PROLOGUE
A dark figure, not human, not quite a god, stood at the edge of a ruined realm. He was resting after destroying another realm, killing millions and consuming all their magic and power.
Who could he be?
His tattered black cloak flowed from his broad shoulders and he continued to stare into the endless space around him like he was calculating the cost of the next realm he would destroy.
This thought suddenly made him happy, and he smiled because he believed no one would ever be able to stop him from consuming. And taking. And destroying.
His name is Umbracon, but to many, he was the King of Darkness.
Naturally, Umbracon was a guardian, one of the figures tasked with protecting the balance of the universe. But he became corrupted with greed and ambition.
He desired all the powers the world could offer, and he intended to take it all by any means necessary.
And so, he had started with dark magic.
It had taken him years, but once he mastered the practices and spells, he became an unstoppable force. He could both summon and create monsters with a flick of his hand and conjure demons to do his bidding.
The forces of darkness all bowed to him and made him their king. The realm trembled when he walked, and the most dangerous creatures in existence fell on their knees to worship him.
For anyone else, having such immense power would have been enough.
But Umbracon was not satisfied.
His hunger and thirst for power only increased with each milestone. With each realm he destroyed, he absorbed everything they had.
From Chronomira's realm, he had absorbed their ability to control time. From Mortisvale, he had absorbed the power to control death. From Obliviana, he stole the power of chaos and creation. One by one, Umbracon destroyed realms and grew more powerful.
But he wanted more. And soon, more would be nothing for him.
"Umbracon!" A ragged voice filled with pain and anger screamed out as he approached. "I know what you did!"
Umbracon turned slowly, his dark eyes meeting the furious glare of his brother, AURELIUS. The difference between them was as glaring as day and night. Aurelius was light, and Umbracon was darkness.
Unlike Umbracon, Aurelius radiated light because his soul had not been poisoned by evil. He healed the realm with each breath he exhaled and protected the balance of the universe. He was a true guardian.
Two brothers, two opposite sides.
Umbracon's first move was to feign ignorance, making sure the lines on his forehead deepened in confusion. "What are you talking about, brother? What did I do?"
"Don't you dare try to pretend or deny this!" Aurelius spat.
Umbracon's lips curved into a mocking smile, "You'll have to be more specific. I've done many things. Some you might even approve of, were you not so insufferably righteous..."
Aurelius stepped closer, his fists clenched. "Don't play games with me. You attacked the realm I warned you to stay away from. You know exactly what I mean!"
A wicked glint shone in Umbracon's eyes as he stared back at Aurelius with pure disgust. This was the biggest thing he disliked about his brother. To him, Aurelius was weak and favoured humans and other creatures he considered useless.
"You are wasting your precious strength and time on things that do not even matter," Umbracon said, showing his disgust. "Why do you care about these creatures? Why are you trying to save what has been destined to fall?"
Before Umbracon could continue, Aurelius surged forward, seizing him by the neck. His grip was hard, and his voice trembled with fury. "Look around you!" he shouted, gesturing at the fractured landscape surrounding them. "Look at what you've done to our home, Netheris. You've poisoned it with your dark magic and insatiable greed! We are supposed to be guardians!"
Umbracon did not struggle. Instead, he smiled calmly, even as his brother's grip tightened. "A price must be paid for power, Aurelius. I have been trying to get that into your thick skull," he said, "And that's something you clearly don't understand, given your fondness for wasting your gifts on humans and other measly creatures. Which, to be clear, is a disgrace on your part."
"They are not measly creatures!" Aurelius retorted, releasing his brother in an instant and shoving him away. His voice was heavy with an almost uncontained anger. "They exist to balance the universe, to give it meaning. You're tampering with that balance, Umbracon. Your greed will destroy the universe itself if you continue on this path."
Umbracon chuckled slowly. "Balance, you say? And what of the balance of power? Should I remain shackled by mediocrity while you bask in the adoration of the lesser beings? No, Aurelius. This is my path, and I will not stray from it. You should be lucky, my evil makes your self-acclaimed 'goodness' shine."
