Apocalypse: Starting With Three Unique Blessings-Chapter 56: Awakening.

Magnus gazed up at the council, a faint murmur of conversation drifting down from their lofty perch atop pillars that soared three thousand feet into the heavens. He remained impassive. Their deliberations held no weight for him.

He had answered their three riddles correctly; what did it matter if they debated amongst themselves? He had won. Or so he thought. The gods, it seemed, were far from pleased, especially Thoth. The god of knowledge clearly couldn’t stomach the idea of a mortal outsmarting him, not once, but twice.

"He’s obviously cheating! It’s impossible for him to have solved those riddles unaided. Mortem must have been helping him. They both need to be brought before the Council for questioning," Thoth thundered, his voice laced with indignant disbelief. He refused to accept that a mere mortal had bested him.

"Thoth, enough! There’s no way this mortal could have cheated right under our noses. And even if Mortem had somehow managed to assist him, which he clearly didn’t, Mortem doesn’t possess the mental acuity to solve riddles like these. He’s known for being scatterbrained," another god interjected, calling Thoth to order.

"While I hate to admit it, this mortal has passed our test. We can’t detain him any longer. The Council of Gods cannot go back on its word. We have to let him go," another council member declared. A heavy silence descended upon the twelve gods.

Though they hated to concede, this god was right. None of them, in their wildest imaginings, had anticipated Magnus solving their riddles.

Their intention had been to obliterate this soul, this bearer of chaos, a potential threat they wouldn’t have to deal with in the future. But instead of outright annihilation, they had devised the riddles, fully confident that no mortal could solve them. It was a setup, a cruel charade of choice disguised as a chance for Magnus to preserve his life, when in reality, he had been destined to fail from the start. To their utter astonishment, Magnus had proven them wrong. Now, bound by their own decree, they had to release him. Breaking their word carried far graver consequences than letting this mortal live.

A collective, inward sigh rippled through the council at this realization.

"I said we should have obliterated this soul from the beginning, but none of you would listen," Azrael’s booming voice broke the silence, dripping with self-righteousness.

"Shut up, Azrael! This isn’t the time for assigning blame," another god roared, his voice thick with anger. Azrael scoffed but subsided, a simmering resentment evident in his posture.

Meanwhile, Magnus continued to gaze at the gods, his brow furrowing as their muted argument continued. What were they still discussing? Wasn’t it time for him to leave? His presence was needed back in his territory.

"Hey, uh, Council of Incompetence—sorry, I mean Council of Gods," Magnus called out, his voice laced with impatience. "Isn’t it time for me to go? What’s all the yapping about?"

"Mortal, don’t push your luck!" one god bellowed, his voice infused with an impotent rage intended to instill fear. Magnus, however, merely chuckled.

Before, they would have unleashed their power, the energy meant to obliterate his soul. But they hadn’t. This served only to reinforce his growing suspicion that, having solved the riddles, the gods were now somehow unable to harm him. Not that he particularly cared.

"Push my luck? I solved your pathetic riddles, and as you promised, I’m now free to leave. So, you should be sending me back, not chattering amongst yourselves," he paused, his voice taking on a taunting edge. "Unless the Council of Gods isn’t as righteous as I thought. Are you planning to go back on your word?"

"You!" Azrael roared, erupting with a surge of intense energy that swept through the chamber. Yet, Magnus felt nothing, further solidifying his belief that the gods were now powerless against him.

"Enough!" another god commanded, his voice ringing with an overwhelming authority that shook the very foundations of the celestial realm. Even Magnus felt its impact.

Silence descended, heavy and absolute. Not just Magnus, but even the gods were stunned into quiet submission by this voice of ultimate power.

This was the first time Magnus had heard this voice since arriving in this ethereal space. The sheer power resonating from the speaker suggested a leader, or at the very least, a highly respected figure among the council. The moment the words left the god’s mouth, an absolute silence descended, so profound it felt as if the very air held its breath.

Even Magnus felt his body lock in place, as if fearing to make even the slightest sound and incur the wrath of this powerful being.

’What the...?’ Magnus thought, but before he could complete the thought, the voice echoed again.

"Mortal, I admit you have surprised me by solving all our riddles. As promised, you are free to go, and you will be spared damnation," the god declared, but then paused, his words hanging heavy in the air before he continued, "However, while you have indeed passed the test, your insolence will not go unpunished. Therefore, by the authority of the Council of Gods, I place the Curse of Heaven upon you."

As the god’s pronouncement ended, a swirling vortex of dark energy materialized, engulfing Magnus.

"Argh!" Magnus cried out in agony as a searing pain coursed through his body. A powerful force then yanked him away, the same force that had brought him here. But Magnus barely registered it; his entire being was consumed by an all-encompassing pain.

Time seemed to lose all meaning as the agony raged on. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the pain began to recede. He opened his eyes, his body drenched in sweat.

"Ugh," Magnus groaned, his gaze drawn to his chest, where the skin felt as if it were being branded with a red-hot iron.

"Argh!" he cried out again, ripping open his shirt to reveal a mark at the center of his chest, glowing with an intense white light.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he waited. Thankfully, the burning sensation didn’t last much longer. After a few minutes, the glowing subsided, leaving behind a strange, dark mark resembling a series of jagged lightning bolts.

Before Magnus could examine the mark more closely, his door burst open. He quickly covered the mark with his shirt and turned to see a blue-haired, purple-eyed elf rush into the room. It was Seraphina. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Lord Magnus, you’re awake!" she exclaimed, her eyes filled with worry and concern.

Magnus wasn’t surprised by the change in her demeanor or her new way of addressing him, which had shifted from "Young Lord Magnus" to simply "Lord Magnus." After he had bound himself with the Lord’s Seal, Seraphina’s behavior, speech, and feelings towards him had transformed. She was now bound to him, her fate intertwined with his.

Magnus watched her approach, a frown creasing his brow.

’This... she’s awakened?’ he thought, sensing Seraphina’s aura. ’How long was I out?’ he wondered. Before he could voice the question, a system screen materialized before him.

-[Prepare for your awakening in 5, 4, 3...]-

Magnus stared at the countdown as it ticked down to zero. Just as it reached zero, he felt a familiar pulling sensation, his consciousness blurring as he was drawn into the awakening process.

Seraphina, who had almost reached his side, watched in shock as he suddenly collapsed unconscious again.

"Lord Magnus!" she cried out, alarmed by this sudden turn of events.

Just then, the door burst open again, and Kelvin rushed in, followed by Robert and Keal. They had apparently been nearby and were alerted by either Magnus’s earlier cry of pain or Seraphina’s shout.

"Lord Magnus!" the three exclaimed, rushing to his side, their faces etched with concern.

"What happened?" Keal asked, his gaze fixed intently on Seraphina.

"I don’t know. He regained consciousness and seemed to be alright when I walked in. Then, before I could reach him, he suddenly lost consciousness again," Seraphina explained, her brow furrowed in confusion.

At that moment, a surge of energy erupted from Magnus, causing everyone to turn towards him. A collective sigh of relief swept through the room.

"It seems Lord Magnus is awakening," Kelvin said, a small smile playing on his lips.