Kael Draven stood in the shattered remains of the cathedral, the faint glow of the ruined anchor altar casting long shadows around him. Faye's lifeless body lay at his feet, her daggers still clutched tightly in her hands. The silence was deafening, broken only by the faint crackle of lingering magic in the air.
He stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, to the shock of the shadows lingering around him, Kael laughed.
It started as a low chuckle, but quickly grew into a full-throated, maniacal laugh that echoed through the ruined cathedral. The sound was sharp and piercing, cutting through the oppressive silence like a blade.
"You… *you* actually thought this would stop me?" Kael said, his voice trembling with amusement. "Oh, Faye. Loyal, stubborn Faye. You gave your life… for this?"
He gestured to the destroyed altar and the bodies of the gods' champions, his laughter continuing unabated.
"Did you really think you were irreplaceable?" he asked, crouching beside her body. He reached out and gently touched her face, his expression shifting between mockery and a chilling kind of affection. "You were useful, Faye. So very useful. But I always knew this would happen."
---
Kael rose to his feet, his silver eyes blazing with eerie light. The Void whispered in his mind, its presence pulsing with approval.
"She served her purpose," Kael said aloud, addressing the Void's unseen presence. "Her death is nothing more than another step forward. The gods will see this as a victory, but they're wrong."
The Void's voice echoed in his mind, cold and ancient. **"Indeed. Her death feeds your resolve. Use it. Let it sharpen your power."**
Kael smirked, his laughter subsiding but the grin remaining. "They'll think I'm broken. That I'll crumble under the weight of her sacrifice. But they've underestimated me—again."
He walked toward the altar, placing a hand on its broken surface. Dark energy flowed from his fingers, spreading across the room like ink in water. The destruction Faye had helped achieve would now become his triumph.
---
The sound of footsteps echoed from the cathedral entrance. Kael turned to see another group of the gods' champions approaching—three of them this time.
The leader was a towering man wielding a massive warhammer, his golden armor gleaming despite the darkened skies. Beside him, a slender woman with raven-black hair held a glowing bow, her arrows tipped with divine fire. The third was a younger man, barely more than a boy, his trembling hands clutching a sword that pulsed with celestial energy.
The warhammer-wielding leader stepped forward, his voice booming. "Kael Draven! The gods have seen your treachery. You will answer for your crimes."
Kael turned to face them, his grin widening. "Answer for my crimes? Oh, you must be joking."
He pointed to Faye's body, his voice dripping with mockery. "Do you see her? That's what loyalty to me gets you. A shallow grave and a fleeting moment of usefulness."
The boy with the sword hesitated, glancing at Faye's lifeless form. "You… you don't even care?"
Kael's laughter erupted again, louder and more deranged. "Care? She was a pawn! A particularly talented pawn, sure, but a pawn nonetheless. Do you think I mourn the loss of a tool? She served her purpose, and now she's gone. That's all there is to it."
---
The warhammer-wielding leader growled, his grip tightening on his weapon. "You're a monster."
Kael's smirk deepened. "And you're just figuring that out now? How slow-witted are you champions, anyway?"
The archer raised her bow, her fiery arrow trained on Kael's chest. "You don't deserve to speak her name," she said, her voice trembling with anger.
Kael raised his hands, inviting the attack. "Go on, then. Take your shot. Make me regret it."
She loosed the arrow, and it streaked toward Kael like a comet. But before it could strike, Kael raised a barrier of shadow that swallowed the arrow whole.
"Predictable," he said, shaking his head. "You champions are always so predictable. You think your righteousness gives you power, but all it does is blind you to reality."
He stepped forward, his silver eyes glowing brighter. "Here's the truth: there are no heroes. There are no saviors. There's only power. Faye understood that. That's why she followed me. She knew I was the only one who could change this cursed world."
The boy stepped forward, his sword trembling in his hands. "If you cared so much about changing the world, why did you let her die?"
Kael's grin faded slightly, and for a moment, something dark and dangerous flickered in his expression. "Let her die?" he repeated softly.
He moved with terrifying speed, appearing before the boy in an instant. Grabbing the boy by the throat, he lifted him off the ground.
"She wasn't strong enough," Kael said, his voice low and venomous. "That's why she died. Strength is all that matters. If you lack it, you fall. Simple as that."
He hurled the boy across the room, his body slamming into a pillar with a sickening crack.
---
The remaining champions charged, but Kael was ready. The warhammer wielder swung his weapon with devastating force, but Kael dodged effortlessly, his movements almost inhuman. He retaliated with a blast of dark energy that sent the man sprawling.
The archer fired arrow after arrow, each one glowing with divine power, but Kael deflected them all, his laughter ringing through the cathedral.
"You're outmatched," Kael said, his tone gleeful. "Run back to your gods and tell them: Kael Draven is unstoppable."
The warhammer wielder struggled to his feet, blood dripping from his mouth. "We won't stop fighting. Not until you're destroyed."
Kael smirked. "Good. I'd hate for this to get boring."
---
As the champions retreated, beaten and bloodied, Kael turned back to Faye's body one last time.
"Goodbye, Faye," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "You were useful while you lasted. But now? Now you're nothing more than a memory."
He stepped over her body, walking toward the cathedral's shattered entrance.
The Void's voice whispered in his mind, its tone amused. **"You have embraced what you are, Kael Draven. Let this be a lesson: attachments are weakness. Power is eternal."**
Kael grinned, his silver eyes burning with dark fire. "Exactly."
The cathedral crumbled behind him as he left, a testament to his growing power and his willingness to sacrifice everything—and everyone—for his cause.
---
Faye's death was not a tragedy. It was merely another step on Kael's path to ultimate domination.