The darkness made it difficult to see who was there, but as I drew closer, the figure became unmistakable. It was my eldest brother, Joaquin. He had been waiting for his battle against Xanthe before the chaos erupted. Like the others, he had succumbed to the ability's effects, kneeling alone in the shadows, struggling to rise but unable to break free. His efforts to resist had betrayed his presence.
I knew what had to be done. I had to kill him, too. The culprit among them had to suffer the same agony I had endured. If it was Titus, he would lose two sons in a single day. If it was Caitriona, she had already paid the price, losing her only son for daring to cross my mother. That left only one, Neveah, the first queen.
"Aren't you overdoing it?" Titus's voice rang out, cold and resolute. "I let you run wild, thinking your grief over Rhea's death would pass. But there are things about you that make me question if you are even my son, the power we just witnessed, abilities no Colossal should possess. After much thought, I've come to a decision." His piercing gaze locked onto me. "From this moment on, you are no longer a Colossal, nor any son of mine. You are a threat to our kind. As their king, I, Titus, strip you of your title and will personally see to your eradication."
He crouched, ready to leap.
"How dare you speak my mother's name with that filthy mouth?" I roared, my rage uncontainable. I pointed at him, my body trembling with fury.
Before I could act, Xanthe rushed forward, placing herself between us, arms spread wide as if shielding me. Her voice broke as she spoke.
"Why, Father? What crime did Rhea commit to deserve such a fate? What sin was so grave that you came to hate her this much? And the youngest, he is your own flesh and blood. He is only ten years old! Yet here you stand, blade drawn, ready to strike him down like an enemy." Tears streamed down her face. "He never knew a father's love. He never knew the warmth of a home. And now he has lost his mother, just as I have lost mine. But instead of comforting him, you choose to protect the wives who murdered our mothers. Tell me, Father, who did it? At least let him know that much."
Titus remained silent.
But I knew if he leaped from above, I stood no chance of victory. I had to act. If I was to die, I would take one last son of his with me.
A plan formed in my mind.
"KILL THEM ALL!" I commanded, my voice cutting through the battlefield.
The Colossals turned on their king without hesitation. The arena descended into chaos, an uprising that would be written into history. As the battle raged, I rushed to Joaquin's cage, slashing the iron bars open with my battle axe. He looked at me with terror in his eyes.
I carved a deep vertical slash over his left eye.
"Rejoice, dear brother. Now you bear the same scar as your father. And, if I may say, you do look just like him."
As I raised my weapon for the final blow, a piercing cry shattered the air. I turned.
An orange glow approached, growing brighter. Then I saw it, a bird unlike any I had ever known. Towering at nine feet, with feathers of burning red and gold, it descended upon me, its talons clamping around me like a predator claiming its prey. As it took flight, flames engulfed its wings.
It carried me straight to Xanthe. She stood, cradling our mother's lifeless form in her arms. Now I understood, the bird had come from the strange treasure chest.
Below us, the arena had become a bloodbath. Thousands of Colossals lay slain at the hands of their own king. Titus fought relentlessly, exhaustion visible in his every movement, yet he refused to falter, cutting down his own subjects to shield his precious wives.
Xanthe laid our mother down, wiped her tears, and embraced me.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "You don't deserve this. I'll give Rhea the burial of a queen. But you must promise me, never return to this place." She forced a smile, but I saw the sorrow in her eyes.
"I'm not leaving without you and Mother."
But I knew Xanthe wouldn't run. And now that Titus had seen us together, he would believe she had conspired against him, too.
"TAKE MOTHER AND LET'S GO, XANTHE!" I shouted, trying to use my ability, only to remember it did not work on her.
She placed a hand on my shoulder. "Stay safe," she murmured. Then she turned to the bird. "Take care of him, Torchia."
As the creature took off, I felt my eyelids grow heavy. The world blurred.
And then, darkness.