Sigil caught Morgan's sudden focus on Three instantly. Alarm bells rang in his mind. Without hesitation, the soles of his feet ignited with crimson fire, detonating the air beneath him as he shot forward in a blur. His sword slashed outward, dragging a heavy trail of black flames.
Morgan merely sneered. "Paltry tricks."
A wall of water rose to meet the attack. The blade struck the barrier with a violent hiss, releasing a massive burst of steam, but Sigil didn't push through. The instant contact was made, he retreated.
Morgan frowned, his eyes dropping to his shield as the water rippled unnaturally. His expression darkened.
"Damn it."
Space trembled. A figure in plain robes materialized right before him.
Vexer.
Genuine shock hit Morgan.
Vexer had already ascended, so why was he here?
He instinctively fell back several kilometers, sending golden chains erupting from every direction to shred the old man. The chains wrapped around him, passed through him, and the figure flickered into scattered light. Nothing remained.
It was an illusion. A simple light construct.
Morgan's face twisted in fury.
"Sigil, you cunning bastard."
The distraction had cost him only a few seconds, but that was all Sigil needed. He was already gone.
Far below, Three remained kneeling beside Khate's body, entirely numb to the screams, the fighting, and the slaughter around him. His world had collapsed. He clutched his staff tightly, staring blankly at his mother's pale face until a shadow fell over him.
Three looked up.
"Father..."
Sigil froze.
For a moment, he couldn't move. Khate lay too peacefully on the dirt. The wounds and blood remained, but the woman who had fought and laughed beside him through countless wars was gone. The sight hit harder than any spell Morgan had cast.
Black fire erupted from Sigil instinctively, cracking the earth and warping the air until he saw Three, alive and safe. The flames receded.
"Father," Three's voice trembled. "Mother is gone. I tried to save her. There was too much blood."
The words nearly shattered whatever composure Sigil had left. For a long moment, only the distant din of battle filled the silence.
Then Three asked quietly,
"Can you bring her back?"
The question hurt more than any physical wound. Sigil closed his eyes because, for the first time in his life, he didn't know.
But when his eyes snapped open, his voice was steady.
"As long as I live, I will find a way." Sigil placed a heavy hand on the boy's shoulder. "If heaven refuses, I'll climb heaven. If death refuses... I'll break death itself."
Three lowered his head. He didn't fully believe it, but he desperately wanted to.
A slow, mocking clap echoed nearby.
"How touching."
Sigil stiffened.
Morgan descended from the bleeding sky, golden chains dancing around him like obedient serpents. He wasn't rushing anymore; he looked completely relaxed, as if the island already belonged to him.
"What a beautiful family reunion," Morgan said, his eyes drifting from Sigil to Khate, and finally settling on Three. His smile widened.
Sigil stepped forward, placing his body firmly between Morgan and his son.
"You've always talked too much. Can't you just shut up for once?"
Black fire gathered in his palm.
Morgan chuckled.
"And you've been too emotional frequently. A pity about her."
His gaze flicked to Khate's corpse.
"She was talented. Unfortunately, talent doesn't help much when you're dead."
Black flames detonated toward his face instantly. Morgan casually raised a hand, letting the attack shatter against a golden barrier.
"Temper," Morgan smiled. "Your wife dies and suddenly you forget how to behave."
The killing intent rolling off Sigil turned tangible, warping the air, but Morgan ignored it entirely. He locked his eyes onto Three, who hadn't moved from his mother's side.
After a brief examination, Morgan laughed.
"So this is the famous heir? I expected more. The Starborn clan spent generations protecting its bloodline, and this is what remains. How tragic."
The rage and grief slowly vanished from Sigil's face, replaced by something much colder.
Morgan noticed the shift, but he didn't care.
"The clan is finished," Morgan said, his golden chains rattling. "The war is finished. You are finished. You simply haven't accepted it yet."
The battlefield seemed to hold its breath.
Then, Sigil suddenly knelt. While Three watched in confusion, Sigil used his sleeve to wipe the remaining tears from the boy's face, a quiet gesture from when Three was small.
"Watch carefully," Sigil said, standing back up.
He turned his back to Three and Khate, facing Morgan as the black flames around him intensified.
"I want you to remember something. Not every battle can be won. But some battles must be fought."
A bolt of violet lightning tore across the plains, and Orion materialized.
The moment he saw Sigil, his face went completely pale. The pressure, the aura, the changing nature of the black flames, it was all wrong.
"No..."
Orion's voice came out hoarse, his hands trembling.
"Patriarch... don't."
Sigil didn't answer.
He took a single step forward, and deep within his chest, the blood of the Starborn clan began to burn.