Reincarnated as the disaster prince

The old man adjusted his suit, the faint sound of fabric brushing against itself echoing in the vast emptiness of the temple. With a snap of his fingers, a chair appeared beneath Theodore, forcing him to sit. Theodore's scowl deepened as he crossed his arms, unwilling but curious.

"Since you wish to know about the gods," the old man began, his voice laced with mischief, "I'll explain in a way even a young master like you can understand."

Before Theodore could protest, the world around him plunged into darkness.

"Stop with these games, old man!" Theodore shouted, gripping the armrests of his chair.

The darkness lit up with a spotlight, illuminating a small puppet theater. Miniature curtains parted to reveal wooden puppets dangling on strings. The old man's voice boomed as he narrated, his hands manipulating the marionettes.

"Are you serious right now?" Theodore groaned, his face twisting in disbelief.

The old man smirked, ignoring the boy's protests. "If you don't want to listen, I won't explain anything."

Theodore sighed in defeat. "Fine. Get on with it."

"Excellent, young master." The old man grinned, pulling the first puppet into the spotlight.

The Story of Creation

"In the beginning," the old man began, the puppet onstage taking the shape of a majestic woman, "there was Gaia, the goddess of creation. She was alone in the vast void, and from her will, she formed a planet named Vornix. It was enormous, far larger than the Earth of your previous life. But Vornix lacked something vital—mana."

Theodore raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself.

"Gaia created creatures to populate the world,animals, beasts,but they kept dying. It wasn't until she formed a pack of lions that she succeeded in creating two generations. It was short-lived, but Gaia was fascinated. She decided to create beings in her own image. And so, she took six stars from the heavens and used her own flesh to create six gods."

The old man manipulated the puppets, their wooden forms shifting to resemble six majestic figures. "The first was Poseidon, god of the seas. Second, Ares, god of war. Third, Borea, god of winter. Fourth, Deimos, god of fear and terror. Fifth, Ra, god of the sun, order, and kingship. And finally—" The last puppet emerged, shrouded in shadows. "—the God of Shadows and Darkness. My god."

Theodore leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "What happened to them?"

The old man snapped his fingers, and the puppets came to life, reshaping the stage into lush forests, roaring oceans, and golden deserts. "The six gods combined their powers to shape the world of Vornix. They created trees, sand, mountains, seas, and civilizations. From their efforts emerged animals, elves, dwarves, mermaids, and more. They breathed life into every corner of the planet."

Theodore furrowed his brow. "If they created all this, why did they abandon the world?"

"Ah, an excellent question," the old man replied, pulling the strings of his puppets. "You see, the gods couldn't interfere directly with the world because of their dimensional limitations. Vornix exists in the third dimension, while the gods reside in the fifth . Their mere presence could obliterate everything they created. So, they devised a solution,they created a realm known as Aisling, a forth-dimensional bridge between the mortal plane and their divine one. There, angels and immortals were born, beings who could carry out their will without causing destruction."

Theodore narrowed his eyes. "And the God of Shadows? What role did he play?"

The old man paused, his tone softening. "Ah, the God of Shadows… the misunderstood one. After creating the planet, the gods were satisfied. But something was missing. The world felt empty. It lacked chaos, beauty, love, and sorrow. It lacked something unpredictable. That's when my god suggested something radical,something closer to Gaia herself. He proposed the creation of a being unlike any other."

"A human," Theodore whispered, connecting the dots.

The old man nodded, pulling out a puppet in the shape of a man. "The first human was born from the flesh of all six gods, a perfect fusion of their powers and qualities. The gods were awed by their creation. Humanity was flawed but brilliant, weak but resilient. For a time, they all loved their new creation."

Theodore frowned. "So why did they turn on the God of Shadows?"

The old man's grin turned bitter. "Because humanity wasn't just beautiful. It was chaotic. Dangerous. Their emotions, desires, and free will quickly spiraled out of control. They waged wars, betrayed one another, and even dared to defy the gods themselves. The other gods blamed the God of Shadows for their creation's imperfections, calling him reckless for introducing unpredictability into their orderly world."

The puppets onstage clashed, strings tangling as the gods argued and fought.

"The first human was more than a mere creation," the old man continued, his tone darkening. "He was a catalyst. Something about him,a secret even I don't fully understand,sparked a war among the gods. The God of Shadows, betrayed by his siblings, was cast out, thrown into an eternal slumber to prevent him from 'corrupting' the world further."

Theodore's eyes widened. "A war… started by one human?"

"Indeed," the old man said, his voice heavy with meaning. "That human was both a blessing and a curse. And his existence is the reason my god sleeps to this day."

Theodore clenched his fists. "Then where is he now? The God of Shadows?"

The old man chuckled darkly. "Sleeping. Waiting. You'd like to meet him, wouldn't you? To gaze upon a god?"

A chill ran down Theodore's spine. The old man's smile was unnerving, his words laced with something sinister.

"I'll pass," Theodore said cautiously. "I'm not that eager to die."

"Smart choice," the old man replied. "A mortal soul can't withstand the presence of a god. But don't worry,one day, you might just get your chance."

Theodore sighed, leaning back in his chair. "So, what's the point of telling me all this? If gods are untouchable, what am I supposed to do?"

The old man smirked. "Untouchable? No. Difficult to kill? Yes. But impossible? Not quite. Someone already proved that."

Theodore's head shot up. "What do you mean?"

"There were seven gods," the old man said, his grin widening. "Now there are six. Someone killed Borea, the Goddess of Winter."

Theodore's heart raced. "Someone killed a god? How? Who did it?"

The old man leaned in close, his voice a whisper. "That… is a story for another day."

Theodore scowled but couldn't hide the spark of hope in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe, the gods weren't as invincible as they seemed.