Ten years.
Ten years of shadows and silence. Ten years of hiding in the cracks of an empire that would have crushed him without a second thought. Ten years of patience—of turning a fragile idea into something sharp enough to cut down a throne.
And now—
It was over.
The palace gates lay shattered. The banners of House De Morvain burned, their ashes drifting through the night air like dying embers. The sounds of battle had faded, leaving behind only the crackle of fire and the distant echoes of defeat.
"Isn't it a shame?" Armond's voice broke the silence, laced with dry amusement. "More than ten years of planning… and they fell this easily."
He let out a quite scoff.
"Feels like we waited for nothing. We could've crushed them anytime."
Kai didn't answer immediately.
His gaze remained on the burning palace, the flames reflected in his eyes.
Then—very faintly—
He smiled.
Not warm.
Not satisfied.
Just… thin. Polite. Controlled.
"Don't say that."
His voice was calm but it carried weight. Almost conversational.
Armond stilled slightly.
"You're not just mocking the time we spent," Kai continued, tone still light, "you're mocking every sacrifice that made this possible."
He finally turned , meeting Armond's gaze.
"And the only reason it feels easy…"
A small pause.
His smile didn't fade.
"…is because we made sure it would be."
Silence stretched.
Armond looked away, the confirmation in his expression fading.
"...Yeah."
Then quieter—"You're right. Sorry."
Kai didn't respond.
His attention drifted back to the ruins, as if the conversation had already lost its importance.
"...Anyway," Armond muttered after a moment, scratching the back of his head. "what are you going to do about that terminal kid?"
Kai's expression didn't change.
"You didn't kill him," Armond continued. "So what—he just stays? Even after we rebuild this place?"
Kai was quiet for a few seconds.
Thinking.
Unlike him, the boy was a true royal.
A potential threat.
A weak one—but still a variable.
Kai exhaled softly.
"...Yes."
Simple. Decisive.
"He did nothing wrong," he said, tone even. "And he won't live long enough to take anything from me."
A slight pause.
His lips curved again—faint, unreadable.
"So there's no reason to complicate things."
Armond studied him for a moment, then he shrugged slightly.
"Yeah… figured you'd say that."
His voice faded into the crackling of flames.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The night air was thick with smoke and ash. What had once been the heart of an empire now felt… empty.
"It's strange," Armond said after a while. "I thought it'd feel different."
Kai didn't ask what he meant.
"Victory, I mean. Ten years chasing this moment… and now that it's here…" He hesitated. "...It just feels quiet."
Kai's gaze didn't move.
"That's because it isn't the end."
Armond blinked. "Huh?"
Kai turned slightly.
"Destroying something is easy," he said. "Maintaining what comes after is where most people fail."
A brief pause.
His expression softened—not emotionally, but strategically.
"And I'd rather not be one of them."
Armond let out a small breath, half a laugh.
"Right… Guess the hard part starts now."
Kai didn't answer.
Instead, he started walking.
"Hey—where are you going?" Armond called, quickly following.
"To see him."
Armond raised an eyebrow. "Again? And now? You just wiped out his entire family."
Kai's steps didn't slow.
"That's exactly why."
A faint smile touched his lips again.
"If there's ever a moment someone shows their true nature, be it a child or a grown man… it's after everything is taken from them."
The deeper they moved into the palace, the quieter it became.
The fires hadn't spread this far. The walls still stood, cracked and stained with smoke.
"Where exactly are we going?" Armond muttered, trying to match Kai's speed. "Wasn't he outside in that small forest earlier?"
"He was."
Kai's tone remained steady.
"I had him brought inside."
At the end of the long corridor, two guards straightened as Kai approached. They stepped aside immediately, lowering their heads.
"He's inside," one said.
Kai nodded and pushed the door open.
The room was dimly lit.
Unlike the chaos outside, the room was..untouched.
A single candle flickered beside the bed.
And there, lying beneath thin sheets, was Ray.
He looked smaller than Kai remembered.
Paler, too.
His icy-blue hair was spread messily across the pillow, and his breathing was slow, uneven—like each breath had to be fought for.
Kai stepped inside slowly.
Watching.
"What happened to him?" Armond asked, clearly surprised,"He looked fine earlier."
"He wasn't," Kai replied. "He simply hides it well."
A faint pause.
"Apparently, this happens every few days. The cause being that strange illness of his."
" I see." Armond crossed his arms.
"So this is the 'threat'?"
Kai didn't answer.
He stepped closer to the bed.
Studying him.
Not with concern—
But with interest.
Then—
Maybe it was the silence.
Or the shift in the air.
But Ray stirred.
His brows tightened slightly before his eyes slowly opened.
For a second, they were unfocused.
Then they landed on Kai.
Recognition came almost instantly.
"...You," Ray whispered, his voice rough and dry. "You again. Who exactly are you?"
Kai held his gaze.
Then smiled.
That same calm, measured smile.
"My name is Kai Aurelion."
A slight pause.
"And I'm your illegitimate half-brother."