"Y-you..." Vyrax began, his voice faltering as if emotion cracked through his typically venomous tone. A low, haunting laughter followed instead, echoing in the dimming valley. "You don't know how Kael died, do you?"
Lex froze, the staff still glowing faintly in his hands, but his heart raced with apprehension. "He died fighting. Protecting what he believed in."
Vyrax's grin widened, cruel and knowing. "Oh, is that what you think? That your beloved Kael perished in some grand act of defiance against the dark? That his death was a blaze of glory?" He stepped closer, his aura suffocating. "No, boy. Kael died at the hands of his own blood. His brother."
The words hung in the air, heavy and sharp as a blade. Lex's breath hitched, the revelation hitting him harder than any physical blow. "You're lying," he said, his voice trembling but defiant.
Vyrax chuckled, a guttural sound that rumbled through the earth. "Lying? Why would I waste my breath deceiving you? No, I saw it with my own eyes. I felt it—Tharros's rage, his betrayal. The moment that spear pierced Kael's heart, the heavens themselves mourned."
Lex's grip on the staff tightened, the light within it flickering erratically as if reacting to his turmoil. "Why? Why would Tharros do that?"
Lex had gained some of the knowledge of the supreme deity, however, he hadn't seen this particular scene. He knew that to an extent, Tharros and Kael were related and that they had a falling out, but he couldn't have ever imagined this was the true scenario that had played out.
Vyrax's expression shifted, a cruel satisfaction gleaming in his darkened eyes. "Why, indeed. Perhaps it was anger, jealousy, or despair. Perhaps it was simply because Kael refused to fight when the heavens cried out for war."
---
Flashback: The Day of Betrayal
The celestial realm shimmered with a silvery glow, a perfect balance of light and shadow. Kael, the supreme deity, stood at the edge of a crystalline expanse, his form radiating calm authority. His eyes were heavy with the weight of decisions untold.
Then came the mist. A soft, swirling haze that announced the arrival of another.
"Tharros… you have come," Kael said, his voice calm yet weary.
Emerging from the mist was Tharros, his form radiant and imposing. His straight, metallic silver hair caught the light like woven threads of steel. His eyes gleamed with intensity, and his aura radiated battle-ready tension.
"Yes, brother... I am here," Tharros replied, his tone clipped but resolute.
Kael turned to face him fully, his ethereal composure unbroken. "What brings you, Tharros? Have you come to seek my counsel, or do you bring tidings of war?"
Tharros's expression hardened. "You know why I've come. The war rages, and yet you remain here, detached, passive. Do you still refuse to fight?"
Kael's shoulders rose in a deep, measured breath. "Tell me, brother… what difference would my participation make? Would it tip the scales? Would it end the suffering?"
Tharros stepped closer, his frustration barely contained. "You ask me that, brother? You, who they call the Supreme Deity?"
Kael's gaze softened, though his voice remained firm. "Yes, brother, I do."
Tharros's hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white. His voice trembled with a mix of fury and disbelief. "Don't tell me… You're scared. Scared of what you've created."
Kael closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. "Brother—"
"Don't you dare call me that," Tharros snarled, cutting him off. His voice rose with each word, his anger spilling over. "What? Are you scared of those hellhounds? The creatures of your own making? Or is it the humans? Have they truly shaken you this much?"
Kael's eyes opened, calm and piercing. "Yes."
The single word struck Tharros like a blow. He recoiled, disbelief etched across his face. Slowly, his fury returned, sharper and more venomous. "You… you admit it? That you, the one they call the Supreme Deity, cower in fear?"
Kael's voice grew firmer. "It is not fear, Tharros. It is understanding. The balance has shifted. The heavens are no longer invincible, and the darkness has grown stronger than we ever anticipated. To fight now would be futile."
Tharros shook his head, disgusted. "Futile? You speak of futility as our brothers and sisters fall! As the legions cry out for your guidance!"
Kael's gaze fell, his calm demeanor momentarily faltering. "Their cries are not for guidance, Tharros. They fight for survival, not salvation. And survival… has already slipped beyond us."
Tharros's eyes burned with fury. "No. It has slipped beyond you. Not me."
He turned to leave, his voice cold. "I don't have to fight alongside you anymore."
Kael's voice rose, uncharacteristically desperate. "Tharros, wait—"
Tharros spun, his body transforming as he roared, "Don't call me that!" His form was now angelic yet fierce, his silver hair flowing like molten steel. Wings unfurled from his back, and his spear materialized in his hand, gleaming with divine energy.
With a shout, Tharros hurled the spear. Kael moved to block, his form shifting into battle mode, a sword forming in his grasp. But the spear struck true, piercing his chest and pinning him to the crystalline wall.
Kael's radiant form dimmed as the spear pulsed, the light within him faltering. Blood, shimmering like liquid starlight, dripped to the ground.
Tharros turned away, his expression cold and distant. "Keep the weapon," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "And thanks for everything... brother."
---
Return to the present
Vyrax's voice broke through the haze of the memory, venomous and sharp. "Tharros didn't just kill Kael. He shattered him—body, spirit, and legacy. And now you, his little protégé, think you can succeed where he failed? You're a fool, Lex. A pathetic fool."
Lex's heart thundered in his chest, but his grip on the staff never faltered. His voice, though laced with uncertainty, carried a spark of defiance. "Kael's story doesn't end there. And neither does mine."
Vyrax sneered, his dark energy swelling. "Then let me show you how all stories end—with darkness."