The world tilted.
Kael's senses screamed. For a heartbeat, he wasn't sure if the tremor beneath his feet came from the fractured earth or from somewhere deep inside him. A pulse, irregular but insistent, echoed through his veins. The Mark throbbed violently, as if warning him of a threat he hadn't yet seen.
Then he saw him.
Ryzen.
The name hit harder than any blade. Not a casual enemy. Not just a betrayer of kingdoms or orders. His former brother-in-arms. His friend once sworn to the same oaths. Now standing across the battlefield with calm, predatory arrogance. Shadows coiled around Ryzen like obedient serpents, writhing in rhythm with a dark, jagged Mark carved into his forearm. The same pulse Kael knew so well, yet twisted—cold, sharp, unyielding.
Kael's chest tightened. His fingers curled instinctively around the hilt of his blade. "He has a Mark too?" he thought.
And then Ryzen spoke.
"You look surprised," his voice smooth, almost gentle, but laced with cruelty. "Did you really think the Mark chose only you?"
Kael's jaw clenched, muscles trembling. "You… you swore an oath. We both did."
Ryzen's face softened, but not with regret. Not with warmth. It was the kind of pity that stung worse than hatred.
"Kael… you were always good at believing oaths," he said, each word deliberate, slow, like venom dripping from a fanged mouth.
Lightning split the sky above them, jagged, blinding, tearing the gray clouds into pieces.
The shadows around Ryzen surged. They weren't just darkness—they were alive, reacting to every pulse of his heartbeat, to the faintest flicker of the Mark. Soldiers nearest to him stumbled backward, some dropping weapons, others frozen mid-step, eyes wide with terror. The very air pressed down, thick, suffocating.
Kael felt the Mark respond immediately. It flared across his skin, burning hot, electric, and untamed. Two Marks now—his and Ryzen's—resonating. Colliding. Each heartbeat sent shockwaves tearing across the battlefield. Dust spiraled. Stones cracked. Screams echoed as the soldiers fell back.
Ryzen's lips curved into a smirk. "Do you feel it? Our Marks… resonate. You and I are linked, whether you like it or not."
Kael's voice was low, almost strangled by the rage and disbelief churning inside him. "You betrayed everything we swore to defend!"
Ryzen tilted his head, shadows rippling like water around him. "I didn't betray, Kael. I… evolved."
The word hit Kael like a blade plunging through his chest.
Evolved.
It wasn't just a Mark. Ryzen had awakened fully—mastered it while Kael had barely glimpsed the second awakening. He had surpassed even the raw, chaotic power Kael now wielded.
Kael whispered, barely audible, "What did you do?"
Ryzen's eyes darkened, sharp as obsidian. "I chose survival over loyalty."
Kael's lungs tightened. The betrayal wasn't political. It wasn't noble houses. It was personal. Every memory of brotherhood, every shared strategy, every laughter now twisted into a knife buried deep.
Ryzen lifted his hand. Shadows obeyed instantly, weaving themselves into a jagged spear that hummed with unholy energy. The soldiers closest to him froze, paralyzed by fear—or perhaps by the sheer force of the Mark.
His tone was almost sorrowful, softening the cruelty in his actions. "Kael… I'll give you one chance. Stand down. Walk away. Live quietly, somewhere far from this battlefield."
Kael's Mark flared like a wildfire. Heat shot through his veins, igniting his anger. "I will never walk away from the people who trusted me," he said, voice trembling but unyielding.
Ryzen exhaled slowly, disappointment etched across his perfectly controlled features. "Then you leave me no choice."
The spear of shadows elongated, pointed directly at Kael's chest.
Everything slowed. The air thickened. Time itself seemed to hesitate, waiting for the collision of fate.
Kael didn't think. He moved.
The Mark erupted. Shadows shot out like living whips, coiling around him, protecting, attacking, warning, responding. He launched himself forward, blade slicing through the oppressive darkness of Ryzen's aura.
Steel collided with shadow. The sound was deafening, a crack that split the air and shook the soldiers to the ground. Energy rippled in waves, knocking men and debris backward. Sparks of light and black flames intertwined.
Ryzen's eyes widened for a fraction of a second—first genuine surprise Kael had ever seen—but it vanished instantly. "You're not the same man I left behind," he muttered, almost admiringly.
The battlefield became a blur of motion. Kael's shadows lashed, twisting around Ryzen's attacks, yet each strike met counterforce. Sparks danced on the edge of his vision. The ground fractured further. Dust choked the air, making every breath a struggle.
"You've grown," Ryzen said, voice low, calculated. "Stronger than I anticipated."
Kael's voice shook with fury, echoing through the chaos. "You taught me to fight. Now I'll use it… to end you."
Ryzen's smile returned, cruel and knowing. "Then come, Kael. Let me show you the difference between awakening… and mastery."
Shadows exploded around Ryzen like a black storm, jagged blades spinning in all directions, slicing air and ground alike. Kael roared, the Mark blazing brighter than ever, golden and black intertwining in a deadly dance. He charged, headfirst into the storm, ignoring the pain in his ribs, ignoring the screams, ignoring the world itself.
The two Marks collided mid-air. Energy roared in every direction. Stone shattered. Lightning cracked. Soldiers fell as shockwaves tossed them across the battlefield like ragdolls.
Kael's shadow fists clashed against Ryzen's dark spear. Sparks of raw energy flared with each impact. Sweat stung Kael's eyes. The taste of blood filled his mouth. Yet he pushed forward.
Ryzen's eyes narrowed. "Impressive."
Kael gritted his teeth. "You betrayed me. You betrayed everything. But I'm still standing. Still alive. And I'm not afraid of you."
Ryzen tilted his head slightly. "Fear? No. Respect? Perhaps. But understand this…" He swung his shadow spear in a wide arc. The air warped, the ground quaked. "I have mastered what you have barely awakened. And mastery is ruthless."
Kael felt the pull of the Marks like two storms colliding inside him. Pain, heat, and power surged uncontrollably. He could feel the raw hunger of the Mark clawing at him, trying to expand beyond his control.
Lyra's voice cut through the roar of energy, sharp and urgent: "Kael! Control it! Or it will consume you!"
His breath came ragged. He looked at her—eyes locking on hers—and something steadied him. Just for a moment, clarity amid chaos.
"Not yet," he growled, and his shadows coiled tighter. "Not now. Not ever."
Steel met shadow again. Sparks flew. The air screamed. And in the eye of the storm, two brothers—once allies, now enemies—fought not just for survival, but for the world itself.
Kael's Mark throbbed. Ryzen's Mark pulsed. The battlefield shattered beneath them. And somewhere in the depths of the storm, the faint red glow of another sigil appeared on the horizon—older, darker, hungrier than any Mark had ever warned of.
Kael's chest tightened. His fists balled. He whispered through gritted teeth:
"Not now… we finish this first."
The air vibrated, the ground trembling, shadows screaming—and the battle for the Shattered Oath had truly begun.