Dark Lord: Rise to Power

"At last, the rotten world is coming to an end," sighed Arin, a sigh of relief. The world had spiraled into madness over the impending doomsday, much to Arin's joy and exhilaration.

What began as a hushed rumor soon morphed into ramblings in the dark corners of the internet. Conspiracy articles popped up on overzealous news pages, only to be swiftly taken down. As days passed, the whispers grew into roars, too loud for mainstream media to ignore. Debates were organized on news channels, with experts dismissing the rumors as 'nothing but hoaxes.'

While most people sighed with relief, Arin was among the few who raged against the reassurance, for the world had not ended as the rumors had foretold.

At 25, Arin's only happy memories were of his childhood with his loving parents. Though blurry, he still remembered his father's bright face. An investigative journalist, his father was killed while digging up dirt on powerful people. His mother met the same fate when she refused to hand over the documents Arin's father had gathered. The police, the law, society, relatives, and media houses—no one heard the pleas of young Arin. Selfish relatives turned their backs on him. An unknown uncle appeared, agreeing to care for Arin until he turned 18. But he made Arin's life so miserable that the poor 10-year-old boy ran away from home.

Arin spent his childhood on the streets, surviving the merciless world by choosing a darker path. From being a cutpurse to a petty thief to a robber, he did everything to survive. The deeper he delved into the underworld, the more he saw humanity's rot. Surprisingly, thanks to his wit, quick thinking, and perhaps a bit of luck, he had always avoided jail. His friends often wondered if some angel watched over him, to which Arin would joke, "Yes, a dark angel." This encouraged him to explore the dark realm of the occult.

His experiences with crime, corruption, depravity, greed, and violence took a toll on his psyche, deepening his hatred for humanity and civilization. This hatred grew stronger by the day. So, when he learned that the world might end soon, he was overwhelmed with joy.

Authorities couldn't deny the rumors for long. Just when a world-famous scientist debunked the rumors on a global news channel, a mysterious person or group revealed secret government documents online. These documents detailed a 134 km wide asteroid heading towards Earth, so large that scientists and governments were at a loss on how to respond.

A massive global riot ensued, hampering governments' efforts to address the impending doom. Electromagnetic pulses aggravated the chaos worldwide. Arin experienced this too; electronic items around him malfunctioned and then returned to normal. He noticed a strange glow around him during these episodes. At first, he thought he was hallucinating, but he soon realized that many people worldwide observed the same phenomenon.

Things worsened when people started vanishing. It was initially speculated that the government was kidnapping people to cover up the impending doom. But when Police Chief Roy vanished on live TV, all hell broke loose. During a press conference, a blue glow appeared under Roy's feet, a bell tolled, and he vanished into thin air.

After that, society collapsed. People looted stores, and the rich were robbed, for no one was willing to sacrifice their life to provide security. This was the perfect apocalypse. Arin was delighted, believing humanity was finally showing its true colors.

The fated day had arrived. Arin went to the rooftop, ready for the apocalypse. The asteroid was visible to the naked eye. "Is it aiming towards me?" he chuckled, stretching his hands as if to welcome it. He looked down at the frantic people, laughing like a madman. "Come, come, you end of all, let me welcome you with open arms!"

Suddenly, he felt a glow around his feet. A bright circle of intricate patterns formed, more complex than any in his occult books. He heard cries from below as similar circles appeared and people vanished. The crowd was in utter chaos.

"What the hell, am I going to...?" Arin murmured, interrupted by a strange voice in his head. "So much potential, why burn it to cinders under a fiery rock?"

"Who the hell is it?" Arin shouted.

"Someone who can give you the second chance you deserve!" the voice replied.

"Second chance?" Arin furrowed his brow in disbelief.

"Yes, my child. A second chance to utilize your untapped potential and..."

"Forget it, I am not going to relive this petty, miserable human life!" Arin interrupted, feeling crazy for talking to thin air.

"I shall give you a chance to be more than human, to realize your true potential and achieve what you could not in this dying world. What do you have to lose? Answer fast, for it is unwise to stop the flow of time for long," the voice urged.

Arin realized everything had stopped around him.

"Fast," the voice commanded.

"What do I have to do?" Arin asked.

"Be Hem'netjer Nerthazir..."

"Hem what?"

"Be my Champion, that's all I can say now! Speak up!"

"I am ready," Arin said, feeling he had nothing to lose. His heart raced with a strange longing for what the mysterious voice offered.

"Wise choice," the voice sounded pleased.

The circle glowed with a strange green light, a bell tolled in the distance, growing louder as the glow intensified. And soon, Arin vanished from the face of the Earth.