the mythos of Salvation

modern myth part 1-2

### **Modern Mythology – Chapter One: The Awakening**

The world had changed.

In the two thousand years since Elijah’s sacrifice, the island had become little more than a myth, whispered by a few ancient scholars, dismissed by modern historians, and relegated to the shadows of forgotten lore. But there were some who still believed. Some who felt the energy coursing through the earth, who knew that the island was more than just a legend—it was a living, breathing force.

Mira Donovan was one of those believers.

She stood on the edge of the cliff, the wind whipping through her hair, her breath heavy with anticipation. Below her, the waves crashed against the rocks, angry and relentless, as if the ocean itself was warning her not to proceed. But Mira wasn’t deterred. She had come too far, learned too much, and felt the pull of the island in her very soul.

“They said it wasn’t real,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the roar of the sea. “But I know better.”

Her heart raced as she stepped toward the ancient map in her hand, a relic passed down through her family for generations. The same map that had led her to this moment—to this place. The air around her vibrated with an energy she couldn’t quite explain, but she could feel it. She was connected to the island, to the story of Elijah, and to the gods who had once walked its cursed lands.

Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet trembled. She staggered, clutching the map to her chest as the sky above darkened. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and lightning cracked across the heavens, illuminating the horizon in a blinding flash of white.

Out of the darkness, a voice emerged—deep, ancient, and filled with power.

“**Mira Donovan.**”

Her heart stopped. She spun around, her eyes wide, searching for the source of the voice. But there was no one there. Just the wind, the waves, and the growing sense of something... watching her.

“Who’s there?” she called, her voice trembling despite her efforts to remain calm.

For a moment, there was silence. And then, as if carried on the wind itself, the voice returned, this time closer, almost inside her mind.

“**You are the one we have been waiting for. The one who can finish what Elijah began.**”

The air thickened, and Mira felt her knees weaken. Her pulse quickened as a figure began to materialize before her—a man, tall and ethereal, with eyes that glowed like embers. His presence radiated an impossible power, a mix of divine authority and something darker, something more primal.

He stepped closer, and Mira felt her body heat up, her skin tingling in a way that was both terrifying and exhilarating. She knew who he was—or at least what he was.

“**Elijah’s successor,**” he said, his voice a smooth rumble that seemed to bypass her ears and go straight to her soul. “**You are tied to the fate of this world. To the gods. And to me.**”

Her throat was dry, her heart pounding. “Who are you?” she asked, though deep down, she already knew.

“**I am Ashkar.**” He bowed his head slightly, his fiery eyes never leaving hers. “**One of the Forgotten Ones. I was cast into the shadows when the gods turned their backs on this island. But the time has come for the balance to be restored.**”

Mira stepped back, her mind racing. The Forgotten Ones—those were the beings Elijah had fought, the seven ancient spirits that had once corrupted the island. But this man... this entity, Ashkar, felt different. He wasn’t just evil—there was a complexity to him, a depth that pulled at her.