After Denson told his painful story of abandonment and cruel rejection by his biological mother, a heavy silence settled over the humble dwelling. Though their tragedies were born of different circumstances—Thrain's loss was sudden and complete; Denson's was slow and scornful—they shared the profound, crushing weight of loneliness.
Later, as they lay in their simple beds, the dark, earthen roof seemed to absorb all light and comfort. Thrain, though physically exhausted, could not sleep. He was haunted by the phantom laughter of his mother, the weary voice of his father, and the earnest promise of his older brother, Terros.
Denson, too, lay awake, staring into the darkness. His mind replayed the brutal, cold words of his mother—the casual cruelty of being rejected as a "mistake" and a "burden." They shared the room, and they shared the same devastating solitude, though it was born from separate, agonizing roads.
The next morning, Denson prepared to leave. He told Thrain that he had to resume his hunter duties to maintain his livelihood. The words struck Thrain like a physical blow. Denson was the last anchor to his former life, the only person who had offered kinship after the void consumed his family.
"Hey! Denson, please wait a moment," Thrain called out, his voice thin and laced with desperation.
Denson stopped immediately, turning to see the eight-year-old boy. "Thrain, what happened? Why did you call me?"
"I don't want you to go to the hunting," Thrain confessed, the fear raw in his voice.
Denson paused, understanding dawning in his eyes. He thought for a second, then spoke softly, "Perhaps, did you worry that something might happen to me like Terros, right?"
Thrain nodded silently, his lower lip trembling as his eyes instantly began to fill with tears.
Denson saw the profound fear mirroring the past trauma. He walked toward Thrain, kneeling in front of the young boy. "Why are you crying? Don't worry, I am going to be alright. I promise." Denson clasped Thrain's shoulder firmly. "Okay! Don't worry, I am going to come back. Don't worry."
With that fragile promise hanging in the air, Denson departed. Thrain, burdened by his immense fear, reluctantly went to his soul-crushing work in the farm fields.
Two months of lonely, grinding labor passed. Thrain survived on the memory of Denson's promise. Then, one evening, Denson finally returned. Thrain's heart swelled with genuine happiness, a feeling he hadn't known since his brother's death. Denson had brought meat for a true feast.
However, behind Denson stood two stern, richly dressed men—ministers from the Dwarf Kingdom's capital. Denson explained the shocking news: "These men are the ministers of the Dwarf Kingdom. They are here to take me because the current heir of my biological mother's lineage—her son—did not awaken any elemental powers. They think of making me the next successor to her wealthy and powerful line."
Thrain, his face a mask of shock and confusion, asked, "What are you going to do?"
Denson's expression shifted to conflict. "I want to go. It could change the lives of both of us, and we could change the position of our small town, making it one of the most prosperous. But, I want to reject the offer."
Thrain was genuinely shocked, but the turmoil did not show on his face. "Why?" he asked.
Denson's eyes softened with profound resolve. "Because, they said they would only take me and leave you. I don't want that. I promised your brother to take care of you."
Hearing this unwavering commitment, a faint, genuine smile finally touched Thrain's lips—the first true smile in months. "Don't worry about me. Your reason was so good. I think it is good for you and for our town. I think even the gods had sympathy on you, that's why they arranged for you to go to the same people that once rejected you."
Denson accepted the offer, agreeing to return to the capital and maintain his newly inherited lineage. He promised Thrain a steady stream of money and food.
Thrain retired from his labor, remaining alone in the house. When townspeople greeted him or offered care, he would only manage a faint, momentary smile before retreating back into the overwhelming silence of loneliness.
The relentless solitude began to crush Thrain's spirit. One day, the emptiness became unbearable. He went to the lowest peak of the mountains he could climb, seeking solace. The cold air breeze lightened his mood and calmed his aching heart. He gazed at the majestic Great White mountain peak where his family was buried, contemplating the past.
