Chapter 1: Awakening of the Forgotten King

Pain.

Akira gasped and sat up, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to breathe. His heart pounded in his ears. Blurry images flashed through his mind—memories of a place beyond time, where he had been trapped for so long. Betrayed. Cast away. And now—

He was back.

He gripped the thin sheets under him. This body… It felt strange yet familiar. His hands trembled, not from fear, but from the difference between what he was and what he had become. He took a slow breath, steadying himself.

The memories clicked into place like puzzle pieces.

"So… this is my new body?" he muttered.

He stood and walked to the window, pulling the curtain aside. The city stretched before him—Tokyo, glowing with endless lights and towering buildings. It was nothing like the world he once ruled, but his senses went beyond human limits. He could feel them.

Gods.

Some were nearby, their presence flickering like weak flames in the night. They were nothing compared to the gods of his time. Yet, they ruled. They sat on thrones that were never meant for them.

Akira scoffed. "Pathetic."

A sudden shift in the air made him pause. His golden eyes scanned the streets below and landed on a figure standing under a streetlamp. A woman. No—a goddess.

Her energy was weak but unmistakable. A lesser deity. She looked around nervously, searching for something. Then, as if she sensed his gaze, she froze. Their eyes met.

Neither of them moved.

Then, in a blink, she turned and vanished into the crowd.

Akira chuckled. "Running won't save you."

He grabbed his coat and stepped into the streets. There was no need to rush. Let them notice. Let them whisper. Let the gods feel the presence of the one they thought was gone forever.

They feared his return.

And soon, they would know why.