The palace was in flames. His body was screaming at him to give up, every muscle burning with the effort. But amid the chaos, Ghadib felt his mind drifting. The pain was fading, replaced by memories, shadows of a bygone time.
He saw himself again, young and ambitious, walking through the lost ruins of the desert with Azrael.
They were so different, and yet at that time he believed in their common cause.
"This world is built on lies," Azrael said, touching the symbols engraved on an old monolith. The artifacts of the First Priestess... they hold the truth.
Ghadib observed his companion, intrigued. At the time, he saw him as a man of knowledge, a visionary.
—If it was true, why were they forgotten?
Azrael turned around, his dark gaze shining in the moonlight.
—Because the weak fear what they cannot control.
This sentence...
It should have been a warning.
But he hadn't listened.
They continued their quest, explored forgotten cities, touched upon forbidden knowledge. Each discovery brought them closer to a truth that few dared to touch upon.
And then there was her.
His wife.
His only refuge in this all-consuming quest.
He remembered her long dark hair fluttering in the desert wind, her gentle smile as she watched him immerse himself in his research.
"You're not sleeping anymore," she would sometimes say to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm so close…" he replied, unable to take his eyes off his parchments.
—So close to what, Ghadib? What are you looking for, or what are you losing?
Back then, he laughed softly, brushing away her worries with a kiss to her forehead.
—I'm doing this for us.
She smiled at him, but her eyes remained sad.
—I just hope you don't get lost along the way.
He should have listened to her.
He should have understood.
The memory blurred and gave way to the night where everything changed.
A collapsed temple.
Screams.
The taste of blood in the air.
He saw Aïsha again, a little girl barely five years old, crying silently in his arms. He held her small, trembling body close to him, unable to take his eyes off the horror that had just happened.
And in front of him, Azrael, standing in the glow of the flames.
Impassive.
Detached.
—It's a price to pay.
Those words still resonated with him, even after all these years.
He had lost his wife, lost his trust in Azrael, lost a part of himself.
And that day… he made a decision.
He would no longer seek knowledge for the sake of knowing it. He would seek the Gem for her.
To bring her back.
To repair what he had lost.
Even if it were to destroy him.
****
Aisha's cry still echoed in the burning air of the burning palace.
Ghadib felt the life slowly draining from his body. His vision was blurring, and everything seemed unreal... like a distant dream. The weight of the medallion had left his hand, replaced by a new warmth.
Raikuto.
He had given him his last inheritance.
He wanted to say something to her, a final word, a confession perhaps... but the blood in his throat prevented him.
He felt pressure on him. Aisha.
She knelt beside him, her trembling fingers gripping his coat. His lips moved, but he only heard echoes.
He opened his eyes weakly and saw her face, bathed in tears, distorted by pain.
Aisha…
His treasure.
His only reason for continuing to live after the death of his wife.
His greatest pride.
He wanted to tell her he was sorry.
That he had failed.
That he never wanted to leave her alone.
But his body no longer obeyed him.
One last breath.
Then he felt his eyelids close.
Everything went black.
- FATHER !
Aisha's voice cracked through the air, tearing through the cacophony of flames and surrounding chaos.
She shook Ghadib's body, refusing to accept the obvious.
Non.
He couldn't be dead.
He couldn't abandon her.
His breathing was erratic, his hands covered in his blood.
— FATHER!
But he didn't answer.
Raikuto, still frozen next to her, held the medallion between his fingers. He felt a strange energy vibrating inside, a heavy, suffocating sensation that compressed his chest.
The weight of a last wish.
The weight of a man who had lost everything.
But they didn't have time to cry.
Abraham sighed, exasperated, and walked forward quietly.
— It's over.
Aïsha jerked her head up, her eyes filled with tears and rage.
— Tu…
She couldn't even speak because she was so choked with anger.
Abraham looked at her as one observes a child in crisis.
—Don't be so dramatic. You knew it would end like this.
Aïsha stood up slowly, her breathing short.
—I'm going to kill you.
Abraham gave a slight smile.
— You can try.
She did not wait for any further provocation.
With a cry of rage, she leapt at him, her dagger brandished.
