"Ahh..."
It was a heavy sigh.
King Kai looked up at the sky, still breathing roughly. Dragging air into his lungs that no longer felt like his, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion.
His eyes blinked several times as he stared at the blazing sun above.
"What month is it?" He asked with a voice full of sincere confusion.
But no answer came.
His head lower, as he stared down, then he shift his gaze from right to left.
Gradually, his eyes sank even further, and then... he chuckled.
"Oh, of course..." he muttered. No one could answer him anymore.
Whether it's had been five months or twenty, it no longer matter. Those who once could answer him were nothing but pale of corpeses. Already beginning to rot in this stench filled pool of blood.
His grip on his sword, which he held with his life on the line, finally began to loosen.
To him, the war that had raged for seven years after he took the throne meant nothing now. He has lost not only his soldiers but his dearest comrades. All because of that damned...
"Ghk!"
Kai thought was cut, as staggered back, a guttural sound ripping from his throat at the sudden arrow that pieced his chest with brutal force with blood starting to ooze from the gaps in his armor.
For a heartbeat of moment, all he could feel was the burning sharp pain, radiating from his ribs.
His eyes flickered, beneath his messy, blood stained hair, he snap his eyes up searching for the source of the attack.
Even through his blurry vision under the sandy wind, his eyes sharpened the moment he could recognized the figure on the horseback, bow still aimed at him.
"Damn... parasite..." he muttered, falling to his knees, then down entirely, unconscious.
––
"Tsk, isn't it already time he wakes up?"
A voice rang out lazily from the throne.
Cairos sat comfortably in the ceremonial chair, dressed in crimson royal robes embroidered with the dragon emblem made for kings. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest, the only sound in the silenct court hall.
"For a beast, he's sure taking his time," another voice muttered.
Cairos let out a sigh, his fingers still drumming. "Whatever he is or was, I don't care. Wake that animal up."
At his command, a guard moved wordlessly to the side, grabbing a nearby bucket filled with of water, approaching the slumped figure tied to the chair.
Without hesitation, he poured the icy water.
The moment the hefty bucket of cold water splashed onto his face, King Kai's jolt awake, gasping. The cold water streaming down his hair to face in rivulets. Through the blurred vision, his eyes shot open becomes sharp with fury the second he recognized the figure above him, he glared.
"Oh my! Oh my!!" Cairos clapped, clearly amused, "You dare glare at your king... why don't you lower your gaze or... you won't do such to your precious brother?"
Kai got triggered, "Mmmmph!"
As muffled grunt escape from behind the gag tied around his mouth. He surged forward with fire in his eyes, but the guards shoved him back to the chair. Even tho, he was bound he refused to be restrainted, as he thrash, violently.
"Ha! Hahahaha!!"
A cruel laugh escaped through Cairos's lips, as though the suffering of his brother amused him beyond reason.
"Ooooh!!!" Cairos drew out the sound, feigning surprise, he uttered. "You really are an animal."
"I am sure you wondering why your beloved brother rebelled" With his hand relaxing on the armchair Cairos talks, "Uhmm... but I don't feel like talking. Right sister?"
As the woman beside Cairos, who seemed all calm and elegant, finally spoke with a smirk, "That's right my king... to a puppet who doesn't know his place, claiming the throne was the right move."
The courtroom fell silent. No one dare speak.
But Kai eyes drifed. His expression different from others as his eyes locks on his sister.
His own blood.
His one and only, blood.
Standing so close to the man who destroyed everything.
Kai pupils contract, as the waver, his back trembled.
He felt the floor tilt under him.
No she couldn't... not her.
While Kai was already in denial to witnessing his younger sister by the side of man who destroyed his life and may of who he cared for.
Cairos gesture the nearest guard, who nodded and untied the clothes gag from Kai's mouth.
"He!"
Is he crying? The two guards glance at each other, then look back at their former ruler, or laughing?
"Ha!" He ruffled sound...
"Hahaha" follows by another...
Then louder... "Hahahahaha!" And louder.
Kai laughter spilled out in broken bursts, and sudden and feral.
Like wild beast too far gone to be sane.
Cairos leaned back, bored as tho Kai's agony were a lullaby.
"Ah," Kai paused, panting. "Cairos... you really are father's mistake!"
"What was that saying again," Kai tilted his head, staring at Cairos with disdain. He spoke through clenched teeth, calm but seething, he muttered, "Feed a starving dog... and you might raise a monster!"
"How dare you!" King Kai roared, his voice thundering the entire court hall. "How dare you!" He screamed again, the echo cracking like thunder.
Even the ministers face which were blank, bowed their heads in fear.
One of the guard near Cairos tried to draw his sword, but Cairos coldly look up at him, only for the guard to hesitated, then slowly lower his blade and stepped back.
"Hmm..." Cairos stood up, his own aura raising to match Kai's rage.
He descended the steps slowly.
Silece fell again.
Cairos stood closed to Kai. Now face to face, the air between them felt suffocating.
"You really still don't understand, do you?." He whispered, crouching to Kai's level. "The truth... is darker than you ever imagined."
He leaned closer. "You were locked in your golden cage, feeding monster you didn't even know existed."
"Oh? want hear something more terrifying..." Cairos came closer to whisper.
Suddenly, Kai's eyes widened—blank at first, then filling with dread.
Cairos straighten, smiling like a wolf.
He turned to the guard, who had been gripping a heavy axe.
"Execute the tyrant king!"
"Cairos!!!!" King Kai bellowed his name. "I will kill you!"
With a swift, hefty motion, the axe cleaved through King Kai's neck, his head thudded the floor with a sickening crunch.
Blood splattered across the courtroom, staining the robes of ministers who stood closets.
Yet none dared look up. None dared scream. They only lowered their heads more, with the stench of blood filled in the hall.
King Cairos watched everything unfold. His gaze fell on the severed head that rolled toward him—it's lifeless eyes fixed on him in one last hatred.
He crouched picking it up.
"Farewell brother!" He whispered with a smile, "Let's reunite in hell!"