As fire consumed the nation and the cries of war's victims reached the heavens, another civilization fell. The skies were painted with smoke and despair, the earth trembling beneath the weight of destruction. Amidst this chaos, two figures stood in the crumbling remains of a grand hall, their silhouettes framed by the flickering flames.
The once-magnificent tower of ivory and bronze was now a skeletal ruin, a dying monument to power and pride. Walls cracked under the pressure of collapsing ceilings, ancient banners were scorched by the inferno's breath, and shattered glass crunched beneath their feet.
"Run! Don't look back—I'm right behind you!"
His father's voice cut through the chaos, urgent and resolute, echoing off the shattered pillars.
Kamigan's heart pounded in his chest. His eyes, wide with fear and disbelief, locked onto his father. "But, Father, where should I go? You said everything would be alright when this war started! Now what? Do you expect me to run away while my friends and family fall in battle?"
His words trembled with raw emotion, hot tears carving trails down his soot-streaked face. He stood frozen, fists clenched, his entire body shaking. The weight of loss bore down on him, merciless and unrelenting.
A shattered kingdom… countless lives reduced to ash… and his father, standing before him, urging him to flee.
It felt cruel. Unforgivable.
The air was heavy, suffocating, filled with smoke and the metallic scent of blood. Memories and emotions surged within him, breaking through the dam he had built to contain them.
Anger. Sadness. Betrayal.
His voice cracked under the pressure, words spilling out in a desperate torrent. "You always told me to be strong, to stand my ground… How can I abandon them now?"
His father's gaze softened, sorrow pooling in his weary eyes. "Kamigan, you're still young. Since before you were born, people have placed their expectations upon you. Expectations no child should bear."
His voice faltered, weighed down by the gravity of his own failures. "As your father, I've failed. As a husband who couldn't protect his wife, I am an even greater failure. By the time I realized my mistakes, it was too late." His shoulders sagged under an invisible burden, eyes hollow. "But please, Kamigan, grant me this one last chance to act as your father."
This… This is wrong.
Kamigan's chest tightened, his breath hitching as he processed his father's words. This was more than a plea. It was a farewell. A final act of love wrapped in sorrow.
His mind raced, denial clawing at him. Why is he speaking like this? Why does he sound as if this fallen kingdom will be his resting place?
"Father, why do you say such things? There's still time! If we run now, we can escape!" Desperation bled into his voice, his hands trembling. He reached out, hoping to anchor his father to the present, to life.
If I reach him… If I don't let go… Then maybe… Maybe I can stop this.
But before his father could answer, a thunderous crash shook the hall. The ground quaked beneath them, walls groaning as dust and debris rained down. Kamigan's eyes widened as shadows descended upon them—soldiers clad entirely in black, their presence suffocating, ominous.
They moved without sound, like death incarnate. Their weapons gleamed, ready to end the bloodline they were sworn to annihilate.
Amidst the chaos, his father moved swiftly, retrieving a small case from his robes. His fingers trembled as he opened it, revealing a marble that shimmered with an otherworldly glow.
Time seemed to stop. The air itself stood still.
This… This can't be…
For the first time since the birth of the Gods, since the age of Titans, since the universe itself began—heaven held its breath.
Without a word, his father turned to him, resolve hardening his features. He shoved the marble into Kamigan's mouth, his touch gentle despite the urgency. And before Kamigan could react, he felt himself propelled backward, weightless, falling through the shattered window of the tower.
The world blurred around him, wind roaring in his ears. The tower of ivory and bronze stretched endlessly above, a monument to power now reduced to a symbol of loss. As he fell, his father's voice echoed within his mind, resonant and heavy.
Kamigan… I've been irresponsible. I've been a failure—as a man, as a husband, and most of all, as a father. I have no right to ask for your forgiveness.
But I know… No, I hope that in time, you will understand why I made this decision.
I'm sure you will grow stronger than anyone… No, you must grow stronger than everyone. Overcome challenges. Defeat those crowned in this world.
Defeat the Gods. Defeat the ruler of heaven.
and lastly..... defeat me
His father's words lingered, etched into his soul as the distance between them grew. Kamigan's eyes burned, tears snatched away by the wind as he plummeted toward an uncertain fate.
High above, the soldiers moved in, their weapons gleaming with lethal intent. But before they could strike, his father's body erupted with a dark, crackling aura. Energy coalesced around his arm, molding into a gauntlet of pure power. His eyes blazed, unyielding.
With a single wave of his hand, the entire top floor of the tower vanished into nothingness. The soldiers were consumed by the void, their existence erased in an instant.
The light faded, the echoes of destruction swallowed by the howling wind. And as Kamigan continued to fall, his father's silhouette stood tall amidst the ruins, a lone figure against the blazing sky.
Then, all at once, the world went dark.