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PROLOGUE

THE ABYSS, YEAR ZERO

I was here before all of them. In the beginning, there was only me, silent, boundless, eternal. I cradled the Earth in my darkness and raised it from my depths. I was the first to witness its quiet birth. I saw the stars and the moon scatter their light upon my surface, saw the winds carve the edges of the world.

And then, I saw them. I saw their hearts, bright and brimming with dreams of a world filled with joy and wonder. They brought with them fire and light, love and laughter. I watched as they built dreams, promised joys, and forged beauty.

If only they had known what they could have been. I glimpsed the futures they might have forged—kingdoms of peace, love unbroken by hatred, laughter untouched by sorrow. They could have soared beyond the stars.

But they didn’t. Their hearts burned, and their hands ruined. I watched as their light turned to ash. They fought and destroyed, staining my waters with blood. I saw their wars, their grief, their endless search for power and redemption.

Every choice they made became a debt they owed me, and I have not forgotten a single one.

If only they had known that the tides of fate do not forgive, and that love woven with betrayal is a dangerous game to play. For the sea remembers every debt, and regret always sails faster than revenge.

I watch. I wait. I warn. But they do not listen.

They never listen.