Preface

I have been passionate about the fantasy genre ever since I was a child. I used to watch many animated films, read such books, and play with toys through which I imagined scenarios in my head and visualized them. It was always an unforgettable experience whenever I immersed myself in this genre. Over time, I also started playing RPG games on my phone, where the story revolved around a group of heroes embarking on an adventure to defeat a great evil. Since these types of games generally had many levels, and reaching the final boss required a considerable amount of time, I often created hypothetical scenarios about what the final boss might look like, what plans he might have, and who might be working for him. I used to watch many animated films, read such books, and play with toys through which I imagined scenarios in my head and visualized them. It was always an unforgettable experience whenever I immersed myself in this genre.

Spontaneously, by playing continuously, I came to the conclusion that I had created my own original story by piecing together the scenarios painted in my mind, fitting them together like parts of a puzzle. I imagined visually stunning action scenes in my head. When I was alone in my room, I even added sound effects when swords clashed or streams of energy were unleashed. If someone had seen me at those moments, they would have thought they were watching a madman. Over time, I developed a premise: a boy whose fate is to kill all the gods. This idea was born when I was in my second year of high school (around 2017–2018). Sometimes, I would tell my friends that I had a story in mind. Of course, it was very amateurish at the time, just a general, unrefined idea, but nonetheless, they were amazed by my wild imagination.

Apart from my obsession with fantasy, I was always drawn to the imagery and aesthetics of biblical creatures. I was always intrigued by the idea that angels hide a great evil within their beauty. And demons, disguised as humans because of their intelligence, with their complicated origins and motives which, at first glance, seemed wicked, but if you looked deeper, you would realize they were merely broken beings scarred by life's injustices. These details gave my story more diversity. Originally, what I had in mind, the beginning of the story in its overall plan, would actually become the third book. The main character was the first I imagined, and another detail was that the antagonist was initially going to be very two-dimensional; in other words, purely evil. But over time, I realized that the audience, including myself (even though I'm the author), would be more intrigued if the story was seen from another perspective, one that would allow them to sympathize with and invest more deeply in the characters. So I decided to add more substance to the story.

I would discuss it with friends whenever we met. I explained everything, telling them it was a dark fantasy story with biblical elements. Sharing the experience with them motivated me to start writing it. At first, it was definitely difficult. I had to construct dialogues, describe entirely fictional places, and write action scenes, which are challenging in themselves, but at least if you can visualize them clearly, they bear fruit. I wrote, erased, rewrote, erased again. I did this for at least 2–3 months, considering that I also had a busy school schedule. I study Biotechnology, a field that has nothing to do with the story I am writing, so even on free days, inspiration sometimes abandoned me. I didn't tell my parents that I was writing because I thought they might assume I was neglecting my studies (which is not true). The reality is simply that I don't have much of a social life, which leaves me with more time to do what I want within the four walls of my room. When inspiration struck, I poured everything that came to mind onto the computer or laptop. Most of what I have written is the fruit of my imagination. I have taken inspiration from surrealist paintings here and there, from biblical stories, and from other elements important to fantasy, adapting them to my own writing style.

I believe it is very important for what you write to bear your own identity, regardless of how many references you may have used. I haven't read a considerable number of books to have a rich vocabulary, but another challenge is that the Albanian terminology for this genre is rather limited. There may be twenty words in English to describe a single concept that in Albanian has only one equivalent, and this was a challenge on its own. That is why, at first, I planned to publish the book only in English. Another thing is that this genre is not widely consumed in Albania. It requires a dedicated audience, which is not very large, and even those who do enjoy such books often prefer to read them in English. So I decided to publish it in both languages.

Another concern is that someone might interpret this book as promoting blasphemy, since it depicts gods as beings who oppose their own dogmas. But the inclusion of biblical elements is more about giving readers interesting visual nuances in their imagination, as well as creating ideas that spark intrigue. Bringing a project like this to life has been a challenge, but fortunately, I have found support from everyone I've shared it with. This has certainly motivated me to create something beautiful. It may not be perfect, since it's my first book. It may not be impressive to someone highly experienced in the field. But personally, I am proud that I have managed to create something unique and not keep my ideas imprisoned within the cage of my introverted self.

This book also serves as a motivation for others who hesitate to express themselves, simply because they are afraid of being judged. That is the beauty of art. In whatever form it may take, it gives you the opportunity to express your unique self through the beauty of the human mind.

I sincerely thank you for choosing to read my book. Even if it does not succeed, I will strive to continue with the following volumes, which I promise will be better in every aspect.

I wish you a pleasant reading...