(Ezra POV)
With Kael's attack wiped away, there was nothing left to stand between us. Watching him claw himself out of the fissure he created, I noticed that his breathing was labored, and his body could barely stand. He had expended all of his cosmic energy. There was nothing left in the tank for him, even if his will still commanded him to move forward.
I softly hovered down to the ground to meet him at his level. "Give up, Kael. The battle is finished," I commanded firmly.
The man didn't respond. Instead, he charged at me. Devoid of cosmic energy, his speed was sluggish—something you would expect from a man of his size. The punch he threw was easy to perceive, and I caught it effortlessly in my palm. Quickly, I twisted his arm, causing him to wail in pain as I brought him to his knees. Placing a finger on his abdomen, I released a small beam of solar energy, piercing through his armor and flesh.
"Where is my brother, Kael? Is he alive?"
"You know, the last time I saw him, he was alive. He's somewhere in Arthenos. He's a strong man, I'll give you that—someone worthy of the Solaris name. If you ever come across a man named Lord Enzo, he may have the answers you seek," Kael responded, taking a deep, heaving breath in an attempt to steady himself.
"Thank you, Kael," I said, looking down at my defeated opponent. I could tell he was suffering from cosmic energy backlash and needed to be removed from the astral realm immediately. I placed Dawnbringer back into my astral forge, then bent down to pick Kael up and hoist him over my shoulder.
"What are you doing? Leave me here to die."
"No. You were honorable warrior to the very end, and I intend to keep my word. I told you I would let you live—you will not die by my hands today."
Levitating into the air, I spotted the portal to the astral gate. Without wasting time, I funneled solar energy into my feet and took off at immense speed, flying toward the exit. When we reached the portal, I set Kael down, allowing him to walk through first.
On the other side, the first face I saw was my son's. He seemed relatively unscathed—aside from one of his sleeves being ripped off. Looking at him, I could tell he was deep in thought, his expression cold and distant. He didn't even acknowledge my presence.
I walked over and placed both hands on his shoulders, shaking him slightly to pull him from whatever had consumed his mind. "My son, are you alright?" I asked.
He looked up at me, and I saw a single tear slip down his cheek. "Why does everyone hate us? Why is it that, at every chance they get, they won't hesitate to try and tear us down? Why is that, Dad? Will we ever get rest or reprieve in this world? Or will this be our fate forever?"
Hearing his words brought back memories of my own childhood—when I, too, struggled to understand the cruel nature of the universe.
"Sadly, son, it's just a facet of human nature. People understand power. They see it as a means to get ahead in life, and they recognize the lack of power as a shackle. So what do they do?"
"They seek to break their shackles."
"Correct."
"But don't they know that the Solaris Clan is here to bring peace and help those in need? We've never abused our power."
"They do know. But their very nature blinds them, allowing fear to take hold. That's why we have to be patient with them, Cyrus. Where is Adam, by the way?" I asked, wrapping an arm around my son while gesturing for the townspeople to take Kael to a medic.
Cyrus didn't answer. Instead, I noticed his posture sink in response to my question.
"Cyrus… where is he? I sense his presence close by, but I don't see him. We need to have one final conversation before we leave."
As I spoke, I noticed he was clutching something under his arm. At that moment, my question was answered.
I didn't say anything. I simply squeezed his shoulder as we walked away from the astral gate.
As we entered the city center, I did my best to ignore the murmurs of "murderer" from the crowd—until I realized those words weren't directed at me.
Then, I saw it.
A maimed corpse on the town square stage. Arms and legs severed clean off. A gaping chasm where his chest once was.
Adam.
It was hard to see someone I once called a friend left in that state.
"I'm sorry, son. You shouldn't have to go through this at all," I said, shifting my position to shield him from the townspeople's chants and shouts.
"Don't be, Dad. He was never your friend to begin with. Everything he did was a farce—a grand lie to get where he wanted. He was happy about our clan's demise. He was happy that you might meet your end. You should have seen how he manipulated his very own people to the bitter end. He was no friend. He was an enemy—a monster, in all honesty."
"Cyrus…"
"I know, Dad. But if I've learned anything from the stories you, Uncle, and Grandpa told me, it's that we shouldn't hesitate to kill monsters while on a mission. Hesitation can cost us dearly. So I killed the monster."
I knew my son was right, but I didn't want to acknowledge it. I didn't want to push him deeper into this descent. I needed to get him off this continent. He needed to live a normal life—to see what life could truly be.
I sent him off to our camp to gather our belongings while I stayed behind to finish things here.
With Cyrus gone, I approached Adam's corpse and placed a hand on his body.
"I'm sorry things had to end like this, old friend. I'm sorry I didn't do enough to deter you from this path. I'm sorry I wasn't as available and present as I should have been. Rest now," I murmured before cremating his body and collecting his ashes into a nearby box.
With the box in hand, I made my way to his office.
His secretary was there, sobbing.
"Karen," I called softly, careful not to startle her.
"Yes?" she responded, her eyes swollen from tears as she lifted her head.
"You really cared for him, didn't you? I noticed it when we first came into the office—how you gazed at him from time to time. And I noticed how he did the same."
"Yes. I loved him. I wanted to start a family with him. But it was hard watching him go down the path he chose. I knew there was kindness in him somewhere, but I think it got lost in the shuffle of his dreams and desires. He proposed to me not long ago. He said that once he made enough, he would take us away from here—to start over and live as a king and queen."
She wiped away more tears. "But I turned him down. I wanted him to stop exploiting the miners. I didn't want any skeletons in our closet. I wanted to build something new—the right way."
"I know this won't take away the pain you're feeling, but I brought his ashes to you. I wanted you to be the one to put him to rest," I said, pushing the box toward her.
"Thank you, Ezra. And please… take care of that boy of yours. He has the qualities to be an excellent man one day. I hold no anger or animosity toward him for what he did. He did what needed to be done. But please… get him away from here. I would hate to see him tainted by what this continent has become."
I gave a slight nod, acknowledging her words.
"I will, Karen. That is my sole mission. But first… do you have a transponder? There's someone I need to contact before we move on."