Amid the chaos of burning streets and shattered loyalties, Lee Sung fought his way through Solspire's crumbling inner sanctum.
The rebellion had taken root. The citizens, once cowed, were in open revolt. Fires lit the night sky like vengeful stars. Helios's once-mighty Solar Dominion fractured under the weight of betrayal and fear.
But Lee Sung had not yet reached Helios.
First, he had to confront the ghost of his past: Jin.
---
The Grand Forum was nearly deserted, its statues of ancient heroes casting long, accusing shadows. Lee Sung stepped into the open space, the Sigil of Warding pulsing at his side. Every instinct screamed of danger.
From the far side of the forum, Jin emerged — no longer the scrappy rogue Lee Sung had once called brother.
He wore a golden breastplate now, etched with the Solar Dominion's sun sigil, and a flowing white mantle. His face was cold, proud — a stranger's face.
"You came," Jin said, voice devoid of the warmth Lee Sung remembered.
"I had to," Lee Sung replied, his voice steady. "To end this."
Jin drew his sword — a radiant weapon, blessed by the Dominion's gods. "You don't understand, Sung. Helios isn't a tyrant. He's the future. Order. Stability. A world where summoners aren't hunted, where mortals don't tear each other apart for scraps."
Lee Sung shook his head slowly. "You sold your soul for promises."
"I made a choice," Jin snapped. "Not all of us can afford to keep living in chaos. We needed structure. Helios gave us that."
"And at what cost?" Lee Sung countered. "Freedom? Truth? Akane's life?"
For a moment, Jin's façade cracked. Pain flickered across his face.
"You think I wanted her to die?" Jin whispered. "You think this was easy?"
The two men circled each other, ancient comrades now bitter rivals.
"She believed in us," Lee Sung said, voice breaking. "In something greater than thrones and crowns. And you spat on her memory."
Jin gritted his teeth. "I'm trying to build a world where that kind of sacrifice isn't necessary anymore. Can you say the same?"
Lee Sung's grip tightened on his dagger. "You're not building anything. You're just wearing a gilded leash."
For a heartbeat, silence stretched between them — the final breath before a storm.
Then Jin attacked.
---
The clash was brutal.
Jin's radiant sword blazed with celestial fire, each swing cutting the very air. Lee Sung danced around the strikes, using shadow and speed, the Sigil of Warding shielding him from the worst of the divine fury.
"You can't win this, Sung!" Jin shouted between blows. "The people want peace — not endless rebellion!"
"They want truth!" Lee Sung snarled back, parrying a vicious thrust. "Not slavery wrapped in golden lies!"
Their blades locked, faces inches apart. Jin's eyes were desperate now, pleading.
"Come back with me. Helios will pardon you. We can fix this — together."
Lee Sung shoved him back, voice low and final.
"There's nothing to fix. Not anymore."
---
Jin roared and unleashed a flurry of strikes, faster and more furious than before.
Lee Sung dodged and weaved, but Jin was relentless — driven by guilt, fear, and conviction twisted into zealotry.
A searing strike grazed Lee Sung's side, burning flesh. He staggered, pain blinding him for a moment.
Jin moved in for the killing blow.
But Lee Sung's hand found the Sigil of Warding. He slammed it into the ground.
A shockwave of pure force erupted outward, stripping away divine enchantments. Jin's golden sword dimmed, the light sputtering like a dying star.
The sudden backlash stunned Jin — and in that moment, Lee Sung struck.
Not with his blade — but with words.
"You betrayed Akane. You betrayed me. You betrayed yourself."
Jin fell to his knees, the fight leaving him as swiftly as a soul leaving a broken body.
Tears shone in his eyes.
"I thought... I thought I could make it right," Jin whispered. "I thought... sacrificing one friend would save thousands."
Lee Sung stood over him, chest heaving, blood dripping from his side.
"There are no shortcuts to justice," Lee Sung said. "Only choices. And you made yours."
He turned away.
"You're not worth killing."
---
The Final Goodbye
As Lee Sung limped toward the Plaza of Concord, Jin's voice echoed after him.
"You'll see, Sung! Even if you kill Helios... this world will devour itself again. Without order, without power — you're fighting a losing battle!"
Lee Sung didn't answer.
He knew Jin was wrong — but he also knew Jin was right about one thing: the fight would never truly end.
Freedom was not a gift. It was a burden. A burden Lee Sung was willing to bear — no matter how many times the world tried to break him.
As he disappeared into the smoke-choked streets, Jin remained behind, a fallen knight in golden armor, weeping for the brother he had lost.