The battlefield was silent now, the echoes of war fading into a distant memory. The air, thick with ash and the stench of burned flesh, carried the weight of a victory won at an unimaginable cost. The hero stood at the center of it all, his body battered, his armor cracked, and his face marred with scars that told the story of countless battles. He was known as Kael, the Beast of the Battlefield, a man who had led his people to triumph against an enemy civilization from another world.
Kael should have been a legend, a savior whose name would be sung in songs for generations. Instead, he was a figure of fear. His immense power, granted by his mysterious grimoire, set him apart from the people he had fought to protect. The grimoire, with its rugged, beast-like cover, had been his greatest weapon. It allowed him to summon creatures of immense strength, beasts that turned the tide of battle and crushed their enemies with savage efficiency. But the very magic that had saved his people now marked him as an abomination in their eyes.
The Return Home
Kael returned to his homeland expecting gratitude and celebration. Instead, he was met with whispers and wary glances. The scars on his face and body, earned through years of battle, made him appear monstrous. His power, once their salvation, now seemed unnatural, a force to be feared. The murmurs grew louder with each passing day.
"He's not human," they said. "No man should wield such power."
Even the king, the man Kael had sworn to protect, began to doubt him. "You've done well, Kael," the king had said during a private audience. But his eyes betrayed his unease. "Your… abilities are extraordinary. Perhaps too extraordinary. For the safety of the realm, it might be best if you step back from public life."
Kael had nodded, biting back his anger. He had given everything for this kingdom, for these people. And now, they wanted to hide him away, as if he were a monster to be locked in a cage.
The Betrayal
It was not long before the whispers turned into action. Late one night, Kael was ambushed in his own home by soldiers he had once called brothers. Bound in enchanted chains, he was dragged before the king and a council of nobles. Their verdict was swift and merciless.
"Kael," the king declared, "your power is a threat to this kingdom. You have become an object of fear, a devil in human form. For the good of our people, we must strip you of your magic."
Kael's heart sank as he realized the truth. This was not about justice or safety. It was fear, plain and simple. The very people he had bled for were now turning on him. And they were not content to merely take his power. They wanted him to suffer.
The days that followed were a blur of pain and humiliation. They tortured him, hoping to extract the secrets of his grimoire. The soldiers jeered, calling him a demon, a beast masquerading as a man. The people he had fought to protect gathered to watch, their faces twisted with hatred and fear.
Despair and Awakening
Kael's despair grew with each passing moment. The betrayal cut deeper than any blade. The people he had loved, the kingdom he had sacrificed everything for, now treated him as a monster. His grimoire, the source of his power, lay discarded in the corner of his prison cell, its rugged cover seeming dull and lifeless.
But something stirred within the grimoire that night. It responded to Kael's despair, to the depth of his rage and hopelessness. The runes on its surface began to glow, faintly at first, then brighter and brighter until the entire cell was bathed in crimson light.
Kael's chains shattered as a voice echoed in his mind, deep and resonant, filled with ancient power.
"Do you seek vengeance?" the voice asked.
Kael hesitated. Vengeance? Was that what he wanted? He looked down at his scarred hands, hands that had fought to protect these very people. They had betrayed him, tortured him, called him a devil. But he had not sought to harm them. All he had ever wanted was to keep them safe.
"They've taken everything from you," the voice continued. "Your honor. Your pride. Your humanity. Will you let them continue to spit on your sacrifice?"
Kael's heart burned with rage. Tears streamed down his face as he gripped the grimoire. "No," he whispered. "I will not let them."
The voice chuckled, low and menacing. "Then open the gate. Let your anger fuel you. Let your despair give you strength. Release the power that lies within."
The Gates of Hell Open
Kael stood, the grimoire glowing brighter than ever. The air around him grew heavy, the temperature rising as the ground beneath his feet cracked and smoldered. The whispers of the soldiers outside his cell turned to cries of alarm as the light from the grimoire seeped through the cracks in the walls.
The rugged cover of the grimoire began to burn away, revealing its true form. Beneath the worn exterior was a surface of blackened steel, inscribed with fiery sigils and the faces of tortured souls. The grimoire's back cover shimmered, forming a swirling portal that connected directly to the depths of Hell.
Kael's body glowed with an unearthly light as the grimoire's power consumed him. His scars burned anew, but he did not scream. Instead, he raised his head, his eyes blazing with crimson fire.
"If they see me as a devil," he said, his voice echoing with power, "then a devil I shall be."
With those words, the Gates of Hell opened. A massive, ornate gate erupted from the ground, its surface adorned with chains and demonic carvings. The air was filled with the sound of snapping chains, tortured screams, and the roar of countless beasts.
The soldiers outside the cell fled in terror as the first demons emerged, monstrous and unrelenting. The city above descended into chaos as the sky turned blood-red, and the light of the heavens was extinguished. From within the portal, the voice of Lucifer laughed, deep and resonant.
"So it begins," the voice said. "The world will know the wrath of Hell. And you, Kael, will be its harbinger."
End of Chapter One