"Act IV: When Steel Meets Truth"
The next scene would be casting Gideon, Athena, Priestess Liora Edevane, Ser Kael Draven, Captain Rhys Calder, and me. With so many side characters on set, it might be hard to stand out. I especially need to watch out for Liora. She was the priestess from Act I or Act II. I can't remember. All I know is that her acting is too dangerously good for a side character. She might eliminate one of us, the main characters, if we don't watch out.
Low war drums sounded, distant and slow, with a faint choir hum underneath. The setting was in a ruined valley at dawn. Fog clung low to the ground, slowly drifting between broken pillars and scorched earth. Fragments of shattered weapons, torn banners, and ash from the past battles remained. A narrow path ran through the centre. Perfect for a controlled ambush.
The silence was unnatural.
Too still.
The fog rolled slowly across the stave as the sound of boots crunching over gravel was heard.
The strike party entered in formation.
Gideon at the front, Athena slightly behind his right, Kael ahead and to the left, looking tense, Rhys to the flank, surveying the battlefield, and Liora at the rear, her staff glowing faintly.
"Hold formation." Gideon's voice was low, but controlled.
"Feels like a trap," Kael grumbled impatiently.
"Not a trap," Rhys said quietly, scanning their surroundings. "Too clean."
"He knows we're here," Athena said softly, focusing on what was ahead of her.
"The air feels…" Liora swallowed uneasily. "...wrong…"
A faint wind passes, and the ash lifts slightly.
Silence deepens.
Then…
…shapes emerge through the fog.
My forces.
But…
…they are not advancing. Instead, some are kneeling, some are wounded, and others are being supported by one another.
"Ugh, playing weak now," Kael spat, clearly disgusted.
"No…" Athena murmured. She stepped forward slightly, her eyes narrowing. "They are weak."
"Maintain focus." Gideon tightened his grip on his sword.
Then—
A single figure stepped forward from the fog.
Unhurried.
Measured.
Me.
There was no urgency, no tension in every step I took.
Just presence.
The battlefield seemed to be still around me with every step I took.
Silence.
"I see…you chose a direct approach," I said calmly, almost softly.
Gideon stepped forward immediately, sword drawn. "Stand down."
My gaze flickered briefly across the group to land on Athena half a second longer before returning to Gideon.
"That would be inefficient."
"Enough talking!" Kael snarled.
"Kael," Gideon said sharply.
Kael clenched his jaw and stepped back.
Athena, on the other hand, watched me closely. Something in her expression shifts again. "He didn't reposition them…" Athena muttered, almost to herself.
"That's because he doesn't intend to fight like us," Rhys murmured under his breath.
"You will surrender," Gideon spoke once more.
"No."
Simple.
Unwavering.
"Then we end this." Gideon moved fast, blade cutting through the fog—
CLANG!!
I met his blade instantly, or rather, effortlessly.
Battle erupts.
Kael charged forward with a roar, "FACE ME, LUCIAN!!!!" He swung heavily. Clearly, his anger had got the better of him. I stepped aside, and Kael's blade slammed into stone, sparks flying everywhere.
Rhys darts from the side, fast and precise. However, I blocked both strikes easily with minimal movement before disarming Rhys with a sharp twist, but it did not follow through.
Rhys stumbled back, startled. "...He could've—" Confused as he was, I had no time to explain.
Liora raised her staff, and a barrier formed. "Stay together!"
SLAM!
A wounded enemy soldier collapsed nearby.
Without thinking, I moved—
Not toward Gideon—
But towards the fallen soldier.
Athena froze upon seeing me. "He's—" She tried to say something, but I concentrated on the soldier instead. From the corner of my eye, I could see that she was quite shaken.
A soft green light flickered from my hand.
Healing.
"That—" Liora whispered. "That's not corrupted magic…" She looked completely horrified. Liora could definitely pass as a S-tier actor.
Athena catches her breath, the symbolising line hitting her hard.
"STOP IGNORING US!!!" Kael's restraint finally snapped, his voice rising without warning.
He charged again.
Wildly.
An amateur's mistake.
I turned just slightly to block his blow. With precise motion, I stepped inside Kael's guard and forced him to his knees. But…I did not strike. Instead, I just released him.
"Why won't you fight properly?" He panted. "Do you think we're no match for you?!!"
"I am," I said calmly. "At least in my own way…" I said quietly.
~~~~~~~~~~
Gideon pressed forward again. Sharper, faster now. More aggressive than ever. Our blades clashed repeatedly—clean, precise, deadly.
"You orchestrated this, didn't you?" Gideon's voice was dangerously low and intense.
"Did I?" I paused, looking up. "I wonder…" I said quietly.
"Your presence is enough."
"Presence is not causation."
"You hide behind words—" He raised his sword.
