What a magnificent sight in the crimson moon above. My dark robe danced in the wind like living flames, each movement restless, untamed. The hem of my clothes was soaked in blood,
My hands hung loosely at my sides.
Standing at the edge of the cliff in Bahari Mountain, I let my dark hair fall loosely over my shoulders as the wind moved through it. While I continued to look out at the sight in below in silence.
The land below was consumed by wildfire, flames devouring everything in their path, while rivers of blood stretched endlessly across the ground.
Above, the crimson night loomed—and through it, hundreds of black ravens swept across the sky, their wings cutting through the red-lit darkness
The silent midnight turned into devastating chaos. Countless trees burned to the ground, their flames devouring the dark, while the sharp clang of blades echoed through the wilderness.
The growl of a hundred thousand soldiers rose like thunder, mixed with the screams of the fallen—sounds so fierce they could be heard from miles away.
The massacre was merciless, a destruction too brutal to behold.
Eight hundred thousand fighting men and warriors had been cut down—some in half—and still counting.
I felt my veins pulse—the pain sinking deep into my flesh, warm blood slipping from my own skin.
I hate to admit it but I can no longer control the rage of emotion inside me. After witnessing my people die before my eye, the threads that connected to my rationality and humanity immediately cut off.
I wiped the blood from my mouth with the back of my knuckles. The battlefield rang with sharp, agonized cries, yet I did not flinch—
not even at the piercing screams of my own rebellion.
My uprising against the great houses had brought ruin on a massive scale, and in this very moment, I knew I had committed something immense… and irreversible.
"You've created a mountain of corpses amidst a sea of blood."
I drew a deep breath, my eyes fixed on the sky as thousands of iron-tipped arrows rained down, piercing through my hundred thousand warriors like a relentless storm.
"At last, we meet under strange circumstances again." I glanced over my shoulder, and there he was—Yugo.
His robe, pure snow-white with golden accents, gleamed in the amidst of chaos, contrast to the black robe of mine.
He is standing out under the crimson moon that bathed the battlefield. His sword dripped with warm red liquid, blood trailing from its tip to the ground.
Despite the tremendous scene around him, his cloaks remain untouched, not even a single drop of blood stain.
"You slaughtered the whole city." The words slipped from his lips like venom cold, each syllable meant to wound.
A faint, fragile smile tugged at my lips—too soft, too hollow to be mistaken for innocence.
"I slaughtered the whole city," I repeated, admitting it. Our robes fluttered elegantly in the wind.
As the moonlight struck between us, snow began to fall, drifting softly down to the battlefield in silence.
"Enough with this madness..." His voice rang out, calm yet commanding.
I drew a deep breath, steadying myself. "How could I?"
"Your rebellion has slain hundreds of innocents, Arsinoe…" His grip tightened on his sword. "You must… abide by the law."
"Yet… did the law ever abide mine?" I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper, He didn't answer. The silence stretched, thick and suffocating.
"Enough…" he said finally, his tone flat, final, like a gavel falling.
I shook my head, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. "It's… kind of déjà vu, you know."
He didn't move, just stared, and I continued. "…You're standing there, and I'm standing here… it's like the trial court all over again. You stating accusations I never committed, and me… defending myself against a verdict I didn't deserve."
"Arsi…"
The name hung in the air, heavy and fragile, as if even speaking it might shatter something between us.
"…Though I'm willing to take the blame for accusations I never committed," I said, my voice steady. "I will accept the judgment, bear the punishment… hell, I'd even face the higher council if I must, and take whatever decision they hand down."
"Take your range on me—Arsinoe…" A laugh escaped me, soft and bitter, I shook my head, letting it fall into the silence between us. "…Not in this city."
He never changed, always dignified. A man who had bound himself to the law above all else. It was not arrogance, not pride. It was disciplined.
"You want me to stop?" I asked, voice low but laced with fire. I saw how he tightens his grip on the sword, the way his knuckles whitened.
"…Then make me, Yugo," I raise my blade, the tip of my sword glinting in the dim moon light, aimed straight at him. "Because if you don't… I'm going to burn this ground, turn this surface into ashes."
I took the initiative, lunging forward with focus I had. The moment our blades collided, a shower of sparks erupted, casting a mesmerizing glow that danced between my dark aura and the golden fire that radiated from him.
I didn't pause. Another strike followed, swift and fierce—but he was ready. With perfect precision, he blocked my attack, and the clash of steel rang sharp and metallic through the air, each clang echoing
The aura between us swirled, dark and golden, crackling with energy and intent, as if the very air had become part of our duel.
Every movement, every strike, was more than combat—it was a declaration, a test of wills that neither of us would yield from.
My foot snapping forward, striking his maxillary with precise force. He stumbled back under the force of my attack.
I followed instantly, closing the distance before he could recover.
We moved together yet apart, circling and feinting. The wind carried the whistle of our blades, and the air smelled of snow stone. I lunged again, aiming for his heart—but he shifted, and my sword only brushed his sleeve.
"Merely countering my attacks…." Our swords met again, sparks flying like fire and shadow entwined, and for a moment, the world shrank to nothing but steel, breath, and the silent rhythm of life and death. "…will gain you nothing"
The provocation worked. His eyes narrowed, a flash of a smile tugging at my lips, and Yugo attacked.
He moved with precision and speed; each strike was a challenge.
We separated from a moment, each of us ready for the next strike—
I made my move, stepping forward to strike—but then—suddenly—I froze.
Pain erupted before I even realized it.
A sharp arrow tore through the air and pierced me from behind.
My breath caught in my throat. Another followed almost instantly, thudding into my shoulder
The metallic taste of blood flooding my mouth. My heart pounded.
Blood poured freely from my abdomen and shoulder, warm and biting as it ran down my skin.
A third arrow struck my hand, reason why I had to let go of my sword.
I saw how he froze, caught off guard by the sight. I stepped back, instinctively pressing my hands against the blood gushing from my wounds, the warmth sharp against my skin.
Yet a smile curved my bloody lips
Behind me, the cliff yawned, the cold wind rushing up from its depths, carrying the scent of snow and stone.
"Yugo..." I whispered, voice strained but calm, "…if I am bound by the four pillars of the judgment chamber one more time---"
"---I will confess."
The snow swirled around us, carried on the bitter winter breeze. "I confess… that I did, slaughter and murdered the city"
"…This time I will not defend myself--- you know."
The winter breeze swept past, carrying flakes of snow that fell silently from the darkened sky.
"Arsinoe—"
I smiled, even as the arrow burned through me.
"Because this time… it is no longer accusation. I committed a crime Yugo. I brought this fucking rebellion, and myself is the witness to their desperate, begging cries."
I saw him step forward instinctively eyes wide, as I let myself fall backward over the cliff's edge.
Everything seemed so slow, as I hovered in the midair
Wind whipped past, tugging at my hair.
As a tiny glacier of snow drifted lazily from the midnight sky, glittering like frozen fire.
The moon hung impossibly high, fascinating.
Casting a pale light that made the snowflakes shimmer like stars falling just for me. My chest raced, heart hammering against ribs….
…. Yet my lips curved into a smile.