The Amheuk Stirs
Centuries after the Endless War, Hwanin, the god of Heavens; Yeomla, the god of Underworld; and Yongwang, the god of Water grew complacent in their duties, enjoying their decadent lives too much for moderation.
And Hwanung, the god of Earth, poured all his love and attention into his family, neglecting to look after his people.
The gods, every one of them, convinced themselves that the shinbiins of the Realm of Four Kingdoms were powerful beings in their own right and did not need the gods’ constant protection.
Then, on a fine day like any other, each god stilled in their kingdom, gripped by fear. Because they all felt it. The Amheuk was stirring beyond the abyss.
The four gods understood that combining their divine gi had the force of the Cheon’gwang—the only force strong enough to defeat the Amheuk—but it required a sacrifice none of them were willing to make.
The gods were not evil, but they were flawed with selfishness, greed, and cowardice. And when Hwanin devised a plan that required little sacrifice from them, Yongwang and Yeomla compromised their souls to cling on to the status quo that suited them so well.