Kieth stepped cautiously toward the vortex, clutching Serel tightly. His eyes scanned the empty room, wary of traps or sudden attacks. The glowing void pulsed softly in the center, casting shimmering patterns across the walls. Behind it, mounted on the far wall, was a sword.
"Will I finally be able to go home?" Kieth whispered, his voice filled with a mixture of hope and determination. He shook his head, steeling himself. "No... I will. I just need to get out of here."
He reached out toward the vortex but paused to glance at Serel. "Serel, hold my hand and don't let go, no matter what."
Serel nodded quickly, her small hand gripping his tightly.
As Kieth stepped forward, just before his fingers could touch the swirling light, pain erupted in his stomach. A spear had pierced through him.
He gasped, nearly collapsing, but forced himself upright, gritting his teeth. "No... not now." He stumbled toward the vortex, blood staining his clothes.
Loud footsteps echoed behind him. Suddenly, a powerful force yanked him backward, tearing Serel from his grasp. She fell to the ground with a cry, "Papa!"
Kieth tumbled across the floor, coughing as his blood pooled beneath him. His vision blurred as he looked up, his hands trembling.
Through the haze, he saw a familiar figure. "Julius..."
Julius stood there, a menacing grin spread across his face. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. His eyes weren't just different; his entire face now carried an eerie resemblance to the spirit's.
Kieth's voice cracked as he struggled to stand. "You... it's you. The spirit."
Julius chuckled, the sound cold and mocking. "What's wrong, Kieth was it? Surprised? Oh, yes, it's me. But this time, I'm more than just a whisper. I'm... Alive."
Kieth staggered, clutching his wound as Julius continued. "It's funny, isn't it? You look so shocked. Yes, I can speak now. Before, I couldn't find a host that matched my essence. But then I found this one."
Julius gestured to himself, his grin widening. "This body was perfect—filled with jealousy. A man who hated his own friends, resented their success, and loathed being left behind. So, on the verge of death, he called out to me, and I answered."
Kieth narrowed his eyes, his stance defensive despite his injury.
Julius took a step closer, his tone lowering into a chilling whisper. "You know, it was... unsettling. When he woke up, his captain's headless corpse was lying next to him. And do you know what he did? He smiled."
Kieth glared at him, his breath heavy.
Julius laughed, his voice echoing in the room. "That's how I found someone like me. Someone who hated them all. Just like I hated the dead queen... and the king. Oh, how he chose her over me, even after I used my spell on him. He broke free... and executed me!"
Kieth steadied himself, his voice firm. "I don't care about your sob story."
Julius laughed harder, his movements erratic. "Of course you don't! But that arm of yours... it's broken, isn't it?" He reached into an empty sheath at his side and pulled out a crushed, severed hand. "Don't worry. I'll lend you a hand."
He threw it at Kieth's feet.
Kieth didn't even flinch, his gaze unwavering. "I don't need it."
Julius smirked, shaking his head. "Suit yourself. But you know, once, back in my world, I heard a story..."
Kieth's eyes narrowed as Julius continued, his voice filled with venom. "Before I was thrown into this wretched place, I died. When I woke up, I was in a cave—suffocating, struggling to claw my way out. And when I did, I found that void... the one that brought me here."
Kieth's thoughts raced as he processed Julius's words. There's more than one vortex? But her story... it matches how I came here.
Julius's grin widened, savoring Kieth's confusion. "When I first arrived here, I saw the throne. My powers of bewitchment worked wonders. The old king had just lost his wife, so I bewitched him to make myself queen. But life, Kieth, doesn't always go as planned, does it?" Julius chuckled bitterly.
Kieth's eyes narrowed as he remained silent, trying to focus despite the pain in his gut.
"He killed me, Kieth," Julius continued, venom in his voice. "Even though I carried his child. Rude, wasn't it? And do you know what he did to erase me from existence? He sacrificed his name. His name, Kieth!"
Kieth froze at the revelation. "Sacrificed his name?" he muttered, his voice barely audible.
Julius's sinister smile deepened. "Ah, you've caught on. That's why no one ever speaks it—not even Raphenia. They call him 'Father' or 'King,' because his name is gone. It was the price for a spell to wipe me from his memory and his life. But, too bad for him, I had already made a link with death."
Kieth's heart sank as realization struck. That's why... No one ever called him by name. Not once.
Julius moved swiftly, slamming his foot into Kieth's stomach before he could react. Kieth crashed into the wall with a sickening thud, coughing blood as he collapsed to the ground.
Struggling to breathe, he propped himself up with his left hand, only to falter and collapse again. The grotesque severed arm lay nearby, but Kieth ignored it, focusing on staying conscious.
Julius crouched slightly, watching him with amusement. "I told you, Kieth. Just take the arm. Oh, wait! I was telling you a story, wasn't I?"
Kieth glared weakly at him, blood dripping from his lips.
"Do you know the story of Ekalavya and Dronacharya?" Julius asked, tilting his head mockingly.
Kieth didn't respond, trying to focus on breathing through the pain.
"Ah, probably not," Julius said with a smirk. "Well, let me enlighten you. It's the tale of a student and a teacher. The student, Ekalavya, wanted to learn archery from Dronacharya, but the teacher refused. Did that stop the boy? Of course not. He made a clay idol of the teacher and practiced every day before it. And guess what? He became better than most of the teacher's actual students."
Julius chuckled darkly, pacing slowly toward Kieth.
"But Dronacharya, the teacher, saw Ekalavya's potential and grew afraid. So, as a teacher's fee, he asked for Ekalavya's right thumb, knowing it would render him incapable of using a bow. And do you know what Ekalavya did, Kieth?" Julius's voice dropped to a whisper. "He gave it without question. No doubt. No hesitation. Isn't that loyalty?"
