The monastery was silent now, save for the crackle of torches and the wet drip of blood across its stone floors. Noah's knuckles whitened around the hilt of his blade, his breath uneven. Kael's body lay still, the spear still embedded in the beast's chest like a final, defiant mark of his existence.
Noah staggered to him, knees hitting the cold floor.
"Kael…" His voice cracked, raw and fragile. He shook his rival's shoulder, but there was no response. The fire that had burned so brightly in Kael's eyes had been snuffed out.
A thousand moments flooded Noah's mind.
—The first time they had sparred, Kael grinning as his spear knocked Noah flat.—The endless nights they trained under the stars, both refusing to admit exhaustion.
—The arguments, the laughter, the silent understanding that one pushed the other forward.
Noah's hands trembled. He remembered Kael's words not long ago: "We're rivals, yes. But when the world burns, I'll stand with you, Noah."
And he had. Until his last breath.
A lump formed in Noah's throat. Rage and sorrow coiled within him like twin serpents.
The beast roared again, snapping him back to reality. It tore Kael's spear free with a sickening crunch, black blood spilling from its chest. Despite its wound, the monster still stood tall, still defiant, as if mocking Kael's sacrifice.
Noah rose slowly, each step toward the beast deliberate. His vision blurred at the edges, but it wasn't from tears. It was the Eclipse Aura, pulsing violently, feeding on his grief. The silver light around him flickered with streaks of shadow, stretching across the chamber like claws.
The cultists cowered, their chanting broken.
"Noah," Eira called from across the hall, her bow trembling in her grip. She could see it—the change, the storm within him. "Don't lose yourself."
But Noah barely heard her. His memories bled into his fury, forging something sharper than steel. He spoke, voice low and trembling.
"You killed him. My rival. My brother in battle…" His eyes glowed, silver fire consuming them. "And now, I'll show you why Guardians are feared."
The beast lunged, its massive claw swinging down with bone-crushing force.
BOOOOM!
The impact split the floor, but Noah wasn't there. He reappeared behind it, his speed unnatural, his blade glowing with the brilliance of the moon wrapped in shadow.
SLASH!
The strike carved deep, spraying black ichor across the chamber. The beast howled, stumbling back.
Noah's heart pounded. For a moment, it wasn't just his blade—it was Kael's spear striking alongside him, the echo of their rivalry now fueling his rage.
The fight was far from over, but something had shifted. Noah wasn't the same Guardian who had stepped into the monastery. He was something more, something terrifying even to himself.
Yet beneath that storm, grief still burned. Kael's lifeless form on the ground reminded him: every ounce of power came at a cost.
✨ End of Chapter 43 ✨