'You finally understood what the world is, Brother.'
'In this world where I died, power is everything. Your life is meaningless without power, brother.'
'I'm truly glad I died before you, son. I don't have to live through this suffering.'
---
Arlo's eyes fluttered open, revealing his prone form on the cold floor. Rising to his feet, he took in his surroundings - a modest room featuring a bed and a corner toilet, its walls hewn from rock and the air heavy with the stench of waste.
A twinge of discomfort in his throat drew Arlo's hand. His fingers traced the healed cut, a faint scar the only reminder of Catherina's blade. Memories flooded back, but he remained composed. There was no changing the past.
