Kallen stared back at the ascetic, his eyes hollow. The boy stood there, immobile, still. Despite his attempts to stay positive and keep moving forward, his path seemed to have already met an obstacle he couldn’t surmount. The old man easily saw through him. No, maybe he knew from the very beginning. What if he was the “emergency” all along? However, the first to break the silence was not the person Kal expected.

“Please, forgive me Master…But this must be a mistake. It just can’t be. From his sister’s testimony—”

“Insolent! Does love blind you to the point of doubting me? I, an Ascendant?”

To Kallen's surprise, Aren went out of his way to oppose his superior, but he was shut down immediately.

“…What testimony…? What is going on...? What did you tell him Aren!?” Said Kara, feeling betrayed by the man she loved.

“I can see it as clear as day, those putrid flames corrupting the flow of life… What you believe in is of no consequence, disciple.” With a tone full of disdain and disgust, the veiled sage’s gaze never moved from his prey.

Kal was used to this kind of treatment, being looked at as less than. But this time, he could tell that the second the atmosphere changed, he was no longer considered human. Perhaps he was never held in such regard to begin with.

Run away.

He tried to escape, but his body wasn’t obeying any of his commands. In panic, he desperately tried to move but was still within the grasp of the Black Swan and his sister’s hands. His eyes darted in every direction, desperately looking for something that could help him, someone. They landed on his sister, but in search of a thread of hope, he could only find the same terror in her look. They were both powerless.

“I suppressed your ability to move, child, don’t fight it.” The sage’s firm grip was the lock that caged Kal inside his own body. “Fear not. If the Tree still cares for you, it will end fast enough.” As he pronounced these words, Kallen was violently tackled to the floor. The heavy black glove pressed the left side of his face against the stone layout of his own home so hard that he felt like he would be crushed.

“Kal!” Alm's voice finally made itself heard as he started to understand the situation.

“LET GO OF HIM!” With a voice mixed with distress and fury, Kallen witnessed his sister hysterically trying to remove the hand holding him down. Pushing, kicking, punching, it was as if she was taking on a mountain. He, who was thrown to the ground seconds ago, couldn’t even feel the reverberations of her hits through the ascetic’s body. “HE’S JUST A CHILD YOU LUNATIC!”

“Disciple, it’s out of love that I am letting this happen. Please, don’t make this harder for everyone.” With a tone as cold as the ground he was pinning his victim against, the master urged his student to act.

And he did.

“AREN! …What are you doing..?!”

Kara’s voice resounded once again. The Swan they grew to appreciate, and trust was now restraining her. The man clearly didn’t put much effort into doing so, but his face was strained like he was holding a raging bull. It was brief, but Aren’s words from earlier built up embers of hope in Kallen’s heart. He could only watch as the same delusion now submerged his sister's expression.

“...Not you…Did you plan this..!? All this time…” Kara’s trembling voice was testimony to the shattering disappointment and pain she was subjected to. This was too much. They all knew how strong he was, she had no means to escape. Completely helpless, the tears came back raining as she broke down. “He-…Help him..! He’s just a baby… I beg you…Please…!”

“No!” Kal’s voice interrupted his sister’s plea as he saw Alm standing up to the traitor with their old firewood axe in hand. He was sobbing, his eyes guided by fear and anger. The hands were shaking—his voice, too.

“L-Leave her alone!”

Everyone in the room could read through Aren, full of sorrow and pity. The turmoil inside the man’s head was so strong that the previously handsome face ended up distorted by doubt. He probably never expected this kind of situation to happen. But after a few seconds of hesitation, he closed his eyes momentarily, then reopened them with a look that plunged Kal in much more anguish. The boy hoped to see a change of heart, but doubt was replaced by determination instead.

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“I am sorry…I should have never come barging into your lives to begin with… But if Master saw what he saw, then Kal…” He hesitated. The words were stuck in his throat as he struggled to continue his sentence. “...Kal must die…”

It sounded surreal, like a bad dream. While Kara began to scream for help in despair, knowing well that no one in this tower or the maze was foolish enough to answer the call, Aren’s words detached Kallen from reality for a moment.

Why?

He couldn't process it. He couldn't understand why he ended up in this situation. In the span of seconds, memories came rushing to his head, but none could rationalize or justify what was unfolding. And the fact that he couldn’t do a thing made it more horrifying. Reduced to a simple spectator of his own demise, he could only wait for his executioner.

“Duty Over Heart, Purpose Over Pride. Congratulations disciple; you bring honor to your House. I came with you thinking that you were not ready yet but looking at you now, in time, you may even possess the potential to wear the black.” While the master praised the student, the free right hand that was still within the robe came out. An orange glow escaped from his black glove as the sage clutched a small object Kallen couldn't identify.

