A lone figure walks through a desolate expanse. Dry bones cracking underfoot spray the landscape as far as the eye can see. These are the remains of a thousand battles fought over hundreds of years for the sake of a seemingly mundane artifact.

You have traversed the Abyss and braved the tunnels of Anubis to reach this God-forsaken plane, and you will be the one to claim it for yourself.

In the distance, a faint light glows, its power so great that you can feel it pulling at your soul from thousands of meters away. Your body screams in protest as the pull intensifies, but you do not stop. You will not yield. This power will be yours and no other's.

As you step across the plain, you pass the shattered corpses of demons, giants, and fallen gods alike, each one frozen in death throes. Your body shimmers with their energy and your skin hums with the sheer might of the force you're approaching. The power you sense is like a sun. No other can compare to it.

As you approach the final stretch, a roar shakes the earth beneath your feet and a voice thunders out of the abyss.

"You have come far, mortal. Few have reached the center of this plane. But none have ever bested me."

"I am the destroyer of worlds. I am the bane of all living things. I am death itself, and if you take one more step, then I shall give you a taste of what that truly means."

The voice booms in your mind and fills your soul with dread. You can hear the whispers of the fallen gods and feel their fear as they plead with you to turn back. The power that radiates from the being before you is unfathomable.

"I care not what you are or who you've destroyed. I care only for the artifact behind you. Give it to me or perish where you stand."

"Do you not know me, mortal? I am Apophis, the first of the old ones, and my hunger for souls is insatiable."

The air crackles with a dark energy, and you find yourself unable to move. A chill runs down your spine as the shadow of the creature looms over you. Its eyes are like two black pits, and its breath is as cold as ice.

"If you value your life, then turn back now."

You have faced monsters, beasts, and the unknown. You have defeated beings older than time itself, but the power that radiates from this creature is beyond anything you have ever encountered.

There is no turning back now.

You stare into the endless void of its eyes and feel a primal fear. Your heart pounds in your chest as you contemplate what you're about to do. You can feel the power of the relic tugging at your soul, calling out to you. But the beast before you is even stronger.

As you reach out for the relic, the ground begins to shake. Rocks and boulders fly through the air as the earth splits open. A gaping chasm opens beneath your feet, and the world is swallowed by darkness.

In the distance, you hear a thunderous laugh and the ground trembles once more. The air is heavy with the smell of sulphur and ash, and a cold wind blows across the plain.

"Foolish mortal, you should have listened. Now, you will face oblivion."

You look up at the sky and see the silhouette of a giant snake, its eyes burning with an eerie green glow. Its mouth is open wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. You hear the sound of wings beating, and a chill runs down your spine as the shadow passes overhead.

"I will devour you and consume your soul," the beast hisses, "You have failed, mortal."

A single drop of venom falls from the beast's maw, landing on your hand. The flesh begins to burn and dissolve, and the pain is excruciating. You cry out as the acid eats through your skin, exposing the bone beneath.

"You have tasted my venom, mortal. It will eat through your bones. Soon, you will be nothing but a pile of ash."

You can feel your body breaking down, the flesh melting and separating from your bones. The pain is unbearable, but you refuse to give in. You reach out and grasp the relic.

A surge of energy courses through your body, and you scream as the flesh is torn from your bones and the bones themselves are reduced to dust.

The ground rumbles as the serpent lunges towards you, its jaws snapping at your head. You can see the hunger in its eyes, the need to consume your soul.

You raise your newfound weapon and meet its gaze, a look of defiance etched on your face. Your weapon gleams in the darkness, its blade forged from the heart of a dying star. And with one swift strike, you cleave the beast's head in two.

As the beast's head tumbles to the ground, a bright light erupts from its body, filling the void with its radiance. And with the last of your strength, you claim the power that lies within.

And thus, the cycle is complete.

Darkness...

And then, you open your eyes. You are lain in a pool of water, your hands clutching a dagger made of black stone. You rise and look about, taking in the view. The world around you has been changed. The sky is black and starless, and the ground is made of obsidian. Your body is not your own. You look like a boy, not older than sixteen. Your skin is fair, and your hair is a curly, raven-black mane. You wear simple leather armor and wield the black dagger, which pulses with an unholy power and unbridled thirst for destruction. You don't remember how you got here or how you came to hold this unnatural artifact, but you know it's important for some reason.

Before you stands a man in a white cloak.

"You have made it. As it was expected, a new champion has risen."

He steps closer, revealing the black sigil on his chest.

"You have slain Apophis and claimed the artifact. You have done well."

"Who are you?" you ask.

"But a simple servant of Ma'at, the goddess of order."

You look at him quizzically.

"Regardless, there is no need of you to know but one thing, your mission."

He motions for you to follow, and the two of you make your way through the desolate wasteland. The sky above is a void, and the land below is scorched and dead.

"This is the result of the last battle. The conflict between chaos and order has raged for as long as time itself has flowed. For eons, Apophis, the serpent, has attempted to bring the world to ruin, and Ma'at, the vulture, has fought against him. A delicate balance that has allowed worlds upon worlds to flourish. But now, that balance is disturbed, the scales tipped in an unnatural way."

You follow him, and as you do, you notice the world beginning to change around you. The void in the sky fades, replaced by a sun that shines its golden rays onto a green and blue planet. A gentle breeze stirs the air, carrying the scent of flowers and spring.

The world is reborn.

"Your mission is to prevent this from happening again," the man says. "Apophis will return, as it is his duty, and so is the duty of Ma'at to fight him once more. But before that happens, balance must be restored at the hands of a mortal such as yourself."

"Balance?" You ask, still confused.

"Apepeth, the Coiled Shadow, Sethekh, the Unraveler, Ammut, the Solarbane, Ba'shek, the Soulswallower, Sekhmentu, the Devourer of the Sun. These are the gods you must slay."

You feel a weight settle in your gut. But somehow, you understand, and you nod.

"Very well." The man traces an arc in the air with his hand, and reality evaporates around you.

"It's time for you to go."

And then, there is darkness.

And then, there is the desert.

The wind whips through the sand dunes, kicking up a fine mist of dust and grit. The air is dry and hot, and the sun beats down on you with an oppressive heat. The sand stretches out to the horizon, broken only by the occasional rocky outcropping.