The night Karl was born, Heaven mourned... and Hell rejoiced.
A crimson moon hung over the earth, staining the sky the color of blood. Thunder cracked across the heavens, shaking the ancient mountains, while a violent storm swallowed the city in darkness.
Inside an abandoned, unfinished building on the outskirts of town, a newborn's cry echoed through the empty concrete halls.
No mother.
No father.
Only a tiny baby wrapped in a black cloth embroidered with symbols no human had ever seen.
The moment he cried, lightning split the sky.
Miles away, dogs howled in terror.
Birds abandoned their nests.
The wind carried whispers in a language forgotten by mankind.
Then...
Silence.
The child opened his eyes.
They glowed a deep crimson.
Far beneath the earth, in a kingdom where rivers of molten fire flowed endlessly, thousands of demons suddenly fell to one knee.
A deafening roar shook the palace.
"The Prince..."
"He has been born!"
At the center of the throne room sat Lucifer.
The King of Hell slowly lifted his head.
For centuries, no emotion had crossed his face.
Tonight...
He smiled.
"So..."
"My son has finally arrived."
The smile vanished as quickly as it came.
"Protect him."
"Until the time is right."
Every demon lowered their heads.
"As you command, my Lord."
...
High above the clouds, the Gates of Heaven trembled.
Golden light flooded the endless kingdom as angels gathered before a crystal throne.
The Archangel Michael stared into the Mirror of Creation.
The surface rippled before revealing the image of the crying infant.
His expression darkened.
"So... the prophecy was true."
An angel beside him stepped forward.
"What are your orders?"
Michael remained silent for several moments.
His golden wings unfolded behind him.
"The child cannot remain hidden forever."
Another angel tightened his grip on a silver sword.
"Should we destroy him?"
"No."
Michael's voice echoed across Heaven.
"Watch him."
"If the prophecy is wrong..."
"He will live."
"But if his power awakens..."
His eyes narrowed.
"He must never return to Hell."
...
Rain poured relentlessly.
Not far from the abandoned building, an elderly couple hurried home beneath a worn umbrella.
Daniel sighed.
"This weather isn't getting any better."
His wife, Grace, pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders.
"We should have stayed at the church until morning."
Before Daniel could answer...
A baby's cry drifted through the storm.
Grace stopped walking.
"Did you hear that?"
Daniel frowned.
"It sounded like..."
They listened again.
The cry came from the abandoned structure.
Grace's heart tightened.
"Someone left a baby there."
Without hesitation, the couple rushed toward the building.
Rain soaked their clothes before they reached the entrance.
Inside, everything was cold and strangely quiet.
The baby's cries grew louder.
Grace followed the sound until she found him lying on the dusty floor.
"Oh, my goodness..."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Who could do this to such an innocent child?"
Daniel knelt beside her.
"There isn't anyone else here."
Grace carefully picked up the baby.
The instant her hands touched him...
The storm stopped.
The rain vanished.
Even the thunder disappeared.
The world became unnaturally still.
Daniel slowly looked toward the sky.
"That's..."
Impossible.
Grace stared at the infant sleeping peacefully in her arms.
"I think..."
"He chose us."
Daniel smiled warmly.
"Then let's take him home."
Neither of them noticed the strange black feather lying beneath the blanket.
The moment they walked away...
It dissolved into smoke.
Hidden among the trees surrounding the building, countless glowing crimson eyes watched in silence.
One by one...
They disappeared into the darkness.
...
Twenty-one years later...
The quiet village had barely changed.
Children laughed as they chased one another through the dusty streets.
Farmers greeted their neighbors.
Merchants opened their shops.
Everything seemed ordinary.
Except for one young man.
Karl.
At twenty-one, he had grown into a tall, strikingly handsome man with raven-black hair and calm silver-gray eyes.
Everyone in the village admired him.
He was respectful.
Hardworking.
Always willing to help.
To Daniel and Grace, he was the greatest blessing God had ever given them.
Yet strange things had followed Karl since childhood.
When he cried as a baby, every candle in the house mysteriously went out.
When he laughed, flowers bloomed overnight.
Whenever he became angry, animals fled from him without explanation.
Grace had witnessed too many strange occurrences to dismiss them.
Daniel always found a reasonable explanation.
Until now.
...
"Karl!"
Grace's cheerful voice echoed through the small house.
"Breakfast is ready."
Karl stepped inside, smiling.
"I'm coming."
He kissed Grace gently on the forehead before sitting beside Daniel.
"You'll spoil your mother if you keep doing that," Daniel teased.
Karl chuckled.
"She deserves it."
Grace rolled her eyes playfully.
"You two should eat before the food gets cold."
The family laughed together.
It was peaceful.
Simple.
Exactly how Karl liked it.
But throughout breakfast, a strange pain pulsed beneath his chest.
He ignored it.
After all, it was his birthday.
There was too much work waiting at the farm.
...
Night fell.
The village celebrated quietly.
Karl sat alone outside the house, staring at the stars.
"I wonder who my real parents were," he whispered.
He had asked Daniel and Grace many times.
Their answer never changed.
"We found you."
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Karl sighed.
"Maybe some questions aren't meant to be answered."
Just then...
A sharp pain exploded inside his chest.
"Argh!"
He fell to his knees.
His heartbeat became deafening.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
A strange black symbol slowly spread across his chest like burning ink beneath his skin.
The wind howled.
Dark clouds swallowed the moon.
Across the village, every dog began barking.
Birds burst from the trees in panic.
The earth trembled violently.
Karl screamed as black flames erupted around him.
His silver eyes slowly turned crimson.
Far beneath Hell...
Every demon dropped to one knee.
Lucifer rose from his throne.
His lips curved into a satisfied smile.
"My son..."
"Your power has finally awakened."
At the same moment, the Gates of Heaven rang with deafening alarms.
The Archangel Michael looked toward the earth, his expression grim.
"The child of prophecy has awakened."
He turned to the assembled angels.
"Prepare yourselves."
"The war between Heaven and Hell... begins tonight."
