Chapter 2
"You guys saw the way he begged?" One of the squad members chuckled, wiping blood off his gauntlet. "Pathetic."
Ryker leaned against a shattered Void rock, helmet tucked under one arm, his armor stained but clean of any real damage. "He really thought we'd bring him back," he said, grinning. "Honestly, I expected more of a fight."
Another squadmate scoffed. "Low-tier trash like him? I'm surprised he even made it through the front lines."
The others laughed, they talked about someone's death which they had caused like it were the most casual thing in the world.
One of them dug into a pouch and pulled out a dark-blue crystal that shimmered in the dim Void light. "Well, at least his corpse brought the bait. These Fallen bastards came running in like it was a buffet."
Ryker stepped over to a small pile of glowing fragments of mana-infused gems harvested from the cores of fallen creatures. They pulsed with life, flickering like embers trapped in glass.
"Make sure we split those evenly," Ryker ordered. "Father won't care how we got them. Just that we did."
Each Exterminator carried a personal storage chip to track and extract gems during raids. These Void Gems were valuable and used as both power sources and currency in the world outside. The stronger the Fallen, the purer the gem. The ones they harvested today? High-grade, worth hundreds of thousands. Enough to fund new gear, black market upgrades, and a luxurious lifestyle for months.
Ryker knelt down, examining a crimson gem. It glowed faintly in his hand, and for a second, his mind flickered back to Kael, his blood-soaked body twitching weakly as they turned their backs and walked away.
He smirked. "Guess you finally proved yourself useful after all, brother."
---
Later that evening…
The towering halls of the Blackthorn estate echoed with Ryker's footsteps. He marched toward his father's office, confidence practically dripping from every step.
He knocked once.
"Enter," came the deep voice within.
Ryker opened the door to find Master Zephyr Evernight seated behind his enormous oak desk, back straight, hands clasped, eyes cold and unreadable as always. He was still in uniform, regal black with silver lines tracing the badge of the Blackthorn Order.
"Report," Zephyr said without looking up from the file in front of him.
Ryker stepped forward. "Dungeon cleared. High-tier Void Gems secured. Minimal resistance from the Fallen."
"And Kael?"
Ryker paused for just a split second. "Didn't make it. Ambushed. Got overwhelmed and… devoured."
For the first time, Zephyr's fingers stopped moving. His eyes lifted to meet Ryker's. An intense sharpness flickered in them and a tense silence hung in the air.
Ryker swallowed hard, barely noticing the slight change in the room's temperature.
Then, finally, Zephyr leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly.
"I see."
No anger, no sadness. Just two words, delivered with chilling indifference.
Ryker's tension melted. That was all the confirmation he needed, Zephyr didn't care.... after all, he never once acknowledged Kael, just kept him around to maintain his reputation.
He nodded and smiled, just a little. "I'll leave you to your work, Father."
Zephyr didn't respond.
Ryker turned and walked out, a satisfied smirk on his face. No more Kael. No more shadow dogging his every step. The golden path was finally his alone.
---
Three Days Later…
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Kael's eyes snapped open.
He inhaled sharply, the sterile scent of antiseptic flooding his senses.
A white ceiling. A soft hum of machines. Bright afternoon rays streamed in through partially closed curtains.
Am I... alive?
He jolted upright, then froze, staring down at his own body.
No pain. No wounds. No bandages.
His hands trembled as he touched his chest, his ribs, his arms, he felt nothing. Perfectly healed. Not even a scratch.
I… I was dying. Torn apart. I felt it. I felt everything. The pain, the blood, the monsters…
His heart raced. Sweat beaded his forehead.
This isn't possible.
Just then, something shifted beside him.He hurrieldy turned and looked over.
And there she was, his mother, asleep in a chair, leaning against the edge of his bed, her fingers loosely holding his. Her breathing was soft, her expression peaceful but tired.
"Mom…?" he whispered, voice cracking.
His heart clenched. She shouldn't be here. Not with her condition. Not after what happened.
He reached out, carefully pulled the blanket off himself, and laid it over her frail frame, tucking it gently around her shoulders.
As just then, his hand brushed hers—
Flash.
Suddenly, he was no longer in the hospital. His mind was flooded with images.
His mother, crying, desperate, standing in Zephyr's office.
"I begged you to let him rest, to stop sending him into those damned dungeons!" she sobbed. "Now you're telling me he's dead? Is that all Kael meant to you?!"
Zephyr sat behind his desk, eyes like ice. "He chose this path. And he failed."
His mother collapsed to her knees.
"Please… he was your son…have you forgotten everything we once shared? Is this all we mean to you?"
Zephyr stood, stepped past her without even a glance.
"Clean up this mess, and she is not allowed to come in here from now on." he told the guards.
Flash ends.
Kael gasped and yanked his hand away, falling back against the bed. The world spun for a second.
"What… the hell… was that?!"
He stared at his trembling fingers. That wasn't a dream… That was real. I saw it. I felt it. I…
He looked down at his mom, still asleep, unaware.
How did I see her memory? What is happening to me?
But more than the confusion… was the rage building in his chest.
His father, not only had he ordered his death, he also didn't show any sign of regret.
His mother begged… and was thrown aside like trash.
Kael clenched his fists.
He was going to make them pay, Zephyr Evernight and Ryker Evernight....he was going to make them regret everything.