Aurelius shook his head, "Your attack on that realm hasn't caused irreparable damage yet. But mark my words- this will be the last time. If you defy me again, I will have no choice but to kill you."
Umbracon tilted his head, his smile fading. "Kill me? Your own brother?" he let out an exaggerated gasp. "And why would an icon of goodness like you commit such a sin?"
"For the universe," Aurelius said simply. He turned his back on Umbracon and started to walk away.
"Wait," Umbracon called out.
Aurelius paused, glancing back at his brother.
"Do you remember," Umbracon began, his tone almost wistful, "when we were five hundred years old? I wanted a moon at the edge of my bedroom. You disagreed, of course- you always disagree," Umbracon paused, then continued. "You said shifting a moon would distort the realm. And when I refused to relent, we fought. You gave me this scar under my eye." He gestured to the faint mark on his face, his dark eyes daring to show sadness- an emotion he never possessed. "You warned me then that you would never let me harm Netheris."
Aurelius frowned. "What is your point?"
"My point," Umbracon said, his voice dropping lower, "You see, brother, during my quiet meditation, shortly before you interrupted, I realised something important. Something that may have caused all the feuds between us. Something our parents knew from the beginning..."
Aurelius narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"
"We are opposites," Umbracon replied. "Our names, our very beings, say it all. I am darkness, and you are light. We cannot coexist in harmony. In fact, neither of us can grow in the presence of the other, can't you see?"
Aurelius chuckled though there was no sign of humour in his sound. "You mean you cannot grow in my presence, right? Light will always win, and darkness will always be subdued."
"You are right," Umbracon admitted, his tone disarmingly agreeable. "Darkness cannot grow in the presence of light."
"I'm glad…" Aurelius was going to say before Umbracon interjected.
"Fissura Noctis!" Umbracon yelled out the dark spell immediately.
Before Aurelius could react or counter the spell, the ground beneath his feet cracked open violently, sending him sprawling inside.
Umbracon watched his brother writhe in pain with a satisfactory smile on his face before he extended his hand forward and began to chant more of the dark spells.
His spells were powerful enough to raise Aurelius until he was levitating. Aurelius struggled, but Umbracon chanted another dark spell. "Fractura Umbrae."
Aurelius groaned in gut-wrenching pain as the spell took its course, breaking his left arm. Aurelius let out a deep cry as the pain coursed through him.
Gathering his strength, Aurelius managed to lift his second arm to bend the air around them. "Ventus Repelle!" He yelled, hoping to stop Umbracon.
The wind surged, but it was barely strong enough to affect Umbracon. It neither propelled him backwards nor distracted him like Aurelius wanted.
Umbracon smiled and shook his head. "Like I said, power is everything. While you protected your little humans, I went after power."
"Brother…."
"Fractura Umbrae," Umbracon repeated, and another arm shattered. Another cry came from Aurelius.
Umbracon repeated the spell over and over again until all of Aurelius' limbs were broken, and then he sent him flying backwards into an extended tree branch, which pierced his abdomen and left him stuck onto the tree.
"You have always been a thorn in my flesh," Umbracon stated angrily as he walked closer to Aurelius. "You have always put these stupid, weak humans before me. I am your brother, but you have never supported me!"
Aurelius winced, coughing up blood in an attempt to speak. "I...I c-cannot support evil."
Umbracon sighed, almost regretful. "Then you must forgive me for what I'm about to do, brother."
Umbracon took a leather item from his cloak and unsheathed an ancient-looking dagger with some inscriptions on it.
Realization dawned on Aurelius as he stared from the dagger to Umbracon, his eyes widening. "No...no, no!"
"This is the blade of death," Umbracon continued calmly, even though Aurelius knew what it was. "I journeyed through several realms to get my hands on this because it can kill a guardian. Such a shame that I have to use it so soon." He grabbed Aurelius by the hair, forcing him to meet his gaze.
"Why?" Aurelius whispered, tears mixing with the blood on his face. "Why would you kill your own brother?"
"For myself," Umbracon said, his tone cold. "I want it all."
And then he buried the dagger deep into Aurelius' stomach.