The Illegitimate Flame: Bride of Ashes - Chapter 116- sweetheart

“Evil God of the Universe, You are in every space and time. Present in every dimension of reality and govern the darkness of our world.Oh, almighty Atticus! Hear our plea and grant us your presence tonight, awaken my Lord!”The rain had completely stopped and the strong gale had subsided into the fading raindrops. The night had turned eerily silent and only the sizzling and cackling of the fire entered their ears.Suddenly, they all felt like floating from their feet despite setting foot on the watery, hard ground, as if they were traversing into space. The darkness of the night gradually turned darker, enveloping them, morphing into everyone, like a void eating them slowly. Sequentially, their breathing turned oddly slower. Despite exaggeratedly inhaling air to breathe, it was to no avail, as if a higher entity was limiting them from breathing.Nolan felt his throat and tried to open his mouth to gasp more air but failed. Everyone but him was in a state of indignation and panic as they struggled to breathe to fill their lungs with air. Nolan tried to calm his heart. He closed his eyes and stopped inhaling air in pure panic, instead, he put his heartbeat and breathing into a rhythm. It was hard at first, but after a minute, he found his breathing gradually went stable.His whole being was in pure anticipation of what was going to happen next.After a couple more minutes, the storm completely subsided, the night turned to normal. Nolan remained standing, taking in his surroundings with his eyes closed. Everything turned silent. The eerie atmosphere and the crackling of the fire from the hay figure didn’t even enter his ears. Nolan waited for a couple more minutes, his breathing turning normal. He was reluctant to open his eyes, afraid he might ruin their ritual.“It’s alright now, Young Master. You can open your eyes now.”Nolan’s breathing hitched. He jolted on his feet as he fluttered his eyes open.“Atticus? W-why are you here?”The butler, standing in front of him, a raincoat hung on his arm, smiled. “I am everywhere, Young Master, in order to best serve you.”****Atticus, a demi-god from the underworld, was cast out of his parents' realm and banished to the human world. The reason? He had yet to give them any grandchildren.Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is purely the product of my imagination. Any resemblance to real people, events, or beliefs is entirely coincidental. The intention is not to disrespect or diminish any faith or tradition, but rather to explore ideas within a fictional context. Reader discretion is advised.

After a well-lived life on Earth, Kael never expected anything more than death and the sweet embrace of sleep and darkness.But fate had other plans. He was reborn in another world similar to Earth, where he grew up until he was ten, at which point his memories from his past life were reawakened.He was an old man trapped in a boy's body, but the mixture of the child's memories with his own made him feel more middle-aged than old.A few days later, the world he was in ascended into the realm of war, the battleground of all living beings. Kael was among the few awakened who had the chance to become the ultimate god of existence, based on the orbs of different paths presented before him.Kael was faced with three choices:Orb of ChaosOrb of NothingnessOrb of Void(Choosing any will make you undergo a trial that will change your very existence. Please choose wisely.)While in shock by these options and seriously pondering which one to choose, an unexpected event occurred.(Error detected... A new option has been created)(Be the wielder of the three — Chaos, Void, and Nothingness)(Answer picked by host, transporting...)Kael was in shock as he fell into darkness, with one swirling thought in his mind:“I didn't even pick any.”

Official:I had thought this bleak future would continue on for me every day, but…[You can copy-paste the effect of an item onto other targets.][Target: No limitation]My life changed all of a sudden ever since that day.Previous Blurb:The road before me was dark and my future was bleak.I thought my days would continue to be like this.But on that day…[You can copy an item’s options to another target.][Target: Unlimited]My life changed dramatically.

“Any who don the title of 'king' or anything of the sort in my presence is nothing more than an ignorant fool. This is my land and I shall be reclaiming it soon. I am Cacophony, the Vampire Empress!”As those words left her lips, every cell in my body reacted. It was unreal—no, it was otherworldly. Her beauty, her power, and her overwhelming arrogance. It might've been then that I realized that my normal life had ended.How did it come to this?Ah, it was curiosity. Yes, a deathly curiosity brought me to that graveyard that day.It was there that I stumbled upon her coffin. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing then, and even now I have no idea what possessed me to touch it—that single moment changed the course of history for the entire world. I found myself delving into a completely unknown world.Should I regret it? Maybe. But the truth is, I don't.Exploring the world’s hidden secrets, forging unexpected bonds, and living alongside the revived empress—it’s exciting.“Even if it's wrong, I think I'm going to enjoy every moment of it.”