It was a tranquil morning in the kingdom of the sea, its waves lapping the shores with a soothing rhythm, while inside the castle bustled with its usual activity.
Lucian entered the massive gate, his expression as serene as ever, as he made his way to meet his fiancée, Selena. Servants bowed to him and led him down long corridors adorned with seashells and precious stones.
But something was strange… a weight on his chest, as if unseen eyes were watching him.
Suddenly, in a moment of silence, a figure approached, walking beside him. Its presence was completely concealed, like a shadow that had crept into the very air of the palace. Lucian only became aware of it when a hand touched his shoulder.
He turned with a sharp instinct, but the hand suddenly rose to his face, grasping him with astonishing force, then propelled him across the hall, smashing stone pillars one after another. The hall shook as if it were about to collapse.
Lucian crashed violently to the ground, but his body quickly righted itself. He exhaled sharply and extended his hand, forming a glowing ice spear, its brilliance catching the light. "Who are you?!" he snapped.
The mysterious figure didn't reply, but instead charged toward him with astonishing speed, its form almost vanishing and reappearing with every movement. The ice spear slammed into a water sword that seemed to spring from nothing, and sparks of water and ice flew through the air.
The fight escalated rapidly. Every blow shook the walls, every block revealed a strength no less formidable than Lucien's own. A cold sweat trickled down Lucien's brow… his opponent was no mere intruder.
Then, just as the opponent was about to pierce Lucien's heart, a sharp voice cut through the chaos: "Stop, brother, Atlas!"
The man froze. Lucien gasped as he turned toward the source of the voice… Selena. His fiancée stood in the hall's doorway, her eyes wide with anger and concern.
The adversary turned slowly, finally revealing his features. His eyes held the same deep, oceanic gaze as Selena's.
Lucien was taken aback. The words faltered on his lips: "My… brother?!"
But the man's voice was cold, decisive, and filled with contempt:
"Yes… I am her brother. And now… I am your adversary."
A heavy silence fell over the hall after the word "brother."
Selena stood with her hands clasped in front of her chest, her eyes trembling with a mixture of fear and anxiety.
Atlas turned to her, his face ablaze with fury. His voice roared like a storm:
"How dare you… how could you accept this weakling?! And what's worse… he's from the Ice Family! Don't you know I hate that family?!"
Selena's face paled. Her lips trembled. "My brother…!"
But Lucien, despite his surprise, exclaimed with genuine astonishment, "Your brother? I didn't know you... had a brother!"
Atlas whirled around, his eyes blazing, his voice cutting through the hall like a sword's edge: "Don't interrupt me while I'm talking to my sister."
Suddenly, he unleashed his aura. A terrible wave of pressure swept through the hall; the air became so heavy it was almost suffocating. Breath was held. Lucien stooped, his knees nearly touching the floor from the pressure, sweat pouring from his brow.
"Stop!" Selena cried, her aura suddenly surging forward, clashing with his in an invisible struggle.
But Atlas didn't flinch. He turned to face her, his eyes blazing with fury. "I will never allow you to be with that boy. Did you hear what I said? Even if my father stands against me, I will not back down. If he wants you, he must prove himself... to me by defeating me."
Selena's voice trembled. "Brother...!"
Lucien slowly raised his head, his cold eyes flashing with a rare hardness. He clenched his fist, releasing his own icy aura. The air became like a storm, colliding with the princess's brother's aura in a swirling vortex.
"So... that's what you want? For me to prove myself?" he said in a steady voice, despite the pain that gripped his body.
He took a step forward, his aura burning even brighter, like ice erupting from the depths of a cracked mountain. "Very well... I will prove it to you. To you, to her, and to the whole world!"