“There are six races native to this universe, though there might be more drifting on the undiscovered edges. Our universe is incredibly vast, and yet we still know that it is finite. Among these six races, the most powerful were the gods. Only a handful of dragons were able to match their Godkings, though most dragons stood on the same level as the average god. Then, there were elves, mora, fae, and humans, just like you and me. Usually, they were much weaker than the others, left to their wit, effort, and willpower to find their place.”

“That must have sucked for them.”

“Certainly. Yet, it was all those other mighty races that failed to notice the invader and fell, while humans remained.”

“And the winner is the one standing at the end.”

“Yes. As for the gods, they were of many shapes and forms, born of concepts, energies, and collective thoughts. We simply no longer know how exactly they came to be. Like much of our history, even this was erased from the collective memories of the people by the system. Most remain ignorant, and the few who know dare not speak of it, lest they bring unwanted attention upon themselves.”

I glance at the wyvern resting its head on the ground near Lissandra. He’s also listening to her tell me the things he must have told her himself. Lissandra continues to talk, but while she repeats the information given to her, her own thoughts bleed into her retelling.

“Every god possessed their own Elysian Framework, though many also called it a Divine Framework. It was something tied to their very being and the universe itself, and it made them near immortal.”

She reaches to her belt and draws the cracked black mana dagger. “But there was one god who was not fully a god. They came to be without an Elysian Framework, they were born with a Divine Heart instead. A heart pumping blood, just as the lesser races did. Unlike other gods, they weren’t quite so powerful, though they possessed authority over an energy that was almost non-existent in our universe.”

Lissandra taps the black dagger, causing it to let out a clear ring. The wyvern in the background lets out a deep, rumbly noise that lifts the dust from the ground.

“That god found their place among humans. From them came descendants that were later known as the Empyreans. Some of them even possessed weaker Divine Hearts just like their god, and they remained a weak clan. But that was about to change.”

It seems like she is offering me a chance to speak, but I stay quiet and listen.

She ignores the loud rumble behind her as she says, “I was told that god made an honest mistake. That they were kind and beloved and had been tricked just like everyone else. But in my opinion, they were a failure, just like the other gods and races of this universe.”

Lissandra’s voice for a moment rumbles louder than the wyvern trying to interrupt her, as she declares, “They have deservedly lost everything.”

At that, the wyvern stops, its huge eye looking at her with powerful intent, a deep sound shaking the air.