1 CHAPTER 1# REJECTION

Dark Akatsuki stood before the ethereal presence of the goddess, his heart pounding with anticipation. The divine chamber shimmered with otherworldly light, casting intricate patterns upon the marble floor. But amidst the celestial beauty, a sense of unease gnawed at his soul.

The goddess, adorned in robes of shimmering silver, regarded him with eyes that held both wisdom and sorrow. "Dark Akatsuki," she intoned, her voice echoing through the chamber like distant thunder. "You have been summoned to fulfill a destiny greater than yourself."

Hope flickered in Dark Akatsuki's heart as he awaited the goddess's proclamation. Perhaps, at last, he would find purpose and belonging in this world.

But then came her words, like a blade through his aspirations. "You are deemed 'The Fallen Hero,'" she declared, her voice heavy with judgment.

Dark Akatsuki's breath caught in his throat, disbelief and despair warring within him. "But... why?" he managed to choke out, his voice barely above a whisper.

The goddess's gaze softened, though her judgment remained firm. "You have been failed by the standards of this world," she explained. "Your appearance and personality do not align with the expectations of a hero. You are deemed unworthy of the title."

A bitter taste filled Dark Akatsuki's mouth as the weight of her words settled upon him. Rejected not for his deeds or abilities, but for the mere essence of who he was. It was a condemnation he could not escape, a label that would shadow him for eternity.

With a heavy heart, Dark Akatsuki bowed before the goddess, his resolve hardening like steel. If he could not be hailed as a hero, then he would forge his own path. He would defy fate itself and prove that greatness resided within him, regardless of the goddess's judgment.

As he left the divine chamber behind, a single thought burned bright within his soul: the journey of the Fallen Hero had only just begun.