The Awakening

Finis Vi Scorno opened his eyes. An impenetrable darkness swallowed him whole; the kind of darkness that had seeped into every crevice of existence, leaving nothing behind. It felt like an eternity since he had last seen light, and perhaps it had been just that.

"A new era has begun," said a deep voice, echoing in the abyss. A moment passed before he recognized it as his own. The last shreds of his existence from the previous era, fragmented and dulled by the passage of time, began to resurface in his consciousness.

Once a great mage, a peerless expert of celestial and demonic realms, Finis was sealed away by those who feared his powers. They had betrayed him, conspired against him, and, worst of all, slandered his proud family name. His last memories before the endless void were filled with the laughter of his betrayers, a cacophony that stirred a violent tempest of revenge within him.

Drawing on his accumulated strength, Finis unleashed a surge of magic. A wave of raw power flowed through the void, and suddenly, the darkness shattered. He found himself standing in the midst of ruins, the world drastically changed from the one he had left behind. But he could feel the echoes of the past, the ghostly remnants of his old world.

"The seal...it has weakened," Finis muttered. The very world that had betrayed and sealed him away had also allowed him to return, an ironic twist of fate that even he found slightly amusing.

The heavy scent of decay filled his nostrils, hinting at an age long gone by. Scattered around him were the remnants of his once great mansion, now a mere skeletal structure hinting at the past grandeur. He could almost hear the faint whispers of old memories echoing through the silence of the ruins, the ethereal vestiges of his family's once proud legacy.

His dark eyes narrowed as a cold breeze brushed against his face, carrying a faint trace of an all too familiar scent – the scent of betrayal. It was a scent he had sworn to cleanse from the world, a promise he had made to himself and his family.

His lips curled into a smirk, "I've returned after all this time. It's time to repay all debts."

Suddenly, the air around him vibrated. Finis turned, his senses heightened. His gaze landed upon a strange figure, half-hidden in the shadowy remnants of a once grand pillar. It was an aberrant figure; neither fully human, nor wholly monstrous, a chilling amalgamation that belonged in the chilling tales of the Celestials. Its presence was just a hint of the otherworldly horrors that now populated this strange, new world.

Yet, there was no fear in Finis's heart. If anything, he felt excitement. This world, this new age, was full of possibilities.

The figure, a fusion of the grotesque and the inexplicable, opened its maw and hissed, "Who dares disturb the quiet?"

"I, Finis Vi Scorno, have returned," he responded, his voice carrying a chilling promise, "And I will not rest until all debts have been paid in full."

There was a moment of silence before the creature let out a low, rumbling laugh. "A great mage, huh? After 4000 years?"

"Are you the harbinger of this new era?" Finis asked the aberration, his gaze unwavering.

The creature hissed, a series of incomprehensible syllables leaving its mouth, weaving into an ancient incantation. But Finis Vi Scorno was unfazed. He had once walked among heavenly demons and ancient mages, their cryptic tongues as familiar to him as his own. The incantation was one of assault, a prelude to an imminent attack.

So, he responded in kind. With a flick of his wrist and a whisper of his own incantation, he sent out a powerful barrier that intercepted the creature's attack. The barrier rippled and cracked under the force, but held strong.

With a derisive snort, Finis stated, "This is your welcome, is it? After four millennia in oblivion, I expected a better greeting."

The creature recoiled, perhaps shocked by Finis's resistance, or perhaps amused by his arrogance. "You... know the Old Tongue," it rasped, "And you dare defy me, the spawn of an ancient lineage?"

"It is not defiance if it is my right," Finis retorted, eyes gleaming with a fierce resolve, "I am Finis Vi Scorno. My bloodline is as ancient and as prestigious as yours."

The creature hissed, a dreadful sound echoing around the ruined mansion. But Finis stood his ground, his resolve unshaken.

He continued, "I was sealed away by those who feared me, those who envied my power and my lineage. They betrayed me, violated my pride, and slandered my family's name. Now, I've returned to claim what's mine."

"Your vengeance…" the creature rasped, "You still carry it after all this time."

"My vengeance is my drive, my purpose. It is what fuels me," Finis stated, the fire in his eyes unmistakable, "And I will not rest until I've had my retribution."

A cold wind swept across the ruins, rustling the remnants of the mansion and sending a chill down Finis's spine. It reminded him of the freezing cold of the void he was sealed in, the feeling of loneliness, of despair.

"But first…" Finis turned his gaze back to the creature, "You will tell me about this new era, about what has become of this world in my absence."

The creature hissed, the sound echoing off the skeletal remnants of the mansion. It took a moment to consider Finis's words before it began to speak.

"The era you once knew has been swept away by the currents of time," the creature began, its voice raspy, as though each word caused it pain. It began to weave a grim tale, one where the foundations of the old world had crumbled, and a new age had dawned.

"Long after your fall, the empires and dynasties you knew shattered," it said, "They crumbled, broke, and from their ashes rose new orders, new powers. Mortals have forgotten the glory of the celestial and the demonic. They fear the whispers of the old tongues and the power that once danced in their veins."

As the creature spoke, the landscape around Finis seemed to shift, mirroring the creature's tales. The ruins of his mansion morphed into grand cities of steel and glass, forests gave way to sprawling metropolises, and the mighty celestial beings and the terrifying heavenly demons of old were replaced by beings of flesh and blood.