But before she could reach it, an invisible force ripped her from the ground and threw her violently backwards.
She rolled on the bloody cobblestones, out of breath.
Raïkuto had not moved.
But his gaze was fixed on Abraham with a new intensity.
Something inside him was boiling.
A dull anger.
A power he didn't yet understand.
He felt the medallion pulse in his palm, and without thinking, he clenched his fist.
The air was charged with electricity.
A blue glow burst out around him, illuminating the ruined throne room.
Abraham raised an eyebrow.
— Oh ?
Karnak turned his head slightly towards him, intrigued.
Raikuto felt something explode inside him.
A wave of raw chaos.
Son chaos.
He lunged forward, his instincts taking over.
He no longer thought.
He wanted to hurt.
Destroy.
Electricity crackled around him as he propelled himself towards Abraham.
The latter raised a lazy hand, preparing to counter the attack.
But he was too slow.
Raikuto disappeared in a blue flash and reappeared right in front of him.
Before Abraham could react, a thundering fist slammed into his chest.
A violent shock.
Abraham was thrown backwards, flying through the air before crashing heavily against a pillar.
A stunned silence fell over the room.
Karnak narrowed his eyes.
Aïsha, still stunned, slowly raised her head.
Abraham…
was injured.
A black burn marked his chest where Raikuto had hit him.
He gently straightened his coat, observing the mark with a hint of amusement.
Then he smiled.
- Interesting.
He raised a hand, and without warning...
a chaotic wave exploded towards Raikuto.
The boy didn't have time to dodge.
The invisible force crushed him against the ground, making him cry out in pain.
Aïsha, furious, tried to get up, but Karnak intercepted her, placing his foot on her arm to keep her on the ground.
— Stay calm.
Abraham approached Raikuto, who was struggling against the pressure that was immobilizing him.
He leaned down slightly, observing the boy with a flash of curiosity.
- I see.
He touched the blackened mark on his chest.
—It wasn't a simple blow.
His gaze plunged into Raikuto's.
—You're not normal.
Raikuto gritted his teeth, every muscle in his body tensing.
Abraham smiled, and the chaotic pressure intensified.
"And you're going to tell me exactly why.
The darkness was closing in on them.
And this time, they were truly alone.
****
The silence before the storm
The crushing weight of Abraham's chaotic energy held Raikuto down. Every muscle in his body tensed under the pressure, his breathing ragged. Aisha, still pinned down by Karnak, struggled to move, but the mercenary's raw strength crushed her against the cold stone.
Abraham observed Raikuto with a mixture of curiosity and satisfaction.
—So, tell me… what are you really?
Raikuto growled through clenched teeth. Electricity still crackled around him, but he didn't have the strength to channel it.
Abraham snapped his fingers, and the chaotic wave intensified.
Raikuto felt his rib cage compress violently. He gasped, searing pain radiating through his body.
Aïsha screamed:
— DROP HIM!
Abraham looked at her with amusement.
—And what do you plan to do, Aïsha? Threaten me? Beg me?
Aisha gritted her teeth, but before she could reply…
A dull noise, a splinter of broken stone.
A breath of air raised the dust.
Then a hoarse, weakened, but unshakeable voice broke the silence:
- Not yet…
The return of the captain
Karnak turned slightly, his piercing gaze scanning the entrance to the throne room.
A staggering figure appeared through the veil of smoke and ash.
Idriss.
His body was in tatters. His once impeccable tunic was torn, soaked in his own blood. An open wound on his side was slowly dripping, but his gaze…
His gaze burned with indomitable determination.
He leaned against a cracked column, catching his breath. His sword trembled slightly in his hand, but he refused to let go.
Karnak raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
—Are you still up?
Idriss spat a stream of blood onto the ground and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I am a man of the desert…" he took a deep breath, then straightened his sword. We don't fall so easily.
Abraham sighed, annoyed.
"You are about to die, Idriss. This fight is over.
Idriss snickered, his throaty laugh echoing through the room.
—It's funny… that's exactly what you were saying to Ghadib.
He tightened his grip on his weapon, and chaos swirled around him.
