The cool night air kissed Kael's skin as he walked through the untouched wilderness, the weight of his powers still coursing through him—like an infinite ocean just beneath the surface. His eyes were calm, but they held the weight of the universes. His body, once tethered only to the mortal realm, now thrummed with divine energy. Yet in this moment, in the quiet of the forest, Kael felt something he hadn't in ages.
Peace.
The world around him was untouched by the chaos that had followed him across realms. There was no divine war here. No gods fighting for dominion. No unimaginable horrors trying to break through the seams of existence.
Just silence.
Kael had decided, for now, to leave it all behind.
He found a secluded spot—a clearing nestled between towering trees with their thick trunks and ancient leaves. It was remote, hidden away from prying eyes. Perfect. In his mind, he already knew what he wanted to do.
He knelt to the ground, his senses alive to the land, feeling its pulse, its rhythm. He could manipulate reality, shape the very fabric of space itself. But for once, he decided to do things differently.
He began gathering fallen logs, branches, and stones with ease, the wood snapping and bending under his touch. Slowly, methodically, Kael built. The Gatebreaker lay in the grass beside him, its sigil dormant but ever-present—a reminder of the vast powers within him. Yet, he set it aside, choosing to use his hands, his mind, and his connection to nature.
The structure began to take shape—walls of solid wood, sturdy beams, a roof made from interwoven branches, and a hearth where the warmth of a fire would soon crackle. It was small, simple, and entirely unremarkable in comparison to the grandeur of the realms he had traveled through.
But it was his.
As Kael worked, his thoughts drifted. He remembered the faces of his family, his home. The weight of his powers was always there, pressing down on him like an invisible storm, but here, in the woods, surrounded by life and death, he could breathe. The Riftblade, the Nexus Core, the gods he had slain—they all felt so distant now. There was no need for them. Not here.
The sun began to dip beneath the horizon, casting long shadows across the forest floor. The walls of his humble home stood tall now, a simple cabin, strong and secure. Kael stood back, admiring his work.
The silence was only broken by the gentle rustling of the trees and the distant call of nocturnal creatures.
As night fell, Kael started a fire inside the cabin's hearth, the glow of the flames casting a warm orange light across the wooden walls. He sat by the fire, watching the embers dance and flicker. For the first time in what felt like forever, his mind was still.
It wasn't that Kael was hiding. Not really. It was more that he was choosing to live without the weight of being a god. He could feel the power still within him, the divine energy pulsing in his veins. It was more than enough to obliterate any force that dared come for him. But for now, he would remain a quiet presence in the world—a watcher, not a ruler.
Outside, the wind picked up, the forest whispering its secrets.
Kael closed his eyes. The world beyond the trees could wait. His journey, the one that had brought him to the heights of power, had been long and brutal. But now, he was at peace—at least for this moment.
As Kael sat by the fire, the warmth of the crackling flames soothing his mind, an abrupt flicker cut through the peace. His vision blurred for a moment, and before he could process what was happening, a System Notification appeared before him.
Ding!
[System Notification: New Event Triggered]
[New Objective: Confront the Forgotten]
Description: A forgotten power stirs in the deep corners of reality. The balance you have created is delicate, and the forces that sleep beyond the veil are stirring. The gods are not the only entities that wish to shape this world, and you are now their focus. Your presence has been marked. The Forgotten, a long-sealed entity, seeks to return.
Warning: The balance you maintain is unstable. The Forgotten's arrival could tear apart the fabric of existence once more.
Kael stared at the notification, his expression unreadable. The serenity he had just cultivated shattered in an instant. The Forgotten? He had heard whispers of ancient beings, older than the gods themselves, locked away in the deepest corners of reality. Sealed by forces even the gods feared. And yet, something had awakened.
Kael stood up slowly, the firelight reflecting in his eyes as his mind raced. Was this the consequence of his rebellion against the gods? Did his actions create an opening for something worse than Aetheron?
The Gatebreaker pulsed gently beside him as if in response to the new information. Kael's grip tightened around its hilt, the sword now a steady reminder that, no matter how much he tried to escape, his role in the universe had never truly ended.
He didn't have a choice. The Forgotten needed to be sealed once again, or the world he had just begun to find peace in would unravel.
He glanced around the small wooden cabin, its humble walls providing no comfort now. There was nothing left for him here—not when the fabric of reality itself was at risk.
The world was calling to him once more.
"Guess it's time to go," Kael murmured, turning away from the fire.
As he stepped out of the cabin into the cold night air, the stars overhead twinkled like watchful eyes. He could feel the weight of the notification pressing down on him, urging him toward his next journey.
With the Gatebreaker in his hand, Kael didn't look back at the cabin, at the life he had built with his own hands. His destiny, as always, was elsewhere. The Forgotten awaited, and it was time to confront the ancient force that threatened all existence.
The world wouldn't let him rest for long
END OF CHAPTER 20