In the northern land of Dingo, covered with thick snow and biting cold,
At the top of the icy hill, in front of the city of Korara, stood a beautiful red brick house.
Its design was simple, with a small chimney on the roof, from which the smoke of the indoor fireplace rose.
In front of that house, a man waved his hand, saying goodbye to his family standing at the door.
He was a man in his forties, with a strong build and wearing knight's armor, a sword strapped to his left side—clearly, he was a mighty warrior.
His long black hair danced in the cold wind, almost as if it were waving back at his family, just as he did.
"Will you return at the same time as always?" shouted the little child, who clung to his mother's clothes, happily waving at his father.
"Yes, Rem, I will! And we'll train as soon as I get back!"
"Hooray!" little Rem jumped in joy, while his mother tried to calm him down.
"Come back safely, Regam!" said Rem's mother, her gentle voice and fair skin as white as the snow falling around her.
"I will, Rose!"
With that, Regam disappeared into the strong winds. Rose, Rem, and his little sister Nadya went inside and shut the door behind them.
Regam walked through the city streets, making his way up a massive mountain.
He climbed countless snow-covered stairs, but he smiled the whole time, undeterred by the freezing conditions.
Guards stood at each side of the castle as he reached the giant crimson gate of the fortress.
The gate was known as the Crimson Gate because, despite the white walls and timeless details of the castle, that deep crimson hue had an almost hypnotic effect. The moment you laid eyes on it, it stopped the flow of everything within you.
The massive gates slowly opened before Regam, who waited for them to fully open. His reflection flickered inside the gates, facing the grand throne at the center of the hall, where a man with white hair sat.
He wasn't old his white hair was natural, just like his sister Rose's.
This man was King Rodan, the ruler of the entire northern land of Dingo, Regam's king, and also Rose's brother.
"Rodan!!"
At the sight of King Rodan, Regam rushed forward, his steps quickening until he seemed to break through the wind barrier.
In an instant, he swung his sword toward the king's neck.
But the blade was deflected, sparks flying, as Rodan proudly smiled. The sword that blocked Regam's strike was the one belonging to the Chief Advisor's knight, Roger.
"Nice strike, Regam!"
Rigam laughed, scratching his head as he glanced at Roger, whose anger seemed to grow with each passing moment.
"Thanks, Rod the white head!"
"Your Majesty to you!"
Roger's sword came dangerously close to Regam's neck, but Regam raised his hands in surrender, and laughter filled the room.
"Calm down, Roger." Regam said, stepping back.
Rodan stood up, patting Rigam's shoulder, who was still laughing at Roger's reaction.
"So, how's Rem?"
"My son... he's fine."
"And his training? Will he join our forces soon?"
"He's only eleven, man. You'll have to wait a little longer, haha."
"Has he been able to use the Enza yet?"
"No... It seems like something is blocking his ability to use it properly."
Enza was the flowing energy present in the earth, sky, animals, and humans.
Anyone could harness this power through their bodies, but mastering it requires intense training for the mind, spirit, and body.
"If this keeps up, Williams will surpass him and join us faster,"
Rodan said, eyeing Regam.
"I suppose the king's son should be naturally gifted."
"They should train together! Why not bring him here to train in the castle? We have the best trainers, and your son could benefit from a more competitive environment!"
"Thanks, but I'll have to decline... My son isn't like the rest. He enjoys peace and prefers to train alone, progressing at his own pace. I don't want to rush him."
"Tch!" Roger sighed, standing behind them. "You mean your son's spoiled and can't handle a little roughness... Just like his father."
A cold gust of wind passed, and a faint purple aura emanated from Rigam's body.
The air around him compressed, and the wind itself seemed to stifle under the weight of this powerful aura.
"Do you want to experience last time's defeat again, Roger?"
"Why don't you try?"
A powerful aura erupted from Roger's body, his energy was thick and repulsive, a dead-red color that seemed to repulse everything around him.
The two auras collided, and the pressure in the hall grew so intense that the chairs around them began to crack.
"Enough…" With a single gesture, Rodan dissolved the tension and pressure around the throne, and even the powerful auras faded into nothing.
"Regam …"
"Yes, my king!"
"There's no work today. Now that you've reported, you may return to your family."
Without another word, Regam left and made his way back home.
He opened the door, and his children rushed into his arms. Rose, who had been braiding her beautiful white hair, smiled at him.
