Max, From Mortal To God

Chapter 1: The Awakening

Max Magrath had always felt different. On the surface, he was just another teenager navigating the complexities of high school. He was a sixteen-year-old boy with black hair that fell in messy waves around his face. His most striking feature was his eyes-one a deep, oceanic blue, and the other a vibrant green, like the first leaves of spring. But deep down, he knew there was something extraordinary about him. It wasn't until the night of his sixteenth birthday that he discovered just how different he truly was.

The sky was a canvas of swirling stars, and the moon hung low, casting an ethereal glow over the quiet town of Riverton. Max stood on the rooftop of his house, staring up at the cosmos, feeling a strange pull in his chest. It was as if invisible threads were drawing him towards the stars, the universe itself calling out to him.

Unbeknownst to Max, eyes had been watching him for some time. Disguised as an ordinary passerby, the stranger had traveled through countless worlds, searching for someone worthy of the journey that lay ahead. While they had been observing many potential candidates, none had shown the spark that Max possessed.

On the night of Max's 17th birthday, Fate decided it was time to reveal the truth. As Max stood on the rooftop, a blinding light enveloped him, and he felt his body being lifted off the ground. Panic surged through him, but before he could scream, the light faded, and he found himself standing in a vast, otherworldly landscape. The air crackled with energy, and the sky was a riot of colors he had never seen before. The scent of fresh rain and wildflowers filled the air, and a distant hum of unknown creatures echoed around him.

A figure emerged from the shadows, no longer in disguise, but cloaked in a robe that shimmered like the night sky. The robe seemed to be woven from the fabric of the cosmos itself, with tiny stars twinkling and shifting across its surface but keeping in a strange symbol that looks like a monarch butterfly with hundreds of rodes in it wings, Max somehow knew what they ment each rode was a journey that had been made by someone in the past. A face was partially hidden by a hood, but Max could see eyes that glowed with an inner light, reflecting the wisdom and experiences of countless lifetimes. Their presence exuded a calm, yet powerful aura, as if they were a part of the very essence of the universe.

"Welcome, Max," said a voice echoing in the stillness. "You have been chosen for a journey unlike any other. You will travel through worlds beyond your imagination, and your destiny is to become a god."

Max's heart pounded in his chest. "Who are you?" he managed to ask, his voice trembling.

"You may call me The Guide," the figure replied. "I have searched many worlds for someone like you. And this is just the beginning."

The Guide looked at Max with eyes that had seen many things in a long lifetime. "This journey will be filled with hardships and loss," The Guide said, "But it will also be filled with love and friendship that will last a lifetime." The Guide made eye contact with Max once again. "Will you accept this quest?" the figure asked. "You can say no and if you do you will be returned to your old world, your old life."

Max was stunned. A journey that could bring pain and misery, but the feeling in his gut, the feeling that he got from the universe, the feeling that he was connected to it, was stronger than ever before. "Yes," Max stated. "I'll do it, but first I have a question."

"And what would that be?" The Guide asked.

"Why me?" Max asked with genuine wonder.

"Because you were kind," The Guide proceeded to show moments of Max's life: Max saw himself standing up to a group of bullies who were picking on a younger student, his voice firm and unwavering as he defended the boy. He saw himself volunteering at the local shelter, serving meals with a smile and offering words of encouragement to those in need. He remembered the countless times he had gone out of his way to help others, even when it was inconvenient for him.

"This is why," The Guide stated, "but also because you were able to see that some punishment was just and deserved," The Guide added, showing times when Max didn't step in to help people. Max saw himself watching as a classmate who had been caught cheating faced the consequences, understanding that sometimes people needed to learn from their mistakes. He saw himself refraining from intervening when a friend was disciplined for breaking the rules, recognizing that actions had consequences.

The Guide then extended a hand, and a brilliant light formed between them. "As you embark on this journey, you will need strength and protection," The Guide said. The light coalesced into a shimmering orb that floated towards Max. "This is a power that will grant you strength when you call on it but be warned it if you use too mutch power you will brake your bones your body is bot ready for its full might so keep up your training" The Guide explained as the orb merged with Max, filling him with a surge of power.

Next, The Guide summoned a weapon from the ether-a sword with a sleek, black blade and intricate designs etched into its surface. "This is Rebellion," The Guide said, handing the sword to Max. Rebellion was a large, two-handed sword with a dark, gothic aesthetic. The blade was long and broad, with a sharp edge that gleamed menacingly. The hilt was adorned with an intricate skull on both sides but both were different one was a normal skull the other had its mouth open with horns coming out of its eyes. It was a weapon of immense power, capable of both fast, rapid-fire strikes and slow, heavy attacks.

Max grasped the sword, feeling its weight and the power it held. He looked up at the figure, determination in his mismatched eyes. "I'm ready," he said.

The Guide nodded, a smile playing at the corners of their lips. lips."You must find a man named Dante he will teach you to use that sword" the Guide said and with a wave of their hand, the landscape around Max began to shift and blur. In an instant, he was transported to the beginning of his journey, the figure watching him with a proud smile. "Good luck, young one I'll be watching." This was the last thing Max herd as he was teleported.