Kairo's nails dug into his palms. "Why? Why is he always in the way?"
For a moment, doubt crept in, memories of that crushing aura, of how easily Lumberling had humiliated him in the manor. He remembered kneeling, powerless, his pride ground into the floor.
But then he remembered the battlefield. The Berserker Warden's eyes. The weight of the axe about to end him. And the strength that had surged inside him at that desperate moment, lifting him higher, burning hotter than he had ever felt before.
His lips curled into a shaky grin. "No… I felt it. I can grow stronger. The closer I was to death, the stronger I became. I'll surpass him. I'll surpass all of them."
The grin twisted into something darker. He whispered, almost to himself.
"Lireath will look at me… not him. Just wait. One day, I'll stand above him. And when that day comes…" He slammed his fist into his chest, eyes burning with stubborn fire. "they'll all see who truly deserves their respect."
