"I was late again."
Kaia fell to her knees, her eyes darkened as she stared at the lifeless ground below. Tears spilled onto her trembling hands, unnoticed, unacknowledged.
"It happened… again…" Her voice was barely a whisper, choked by the weight in her chest.
Her fist slammed against the ground. Once. Twice. The impact sent tremors up her arms, but the pain was nothing compared to the storm raging inside her.
"Hnnngh… AHHHHHHH!" A scream tore from her throat, raw and desperate, shattering the air around her.
Zareth, already sobbing, turned toward her at the sound. And then—he smiled. A twisted grin of admiration and unfiltered excitement lit up his tear-streaked face.
Kaia clenched her fists, nails biting into her palms. Not again. Not again. Her knuckles cracked as she punched the ground, over and over, until blood trickled down her fingers, staining the earth beneath her.
Zareth took a step forward, a faint blush creeping onto his face. "She's here," he murmured, almost breathless. He reached for her—
"WHAT the hell did you do?!"
The voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Kaia's body tensed.
Solomon stood a short distance behind her, his expression twisted with fury.
Zareth's smile faltered. He turned, eyes narrowing. "Can't you see?" He spread his arms wide. "I did what Mother told us to do."
"You bastard!" Solomon seethed. "We were supposed to kill her in the overworld—outside the domain! Not here!"
Kaia's body felt frozen as she registered their conversation.
A drop of sweat trickled down Zareth's face as realization dawned. "Wait… what?" His voice wavered. "You mean… there was a specific place we had to do it?"
Solomon's fury burned hotter. "Because there was no way we were supposed to even reach Luminara's domain in the first place!" His glare snapped to Kaia, his lips curling with disdain. "It's her fault! She's the reason everything went to hell!"
Zareth's fingers twitched. "And what exactly are the consequences?"
"I-I…" Solomon hesitated. His jaw clenched. "I don't know for sure… but if Mother gave us a direct order, it means we shouldn't have done it."
"Excuses."
A single word. Cold. Detached.
It sent an eerie shiver down Solomon's spine.
"What did you just say?" His voice cracked with disbelief.
Zareth lifted his hand, watching the blue flames ripple around his fingers like a living entity. A mark burned its way up his face—a jagged, glowing line from his chin to his temple, splitting around his eye but leaving the eyeball untouched. The six wings behind him unfurled, radiating overwhelming power.
"You and Mother never wanted me to have this power," he murmured, voice laced with amusement. "That's why you're making excuses. Just look at it, brother." His grin widened, his eyes gleaming. "I'm the greatest now. The most powerful."
Solomon's face paled.
Zareth chuckled, running a hand through his hair as his grin stretched impossibly wide. "I'll show you."
He flung his arm back, and the flames surged.
The fire roared across the barren land, spreading beyond sight, consuming everything in its wake. A violent sea of blue engulfed the horizon.
Zareth exhaled, relishing the moment. "Heh…" His fingers twitched with exhilaration.
"Who does this power belong to?"
The flames answered for him.
"Zareth!"
Solomon lunged forward, but before he could reach, something flickered in Zareth's hand—a blinding pulse of blue flame.
A searing pain tore through Solomon's chest. His breath hitched as the fire sank deeper, creeping into his heart.
"Ugh—" His fingers clawed at his burning skin, legs buckling beneath him. He collapsed onto the scorched ground, vision blurring. "H-Huh… what did you… do…?"
His heartbeat twisted—slow, heavy, suffocating. His insides churned violently. Drool slipped from the corner of his mouth as he gasped for air.
"Zare—" His voice failed him. The last thing he saw was Zareth's looming figure, wings stretching wide as he descended toward him.
Then—darkness.
Zareth exhaled, flexing his fingers as blue fire licked up his arms. His grin widened.
"Now… I have been granted the powers of Luminara."
He clenched his fists. The ground trembled, walls of flame surging upward, shaping themselves into towering castle interiors. The once-barren wasteland transformed—the floor gleamed, masterfully carved with intricate patterns, walls draped in eerie blue flames, and statues lining the corridors, each depicting sacred figures from the ancient texts. The ceiling held suspended crystal ornaments, reflecting the ghostly glow of his flames.
"I will mold this place as I see fit."
His gaze flickered toward Kaia.
She hadn't moved.
Broken. Hollow. She knelt there, staring at nothing, as if the world had slipped from her grasp.
Zareth approached slowly, kneeling in front of her. His hand reached out, fingertips grazing her chin. Gently, he lifted her face, smiling softly.
"How about joining me?" His voice dripped with warmth, as if the carnage around them was nothing but a distant dream. He leaned in, his breath ghosting against her lips, closing the distance—
"Fuck off."
Kaia's voice cut through the air, sharp and venomous.
Zareth paused. His expression twisted, then darkened. Slowly, his hand slid from her chin to her bangs.
He gripped them. Hard.
Forcing her to look at him, he tilted her head up, his smile sharpening into something sinister.
"I was trying to be nice, you know?" He sighed. "After all, I am the new Halcyon of this domain."
"Pfft."
Zareth blinked. "Pfft?"
Kaia's shoulders shook. Then—
She burst into laughter.
It was wild, uncontrollable, echoing off the castle walls. She clutched her stomach as if something about this—about him—was the funniest thing in the world.
Zareth stared at her. Disbelief twisted into irritation, then pity.
She's lost it, hasn't she?
His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close in a warm, suffocating embrace. He stroked her back, whispering, "C'mon, c'mon… don't laugh like that. It hurts me when you lose yourself."
Her laughter slowly faded, but not because she came back to reality.
She simply… stopped.
Her eyes were blank—empty, staring past him, past this place, past everything.
"Kaia…"
His thumb brushed against her cheek, tracing the gentle curve of her face as he pulled away slightly, his gaze lingering on her with a softness that almost felt out of place.
Then, without warning, he leaned in again—closer this time, dangerously close.
Before she could react, his eyes fluttered shut, and—
His lips pressed against hers.
Soft. Still.
Kaia didn't react. She didn't flinch, didn't push him away. Didn't respond. Her mouth remained closed, her body unmoving.
Her mind was elsewhere.
At this rate… Kaia thought numbly. I don't even feel angry anymore. My power… I can feel it surging within me. But for some reason… I just want to die.
I've had enough of this bullshit.
Zareth finally pulled back. A blush dusted his cheeks, his eyes misted with something fragile—something he refused to name.
His voice wavered.
"I like you…"
But deep down, he knew—
She wasn't even listening.