He put his hand into his pant pocket and pulled out the crumpled letter written by his deceased older brother, Terros. He read the shocking truth:
"Mother! Father! I am truly happy that you became my parents because even though we were poor, you never forced me to work. You were very happy when I awakened my powers. I must tell you, if I die in this hunting session, I am sorry. I have an illness that can kill me. I already consulted a doctor, but there is no cure for this disease. So, even if I am going to die, I am going to die in this forest. I chose the death that seemed like an accident."
Thrain's heart was shattered anew. They had believed Terros died of a fierce accident, but now he understood: Terros had purposefully sought death by the huge bore rather than succumbing to a slow, wasting disease at home. The depth of his brother's self-sacrifice was staggering.
Terros's letter continued: "Thrain, after I die, you are going to be the head of the family. Please take care of yourself and our parents. I wanted to see you grow, and I wanted to train you and help you study to become one of the most respected figures in the entire Dwarf Kingdom. But, the god is cruel; he takes me away. So please take care. Your brother, Terros."
Thrain wept bitterly. After the agonizing release of emotion, he eventually drifted into a desperate sleep. He woke under the night sky and rushed home, knowing the dangers of wild beasts outside the village walls.
Five months passed in lonely routine, sustained by Denson's promised remittances. Then, the money stopped abruptly. After another month, Thrain's meager savings were almost gone. Desperate, he sought work from the cruel old farm landlord, who refused him. No one in the village would offer a job.
Thrain made a final, desperate determination: he had to find Denson.
With his last few coins, he started his perilous journey to the capital city of the Dwarf Kingdom. The journey was grueling, filled with hunger and hardship. Finally, he reached the grand, overwhelming capital.
As he arrived, he saw a crowd lined up, their faces grim. In the center of a makeshift stage, a man was hanging from a wooden stake, prepared to be burned alive. Curiosity mixed with dread, Thrain pushed through the masses.
He stopped, utterly shocked. The man on the stake was Denson Stenson.
A stern man with red hair, black eyes, and heavy, expensive armor—armor designed to withstand multiple sword strikes—stepped onto the stage. He announced: "Today, we execute this treacherous person! He attempted to assassinate our Prince, sexually harassed women, and stole money for his own selfish gains. He has committed many heinous acts!"
Denson screamed from the stake: "I didn't do anything! My stepbrother was the one who did all those things! I am not the one! Please leave me! I have a brother waiting for me in my hometown! Please!"
As Thrain surged forward, Denson's desperate eyes scanned the crowd and locked onto Thrain. Denson, using a communication artifact he had once given Thrain, whispered a frantic, coded warning: "Hey, Thrain!" Thrain stopped instantly. Denson continued, "Thrain, don't come forward! If they knew you were my brother, you are also going to die!"
But, Thrain refuses and continue to move forward. Then Denson screamed using his mind to told in he artifact :"Don't move i am destined to die here . I am going to die from the same place that i was born . Don't move an inch it is a promise". Then Thrain stand still and frozen due to the promise between him and Denson.
The man in red hair lit the wood. Thrain stood frozen, watching in agonizing horror as the flames consumed Denson Stenson alive. The sight of his last remaining friend burning, the sound of his screams, and the realization of his final, sacrificial lie ignited an inferno of anger, hopelessness, and pure rage in Thrain's heart.
Left destitute and friendless in the capital, Thrain could not return home. He resorted to begging. His clothes became torn, his body malnourished, and his face sunken. For three agonizing years, he begged, eventually losing all sense of self-worth and feeling. He was broken.
Finally, at the end of his endurance, he decided to die. He found a discarded knife on the road and sat in the corner of a dark street. He raised the blade, ready to end the crushing despair.
Just as he was about to press the knife home, a hand reached out and gently tapped his shoulder.
Thrain looked back. Standing over him, impeccably dressed and radiating a dark, potent charisma, was the young, sinister figure of Gronak Stone Head, who was the Prince of the Dwarf Kingdom at that time.