Inside the pendant, there was a photo of Eryndor with his wife and children, while on the other side, there was a photo of Claudine holding him as a baby.
"Oh, so you have children. I guess I have to kill them; otherwise, how can I make her mine?" Valens stepped on Eryndor's head.
"You fucking bastard, I am going to tear you limb from limb," Eryndor lifted Valens' foot with his neck alone.
"You and your stupid ideas of loving family. Just forget about them and die like a bastard. You had your time with your wife; now it's my turn. There it is." Valens began kicking Eryndor violently along his broken spine.
"Ahhhhhhh, ahhhhhhh," Eryndor screamed.
Flashback:
"Dad, can you teach me swordplay?" Aerina approached Eryndor with a sword inside a sheath.
"What? Leave the sword; you'll get hurt," Eryndor gently held the sword and tried to take it from Aerina.
"No, please teach me. I want to protect my little brother and mom," she said, not letting go of the sword.
Eryndor wasn't using enough force. He was just casually trying to take it because he was scared his daughter might get hurt.
"No! Teach me, or I won't talk to you." Aerina accidentally pulled the handle, causing the sword to unsheath.
Aerina lost her balance and fell. The sword was about to hit her, but Eryndor shielded her. The sword left a small scratch on Eryndor.
"I was a little late in activating my PBV," Eryndor said while hugging his daughter.
"Are you okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?" Eryndor examined his daughter.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," Aerina's eyes filled with tears.
"Don't worry, your dad is strong. Nothing can hurt him—not even a powerful sword," Eryndor covered his wounded palm.
"Why aren't you teaching me? I hate you, Daddy!" Aerina cried, lifting her dress.
"You are not ready! What if you get hurt?" Eryndor shouted at Aerina.
Aerina cried like a fountain and left Eryndor alone. She ran toward the field.
Eryndor then looked at his scratched hand. "What have I done?"
Aerina cried alone, sitting in the park under the moonlight. Eryndor slowly approached her with a large chocolate.
Aerina turned her face away after seeing her dad. "Leave me alone, Daddy. I hate you."
Eryndor sat beside her and extended his arm to offer her the chocolate. "Please forgive your dad. Here, accept my apologies."
"No, you can't fool me anymore. I'm a grown girl now. You can't bribe me with chocolate." Aerina stood up.
Eryndor also stood up. "How about I give you a piggyback ride?"
Aerina thought for a moment. "No!"
"I really want to teach you swordplay, but my soul... you are too strong now. When you grow up, you can control that power, and then you can defend yourself against enemies," Eryndor knelt while saying that.
"Really? Okay, then I forgive you." Aerina started eyeing the chocolate.
"Oh, please accept this. Then I will give you a ride," Eryndor offered Aerina the chocolate.
"Yes, only this time I'm accepting this." After receiving the chocolate, Aerina climbed onto Eryndor's shoulders.
"Okay, buckle up." Eryndor stood up, holding his daughter.
The wind tickled both of them as Aeris watched from the window. "Those idiots."
Eryndor started running.
"Yay! Daddy, go faster!" Aerina shouted.
Present:
"Do you really think your wife is a pure maiden? She is just another bitch in disguise. After I play with her, you can see her true face from heaven." Valens used a hand signal to summon the golden general.
"I use a condition... my life." Eryndor closed his eyes.
"I am sorry, Aerina, Aeris, and my son. I guess I am the biggest liar in the world. Please forget about me and lead a happy life. I was unable to save Claudine and Lyriel. But this time, I am different. You don't have to forgive me for breaking my promise. Just remember me sometimes if you ever get free time," Eryndor smiled.
Aerina and her mother played with the baby. The baby smiled while trying to reach his mother's face. A general handed Valens a sword, and he slowly unsheathed it.
Valens swung his sword and cut Eryndor's head off, the grass covered in blood.
A black bird with four wings flew from the field with tears in his eyes.
Eryndor's headless body suddenly exploded with a massive blast.
"What the hell? We're dead!" Ethan shouted.
"Everyone, duck!" another soldier yelled.
"No, I don't want to die!" one soldier cried.
But all the generals remained unbothered. Valens murmured, "So, a condition? I am impressed."
The huge explosion vanished into thin air. "Too bad you became desperate, Eryndor. You didn't even try to understand my ability. Guess you lose, and you lose the dearest thing in your life," Valens said, holding Eryndor's head by his hair and smiling like a maniac.
"That bastard is going to pay!" Liam rushed toward Valens.
"Wait, you bastard!" Ethan tried to catch him, but Liam escaped.
"No, stop! Don't..." Nitin tried to reach Liam.
"Stop that idiot! He's going to die," Nitin shouted.
Nicholas and Sebastian followed him. They got close to Liam and jumped to catch him, but Liam sidestepped and escaped.
"No, don't!" Sebastian and Nicholas screamed.
"You bastard, die!" Liam jumped above Valens from behind.
"Here we go, another idiot," Blackwood laughed.
Valens smiled, his bloodlust spreading across the field. Everyone froze in their tracks; some lower soldiers wet themselves after feeling it.
"You must be in pain. Let me help you," Valens turned and flicked his left index finger at Liam in mid-air.
That small flick created an impact strong enough to push every soldier away from the field. Nearby trees were uprooted, and animals were sent flying. When the impact cleared, there was no trace of Liam.
"Haa, haa. This is making me feel good. You scums know your place. If you want to stay alive, just behave like slaves," Valens said before flying into the cave with his four generals and the dragon.
"No, why? Damn it, Liam!" Sebastian screamed while Nicholas comforted him.
Suddenly, Ethan heard a voice. "Help Livio. He's barely alive under the rubble."
Ethan started sweating and sat on the field. He clutched his head in his arms. "What was that?"
"Ethan, are you okay?" Nitin asked, standing with Oliver's support.
"Livio! Let's go; he's barely alive," Ethan ran toward the rubble under which Livio was buried.
By evening, Livio opened his eyes and saw the red sunset. "Where am I?"
He suddenly remembered all his comrades being slaughtered in front of him. "Don't! Leave them alone!" Livio sat up on the stretcher carried by Ethan, Nicholas, Sebastian, and Viktor.
"He's awake! Thank God," Matteo and Luka smiled while hiding their tears.
The scene shifted to a tree. They were crying beneath it.
"What? How are we going to face Mr. Mogambo's wife? What are we going to say to his daughter? Hey, Nitin, say something! Answer me, damn it!" Livio grabbed Nitin by the collar.
"Calm down! This is no time for a fight," Sebastian touched Livio's shoulder.
"Shut the hell up! What the hell do you know? You're just a kid!" Livio pushed Sebastian away.
Sebastian jumped on Livio and started beating his face. "They died in front of me! They were all slaughtered like animals! They screamed for help, yet I couldn't do anything! Damn it, damn it, why the fuck am I so weak?" Sebastian cried while still beating Livio.
Livio didn't say anything. He also started crying but didn't respond to the beating.
Ethan pulled Sebastian away. Sebastian hugged Ethan, and all of them started crying.
The scene shifted to the Elf kingdom, inside Eryndor's bedroom. Eryndor's severed head lay on a table. Aeris was crying and screaming, trying to reach the head.
"You bitch, keep quiet and just do what I say," Valens pulled Aeris by her hair and pushed her onto the bed.
Outside, the kingdom was in chaos. Mothers and sisters were dragged away, screaming. Fathers killed their own children to spare them from being taken. The streets were littered with bodies, the cries of the innocent filling the air.
Aeris's two children were missing, and Isolde was nowhere to be found.