The next morning felt no different. Zac stood in front of his locker, eyes fixed on his reflection. A folded piece of paper hit Zac on the head.
He paused for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh and continued walking as if nothing had happened.
It never ends, does it?
It had been seven years. Anyone would think that after so long, people would get tired—tired of the insults, the curses, the constant hatred, the endless bullying. But no… if anything, it only seemed to get worse.
You'd think they'd have had enough by now… enough of throwing things at me, enough of treating me like I'm not human.
His hands tightened slightly in his pockets.
But I guess it's easy for them. I don't fight back. I never do.
He lowered his head as he walked.
Maybe… it's just time.
Zac stepped into the classroom and immediately noticed the familiar pattern. Every seat was occupied except one—at the far end, near the window.
Right where it always was.
Without a word, he made his way toward it and sat down.
The moment he did—
A loud, unmistakable pffft sound echoed beneath him.
The class burst into laughter.
Zac didn't react.
He simply adjusted his position and stared ahead, as though nothing had happened. It was routine at this point—just another part of his day.
Moments later, the teacher walked in.
"Sorry I'm late," he said, setting his things down.
"Good morning, sir," the class replied in unison.
The lesson began almost immediately, the teacher's voice filling the room as he explained the topic.
But Zac wasn't listening.
His mind had already drifted elsewhere—back to the old man.
"There's too much to explain in one night," the old man had said. "So for now… just listen."
He had called it the Early Years.
A time centuries ago, when the Ancient Elders—beings later referred to as gods—found a way to grant power to humans. It was meant to level the playing field, to give humanity a chance against demons who had long held the advantage.
With those powers, humans formed what became known as the Legion, a force capable of standing toe-to-toe with demons.
And for a long time, that was exactly what they did.
War followed—years of it. Countless battles were fought, lives were lost, and both sides paid a heavy price. But eventually, something unexpected happened.
Peace.
Not perfect, not immediate, but real enough to hold.
Over time, that fragile peace began to strengthen. Humans and demons learned to coexist, even if uneasily.
But peace, Zac realized, didn't mean trust.
According to the old man, everything began to change because of one figure.
Eros.
An Elder who, unlike the others, never truly believed in that peace. While the rest chose to move forward, he focused on what could go wrong.
He spoke of doubt—of the idea that demons could never be trusted, that their nature would eventually lead them to betray humanity.
At first, most people dismissed him.
But not everyone.
Some listened.
And when you looked at it closely… it wasn't entirely baseless.
Demons lived far longer than humans—centuries, in fact—and within that time, they could produce countless offspring. Their numbers grew steadily, while humanity struggled to keep pace.
Fear began to take root.
Slowly.
Quietly.
That fear was what drove Eros to act.
He stole the Knowleslore.
Zac's fingers twitched slightly at the memory of the name.
The Knowleslore was no ordinary artifact. It had taken the Elders decades to create, and it was said to contain the entirety of the world's knowledge. It was their greatest gift to humanity—something meant to guide, to teach, to empower.
And yet… it had been taken.
Not by an enemy.
But by one of their own.
The Elders were furious.
Humans had failed to protect what was entrusted to them, and Eros had broken their trust completely.
They searched for him.
But he had already disappeared.
Still… he couldn't hide forever.
Not with what he was doing.
His path became marked by blood.
Everywhere he went, destruction followed.
What began as a mission slowly turned into something else—something darker.
Something uncontrollable.
By the time the Elders found him, it was already too late.
Eros had changed.
He no longer saw himself as someone who needed to be stopped. In his mind, everything he was doing was necessary—justified by the fear and loss he carried.
Because he hadn't always been like this.
Once, he had been driven by love.
But that love had been taken from him—lost to demons.
And the pain of that loss never left.
It twisted him.
Turned his grief into anger.
His anger into hatred.
The Elders tried to reason with him.
They tried to save him.
But Eros refused to listen.
Eventually, they had no choice.
They declared war.
Eros responded without hesitation.
He turned his power against everyone—demons, humans, anyone who stood in his way. With the Knowleslore in his possession, he and his followers grew far stronger than anyone had anticipated.
Another war began.
But this time, it was different.
Humans and demons fought side by side.
Against a single enemy.
The world descended into chaos once again.
Until, at last, something intervened.
The True Gods.
Beings who had long remained distant from the affairs of both humans and demons. They had sworn never to interfere.
But the scale of destruction had become too great.
Too many lives had been lost.
Too many innocent people had been caught in the middle.
When they descended, everything changed.
The war stopped.
Just like that.
They looked upon what the world had become—with disgust.
Not only at Eros, but at everything that had led to this point.
And so, they passed judgment.
Eros was not killed.
Instead… he was made into an example.
A symbol of what happens when grief consumes a man completely.
Of how someone trying to destroy monsters can become something far worse.
They transformed him.
Stripped him of what he once was.
And turned him into something new.
Thanatos.
"Death," the old man had said.
"Because of the path he walked… he left nothing but the absence of life behind him."
To ensure nothing like this would ever happen again, the True Gods made a final decision.
No one—human or demon—would ever again possess the knowledge or ability to grant such power.
Not even the Knowleslore could defy that judgment.
They reduced the lifespan of demons, bringing balance between both races.
Then, they did something even greater.
They separated the worlds.
A new reality was created—one where ordinary humans could live without fear, without power, without being caught in conflicts beyond their understanding.
Those with power—the Gifted—and all demons were forbidden from entering that world.
Forever.
It was meant to bring peace.
To protect humanity.
But it came at a cost.
Families were torn apart.
Lives were divided.
Entire worlds were separated from each other.
Thanatos was sealed.
The war ended.
And the True Gods…
Having broken their own rule by interfering…
Paid a price known only to them.
Then they left.
Never to return.