"And you hide behind certainty." I easily deflected his blow.
Athena watched on, her eyes flickering between us—conflicted.
Gideon lunges again. I sidestep once more. Every move I made was controlled. But Gideon overestimates. Just slightly. I could have struck him. I don't.
Athena sees it clearly. It was undeniable. "...Why?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
Gideon charges again.
Faster.
Harder.
Almost reckless now.
I shift too.
Controlled.
Disarm.
Gideon's sword hits the ground, and the sound echoes through the village. Everything stops.
I stood over him, blade at his throat.
The atmosphere was still yet heavy at the same time.
Athena took a step forward. "Wait—!" Her voice was urgent, yet unsteady.
I didn't move, but I didn't strike either.
Our eyes met.
"This is where your story would end," I said softly.
"Then finish it." Gideon was as cold and defiant as ever.
I paused.
A long one.
Then—
I lowered my blade and stepped back to give him some space. "You are more useful alive." That line lands hard.
Rhys exhaled slowly.
Liora looked shaken.
Kael gripped his weapon even tighter, confused and angry.
Athena just stared.
"You expect gratitude?" Gideon's voice was tight and controlled.
"No."
A beat.
"Only time."
My gaze shifted to Athena.
Longer this time.
Quieter.
"Next time…" I paused slightly. "Bring fewer assumptions."
Athena inhaled sharply.
I turned and walked back into the fog, my forces retreating with me.
No pursuit.
No finishing blow.
Just…leaving.
The silence was heavy.
"We should've killed him," Kael muttered, breaking the silence.
"We couldn't," Rhys murmured.
"He…he healed them…" Liora was shaken.
Gideon picked up his sword slowly, his jaw tight. "We regroup."
Athena didn't move immediately. Still staring at the fog, she said quietly, "He spared you."
"He made a mistake."
"No." She paused. "He made a choice."
"Do not mistake restraint for mercy," Gideon said sharply.
"Then what was it?"
Gideon didn't answer immediately. "Strategy."
"...That doesn't feel right." Athena frowned.
He turned sharply. "Feeling is completely irrelevant."
Athena finally looked at him, something in her expression changing. "No." She said quietly but firmly.
A beat.
"It isn't."
Silence.
Thunder roars faintly in the distance, and the lights begin to dim.
Athena looked back toward where I had disappeared.
"...Just who are you?" Her voice was barely audible.
Blackout.
"Scene 2"
It was night.
At a quiet, ruined chapel at the edge of the battlefield, Athena entered. Moonlight filtered through the many fractured windows, dust drifting slowly in the air.
A single stone altar remains intact.
The outside world is still recovering from war…whereas in here…it feels still. Almost sacred.
There was no armour on Athena this time. It was just her plain old Athena with a cloak draped loosely over her shoulders. Her steps were slow. Careful. No, uncertain.
She looked around the ruined chapel. "...Why here?" She whispered to herself. Then, there was a faint sound of cloth shifting. She turned abruptly——
I was already there, seated near the altar, one arm resting loosely on my knee—the other…slightly bloodied. I was injured…but stayed calm, as if it did not matter.
Athena froze. And her breath caught—just slightly. "You knew I would come." Her tone was quite guarded.
"No," I paused softly. "I hoped."
Athena took a slow step forward. "You're injured."
I glanced briefly at my arm dismissively. "It is not severe."
"You're bleeding." She couldn't take her eyes off my wound.
"So are many others," I replied.
That answer frustrated her. "Stop doing that."
I looked up slightly. "Doing what?"
"Deflecting." She paused. "You speak as if nothing matters to you."
"Everything matters," I said quietly, almost tired. That line was softer than before, and I looked away.
Athena watched me closely, and something shifted. "Then why act like it doesn't?"
I exhaled slowly. "Because reacting to everything is inefficient."
"That's not an answer."
"It is the only one I allow myself."
Silence.
Athena stepped closer, her voice lowering. "You spared him."
"Yes."
"Why?"
There was no deflection this time.
I was quiet for a moment. "Because killing him solves nothing."
"It ends the war." She reasoned.
"No," I finally looked at her directly. "It accelerates it."
"Then what are you trying to do?"
I paused longer this time. "Prevent something worse."
"Something worse than war?"
"Much worse." My tone was quiet but absolute.
"Then tell me." She stepped closer. "Stop speaking in fragments."
"You are not ready to hear it." I stood up slowly.
"You don't get to decide that."
"I do." My voice wasn't harsh. Just firm.
"Why?" She whipped around to face me.
"Because once you know…" I stopped myself, a faint tension in my voice now. "You cannot return to where you stand now."
Silence.
"I already can't."
That line was quiet.
Honest.
I studied her.
Really studied her.
Something softer in my expression now.
"You should not be here," I said softly.
"Neither should you."
