The sky had been shrouded in darkness for over a decade, an endless night that plunged the world into chaos. Civilization had crumbled under the weight of fear and despair, and humanity teetered on the brink of collapse. Yet, in their desperation, the people turned to their ancient faith, their prayers rising like whispers in the void. And then, the voice of God answered.
A divine proclamation offered humanity one final chance to reclaim the light: gather the sacred Weapons of Divinity. Whoever succeeded would ascend as the new god, a savior to banish the darkness and restore hope to a broken world. The task was monumental, the stakes impossibly high, but it ignited a flicker of determination among the scattered survivors.
For Kaito Yamato, survival in this desolate world had become a daily battle. A grieving father and widower, he wandered the endless dunes of the Sahara, searching for meaning in the void left by his family. The once-thriving desert had become an unyielding wasteland, the sun's absence reducing it to an unforgiving expanse of cold sand and silent winds. Two weeks into his solitary journey, Kaito heard it—an otherworldly voice that cut through the stillness, beckoning him forward.
The sound was haunting, an ethereal melody that resonated deep within him. Despite his weariness, Kaito followed, his steps heavy but resolute. The voice grew stronger, its pull irresistible, until he found himself standing before a patch of shifting quicksand. The ground seemed alive, writhing beneath his feet, and before he could react, it began to pull him under.
Kaito struggled, clawing at the sand, his heart pounding as the gravity of the quicksand dragged him deeper. His mind raced, memories flashing before his eyes: the laughter of his children, the warmth of his wife's embrace, the life he'd lost. "I wish I could stay with you," he whispered, his voice breaking as the sand claimed him.
Darkness enveloped him, and he surrendered to its cold embrace. But instead of the final silence he expected, Kaito awoke to the faint glow of an otherworldly light. He gasped, his lungs filling with air as he bolted upright. The world around him had changed. He was no longer in the desert but in a cavernous, ancient chamber, its walls etched with glowing inscriptions that pulsed with a life of their own.
Confusion gripped him as he staggered to his feet, his gaze falling on a large stone tablet before him. The inscription burned bright, its words searing themselves into his mind: "Let the God Test Begin."
"What is this?" Kaito murmured, his voice echoing in the vast chamber. He scanned his surroundings, searching for answers, but the chamber offered none. A massive gate loomed ahead, its surface carved with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and writhe under his gaze. It radiated an aura of power, both inviting and foreboding.
With no other choice, Kaito stepped forward, his hand trembling as he placed it on the gate's cold surface. The ground beneath him rumbled, and the gate creaked open, revealing a dark, winding path ahead. Fear clawed at the edges of his mind, but he pushed it aside. He had come too far to turn back now.
As he crossed the threshold, Kaito felt a surge of energy coursing through him, a mix of exhilaration and dread. He didn't know what awaited him, but he knew one thing: the trials had begun. To survive, he would need to confront not just the darkness of this world but the shadows within himself. And if he failed, he would not only lose his life but doom humanity to eternal night.
The journey for salvation had begun, and Kaito Yamato would either rise as the world's savior or fall as another forgotten soul in the sands of time.