Zephyr scoffed, a bitter edge to his voice. "And yet, you could have taken my life. The Icarus family does not forgive or forget, Kairos. This is our retribution."
Kairos gritted his teeth, his anger reaching its peak. "Retribution? This isn't justice, it's madness! If you truly believe in honor, then fight me one-on-one instead of attacking those who can't defend themselves properly."
Aella stepped forward, her wings flaring as she glared at her brother. "Zephyr, stop this. Kairos is right. He was defending himself, and you know it. How could you let yourself be manipulated into attacking his cousins like this?"
Zephyr's expression faltered, uncertainty flickering in his eyes as he looked at his sister. "Aella... you don't understand. Our father gave us this mission. We're to eliminate the Aurelius family. This goes beyond personal grudges."
"Eliminate?" Aella's voice trembled with a mix of shock and fury. "Zephyr, that's murder! How could you even consider such a thing?"
Before Zephyr could respond, Boreas moved to strike again, his impatience clear. "Enough of this! We don't have time for your bickering. We have our orders."
Kairos's eyes narrowed, and with a cold determination, he stepped in front of Boreas, his sword drawn. "If you choose to follow those orders, then I will have to fight with the same intent."
A dark pulse of energy erupted from Kairos's body, manifesting as a towering shadow figure above him. The figure exuded a malevolent aura, dark as midnight but shimmering with a faint, eerie light that made the air around them feel heavy and oppressive. It was as if the very essence of despair had taken form, pressing down on everyone present.
The darkness was alive, pulsating with an ominous energy that seemed to drain the warmth from the surroundings. Boreas staggered back, his confident sneer fading as the shadow loomed over him, its presence gnawing at his resolve. The icy wind he had been summoning dissipated into nothingness under the weight of the dark god's overwhelming power.
"You want to test your strength against mine?" Kairos's voice was low, almost a growl, thick with menace. "Then come at me."
Zephyr hesitated, his wings twitching as he sensed the shift in the atmosphere. The memory of their last encounter flashed before him—he knew just how close Kairos had come to ending his life. "Boreas, stand down. He's stronger than before. Kairos could kill you with one move."
Boreas's body trembled as if the darkness had rooted him to the spot. Unable to hide the fear in his eyes, he slowly lowered his arm, the icy energy fading completely. "This isn't over, Kairos."
Kairos didn't lower his sword, his gaze still locked on Boreas. "It better be. Because if you ever threaten my family again, I will not hold back."
A tense silence followed as the wind rustled through the trees, the hostility in the air slowly dissipating. Zephyr stepped forward, his expression conflicted. "Kairos, I... I didn't know this order was impossible. I was following orders, but I didn't realize how wrong they were."
Kairos finally sheathed his sword, the dark energy receding, but the tension in his voice remained. "Because of Aella, I will not harm you today. Make sure you know what you're doing before you blindly follow orders. Now, leave."
Zephyr nodded, a look of shame crossing his face as he signaled to Boreas and Ameillia. "Let's go."
As the Icarus family retreated, Aella stayed behind, her gaze lingering on Kairos with a mix of sadness and regret. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't know my family would act like this."
Kairos sighed, the tension in his body finally easing as he looked at her. "It's not your fault, Aella. But we need to make sure this doesn't happen again."
Aella nodded, her eyes filled with regret. "I will. And thank you... for stopping them. I may be torn, but I don't want to see my brother dead."
Kairos gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Thank you for helping me get back here. Now, let's check on my cousins and make sure everyone's alright."
With the immediate threat gone, they turned their attention to the camp. Lysandra and Lyra were still struggling against the magical binds, but with Aella's help, they were quickly freed. Orion lowered the barrier around Caelum, his face a mask of relief as he saw his brother was safe.
"Are you all okay?" Kairos asked, concern lacing his voice as he knelt beside Caelum, who was still unconscious but stable.
Lysandra rubbed her wrists, her expression a mixture of anger and exhaustion. "We're fine, thanks to you showing up when you did. But what in the world just happened?"
Kairos explained the situation, his voice heavy with frustration. "Zephyr and Boreas were following orders from their father to eliminate our family. They were misled into believing that was the only way to settle their grudge."
Lyra, still catching her breath, shook her head in disbelief. "All this... over a grudge? What kind of twisted orders are those?"
"Orders from someone who wants power at any cost," Aella said quietly, her eyes dark with thought. "We need to be ready as my father will not accept Zephyr failure."
Kairos nodded, his mind already racing with possibilities. "But first, we need to get Caelum somewhere safe and attach his new arm. We'll deal with the rest later."
Alaric, who had been standing guard, finally relaxed, her hand falling from her sword's hilt. "We should move out as soon as possible. There's no telling if more trouble is coming."
Kairos agreed, glancing at the night sky that was still clear and calm despite the chaos that had just unfolded. "Let's get back to the camp. We need to attach Caelum's new arm before anything else happens."
They carefully lifted Caelum and began making their way back to the safety of their tent. The tension from the fight still lingered in the air, but the immediate danger had passed, leaving behind a tense silence.