"The world that sealed you away, feared you, no longer exists," the creature hissed. "And yet, in its darkest corners, whispers of the old world linger. Forgotten tales of celestial beings and heavenly demons are spun, their threads lost in the web of time."

Finis listened, his heart heavy with the weight of the creature's words. His world, the world he had fought for, had disappeared. The celestial bloodline, the lineage of heavenly demons, had all but vanished, replaced by an era that shunned the very power it was born from.

"But there are still some... remnants of the old world," the creature continued, "Hidden realms, obscured by the sands of time. They clutch onto the vestiges of the past, nursing their age-old grudges and seeking vengeance, just like you."

A spark lit up in Finis's eyes. "Where can I find these realms?" he asked, his voice betraying his excitement.

The creature chuckled, a raspy sound echoing through the ruins. "Eager, are we? The path to them is obscured, shrouded in shadow and filled with peril. But I can see that will not deter you, Finis Vi Scorno."

"It will not," Finis replied. His goal was clear, his path set. His vengeance was not just his anymore; it was the vengeance of an era long forgotten, of the celestial bloodline and the heavenly demons whose memories were slowly fading away.

"This new era may have forgotten the old, but I will make them remember," Finis declared, his voice echoing through the skeletal remnants of the mansion, "I am the return of the celestial and the demonic. I am the echo of the old world, and I will ensure that the world remembers us."

The cold wind rustled the dust and the remnants of his mansion again, stirring echoes of a past lost to the flow of time. But Finis Vi Scorno was resolute. His heart pulsed with an unyielding resolve, his pride unscathed by the centuries of solitude and betrayal.

"Do tell me, creature, about the ones who control this new world now. Do any of my old enemies still live?" Finis's voice was calm, but the thirst for revenge simmered within his eyes.

"Those who sealed you away…" the creature said, "their physical bodies are long gone. However, their legacies, their descendants, their influence… those have not completely faded. The world is controlled by those who continue their lineages, their ideologies."

Finis's gaze sharpened. The descendants of his betrayers now ruled the world? His fists clenched, anger simmering beneath his calm facade. But within that anger, there was a spark of satisfaction as well. His enemies might have died, but their legacies presented a path for his revenge.

"I see," Finis murmured, his gaze turning icy, "Then their descendants shall pay for their ancestors' sins."

"Ha… Your vengeance still burns bright…" The creature laughed, the sound echoing eerily in the desolate ruins. "And what will you do, great mage, when you confront them?"

"I will make them remember," Finis declared. "I will make them remember the age they have forgotten, the power they have shunned. I will reclaim my rightful place and make the name Scorno be revered once again. And then... then I will make them pay."

As Finis's vow filled the night air, a surge of energy swept through the ruins. It was as if the world itself had taken notice of his proclamation, the ancient remnants of the mansion resonating with his resolve.

The creature watched silently, its cryptic eyes reflecting the figure of the returned mage, the embodiment of an era long past. The words of Finis Vi Scorno, seeped with resolution and vengeance, were more than mere claims. They were the beginning of a grand saga that was about to unfold in this new era.

Finis turned to the creature, his gaze as sharp as a newly forged blade. "You mentioned hidden realms, pockets of the old world still existing. I will need a guide to find these places. Will you assist me?"

The creature chuckled, a raspy sound that resonated through the ruins. "And why should I help you, mage?"

"Because I can grant you something you desire," Finis responded confidently.

"And what could that possibly be?" The creature's eyes narrowed, studying the mage.

"Freedom," Finis replied. "Freedom from this ruined place, a chance to walk in the world that has forgotten you as well."

The creature remained silent, seemingly contemplating the offer. Finally, it nodded. "Very well, mage. I will guide you. But remember, every debt has its price."

"As does every vengeance," Finis replied, a determined gleam in his eyes. "I am prepared to pay it."

Guided by the cryptic creature, Finis began his journey through the remnants of his old world and into the heart of the new. He walked through forgotten paths, hidden valleys, and secret realms, encountering vestiges of the past and elements of the Celestial horrors. These entities, grotesque and otherworldly, proved to be formidable foes, but also surprising allies, further solidifying his resolve and fueling his thirst for vengeance.

Each step was a stride into the unfamiliar, a plunge into a world that was both strange yet eerily familiar. The world had indeed moved on, but echoes of the past still lingered, seeping through the cracks of the new era.

His journey was a harsh reminder of what he had lost and the injustices he had endured. But every encounter, every battle, was a stepping stone, carving his path towards his ultimate goal. His enemies would soon learn that the heavens could not hold back the fury of a betrayed mage and his heavenly demon. They would know the wrath of Finis Vi Scorno.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Finis, guided by the creature, traversed treacherous terrains and faced unspeakable horrors. Yet, his resolve never wavered. His pride, his name, his vengeance – these were the cornerstones of his journey, the pillars that upheld his spirit amidst the trials he faced.

Slowly, he began to gain an understanding of this new world, learning its customs and its peoples, and understanding its intricate balance of power. The descendants of his enemies held sway in this new era, their control woven deep into the fabric of this world. But they had grown complacent, secure in their power, forgetting the echoes of the past.

Finis knew it was almost time. The world that had sealed him away, that had betrayed him, was on the verge of a reckoning. His return was not just a whisper in the wind anymore, but a storm brewing on the horizon.

"I am coming," he murmured into the night, his voice carrying a chilling promise. "And I will make sure you never forget the name Finis Vi Scorno."