Water gushes out of nowhere, forming an icy mist. The ambient humidity answered his call, and a liquid blade materialized around his sword.
His gaze locked on Karnak.
— Do you want to see me fall? Come get me.
Karnak smiled slowly.
- My pleasure.
One last duel
The leader of the mercenaries attacked first.
He leapt with lightning speed, his blade slamming into Idriss with colossal force.
But this time, Idriss was ready.
He dodged smoothly and immediately counterattacked.
His water sword flashed, cutting the air in an icy wave.
Karnak blocked, but a sharp spurt grazed his cheek, leaving a thin cut on his skin.
The mercenary paused for a moment, raising a finger to touch the thin trail of blood that was beading on his face.
Then he smiled.
- Interesting.
With a sudden movement, he released a wave of chaotic energy that exploded beneath his feet.
Idriss was thrown backwards, sliding across the ground.
But instead of getting up immediately, he held out his hand.
The surrounding water condensed into dozens of thin liquid blades that rushed towards Karnak like deadly rain.
The mercenary leader spun around, dodging the projectiles with agility. Two of them grazed his armor, leaving cracks in the dark metal.
Idriss sat up, panting.
—Is that all you have?
Karnak did not respond immediately. He cracked his neck, then clenched his sword in both hands.
— Let's see how long you can last.
The end of the fight
The mercenary disappeared in a flash.
Idriss barely had time to raise his guard before Karnak's blade fell on him.
The shock sounded like a clap of thunder.
Idriss took it, but his knees buckled.
A second shot immediately followed.
Then a third.
Then a fourth.
Each impact cracked his bones, shook his tired muscles.
His body screamed with abandon, but his mind refused to give in.
— RAAAAAAH!
With a final effort, he raised his blade and struck with all the strength he had left.
Its watery blade cut through the air...
But Karnak parried effortlessly.
A fist charged with chaos sank brutally into Idriss's abdomen.
The captain of the guard spat up blood, his legs finally giving way beneath him.
He collapsed to the ground, his weapon rolling a few meters away.
Abraham approached slowly, observing her trembling body.
He crouched down slightly, staring at him with an almost disappointed look.
—Why do you persist in fighting? he asked in a blasé tone.
Idriss, his lips bloody, looked up with a burning look of defiance.
— Because... we are not... dead...
A heavy silence fell over the throne room.
Karnak stopped.
Abraham narrowed his eyes.
Then, a scream echoed through the room.
A howl charged with chaos.
Abraham turned his head...
And saw Raikuto get up.
His body crackled with electricity.
His eyes shone with a fiery glow.
And in his hand, Ghadib's medallion pulsed with new energy.
The air around him became unstable.
The storm was approaching.
And this time...
He wouldn't run away.
****
Instinct above all
Idriss's body sank heavily to the ground, his harsh breathing mingling with the echoes of the chaos that filled the throne room. The air was saturated with chaotic energy, and Karnak's imposing form stood out against the flickering light of the flames.
But Aïsha and Raïkuto no longer had the luxury of observing.
They surged, adrenaline dictating their movements even before their minds followed.
—Idriss! Aisha screamed, rage burning through her veins.
She doesn't think.
She summoned chaos into her palms and blasted a sharp burst of air towards Abraham.
The steward didn't even move.
With a simple wave of his hand, he brushed aside the attack like one would brush away a dead leaf.
Aïsha gritted her teeth.
- Shit !
Raïkuto, for his part, felt a strange pulsation run through his arm when he squeezed Ghadib's medallion.
A spark.
He didn't even need to think.
An electric shock burst from his fingers, shot across the room and crashed straight at Karnak.
The leader of the mercenaries raised an arm. The wave hit his armor, a flash of lightning spread across the metal...
But he didn't even back down.
Slowly, he turned his head towards Raikuto.
—Hm. You too have something interesting.
Ghadib, slumped against a broken column, watched the scene through a veil of pain and fatigue. His gaze, weighed down by the weight of his regrets, followed each movement.
They fight…
Where he had collapsed, they refused to give in.
Aisha…
Her heart bled as she faced Abraham, her eyes burning with anger and determination. She shouldn't be here. She shouldn't have seen that.
