The blade was inches from Fendrel's throat, poised for the final strike. The battlefield seemed to hold its breath. I lunged, ready to end it, but just as the moment of victory closed in, I saw her. Fendrel's wife, her tear-streaked face contorted with fear and grief, broke free from her restraints, only to be held back by the soldiers like a rabid dog, desperate to save her husband. Her cries were barely more than a pitiful wail, a sound that rang hollow against the cold steel of our fight.
And then, in the blink of an eye, I felt it—a surge from Fendrel. Desperation had given him strength, the final burst of energy from a cornered animal. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword with renewed vigor. Before I could react, he swung. The first slash came across my torso, a line of burning pain searing through me. Then a second cut, deeper, this time throwing me off balance. My attack faltered, my body crumpling, and I hit the ground hard.
For the first time, in this new life, I felt vulnerable.
The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, my breath labored as I gasped for air. My vision blurred momentarily, the weight of my injuries pressing in on me like a heavy fog. Fendrel, panting and battered, staggered to his feet. His blade trembled in his hands, but his eyes—those damned eyes—gleamed with the foolish hope that maybe, just maybe, he had won.
He raised his sword, preparing for the final blow, ready to end me as I lay on the ground like a discarded doll. Mayer's voice cut through the haze, barking orders, and in seconds, the soldiers had him pinned, wrestling the blade from his grip and throwing him to the ground like the animal he was.
Mayer stormed over, his face twisted in rage. "Who do you think you are, scum?" he spat. "You dare try to kill Young Master Blackthorn?" His hand was already reaching for his own blade, fury radiating from him. I could see it—he wanted to end Fendrel himself, right then and there.
But I wasn't finished.
With what little strength I had left, I pushed myself up from the dirt, my hand pressed against the wound on my torso, blood slipping between my fingers. I staggered forward, each step sending a fresh wave of agony through my body, but my face remained impassive. Unreadable. To anyone watching, I might have looked indifferent, even bored, despite the pain that roared beneath my skin.
"Mayer, stop," I said, my voice steady, though the effort it took to speak was immense. Mayer hesitated for a moment, but then obeyed, stepping back. The soldiers still held Fendrel down, but the air was thick with tension. Fendrel's wife was sobbing uncontrollably now, barely able to breathe, and his son—his son stood there in stunned silence, eyes wide, frozen in disbelief.
Fendrel glared up at me, fury and confusion written across his bloodied face. "You can't do this!" he roared, his voice breaking. "I won! I won the duel! You promised! You said you'd let us go!"
I looked down at him, my face a mask of calm. The storm of emotions that had swirled inside me minutes earlier had dissipated, leaving only a cold, unfeeling shell. "A promise?" I echoed, as if the word itself was a foreign concept. My lips curled into the faintest hint of a smile, though it carried no warmth. "I promised you nothing."
The moment the words left my mouth, I saw it—the light in his eyes, the one tiny flicker of hope he had left, extinguish. His face went pale, his expression collapsing into something between disbelief and utter devastation. I could practically hear his heart shatter as the reality of my words set in.
"I fought you," I continued, my voice devoid of emotion, "not because I intended to let you or your family live. I fought you to test my own abilities. You were merely convenient. A tool."
Fendrel's body tensed, his hands clenching into fists. He thrashed against the soldiers holding him down, his voice breaking with rage and sorrow. "You… You heartless bastard!" he screamed. "They're innocent! My wife, my son—they did nothing! You promised, you filthy liar!"
I tilted my head slightly, studying him with a cold curiosity. "Liar?" I chuckled softly, the sound almost cruel in its simplicity. "Don't be stupid. This was never about your family. This was about me. It always has been."
His eyes filled with tears, but they were no longer tears of sorrow. No, they were the tears of a man who had realized he had been played, used, discarded. His wife's sobs grew louder, more desperate, but she was powerless to stop what was coming. His son... his son just stood there, as if the weight of everything had frozen him in place.
I turned to the soldiers, my expression unchanged, my voice calm and detached. "Finish it," I commanded. "Take care of his family, make him watch as they die. And then... him."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence, final and unyielding. Mayer, though clearly disturbed by the order, gave a nod. The soldiers moved without hesitation, dragging Fendrel to his feet.
His screams echoed through the clearing, but I didn't flinch. I didn't even look back. I had gotten what I came for. I had tested my limits. And now, this chapter was over.