---
A field made of flowers.
The sound of swords shook the ground beneath us.
We both pulled back at one point, gasping and in dire need of air.
My long black hair swayed gently in the wind.
His long blonde hair did the same.
His brown eyes met my blackened ones.
"Brother, I was again no match for you."
His laughter came out in broken pieces.
I have defeated him again, and he just laughs.
What happened after? Let me remember.
---
The trident in Gladys's hand shot forward, its tines ripping Eve's skin on the back of her head. Bits and pieces of blood, hair and skin fall from her figure.
But before the teeth could pierce Eve's skull.
A voice resonates through her impending pierced brain.
"Behind you"
Eve learned something when facing The Defilement. Whenever Nightfall whispered to her, the world would feel silent. Time gave the voice of night priority. That's what Eve truly believed.
Pushing the pain to the back of her mind, she focused all of her might
in her lower limbs. And she spun. Gladys's trident, which was about to lodge deep in her mind, was pushed aside.
Once fully facing Gladys, she raised Nightfall a bit. And it came crashing down against the shaft of his trident. The tip of Gladys's weapon crashed against the sand and Nightfall atop it.
Eve pushed her right foot in front of her, then she jumped back. When she was out of distance, she dropped Nightfall in the sand. Her right hand went straight to her new stump in a futile attempt to stop her bleeding.
She just looked at Gladys, her teeth grinding each other to dust. And her gaze was full of murder intent.
Gladys straightens up.
"I'm surprised you managed not to die there. I should've gone for your head. Sorry about that, I will give you time to stop your bleeding."
Eve remained silent, but in her mind, she was baffled that he allowed her to stop the bleeding. But she didn't let it show on her face; she was too focused on the pain. It hurt like hell, and that came from someone who had numerous holes blasted through her.
She ripped off a long strip of her tunic and got to work on tying it. As she struggled, Gladys approached her, step after step.
Eve saw him, and she started backing up.
But he dropped his trident, and in an instant, he was in front of her.
"Let me help you out"
Eve got even more shocked as she saw him begin to tie her wound.
---
We fought countless times, and I came out on top every time.
We are brothers yet, we are so different.
"Gladys, I'm sure the king will see you one day, and he will handpick you to join his guard."
"Helios, stop spouting nonsense. We may be near his Keep, but there's no chance he will-"
I remember how my words were interrupted by slow clapping.
Next to us stood Aureth, the king of The Great Plateau.
"Excellent, excellent. I didn't think the youth of this city had it in them. You two youngsters fight like true warriors. I'm impressed, really. All I thought they did was play that stupid game of house, with mommy and daddy. Ugh, insufferable little pest, anyway, as cliché as this might sound. I'm in dire need of two more personal guards. I already have one, sooo... Uh, to the palace!"
I thought at that moment.
Was this crazy guy our king?
---
Once Gladys finished fastening Eve's bandage, he turned around and walked back to his original spot.
"Thank you?"
Eve's voice came out more confused than honest.
As Gladys walked, his back was wide open. Eve thought that she should cut him down in that moment, but her thought was interrupted by his voice.
"This death zone does not permit gratitude."
Eve grew quite annoyed again. This guy was apologising at every corner, and now he tells her she can't say a measly thank you?
Gladys picked up his trident, and he faced Eve again.
"One strike, I will allow one strike for claiming your arm."
He spread his arm wide open.
Every emotion left Eve's soul when he spoke those words.
"I failed over and over in this damn Colosseum, broken and reshaped in whatever my mind wanted, so I wouldn't break completely."
She exhaled slowly.
"I fucking tried, I realised how fucking incompetent I am. I always needed people to bail me out when I couldn't take it anymore. Yet no one in my entire life has made me feel as powerless as you do."
She bit her lip hard enough that she tore a piece of her lip off.
Tears that she didn't want to shed started to mix with the immense anger she felt. All of it, a potent cocktail for Nightfall.
"I swear"
Eve bent down and picked up Nightfall.
Her body is starting to give off a red aura glow from Nightfall's powers.
"I swear on everything I still hold dear. I will fucking kill you, Gladys."
She dashed forward with immense speed, and time seemed to slow down.
"Don't"
Nightfall whispered.
"SHUT UP, I WILL KILL HIM"
Nightfall made contact with Gladys's torso in a destructive slash.
Yet, it was only enough to break his skin; tiny droplets of blood poured from his measly wound.
---
Life in the Keep was great.
Helios married a woman...
I believe her name was Danae.
Together, they had a daughter.
I paid my respect with a bunch of poppies I handpicked.
I think they planted them next to their window.
That daughter...my niece, I don't remember her name.
I wanted to see my niece many times over. Yet every time more work came, and when I finally had a free day. I wanted to go alongside my brother to his house.
Yet that day, the kingdom fell.
Syed brought enough time for Aureth to flee; he died that same day.
Helios was nowhere to be seen. I don't know what happened to him.
And I? The strongest out of the old guard, I ran for my life.
I was captured by those who overthrew Aureth. They changed the Colosseum from a place of sports to one of death. And I was its second champion.
My only regret in life is not knowing what my niece looked like.
I wonder what she is doing?
---
"you lost, Eve"
His trident skewered Eve's stomach; the spikes came out of the other side.
At the same time, Eve started puking blood. The life was quickly draining from her body.
Time seemed to slow down.
Something tries to crawl into Eve's mind.
"It hurts, doesn't it?"
It does
Gladys pulls his trident out of Eve's insides, her body plummeted on top of the dirty sand.
"I told you not to go, yet you did"
Eve coughs more blood out of her mouth.
You did
"I'm not going to save you this time"
Don't
The whispers stop for a moment.
"The more suffering you feel, the stronger we get."
Eve's mind goes blank, unable to form a single thought to respond.
"In the midst of your agony...I can't let you go, master"
"Goddess of hell"
Eve's body fell completely motionless.
She is dead.
Eve is dead.
"Bloom"