, fear creeping into his voice.

Advika smirked as she finally absorbed his aura sword. Ethan glanced at her in fear. He immediately used his other sword to attack her, but suddenly he saw his other hand, still holding the sword, fall off. The blood flowed from it like a river. He noticed Advika's scythe on her hand, stained with blood

In a mere second – in the blink of an eye, she already cut off his other hand with her scythe.

 "You're slow. You managed to kill Ref but I'm on a different power scale." [She laughed. Her laughter echoed through his ears.] "Your big mistake was touching me when you stabbed me in the back." [She paused for a moment then continued] "Eclipse Touch", this power of mine allows me to turn anything into dust with a single touch. And you fell for my trick."

 "But – But I didn't even touch you" [His voice started trembling.] "I just stabbed you with my sword."

 "You didn't touch me, but you were holding your sword." [She explained with a cruel smile.] "The moment you stabbed me, I made your sword my essence. You can say, it became a part of me.

Ethan fell to his knees, his vision blurring. The blood dripping from his wound felt cold against his skin. His trembling body refused to obey him as he stared at Advika, who stood triumphant amidst the carnage.

His heart pounded against his ribs, but it wasn't fear – it was the flood of memories clawing their way to the surface.

In that instant, the battlefield dissolved around him. He saw himself – years younger – standing in the shadow of world he once believed in. the faces of those he loved, the ones he lost, and the choices he made, flashed before his eyes.

 "You underestimated me, Ethan." [She sneered, her voice echoing in the desolate battlefield.] "Your soul, your power, that device – they will become mine, just as I planned.

 "How… How did it come to this?" [Ethan whispered, his voice breaking.]

 "You're destined to fall before me, Ethan. Just like all the others." [Her voice cut through the haze like a dragger.]

But Ethan barely heard her. His mind was no longer in the present. It was unravelling the threads of his past, pulling him deeper into the moments that shaped him, into the path that led him to her.

The sky above seemed to dissolve into a flood of memories. Ethan Blackwood sat in his room, hunched over his desk, flipping through pages of his favourite horror novel. The sound of his mother's voice calling him for dinner echoed in the background. Faint but warm.

The memories of his past life, his ordinary life, began to surface fully, consuming him as the darkness of the battlefield faded into the recesses of his mind

…

…

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Author's Note:

And so, the prologue ends here, marking the climactic moment where Ethan's present collides with the echoes of his past. What shaped him into the man who stood against Advika? What choices, triumphs, and tragedies carved the path that led him to this battlefield?

The journey begins now. Step into Ethan Blackwood's world as we unravel the story from its very roots.

Next Chapter, Chapter1: Ethan Blackwood.

Let the adventure unfold.

— Ren Thorne

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