That was it. His fear materialized not in the man but in whatever was in his hand. As soon as this mysterious object was revealed, his captor almost felt invisible. He could only see it with one eye, but even the young pubescent hair from his paralyzed right hand in front of him straightened in its direction.

“Ignite.”

At the sage's commands, golden flames erupted from his hand, illuminating the room with their purity, putting the home’s lanterns to shame. The powerful burst blasted away furniture and small objects alike. The caster’s cape floated behind him, revealing the sinister armor of leather and dark metal hidden beneath. Alm, who was defenseless at the time, was projected with his axe against their lunch table as his captive sister watched in horror.

The flame. It was dancing, moving in ways your regular bonfire couldn’t—as if it were alive. Engulfing the man’s arm like armor, it was eyeing its prey. The heat was way beyond its size, and Kal was the closest.

However, Kallen wasn’t reactive. In fact, he became completely numbed. He couldn’t feel or move his body; his ears were crushed between stone and an even harder hand; his head was ringing as the mark screams completely overwhelmed his senses. And finally, his eyes saw and cried enough. He was empty, defeated. Just a body forced to watch as his family pleaded in vain for his life. His birthday promise? He was ready to give it up.

“After this…What happens to them after this…”

Kallen uttered these words with a tone he was sure his siblings never heard. He was tired, he wanted it to stop. Seeing the two who shared his life this helpless was like torture. He wanted to know if the Swan’s wrath was only limited to him. Even if he feared the answer. Upon hearing this, Kara’s screams stopped. For the first time in this life, her brother was admitting defeat.

“...What a shame, if fate wasn't against you, you would have been a decent Warrior.” After a short pause, he continued. “ No, nothing will happen to them. You and your family are innocent. This sacrifice, like many before yours, is a necessary evil. Don’t forgive us, never. This is not just. However, I promise in my name that your death won’t be in vain. Your family will come to understand—”

A loud hissing sound interrupted the ascetic’s monologue. Alm, who was thought to be agonizing against the table, threw the rest of the water jar Kal filled up this morning. But as the steam cloud started dissipating, only disappointment could be seen on his face as the golden flame instantly vaporized most of the liquid, protecting its wielder.

“I-I am sorry, master! I got careless… I thought...”

“...They have been through enough. They don’t need to see how it ends.” Said the old man in an irritated tone.

With a simple nod, the pupil freed one of his hands and lifted it as a faint green hue emanated from the tip of his index and middle finger. He swiftly pressed them against Kara's neck, seemingly releasing this mysterious light into her body.

“I’m sorry, Kal…This is all my fault…” Her dried-up and exhausted voice was full of regret. She, too, was defeated.

Her words were enough to make her ex-lover flinch, but he carried on. Seconds later, her body goes limp as a few last words managed to escape.

“I’m… sorry… mo…”

Aren delicately laid her body on the ground. Only now that she was in a deep slumber, he treated her like a flower. His gaze turned toward her youngest brother, who could only watch in horror how his life turned for the worse. With the same glow from earlier, the disciple closed the distance in an instant, sparing him no time to speak or even escape. The look Alm gave to Kal just before losing consciousness stung. It stung so hard that he felt physical pain, as if the sage was killing him already.

“Help me...”

Those were the words written on that frightened face. He saw immense distress in his eyes, yes, but what affected him the most was the hint of deception beneath it all. He let him down. The image of the older brother pushing through any obstacles, braving any danger. All this turned to ashes the moment he allowed his eyes to lose the spark of life. And he could never bring it back.

“Your brother, as brave as you are. We spared them a memory they would have struggled to carry on. This pain, you will have to bear it alone. The world can’t afford to have even one more of you roaming around. May you rest in the Tree’s embrace, child.” As the sage finished his sentence, the flames doubled in intensity, roaring as if it couldn’t wait anymore.

A part of Kallen felt relieved. His sibling or his mother won’t be able to see what was going to happen. But another part of him was a growing sentiment of unfairness. Why him? He couldn’t truly accept the fact that he was going to die for a reason he wasn't even made aware of. And he had no means to fight back. Now that his siblings were out of the picture and he was facing it all alone, fear started to creep back into the child's heart, slowly dissolving his earlier apathy.

I don’t want to die...

“Ô True Divine Flame… Purge your mother’s sins!”

I don’t want to die!

If Alm and Kara were still conscious they may have regretted not having been sedated earlier, as the screams that came out of Kallen's mouth were more akin to a beast than a child.

End of Chapter