The End of humanity was fast approaching...

Do you know the difference between a monster and a human? Monsters are imperfect. This haunting truth marked an age of despair, where humans and monsters had once shared the same world. Yet something shattered that peace. What drove the monstrous to unleash fury on humanity? The answer remains unsettling: Monsters are imperfect.

A mother, frantic and breathless, ran through the ruins with her daughter and a maternal urge to protect.

"Make haste, Maggie!" she urged, her voice cracking with fear. For days, they had evaded the monstrous creatures, clinging to a rumor of sanctuary. Belief in that haven, however faint, was all they had left.

"Yes, Mother," the girl replied, her voice trembling.

They trudged under the punishing sun, hope dwindling. A cave appeared in the distance, promising shelter for the meantime. Rushing inside, they decided to rest; a short-lived respite. Within the dimly lit cave, the woman's blood ran cold as her eyes locked onto a sight that defied comprehension: an eight-foot, grey-toned, slumbering monster. Fear surged within her, and her maternal instincts propelled her into motion.

"Maggie, move not," she whispered, inching closer before covering her daughter’s mouth.

They slowly withdrew towards the entrance before suddenly noticing yet another sleeping monster that lay nearby. An unexpected collision with the unexpected creature sent echoes through the cave, jolting the beast awake. The silence was shattered by a guttural roar, summoning its two brethren from slumber.

In the frenzied moments that followed, the mother and daughter fled in desperation. The woman and her daughter ran for their lives, the terrifying beast chasing after them on two legs with incredible speed. But the child stumbled, her strength waning, and the woman halted her flight to lift her fallen child. But time betrayed them, and the pursuing fiends closed the gap.

A sense of inevitability gripped the woman, despair intertwining with fierce determination. In the shadow of imminent doom, she gazed upon her daughter, tears mingling with sweat upon her cheeks.

"I am sorry, Maggie. In the end, I could not protect you," she muttered, surrendering to her fate.

As she clung tightly to her daughter in despair, a large and wide beam of light appeared from the sky between them and the menacing monsters. Just as the nearest monster advanced, trying to breach the light, a figure suddenly descended from the skies, landing squarely on the creature. The impact instantly killed the beast, shattering its body into fragments scattered across the area.

This intervention shifted the woman's attention from her protective embrace to the occurrence before her eyes. Her gaze met a new figure crouched before her, their back turned, and in their left hand, something resembling a flag impaled through a few remains of the creature. Rising upright, the figure turned their attention to the woman, as if assessing the situation. Her eyes met those of the figure, revealing a face reminiscent of a typical human male.

Though sharing a human physique, this being exuded an imposing presence, standing at an astounding height of eight feet, like the monsters. Clad in resplendent armor of pure gold and boasting deep blond hair, the figure emitted an aura of both awe and dread. His eyes, devoid of pupils, were an unsettling shade of pure white, sending shivers down the woman's spine as they locked onto her. After a fleeting moment, during which the woman admired this divine man, he spoke, his gaze partially on her.

"Are you injured, mortal?" he inquired softly.

A brief pause elapsed before the woman finally realized she was not in the afterlife. With a subtle shake of her head, she silently conveyed that she and her child were unharmed. The other approaching monsters watched as their comrade's corpse disintegrated into ash, the man's armor expelling the spilled blood as though it had never been there. Sensing the man's influence on the situation, one of the monsters charged toward him.

The monsters regarded the man as if he were a mere human, underestimating his power due to his appearance. As the advancing monster bore down on the man, the woman recoiled in terror while cradling her child. Meanwhile, the man's focus remained on the woman, seemingly oblivious to the threat. As the monster's claws lunged for the man's head, an eerie stillness enveloped the scene. The woman, clutching her child, shut her eyes tightly in shock, but when she soon dared to reopen them, she witnessed an astonishing sight.

The man remained unchanged, his head still inclined towards her, as if the attack had never occurred. Astonishingly, the monster seemed perplexed, unable to move further. Its razor-sharp claws failed to breach the man's skin, akin to thrusting a sheet of paper against diamond. The man's nonchalant expression revealed the inexplicable truth: the monster posed no threat.

With deliberate motion, the man slowly shifted his focus onto the seemingly immobilized monster, compelling it to cower in trepidation. The intensity of his gaze weighed down upon the monster so much that it brought the creature to its knees instantly, an invisible force commanding its action without consent. Then, the man spoke once more.

"You dare assault your creator?"

His words echoed with authority, reducing the monster to paralysis, responding to his mere utterance.

While the man's voice threatened the sanity of the creature, the same could not be said for the woman, who felt a calming sensation of safety, easing her anxiety. He then raised his index finger, still gripping the flag's pole, causing the beast before him to suddenly disintegrate into dust, meeting a swift demise.

Words could not capture the emotions coursing through the woman. Her sentiments oscillated between relief for her savior's arrival and apprehension at the overwhelming power emanating from him. The man's focus soon shifted to the last remaining monster, which recognized its impending doom.

For the first time, a human watched a monster tremble in fear, desperately fleeing for its life. Yet, its fate was inevitable. The man, casting a glance at the retreating creature, released his left hand from the flag and thrust it into the air.

What initially appeared as empty space suddenly fractured, forming a portal as if the man's hand reached into a pocket dimension. Withdrawing his hand, he emerged holding an unusual bow, its surface bathed in a soft, golden light that shimmered like liquid sunlight. He drew back an ethereal string, and without warning, an arrow formed in place, as if conjured from thin air.

Though the monster had vanished from the man's line of sight, it did not deter him from releasing the arrow. The projectile traversed the distance, piercing through the creature's head and bringing about its swift demise.

