Tian Shi knelt in the center of the courtyard, black metallic chains binding his arms flat against the ground. Gashes lined his wrists, creating deep purple blemishes across his once pale skin, which now glistened with a diamond-like luster. Dried blood matted his fingers, most of it clogging the fine spaces where fingernail met skin.
Sweat drenched his robes, transforming their pure white into an ugly brown, spreading a putrid stench within thirty meters of him. Filth, mud, and various other unsanitary substances clung to his hair like leeches to skin. Not an ounce of its former beauty remained.
Long ago, he walked through the various Realms, uncontested in both power and beauty. His hair flowed to his feet like a waterfall, cascading over pure white, lustrous robes, and skin that shone like a diamond under the moon's cover.
He languidly shifted his gaze from the ground to a building in front of him. Time had ravaged it, too. The skeleton that remained spoke of a magnificent structure that once tore right through the thick, bulbous grey clouds above. As much as Tian Shi wished he could forget the magnificent structure, the worn-out wooden plaque dangling from the entrance ensured he never would.
*Tian Clan* was written on it.
His eyes reddened with rage at a glance. Faster than a stroke of lightning, the rage subsided, and he dropped his gaze to the ground once more. A low, spiteful chuckle slipped from his lips.
"I won't beg," he spat.
"Think about it, elder brother," a subtle voice answered him.
Tian Shi knew the owner of the voice like the back of his hand. Who else could it possibly be if not his magnanimous younger brother, Tian Wei? A fool who didn't know what was good for him. Even though the muscles in his neck screamed in pain, he tilted his head upwards. He forced himself not to notice the characters that made up the Clan's name on the entrance and focused all his attention on the figure comfortably lying on the pagoda's first-floor eave.
Tian Shi noted the wry smile etched on Tian Wei's lips. He read the various emotions that stopped the flow of joy in that smile. Time flew faster than he processed. Within the blink of an eye, ninety-nine thousand years had passed since the day his father placed him in the dilapidated courtyard. Every year, Tian Wei came in hopes of convincing him to grovel at their father's feet, hoping the cruel man would pardon his so-called sins. And each year, Tian Shi refused.
He wasn't a coward to regret the consequences of his actions.
"Mother asks about you every day, you know?" Tian Wei asked with a low growl. "And every day, I have to hear her sobs through the night, blaming herself for your actions. Why are you so selfish? Don't you realize that your punishment only hurts her? Us?"
Tian Wei's smile disappeared. He gathered his divine energy and slammed onto the tiles of the eave. Even with all the strength he gathered, not a single mark dented the tiles.
"You are so selfish. All you think about is power, even if it means losing us. And if it isn't power, it's fucking pride," Tian Wei said, shouting the last of his words.
Tian Shi chuckled as he spoke, "You and the rest of the clan can go fuck yourselves."
Tian Wei exploded in rage at Tian Shi's remark. The leisurely posture he had adopted shattered. The winds rustled, and his figure instantly appeared in front of Tian Shi. Without hesitation, he balled his fingers into a tight fist that dug deep into his skin, negating the divine protection that constantly flowed about him. Golden blood dribbled onto the rusted stone floor beneath them. The winds howled in pain as Tian Wei's fist tore right through space and slammed into the center of Tian Shi's solar plexus. An ear-shattering sound exploded outward.
The air in Tian Shi's lungs made a prompt exit. He gasped for air before descending into a fit of primal coughs in an attempt to quickly replace what had departed.
"Sorry, Elder Brother, are you alright?" Tian Wei's rage faded into non-existence.
Quickly, he knelt down and started channeling divine qi into Tian Shi's body to aid in a quick recovery. Tian Shi finally gathered himself with Tian Wei's aid.
"You won't change my mind. I'll take the full brunt of my actions tomorrow," Tian Shi found the energy to giggle at the odd situation. "If it weren't for these chains, you wouldn't have lived past today."
"Fuck you," Tian Wei stopped channeling his divine qi and sauntered into the wind, not glancing back.
Tian Shi remained alone. Silence befell him once more. His breath was ragged. His younger brother's punch had done more damage than he let on, but he didn't want the young one to see him in this pathetic state. Aside from his father, his five brothers had accompanied him through the years on separate occasions. In the last thousand years, the rest had stopped coming, realizing that changing his mind was an impossible task. They had met an immovable wall.
Tomorrow was the last day in the courtyard. And the last day as a Tian. His unwillingness to back down had set that conclusion in stone. And even the love his mother had for him wouldn't be enough to abate his father's fury. The man had always been such since the day he came into existence. That didn't bother him much. But his mother. He didn't want to part with her. He didn't want to part with his brothers. Unfortunately, no one could change his decision. A hundred thousand years in the cold palace couldn't do that. The punishments that awaited him wouldn't either.
Once he made a decision, he never regretted it.
Those words circled within his mind constantly. Fear strangled his heart, enticing him to let go of his pride. But he fought the nausea. He fought the discomfort. This wasn't the first time. It wouldn't be the last.
"I WAS RIGHT!!!" he howled.