Kieth remained silent, his eyes burning with defiance despite his battered state.
"So," Julius said, stopping just in front of him, "if a student could give his thumb, I'm sure yours wouldn't mind giving an entire hand."
Kieth's eyes widened as he looked up at Julius's grin. "No..."
"Oh yes... Oh yes," Julius said, smiling wickedly.
Kieth jumped up, going for a punch aimed at Julius's chin, but Julius sidestepped with ease, retaliating with a brutal kick to Kieth's ribs. The sickening crack of bone echoed in the room, and Kieth screamed in pain as his body collapsed inward, curling to protect himself.
His thoughts spiraled into despair. Raphenia... it was her hand. He cut her hand and brought it here. Why... why? The guilt was unbearable. Everyone who had ever been with him suffered a tragic end. Mart... Paulina... Raphenia... Evelyn... Aldric... even the village.
Tears welled in his eyes, blurring his vision. Seeing his torment, Julius chuckled darkly. "Raphenia... what a wonderful child she was, wasn't she? Almost my age—kind of like my stepdaughter, for a while. After all, the king didn't love me." He paused, his voice dropping into a cruel mockery. "But you know what? I gave her a swift death and arranged her body as a beautiful art piece. She always wanted to make one herself, didn't she?"
Kieth's fists clenched as the words hit him like daggers. He hated himself for agreeing to teach her how to paint that day. She had been so excited, telling him she wanted to paint Veilern. And now she was gone—all because of him. And Veilern doesn't even know yet. How will he react?
Kieth glared at Julius, his vision sharp with fury and anguish. Julius stared back at him, sneering with contempt. "I don't like that face," he said coldly before driving his foot into Kieth's side again. The force sent Kieth flying across the room. His body slammed into the far wall with a deafening thud, the entire structure trembling from the impact.
Kieth collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, blood dripping from his lips. He wasn't even sure how he was still conscious. Each breath was a struggle, his chest heaving as he fought to stay awake.
"Papa..." Serel's small, trembling voice broke through his haze of pain. She ran to him, her little hands shaking as she tried to keep his eyes open. Tears streamed down her face. "Please, Papa, don't leave me. I'm scared... please..."
Kieth's chest ached at her cries, but he could barely respond. His gaze flicked to the corner of the room, locking onto the vortex shimmering with stars. If he could just reach it—just touch it while holding Serel—they could escape.
He shifted his focus to Julius, who was approaching him with slow, deliberate steps, savoring his triumph. Gritting his teeth, Kieth turned his head and spotted the sword that had fallen nearby. Using every ounce of strength, he crawled toward it, his trembling hand closing around the hilt. With the blade as leverage, he forced himself upright, shielding Serel behind him as he raised the weapon.
Julius clicked his tongue in mild annoyance. "That's a real sword? I thought it was fake," he said with mock surprise before shrugging. "Doesn't matter."
Julius kept walking forward, his movements calm and confident. Without warning, he hurled the spear in his hand. Kieth barely managed to raise the sword in time, blocking the projectile with a sharp metallic clang.
The impact rattled his body, but he didn't falter. His eyes darted to the spear now lying on the ground. Gripping the sword tightly, Kieth dashed forward, aiming a desperate slash at Julius.
The sword was surprisingly light, its balance perfect even in his weakened state. But it wasn't enough. Julius dodged the strike effortlessly, stepping to the side as the blade whistled past him.
"Too slow," Julius muttered, his tone dripping with disdain.
Julius grabbed Kieth by the collar and hurled him toward the center of the room.
Kieth twisted mid-air, landing on his feet with a sharp thud. His knees buckled for a moment, but he stayed upright. Julius's eyes narrowed in surprise. "Oh?"
Without hesitation, Julius seized the spear, his grip tightening as rage flickered across his face. He charged at Kieth with unrelenting fury, his movements fast and precise.
Kieth steadied his breathing, locking his eyes on Julius's approach. His thoughts raced. Focus. Watch his movements—left, then right.
Julius's spear shot forward in a vicious thrust toward Kieth's chest. Kieth sidestepped just in time, his blade coming up to deflect the attack. Sparks flew as steel met steel, the clash ringing loudly.
Julius growled and swung the spear in a wide arc, aiming for Kieth's ribs. Kieth raised his sword, catching the spear's shaft and shoving it aside. The force rattled his arm, but he gritted his teeth and didn't falter.
Taking the opening, Kieth pivoted and drove his foot into Julius's leg in a sharp kick. Julius grunted, his balance faltering.
Kieth lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air in a diagonal strike. Julius recovered quicker than expected, twisting his body to narrowly avoid the blade. His eyes flared with anger.
"You bitch!," Julius spat, spinning the spear in his hand before striking downward with brutal force. Kieth raised his sword horizontally to block, the impact reverberating through his arms.
Julius pressed down with the spear, grinning through clenched teeth.
Kieth pushed back with all his strength, breaking free from the clash. He stumbled back a few steps, breathing heavily. He's strong... too strong.
Julius roared, charging again with the spear poised to skewer him. This time, Kieth didn't wait. He ducked low as the spear thrust past him, the air whistling by his ear. His blade snapped upward in a counterattack, aiming for Julius's arm.
The edge grazed Julius's forearm, drawing a thin line of blood. Julius snarled, retreating a step and clutching his wound. "You little—"
Kieth didn't let him finish. He closed the distance in an instant, slashing at Julius's midsection. Julius parried with the spear, his movements erratic as his frustration grew.
"You're nothing but a broken man clinging to scraps of hope!" Julius barked, his strikes growing faster and more erratic.
"DIE KIETH!" Julius screamed at the top of his lungs
---------------------------------------------------------