Chapter Five
Season Two – Part One
Location: Capital Hospital
Kaith's consciousness slowly began to return.
He opened his eyes to a faint light slipping through the window, reflecting softly across his face. His vision steadied… and he noticed Alia sitting beside his bed, staring at him with concern she tried to hide behind her usual sternness.
Kaith (hoarsely, joking):
"Did… that ugly monster show up again while I was unconscious?"
Alia (sharply, cutting off the joke):
"Kaith, I want to ask you one question… and I want a serious answer."
Kaith (confused):
"Why aren't you angry this time?"
Alia:
"I know you always joke… but not now. I need a real answer from you."
Kaith slowly sat up. The atmosphere in the room shifted—what was once quiet now felt heavy, suffocating.
Kaith (serious):
"Alright… what do you want, Alia?"
Alia:
"I want the truth. Your real goal, Kaith… what is it? I know most of your secrets, but not this one."
Kaith (hesitant):
"My goal? Maybe… saving the kingdom."
Alia raised an eyebrow in open disbelief.
Alia:
"If that were truly your goal… you'd be rebuilding it, not chasing fragments."
Silence fell heavily between them.
Kaith's expression hardened.
Kaith:
"Alia… what's wrong with that answer? I think it's convincing."
Alia (challenging):
"Do you think you can intimidate me, Kaith?"
Kaith:
"I'm not trying to. But your question… makes me sound like an idiot if I answer without thinking—and honestly, that's exactly what I'm doing."
Alia:
"I want to know… are you walking the same path as me? Or did you choose something completely different? Is my question clear now?"
Kaith lowered his gaze slightly, then spoke with heavy seriousness:
Kaith:
"Maybe you're asking to see if I'm becoming evil or not… but I follow one path—the one I believe is right. Whether it's good or evil doesn't matter.
It's the fastest path… and the best way to restore the kingdom's glory."
Alia exhaled slowly, as if absorbing his answer.
Alia:
"…Alright. I understand."
Kaith shifted slightly on the bed.
Kaith:
"How long was I unconscious?"
Alia:
"Three full days."
Kaith:
"That's bad… I need to train. I have to become stronger."
Alia stepped forward.
Alia:
"Wait… how did you defeat one of the strongest soldiers of the fifth fragment that easily? Even if it was just a copy? And… you grew new horns too."
Kaith (surprised):
"I was furious… I just crushed him. Wait… I have new horns?"
Alia:
"That confirms it. Reinhardt is truly a half-dragon… not a full one."
Kaith:
"That's not necessarily true. He could be a full dragon hiding them. And I don't think the fourth fragment will appear anytime soon."
Alia:
"That's more logical… and yes, I know. The fourth fragment is insanely powerful. It hasn't appeared yet—even though it could crush us—because it has a duelist's honor… it prefers fair fights."
Kaith (mocking):
"Stupid. If I were in its place, I'd attack immediately. Duelists are idiots—they love fake justice."
A brief silence followed.
Calm settled for a moment… before Alia suddenly broke it.
Alia:
"Kaith… is Reinhardt your brother?"
Kaith laughed mockingly, though a trace of sadness slipped through.
Kaith:
"No. My eldest brother was Iris… and I killed him."
Alia:
"I didn't say eldest. I asked if he's your brother at all."
Kaith:
"You idiot… he's older than Iris. That's obvious—his hair is white!"
Alia (sharply):
"And how do you know he's older than Iris?"
Kaith:
"I don't… just a guess."
At that moment, the air in the room trembled—as if something tore through reality itself.
A figure appeared.
No sound. No warning.
Reinhardt:
"I didn't expect you to guess my age… I am indeed older than Iris."
Kaith turned to him calmly.
Kaith:
"It was just a guess."
Reinhardt looked at him for a long moment… then said:
Reinhardt:
"It seems Ari has died… hasn't she?"
Alia stared at him in shock.
Alia:
"How do you know that?!"
Reinhardt:
"Because he gained his complete horns… all four of them."
Kaith (coldly):
"And what does that have to do with anything?"
Reinhardt (mocking):
"These horns appear… only when dragons lose all their family members. It's common knowledge."
The air froze.
Kaith:
"Does that mean… you lost your family too?"
Reinhardt:
"Yes. Around the same age as you… and the story is more similar than you think."
Alia stepped forward, suspicion in her voice.
Alia:
"Reinhardt… why does your sword resemble the Blade of Light: Azthiron?"
He smiled faintly—dark, unreadable.
Reinhardt:
"They are similar… but different. My blade… is dark light. Not just light."
Kaith (curious):
"So… the same form, but with dark energy? Is it an evolution?"
Reinhardt:
"You could say that."
A brief silence passed.
Then Reinhardt spoke before leaving:
Reinhardt:
"Before I go… Alia, don't even think about leaving this idiot alone. Especially now."
Reality distorted again.
Lightning fragments and darkness tore through space.
A gate opened in the fractured air.
Reinhardt stepped through it…
and vanished, as if he had never been there.
Kaith turned to Alia.
Kaith:
"You were thinking of leaving… weren't you?"
Alia (hesitant):
"Yes… I thought about it… a little."
Kaith:
"What?!"
Alia:
"I was just thinking… I won't leave you now, Kaith."
Kaith smiled—genuinely, for once.
Kaith:
"Thank you… Alia."
She looked at him, surprised.
Alia:
"For what?"
Kaith:
"Because… you're my friend."
Alia took a deep breath, then replied softly:
Alia:
"It's fine, Kaith… you're my friend too."
Together, they looked out the window.
At the sunset—
beautiful, warm—
spreading life once more across a half-destroyed world.
End of Chapter