1 Chapter 1: The Ancient Awakens

"Where are we?"

...

"What is this place?"

...

"The eternal slumber is broken... Why?"

...

"Did someone wake us up from our slumber?"

Artemis Atlas Von Castiel was fraught with questions as he found himself adrift in a pitch-black void, completely disoriented about his whereabouts. The only thing he could grasp was that he had just woken up from a long slumber.

"We can't feel our celestial body either. It doesn't seem like we are up. Are we still in a dream? How could that be? Is it some magic of the witches? Did they once again target us even after we had been so merciful to them? Another revolt?"

Despite being drowned in thousands of questions, Artemis didn't even have a single answer that he could be sure about. He only had thousands of assumptions.

"If it's truly the work of theirs, we truly have erred. We thought they will change their ways and they'll stop targeting us. Why are mortals so foolish? Why is peace always detested by them? Why do they crave war even at the depths of hell?"

"Do they not want to let us live in peace? We don't know who is behind our broken slumber, but if it is then, this time we won't be merciful..."

"We promise they will beg us for mercy like they did last time. This time they won't get that mercy."

Even though Artemis' words made him seem really furious, his expressions and his tone was perfectly calm as if he was still a compassionate King.

In the pitch black space, there was pure silence. Only the words of Artemis were breaking that silence. As far as the eyes could see, only eternal and intangible darkness was visible.

The space seemed vast and unending yet it seemed small and tiny at the same time.

Even Artemis didn't know how big this strange space of nothingness was where he was floating aimlessly.

He couldn't feel his body, but that wasn't all. Even though he felt like he was speaking, he couldn't hear his words. He didn't feel his lips moving as if they didn't exist. It was less like him speaking and more like him thinking.

Confused, he wondered what strange phenomenon his body was going through. He even wondered if it was some trick of his enemies as it looked too surreal to be a dream.

As he was lost in thoughts, he noticed some shining words appeared before him, on a semi transparent screen. It was as if a magical screen had appeared before him.

"What is this?" Artemis frowned at the sight of a screen with floating words. It was the first time he had seen something like this in his thousands of years of life.

More and more words kept appearing on the screen as if some program was starting.

"Answer us! Who is behind this?!" he asked again as he was sure that it was the handiwork of someone who was playing with him. He was sure this was the trick of the Witches. No one else could pull off something like this.

Unfortunately, in the glaring silence of the eternal darkness, no one answered him. It didn't matter how many times he asked, but he didn't receive even a single response.

Soon, the words changed. Old words disappeared and in their place, a progress bar appeared with more words under it.

<Progress: Ten Percent>

<Progress: Twenty Percent>

...

<Progress: Fifty Percent>

...

<Progress: Ninety Percent>

<Progress: Hundred Percent>

"Speak to us! Who is behind this?! Answer us! Tell us where we are?!"

His words were followed by another unending silence which seemed to last for an eternity. In eternal silence, another screen popped up before Artemis.

...

After a barrage of strange words that were shot in the eternal darkness, Artemis finally felt something.

He was finally able to feel his body after such a long time, but it wasn't the way he wanted to feel his body because it was accompanied by a tormenting pain.

He found himself experiencing scorching heat. He opened his eyes hastily only to find him in the embrace of fierce flames, being burnt alive.

His body not only felt extreme pain but it also felt weak. Without thinking twice, Artemis pushed his body up which was mostly burnt by now despite being healed only recently. It was still in better condition than it was a few minutes ago.

Another screen popped up before Artemis. For some reason, he was able to read the language this time.

<Life Saving Mission Activated: Save yourself from the flames before being burnt to cinders

This time, the screen came with a voice that was repeating what was written on it. The strange voice fell in the ears of Artemis, making him upset that someone was trying to command him, but it wasn't the time to think about it. First, he needed to protect his body.

He raised his hand towards the sky, making some strange motions as he walked away from the fire, dragging his flaming body away from the fire. Unfortunately, since his body was laced with petrol, the fire followed him as well.

"Oh Goddess of Water, Bless thy son with your strength!" He chanted with full strength.

After chanting his spell, he waited for a few seconds, bearing the crushing pain of fire but nothing happened.

"Our spell? It didn't work? Why?"

He was being burnt by extreme flames but he seemed more concerned about something else. He looked at the sky with a questioning gaze.

"Where is the spell circle? Why didn't it work? Why can't we feel any of our previous spiritual strength?"

Despite being in a confused and pained state, he again tried something.

This time, he made a different gesture with his hand. As he moved his hand, a trail of blazing hot fire followed his every movement.

"Pesorpus Igniticus Personicus!"

He chanted another strange spell, before he waited for another second. Unfortunately,still nothing happened.

"It doesn't work either?! What is happening?Even those pathetic witches or Fairies shouldn't have been able to do this. Then why? Is our soul tainted now?"

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