Chapter 38: 38. The Price of Freedom – 2

Thousands of years ago..

The sky was murky as if the whole world was burning under it.

The sun was absent as if it never existed in this star system, but still there was an overwhelming radiance that pressed down on the world like a crushing weight, it was foreign and unwelcoming.

Suddenly,

The thick blanket of clouds was torn apart by waves of divine power, while arcs of lightning made entirely of holy energy ripped through the heavens and scorched the land below.

Mountains cracked under the pressure, forests were flattened, and the air itself trembled as if reality was struggling to remain intact.

At the center of the destruction stood a young woman with sharp features and pale skin, her hair was dark violet and her figure was that of an enchantress.

Tamasya’s body was covered in blood, her breathing was uneven and strained after countless hours of battle.

One of her arms hung loosely at her side beyond immediate repair, and although her legs trembled under her own weight, she still refused to kneel.

Her black battle attire was torn in multiple places, burnt by repeated strikes of holy light. Despite all this, she remained standing like she hadn’t given up yet, her back was straight and her sharp gaze pierced the figures surrounding her.

That fact alone unsettled the beings surrounding her.

Encircling Tamasya were figures wrapped in intense white radiance, their forms towering and indistinct.

Wings formed of condensed light extended behind them, and symbols of divine authority hovered around their bodies.

Each of them carried a presence that distorted the space nearby, their presence made it difficult for any mortals to breathe in their vicinity.

They were gods of the Light Faction.

One of them stepped forward, his voice echoing across the sky with authority that allowed no argument.

“Tamasya,” he said, “you stand accused of following the path of darkness, of rejecting the guidance of the righteous heavens, and attempting to ascend to godhood without our supervision”

Tamasya let out a rough laugh that ended in a cough. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth as she lifted her head.

“I never meant to interfere in your matters, all I wanted was freedom and non-alignment to any faction” she replied but her voice was hoarse but steady with determination.

“I walked my path alone. I sought power where it existed and paid the price for every step.”

Another god raised her staff, and the surrounding light intensified.

“Shut up!! You have embraced a forbidden energy” she declared. “You cultivated demonic energies and killed countless innocent mortals, That alone condemns you.”

Tamasya shook her head slowly.

“lies, “Darkness is not demonic, but you fear anything you cannot control.” she said.

“Meanwhile the people who died by my hands, they warranted their own death when they decided to cross my path”

She had eradicated every bloodline that continued to hunt her. That was the truth they could not tolerate.

Tamasya had not been born with a divine bloodline, nor had she inherited blessings or guidance from any higher being.

She had no god standing behind her, no sacred scripture carved into her fate, and no faction shielding her from consequences.

She had been mortal in every sense of the word.

Yet she had risen.

She had survived wars that erased entire nations, endured environments that killed saints, and refined her power through understanding rather than worship.

She learned to control darkness in a way that made the element itself bless her. She became the

Ruler of Eternal Darkness

She had reached the threshold of godhood alone.

That frightened them.

A mortal who could ascend without divine assistance threatened the very foundation of their authority.

“Bind her,” one of the gods commanded.

Light condensed instantly.

Chains formed in the air, created from divine law and holy elements, and slammed into Tamasya’s body.

The chains pierced her flesh and wrapped around her limbs, her torso, and her neck, anchoring her in place. She screamed as the bindings dug into her soul, suppressing her power and forcing it inward.

Still, she resisted.

Dark energy surged violently from her body as she fought against the chains, causing massive shockwaves that scattered the gods backward.

One chain shattered, followed by another, as she tore free at the cost of tearing her own body apart. Blood sprayed across the clouds, and the sky shook as opposing powers clashed.

She attacked without restraint.

A blade of darkness cut through one god’s chest dispersing his form into fragments of fading light.

(A/N:these forms are mere manifestations of god’s wills since they can’t descend directly i.e., why she could kill these manifestations with just one attack)

Another god lost an arm as her power tore through divine protection. The clouds darkened as divine blood and corruption mixed together.

But she was alone.

And they were many.

A spear of light pierced her abdomen and pinned her in place. A sword severed the tendons in her leg, forcing her to one knee.

A seal slammed into her forehead, disrupting her concentration and shattering her control. One by one, her resistance was crushed under overwhelming force.

When the final chain wrapped tightly around her neck, her body went still.

she did not say anything immediately, she simply looked at them with eyes filled with hatred.

“So this is how you all act, cowards!!”

No one answered.

They dragged her upward, lifting her beyond the clouds and toward the edge of the heavens. Below them, the world appeared small and insignificant, as if it no longer mattered.

“Your divine Essence will be used to raise a new god, feel grateful” one of the gods declared.

Listening to their plans, an expression of panic appeared on her face. With all her leftover energy she attempted a last struggle.

“hmph!!, your attempts are futile”

Suddenly a shining dagger appeared in her hands emitting chilling darkness. The chains snapped one by one freeing her from their grip.

she attempted to flee but as shot down by a beam of holy energy.

“catch her!!, don’t let her escape!!”

But it was already too late as her falling figure disappeared beyond the murky clouds, even the divine senses of gods could not point her out now.

The fall lasted longer than she could measure. Wind tore at her body, and consciousness flickered as her sealed power failed to respond. When she finally struck the ground, the impact shook the entire realm.

The realm was a prison of the Fallen Gods.

Suddenly the nether energy of the realm flooded her figure trying to eat her away before a thin veil of darkness sealed her from the intruding nether energy in itself and protected her from decay.

As the nether energy sensed the veil of darkness, the focus shifted to the broken remnants of divine chains, these chains got corrupted by the nether and started pulling her figure rapidly towards a white ancient temple nearby.

The nether energy did not serve the gods, but it seized the broken chains as anchors to feed on

Tamasya who was being protected by the thin veil of darkness.

***

Tamasya’s vision returned to the present.

The chains were still there, humming softly with nether energy. The chamber remained silent, unchanged. However, something unfamiliar stirred within her.

She looked down.

The boy lay near her, breathing calmly. His body had been rebuilt in a way that defied logic.

She noticed an unusual energy clinging to him rejuvenating him constantly.

He had survived her pressure while just being an F ranked being.

For the first time in centuries, something cracked within her heart that had been filled only with frustration and anger.

She saw hope in this Boy.

“A mortal,” she murmured, her voice barely audible, “who does not kneel”

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