The night was as black as the brothers' hearts, both haunted by the weight of their past and the uncertainty of their future. The lake before them was eerily still, its surface reflecting nothing but the void. The darkness around them seemed to press in from all sides, suffocating and oppressive. They had been running for days, with no end in sight. Azyriel, the younger of the two, sat with his back against a stone, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. He had managed to drift into an uneasy sleep, his breath slow but shallow.
Delius, meanwhile, stayed awake, his eyes scanning the darkness as his mind raced. The letter from their father was burning a hole in his pocket. He had read it countless times, and each time, it felt like a tightening vice around his chest. The letter was meant to guide them, but the truth within it was nothing short of horrifying.
As Delius pulled the letter from his bag, his gaze lingered on the harsh words, the curse that threatened everything. "He must be killed before his power is awakened. The curse upon him is far too dangerous… The world will be lost if his power is allowed to grow…" He shook his head, his heart aching. How could he possibly kill Azyriel? His little brother, the one he had raised, trained, and protected with everything he had.
But the letter was clear. His father had written it in desperation. Azyriel's curse was not just a flaw; it was a death sentence to the entire world. Delius knew it was a risk, but he couldn't bring himself to follow through. He refused to believe that Azyriel was a threat, even if the evidence was right in front of him.
With a sigh, Delius made a decision. He couldn't trust the letter completely. He couldn't allow Azyriel to get his hands on it. Not if it meant he might act on the terrible truth hidden within its folds.
He quickly scratched out a set of fake coordinates on a piece of parchment, his pen moving swiftly but carefully. "These will throw him off the scent," Delius thought to himself. He couldn't risk Azyriel learning the true location, nor could he let him discover the part about the curse. He tucked the real letter away, hidden deep in his bag, and placed the fake coordinates in its place, knowing that his brother would try to steal it. It was only a matter of time.
He settled down by the fire, lying on his back and staring at the flickering stars above. As exhaustion crept in, his eyes grew heavy, and he finally succumbed to sleep.
But in the darkness, as Delius slept, Azyriel's eyes slowly flickered open. The younger brother was no longer just tired; there was a strange glint in his gaze. His eyes, usually a pale blue, now shone with an unnatural glow. He sensed something was amiss. He had felt it when Delius had kept the letter hidden, felt the tension between them. The false coordinates were a mere distraction, and Azyriel's instincts told him everything.
Stealthily, Azyriel moved closer to his brother's bag. His fingers, long and nimble, made quick work of the straps, and before Delius could stir, the letter was in his hands. His pulse quickened as he tore open the envelope, his eyes scanning the contents. The coordinates were there, and so was the truth—everything his brother had kept from him.
His breath caught in his throat as he read about the curse, about the darkness that lay within him, waiting to be unleashed. The words stung, and a surge of anger flared in his chest. How could Delius have kept this from him? How could he not have warned him?
Azyriel's eyes darkened as his thoughts twisted, the weight of the revelation sinking in. He wasn't just the brother of Delius. He was something more—something far more dangerous.
The cold grip of the curse tightened around his heart. He could feel it, thrumming beneath his skin, whispering to him in a language he couldn't quite understand. It was a power beyond comprehension, a force that wanted to destroy. And all his life, his brother had protected him from it.
But no longer.
Azyriel stood, the letter crumpled in his hand, and as the first light of dawn began to break, he turned to face his brother. The time had come. His brother had kept him in the dark for far too long. It was time for Delius to see the truth, the full extent of what he had been protecting him from.
Delius stirred, sensing something wrong. He opened his eyes just as Azyriel lunged at him, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him to his feet.
"What are you doing?" Delius hissed, his heart racing. "Azyriel, what's wrong?"
Azyriel's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "You've kept the truth from me long enough, Delius. I know what I am now. And I know what I must do."
Delius tried to shove his brother off, but Azyriel was faster, his grip tightening like a vice. There was no trace of the playful, mischievous brother Delius had known. The man in front of him was something else—something dark, something that terrified him.
"You think you can just hide it from me?" Azyriel growled. "You think you can keep me from my destiny? I'll show you the truth, Delius."
Without warning, Azyriel pushed him backwards. Delius stumbled, trying to regain his balance, but the ground beneath him was slippery, the morning dew turning the earth treacherous. He felt himself losing his footing and, before he could stop it, his body was propelled toward the river's edge.
"Azyriel, no!" Delius shouted, his hands outstretched as he tried to grab hold of anything, but it was too late. The current was too strong, and he was swept away, tumbling violently through the water. The cold was unbearable, the shock of it making his heart race in panic.
His only thought was the letter—the real letter—still clutched tightly in his bag.
The river dragged him further, pulling him into the darkness. His vision blurred, and he was sure he was going to drown. But through the disorienting rush of water and fear, one thought kept him alive: The letter… the real one…
He wasn't going to let Azyriel win.
Finally, he managed to grab onto a large rock, his muscles burning as he pulled himself to shore. Coughing and gasping for air, he struggled to his feet, soaked to the bone but alive. His hands fumbled desperately through his bag, and there it was—the letter, the true letter—intact and untouched.
He looked back toward the river, his heart pounding. Azyriel had taken everything else from him, but this… this was the key to everything. Delius had to keep moving. He couldn't afford to stop. He had to find the coordinates, to uncover the truth about their past before Azyriel's curse consumed them both.
The world was darker than ever, and it seemed as though it was closing in. But Delius knew one thing for certain: He wasn't going to let his brother destroy it all. Not if he had anything to say about it.