"I am exactly where I need to be."
"Then so am I."
A beat.
"You heal your enemies…" She spoke.
"I heal people."
"You spare the man trying to kill you."
"I simply preserve variables."
"You talk like lives are calculations—"
"Because they are."
"No." She stepped closer, closer than before. "They are not." Her voice softened, more personal. "That soldier you healed…you looked at him like he mattered."
My gaze flickered.
Just slightly.
"That wasn't calculation."
Silence.
"...It does not change the outcome…"
"It changes you."
I do not respond immediately.
"You're not what they say you are." She studied my face.
"What do they say?" I met her eyes. "About me?"
"That you're cruel." She paused. "That you enjoy this."
I let out a quiet breath, almost amused, but…tired. "Enjoyment would make this easier."
"Then why do it?"
There it was.
The real question.
I looked down briefly.
Then—
"Because someone had to."
"That's not enough."
"It is."
"No, it is not!" Her voice rises—then she stops herself. Breathing unevenly now, she said in a softer tone, "You're carrying something."
"I can see it."
I didn't deny it.
"And it's killing you."
"Not fast enough," I muttered.
Athena's expression softened. Pain flickered across her face. "You don't have to do it alone."
I looked at her—
Really looked.
Something fragile in my eyes now.
I stepped closer, close enough that the distance felt dangerous. I studied her carefully, longer than before. Then, I lifted my hand slightly and then gently took her wrist. Not forceful, but careful. "I will show you."
Athena froze, her breath caught.
"The world you trust…" My voice was soft. "… is built on something that cannot last."
"What do you mean…?" Athena asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"There is a gate." I paused.
"A…a gate?"
"Sealed long ago."
"By who?"
"Humans."
My answer hit her hard.
"Why?"
"To stop something they couldn't control."
"What?"
I hesitated slightly. "Not yet."
"You said you'd tell me—"
"I said I would show you." I released her wrist slowly, the absence of contact lingering.
"Then show me."
"Soon."
"That's not enough—"
"It will have to be." I took a step back, and the distance returned.
"Then, why me?"
I paused, back turned, and I answered softly, "Because you still question."
A beat.
"And that is rare."
She watched, her voice quieter now, almost vulnerable. "And if I stop questioning?"
There was a long pause.
"Then you will become like the rest."
"And…if I don't?"
I glanced back slightly, just enough for her to see my eyes. "Then you will suffer."
Silence.
"...You already are."
A faint breath left me. Not quite a laugh or pain. "Yes." I turned and began to walk away.
"Lucian," She called out to me one last time. I stopped. "I don't think you're wrong."
I didn't turn back, but my voice came out quieter now, "That is the problem." And I slipped into the darkness.
Athena stood alone now, her breathing still uneven. She looked down at her hand—the one I held. Slowly closing it, she whispered, "...What are you doing to me?"
The lights faded slowly.
"Scene 3"
At a shattered courtyard near the old cathedral, the final battle began. Rain begins lightly at first. Broken statues of angels lie scattered everywhere. White feathers drift from above…but as they fell…they darken. Turning grey. Then black.
Bodies from both sides were scattered everywhere, smoke rising faintly. Athena entered with the strike team, breathing unevenly. Her eyes were darting everywhere, searching for something.
"Where is he—?"
A sudden clash of steel stops her mid-sentence.
She turns to see—
I was standing at the centre, facing Gideon again.
But…
…Celeste was there in between us.
Her presence was immediate.
Striking.
Elegant even in chaos.
She stepped slightly in front of me—protective, yet smiling faintly.
"You always arrive dramatically." She teased.
I exhaled quietly. This is where all my acting skills must be put to use. I cannot afford to let go of this opportunity.
I closed my eyes.
"Think of Mom. Think of Mom," I kept telling myself in my head.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw…
…Mom…
…in Celeste.
Something in my eyes softened instantly. "You are not supposed to be here."
"And miss this?" She smiled, turning her head slightly so that my eyes could meet hers.
She stepped closer—too close. Her fingers brushed lightly against my sleeve—hesitant for a second…then lingering. "What kind of fiancée would I be then?" She laughed playfully.
My voice lowered, gentler than ever before. "An alive one."
A pause.
Our eyes met in that beat.
"You worry too much."
"Not enough."
Celeste smiled faintly, but there was something behind it. Something…resolved. Athena sensed it and murmured uneasily, "...Something's wrong."
Gideon stepped forward, blade drawn again. "Move, Celestia Mortain. You have delayed what is bound to happen long enough."
Celeste turned towards Gideon, still smiling. "No." One word, simple and unyielding.
"You stand between war and its end."
"No," Her voice softer now. "I stand between misunderstanding and regret."
"Step aside," Gideon commanded once more.
"If I do…" Celeste glanced back at me. "You will kill him."
