With the howling sound of war and death, the falling violence and blood upon the people's hearts, the world now lies in destruction, godforsaken forever, nevermore at peace, as love was no more and hope in a divine deity in the heavens had vanished. Endless darkness now envelops the firmament and the earth below. On the ground where we once stood and gazed upon the stars, we now witness dying light, continuously engulfed by darkness. Amidst this death, layer upon layer of lifeless bodies, something stirs. A hand emerges—a man pulls himself up, gasping for breath, suffocated beneath the ground of death. He takes a deep breath and beholds a world steeped in darkness and howling with the horror of devils. Corpses are scattered everywhere, and the sea of blue has turned into a sea of red blood. Human entrails form the new ground of the earth.
The man, surrounded by death, sets foot on the ground of flesh. He seeks a safe place, but there is none to be found. Walking alone amidst the darkness and the growling horrors of the devils, he encounters a devil with four wings and a skull-like visage covered in flesh.
"A human? Surviving the destruction of the divine Solomon? How miraculous this could be?" says the devil.
"Who is this Solomon, that walks the earth and destroys humanity?" the man inquires.
"Our God from the burning kingdom. We vow and we serve, a promise to kill all mortals and replace the creation of God," the devil answers.
"What a disobedient creature, betraying the heavens!" the man counters.
The devil's eyes shift, filled with malice towards the man. He spreads his wings and flies above, then charges at the man to strike and murder. The man stands brave, fearless, and ready to face the devil. As the devil collides with him, he grabs the horns and steps on the devil's right knee. With a powerful motion, he breaks the devil's knee backward, causing the bone to penetrate the flesh and protrude. The devil screams in pain. The man then breaks the horns and stabs them deep into the devil's eye sockets. After the short but fierce battle, his body is sprayed with blood. Suddenly, he begins to float, his body hardening and becoming paralyzed.
He cannot move. As he floats, boiling metal appears on his face like sweat, but it is an extremely hot and burning metal. The man cannot scream, his mouth closed, his body paralyzed. The molten metal pours onto his face, forming an iron mask. It replaces his flesh, permanently affixed, never to be removed.
Still floating, nails emerge around his body. Blood drips from the holes they create. The man endures, unable to move or cry out until the pain subsides. He falls to the ground, now able to move, but every attempt to remove the nails only causes new ones to emerge from his flesh. The mask, when he tries to remove it, tears at his skin, causing excruciating pain. He realizes the curse is eternal.
"A curse that will never vanish. It is forever and ever," whispers a deep voice in his ears.
As the man continues to walk, his body trembles with excruciating pain. The more he moves, the more blood drips from the nails. The journey becomes a nightmare, with no respite in sight. He wanders through the endless darkness and horror, seeking but never finding safety.
He stumbles upon a desolate landscape, a twisted mockery of what was once the world. Shadows dance, grotesque and mocking, around the remnants of a civilization. He sees remnants of structures, now nothing more than ruins covered in blood and gore. The air is thick with the stench of decay, and the ground squelches beneath his feet, a mix of mud and blood.
He continues onward, each step a testament to his enduring will. He encounters more devils, each more grotesque and horrifying than the last. Some have multiple heads, others have limbs twisted in impossible directions. All exude an aura of malevolence and death.
One such devil, a hulking beast with eyes that burn like coals, approaches him. "Another fool wandering in our domain," it snarls, its voice like grinding stones. "What do you seek, mortal? There is no salvation here."
"I seek no salvation from you," the man replies, his voice steady despite the pain. "I walk this path to understand, to find a way through the darkness."
The devil laughs, a sound devoid of mirth. "There is no way through, only endless torment. Your defiance is futile."
The man does not respond, simply walking past the devil, who makes no move to stop him. His path is lined with the bones of the fallen, a grim reminder of the countless lives lost. He sees visions in the darkness—glimpses of a world that once was, filled with light and hope. These fleeting images are a stark contrast to the desolation surrounding him.
Time loses meaning in this forsaken place. Days and nights blend into one continuous cycle of suffering. The man's body grows weaker, but his spirit remains unbroken. He holds onto the memory of the world as it was, a beacon in the unending night.
One day, or perhaps night, he finds himself at the edge of a great chasm. It stretches infinitely in both directions, its depths shrouded in shadow. He looks down, feeling the pull of the abyss, but he does not falter. He knows that to succumb to the darkness would be to lose himself entirely.
Summoning his remaining strength, he begins to climb down the side of the chasm, his iron mask glinting in the faint light. The descent is treacherous, the walls slick with blood and gore. His hands and feet find precarious holds, and he inches his way down, determined to find what lies below.
After what feels like an eternity, he reaches the bottom. The air is thicker here, oppressive with the weight of countless souls. He can hear the whispers of the damned, their voices filled with sorrow and despair. The ground is littered with bones and remnants of forgotten lives.
In the center of the chasm, he sees a faint glow. It draws him closer, a flicker of light in the overwhelming darkness. As he approaches, he realizes it is a small flame, burning steadily despite the surrounding gloom. He kneels before it, feeling a strange sense of peace.
The flame speaks to him, its voice gentle and ancient. "You have journeyed far, endured much. What is it you seek?"
"I seek a way to end this darkness," the man replies, his voice weary but resolute. "To bring light back to the world."
The flame flickers, as if considering his words. "The darkness cannot be ended, only balanced. You carry the weight of your journey within you. Use it to light the way for others."
The man's eyes fill with understanding. He reaches out, and the flame merges with him, filling him with warmth and light. The iron mask and nails remain, but their burden feels lighter, the pain lessened. He stands, feeling a renewed sense of purpose.
He climbs out of the chasm, the flame within him a guiding light. The darkness still surrounds him, but he walks with a new determination. He knows that his journey is far from over, but he is no longer alone. The light within him is a beacon, a promise of hope in the endless night.
And so, he continues onward, through the desolate landscape and the horrors that lurk within. He seeks no safe place, for he understands now that safety is an illusion. But with the light inside him, he becomes a symbol of defiance, a spark of hope in the midst of endless darkness and horror.