The monsters lay defeated, vanquished by a human-like entity, although it was unmistakably clear that this was no ordinary human. Turning his gaze toward the woman and her child, the man locked eyes with her. Filled with awe and trepidation, the woman awaited his next move or words.

"Woman, be not afraid, for I am come to save thee," the being assured. "Venture one mile to the north, then veer gently toward the northeast. There shalt thou find a gathering of souls, a haven wherein thou mayest dwell in safety, for a time."

Though a multitude of questions welled within her, the woman found herself incapable of vocalizing them. The man continued, "I understand thy curiosity, yet thy safety must take precedence. Go thee hence, for they are the last of humankind upon this world, and I shall come to thy aid once mine own duties are fulfilled."

As the man spoke these words, a luminescent spark ignited behind him, gradually forming a halo that encircled his upper back without touching his armor. Simultaneously, white, majestic wings unfurled from his back, yet they too refrained from contact with the halo. Assuming a poised stance, the man prepared for departure as the woman managed to find her voice amidst the astonishment.

"What is thy duty?" she inquired, driven by an urge to comprehend the motivation behind her rescuer's actions.

The man shot her a glance, his posture controlled as he responded.

"The eradication of all monsters in this world."

With those resolute words, he launched into the sky in the blink of an eye, swiftly disappearing from view.

The man had just vowed to rid the world of its monstrous scourge. While the notion seemed implausible, the woman could not help but recognize that such a feat potentially posed no challenge for a being of his stature, perhaps even a trivial undertaking. Recalling the safe haven's location and directions, she shifted her focus back to reality, cradling her unconscious daughter, and embarked on the journey to the designated refuge.

Despite hours of traveling, following the directions given by the divine figure while holding her unconscious daughter in her arms, a glimmer of hope still sparked within the woman. She believed that the man's words could have the potential to come to pass. Upon reaching the designated location, a heartwarming sight greeted her: a gathering of her fellow humans, united in this secluded refuge.

More than six months had gone by since she had last seen another human other than her daughter. The emotions welling up within her were overwhelming as she observed the faces of her companions, their eyes reflecting both fear and sorrow. Despite the somber circumstances, tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. The heavy burden of months spent fleeing had finally been lifted. Embracing her daughter, she was led forward with kind smiles and a sense of false cheer, finding solace in a place of rest for both herself and her child.

As minutes stretched into hours, and the sun began to set, the man's cryptic words echoed persistently in her mind.

"Could it have been but a mirage? The heat was fierce, after all," she wondered, her thoughts wavering as she tried to rationalize the extraordinary events.

She began to toy with the idea that the divine stranger might have been nothing more than a figment of her desperate imagination, an effect from the heat of the scorching afternoon sun.

As the sun cast its final rays, bathing the skies in a warm golden hue, an unexpected disturbance suddenly shattered the calm. A roaring wind swept through the entrance of the cave, heralding the arrival of an enigmatic object from above. Though uncertainty held the crowd captive, the woman's intuition guided her actions. Without hesitation, she rushed out to investigate, her heart pounding with anticipation. And there he stood, the man who had intervened in their darkest hour. His armor remained unblemished, his pure white eyes emanating an aura of both intimidation and reverence, his wings gracefully retracting.

Awestruck and bewildered, the assembled humans emerged from the cave to behold this otherworldly being. The air was thick with silence, collective disbelief rendering them motionless. And then, the man spoke.

"Mortals... rejoice, for the blight of monsterkind hath been purged completely from thy realm. On this day, I declare that this world is thine own. All beasts shall be beneath thee, and thou shalt remain above all that liveth. Main World now belongs to mankind, for the monsters who once dwelt among thee are no more. But be thou assured, we, thy makers, shall henceforth ensure thy specie's well-being."

His proclamation left the crowd momentarily speechless, their minds grappling with the incredulity of his words. The idea of ridding the world of monsters sounded like a fantastical tale. However, in the presence of this divine figure, doubt seemed to dissipate. His words held an undeniable authority that resonated with everyone listening.

As realization settled in, cheers and cries erupted, filling the air with jubilation. The weight of constant fright lifted, and humanity basked in the prospect of a life free from the monsters' terror. This relief transformed into a fervent celebration, an expression of gratitude towards the man who had emerged as their savior.

The man soon unveiled his identity as Siege, the god of War and one of the creators of their world.

The humans pleaded for the presence of the god to remain with them through seven days of celebration. During this time, despite not indulging in their festivity, Siege shared brief tales of their creation. He delved into their history, revealing that the monsters had preceded humankind, born of the creators' initial attempts. Yet, imperfections marred the monsters, soon prompting the subsequent creation of humankind. Both species coexisted, intended to learn from one another, to hopefully lead to the monsters' evolution and change.

However, the monsters' progression took a sinister turn, their flawed nature growing more pronounced with each passing century. And the gods, having pledged never to interfere with mortality, broke their vow after being unable to bear the outcome any longer, choosing to intervene for the first time.

As the final day of the celebration approached, the woman's daughter approached Siege with a humble gift: a shard of stone that had once been her beacon of hope in moments of fear. She entrusted it to him, a symbol of her unwavering faith in his protection.

Accepting the stone, Siege crafted a necklace and slipped it around his neck. And soon, as the sun cast its last glow over the horizon, he readied himself for departure.

With Siege's departure, a new chapter unfolded for humankind, a world free from the horrors of the monster kind and illuminated by the divine presence of their creators.

But as months turned into years, years into centuries, and centuries into millennia, time's currents swept humanity along, witnessing the progression of eras. And as the eons rolled by, humanity's connection to the gods who had once intervened began to fade. The direct witnesses of divine acts had long since passed, and the deities soon slipped into the realms of myth and fairytales.