"Yes."
Silence.
The rain grew slightly heavier.
Celeste closed her eyes briefly, then opened them—clear. And resolved. "Then I will not." She said firmly.
Athena stepped forward. "Wait—"
"Celeste don't—" I tried to say.
Too late.
A sudden movement——
Not from Gideon…
…but from Kael.
"THEN DIE WITH HIM!!!!" Kael screamed.
He lunged.
Fast.
Brutal.
His blade piercing——
Celeste.
Silence.
Everything stopped.
The sound cuts out.
Only rain remains.
I froze.
Completely.
Time breaks.
No.
Not again.
Celeste gasps, her body trembling.
I caught her instantly.
Too fast.
Too desperate.
"...No." My voice was barely a whisper.
She smiled weakly, blood staining her lips. "That…wasn't very elegant."
My hands trembled as I pulled her closer. I held her tightly in my arms. If I let go now, she'll disappear, just like Dad.
"No. No—no, no, no…" My voice cracked.
"You…always…overreact…" Celeste's voice was soft and fading.
No.
No.
No.
Mom.
Mom.
Mom.
Mom.
Mom.
Scenes of my Mom covered in blood filled my head.
"Stop."
"I'm sorry, Kawa. I love both you and Ella." Mom stroked my head with her bloodied hand. "I'm sorry for leaving so soon…" She smiled at me. That smile, a genuine smile. Not the fake one that she would make to make us feel better.
"Stop." I looked down at Celeste.
A single tear fell.
Then another.
"Don't do this to me."
"I'm not doing anything…" She gave me a weak laugh. "...This was always going to happen."
Athena's eyes widened. "...What?"
Celeste looked at me gently. "You knew."
I shook my head desperately. "No—I—"
"You did." She lifted her hand weakly to touch my cheek. I flinched. "And yet, you still tried to prevent it."
"Because I thought I could…I could…" My voice broke harder now.
"You can't save everything," She said weakly. "But you can save what truly matters."
Her hand slips slightly, and I catch it immediately. "You matter."
"I know." She gave me a faint smile. "That's why this works."
Silence.
Athena realises. "...She planned this…" She whispered, horrified.
"Finish it," Celeste said softly.
My eyes widened.
"No."
"You have to."
"No!!" My voice shattered, louder now. Uncontrolled.
The rain intensified.
"Lucas…" Her voice was barely there now. "Don't hesitate." She took in her final breath. "That's when you lose…"
Her hand fell.
Stillness.
She was gone.
"Bye Kawa…bye Ella…" Mom had whispered then. "Mothers…don't cry…" Her voice faded into nothingness as a single tear rolled down her pale face. That was the last time I had seen Mom.
I didn't move at first.
Then—
My shoulders trembled.
Once.
Twice.
Then violently.
I pulled her closer, tighter…too tight.
"...Get…up…" I whispered, broken.
No response.
"Celeste…Celestine Mortain…" My voice cracked completely.
Then—
It hits.
Everything.
The dam broke.
"CELESTE!!!!!" I shouted, my voice completely raw.
The scream echoed.
Not controlled.
Not elegant.
Not 'acting'.
It was real.
Loss.
Grief.
Anger.
Regret.
I channelled everything I had felt then into this.
My breathing became uneven.
I buried my face against her shoulder.
Shaking.
Sobbing without restraint.
Uncontrolled.
The rain poured harder.
And the feathers above turned completely black.
"This isn't…an act…" Athena muttered, soft enough so that the audience could not hear.
Gideon looked unsettled for the first time.
Liora clutched her staff tightly, whispering a prayer under her breath.
Even Kael looked shaken.
"Why…why did you ever leave me…?" I whispered, stroking her pale face. If there was one thing I wished I had done then, it was to mourn for Mom and Dad longer. I wished not to be forced to become an adult so soon. To have enough time to pour my heart out about my loss.
I lifted my head slowly.
My expression—
Empty.
Broken.
Then—
Rage.
Pure, terrifying rage.
I stood, holding her body.
Gently, I lowered her carefully, as if she might still feel it.
Then—
I turned toward Gideon, my voice low.
Hoarse.
Unrecognisable.
"You."
Gideon gripped his sword but hesitated.
"I told you…" I took a step forward. "...This would lead to something worse." My aura shifted, and the air felt heavier. Darker. If only I could take revenge for Mom and Dad like this.
"Lucian—don't—" Athena tried to stop me.
But I refused to hear her.
"Now you will see it."
I moved—
Fast—
Faster than before—
No restraint—
Purely with the intent to kill.
Gideon barely blocks.
And the impact sends him flying back—
Shockwaves echoing.
Battle reignites.
However, this time—
It's different.
This was no longer a strategy.
This is grief.
The lights flickered violently.
Music surges—
Then cuts—
Blackout.