"Welcome back, my dear."
Rose stood and entered the kitchen. After Regam took a bath, they all sat around the large dinner table near the fireplace.
"Dad! Do you think I'll learn to control Enza today?"
"Haha, I don't know, my son, but maybe you will."
"I want to learn to control Enza too!" Little Nadya climbed onto the table and began spinning in circles.
"Of course, of course!"
"Don't encourage her, my dear!"
The soft golden light reflected from the fire made Regam's eyes open wide, and he felt grateful for the blessings he had.
This family meant everything to him.
His son Rem, his daughter Nadya, and his beautiful wife Rose—he would kill and die for them.
A loud sound suddenly broke the silence in their home, making the entire house tremble.
Regam grabbed his children and pulled Rose into his embrace until the shaking stopped.
He grabbed his sword and rushed outside.
"Stay inside!"
He shut the door behind him, and everyone hid under the table.
Rose tightly held her children, her eyes closed in fear, as Rem could hear the sound of clashing swords outside.
Fear crept into Nadya and Rem's minds, but Rem gripped his little sister's hand and squeezed it tightly.
Nadya moved closer to her brother, tears filling her eyes as the sounds of heavy sword clashes and light tremors in the air made her vision blur.
Rem didn't think much, nor was he particularly open to others. He barely had any friends, but he loved his family.
His sister Nadya, his mother Rose, and his beloved father Regam—he would kill and die for them.
Confused thoughts and feelings flooded his mind, but what drove him in that moment wasn't his thoughts or emotions, but his instincts.
He let go of his sister's hand, grabbed his small wooden sword, and ran outside at full speed.
Rose reached for him, but it was too late. However, she saw a scene unfold outside that froze her heart.
Blood from Regam began to drip onto the ground in a large pool, in the middle of the white snow. On the other side stood her brother Rodan, with a whole army of soldiers.
The door closed slowly, and Rose couldn't move a muscle.
The shock pierced her like an arrow, freezing her in place.
The sound of swords clashing outside faded, leaving nothing but silence.
Rose's eyes were fixed on the spot where her son had vanished.
No longer did she see the white snow. Instead, all she saw was crimson—the color of the gate she thought she was protecting, and the color of the blood that now soaked her world.
The sound of swords rang out, and Rose could hear numerous screams, but she couldn't tell if it was her husband's voice or the soldiers' on the other side.
The countless questions flooded her mind, but she could do nothing but stare at the closed wooden door, as if speaking to nothing.
Rose had somehow lost consciousness, but her eyes remained open, her heart frozen like the blizzard raging in the land of Dingo.
Outside, the real storm was raging. King Rodan stood motionless in the background, while the soldiers continued to attack Regam.
Regam threw anyone who got close to him aside, and none of their swords could touch him. It was as if he were untouchable—present but invisible, impervious to harm.
"Looks like your Point Zero is still as sharp as ever," Roger said from behind his soldiers, watching Regam's sword, from which purple enza flowed relentlessly.
"Do you think it will rust like your Destruction bringer's blade?"
Snow rose from the ground as Roger charged toward Regam.
The two swords, Point Zero and Destruction Bringer, collided, turning the ground where they stood into a barren, snowless field from the force of the clash.
The fierce winds created by the clash of the blades forced the soldiers to retreat.
The strikes kept increasing in intensity, but Regam still held the upper hand.
With each blow, Roger was forced back, his steps faltering under the force of Regam's strikes.
The speed of the attacks increased, and the Enza flowing from Regam's body grew stronger, until his entire form became almost unrecognizable—his features blurred and lost in the rising energy.
"Stop him before he does it!" King Rodan shouted, his voice tinged with urgency as he watched the chaotic scene unfold.
Roger's face twisted with tension, his eyes locked on Regam, whose every movement was now a blur of power.
Roger swung his sword with all his might, creating a gust of wind that parted the storm around them, slicing through the icy air in a direct line toward Regam.
But just before the attack could land, a small figure rushed forward and stood directly in front of Regam.
It was little Rem. Tears streamed down his face as he stepped bravely in front of his father, trying to protect him with his small wooden sword.
The air seemed to stop as the child closed his eyes, and the sickening sound of metal meeting flesh echoed through the battlefield.
Rem felt the steel cut through the air, heard the blood splatter—then slowly opened his eyes to see his father lying in a pool of crimson.
"Regam Rogahelm... is dead."
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