She didn't deserve to be involved in this madness... his madness.
And Raikuto…
The boy he had believed he could shape in his image... The one he had wanted to use as a simple tool.
He clenched his fist weakly.
Look at you, Ghadib…
His mind was strangling him under his own judgment. He had wanted to shape him in his own way, to break him and rebuild him to serve his purpose... But this boy did not belong to him. It had never belonged to him.
Raikuto resisted him.
Where he had lost everything, he was still fighting.
Raikuto tightens his grip on the medallion.
He didn't know how, but he knew one thing: the object was pulsing. It was reacting to his energy, amplifying something in him.
This time, he didn't just let the electricity shoot out into the void.
This time he aimed.
A new discharge left his palm. Faster. More precise.
And suddenly...
The lightning went off.
Right on Abraham.
The first assault
The steward raised an eyebrow and raised his hand to intercept.
But he was too slow.
The white lightning pierced his chaotic barrier and exploded against his left shoulder.
Abraham took a step back from the impact.
Aisha situation.
Raikuto remained frozen.
He had touched him.
The shock wave reverberated across Abraham's sleeve, leaving a blackened mark on his impeccable clothing.
A strange silence fell.
Then Abraham slowly looked down at his arm.
His fingers brushed the burn on his skin.
And for the first time...
His gaze changed.
The fun disappeared.
There was nothing left but cold.
You danger.
He looked up at Raikuto.
- Interesting…
His voice was lower.
Raikuto panted, his fingers still covered with small sparks.
But his heart was beating too hard.
He had hurt him...
But in return, he got her full attention.
Ghadib felt a weak, bitter smile stretch his bloody lips.
Even now...even on the verge of death, I underestimated this kid.
Raikuto was not just a pawn.
He was the grain of sand in the gear.
The one who, perhaps, would break everything.
Abraham smiled.
A smile that was not reassuring.
— You have just condemned yourself, Raikuto.
And before anyone can react...
He disappeared.
A breath of chaos. A distortion in the air.
Then he reappeared right in front of him.
Raikuto widened his eyes.
He didn't have time to move.
An invisible force grabbed his throat and lifted him off the ground.
Crushed under chaos
Aisha screamed his name, but Abraham didn't look at her.
He observed Raikuto, suspended in the air, his limbs spasming under the effect of the chaotic pressure.
— I think you just piqued my curiosity.
The embrace tightened.
Raikuto suffocated, feeling his own power fighting against Abraham's oppressive force.
His energy was being ripped from him.
He saw lightning dancing helplessly around him.
He had never felt such emptiness.
Ghadib gritted his teeth.
"Enough…" he murmured weakly.
But no one heard him.
Aisha, desperate, concentrated everything she could and projected another burst of sharp air.
Abraham swept it away without even turning his head.
Raikuto felt his strength abandon him.
The electricity around him was fading.
Then suddenly...
An explosion sounded behind them.
An entire section of the throne room wall collapsed.
Black figures entered the room through the haze of dust and rubble.
Reinforcements from Karnak had arrived.
Abraham narrowed his eyes.
Then he sighed.
As if he had just been interrupted in the middle of work.
He released Raikuto with a weary gesture.
The boy crashed hard to the ground, his body limp for a second before he caught his breath in a painful gasp.
"Later," Abraham murmured.
He turned on his heel.
Aïsha rushed towards Raikuto, falling on her knees next to him.
— Rai!
He raised his head with difficulty, his body still numb from the attack.
His gaze met Aïsha's.
She was panicked, worried...but he saw something else in her eyes.
A burst.
A hope.
Ghadib struggled to keep his eyes open.
Raïkuto…
This boy...
Non.
This legacy that I wanted to shape... it no longer belongs to me.
He wanted to move. He wanted to speak.
But there was nothing left for him.
And yet…
Raikuto's smile... that tired, but victorious smile...
Ghadib found himself thinking:
Maybe it wasn't all in vain.
Raikuto hugged the medallion to him.
He had hurt him.
He had proven that they were not powerless.
And that…
It was the start of something.
****