Chapter One
Kaith: Black hair, two horns, black eyes, height 187 cm, age 24. The hero.
Iris: White hair, red eyes, two horns, height 197 cm, age 30. The season's villain and the hero's brother.
Important Characters
Ari: Long white hair, black eyes, two horns, height 169 cm, age 22. The hero's sister.
Return to the Ruined Empire
Kaith took his first steps into the empire after seven years of absence. The air was heavy and dark, its echo a sinister silence that cut into the heart. The ruined buildings told the tragedy of their people, and the faces he passed were distorted, confused—some trapped between life and death by Iris's power.
He watched people as they saw their loved ones turned into curses moving before their eyes. His heart was torn apart, but he showed no emotion. He knew time did not allow for weakness.
He advanced with steady steps toward a group of survivors. He raised his voice, firm:
"Do you want to save the empire with me?"
Five people raised their hands—three men and two girls—their faces filled with hope and fear together, and they said, "Yes!"
Kaith gave a faint smile and added, "Then let's go."
With his new friends, Kaith began hunting the higher curses. The fighting was brutal—every strike, every scream, every movement calculated with precision. He left no opening, and one curse after another fell before his power.
But the true shock came when he faced his sister Ari, who tried to stop him from rushing forward, warning him about his friends' murderous intent. His heart broke a little, but he held to his promise to his friends: protecting the people.
The fight was fast and sharp, until he was forced to kill her. Her blood stained the ground, and her final scream of pain was sharp, as if it split the world itself.
After destroying the remaining curse strongholds, only one part remained: the broken Vessel of Darkness—Iris.
Before entering the dark zone, Kaith confessed to one of the girls he loved:
"Please don't hate me after I become the new vessel… Wait for your answer until after we destroy the curse."
The battle lasted four hours. Every movement was precise, every blow calculated. And with the rise of blood, Iris finally fell, and the curse ended under Kaith's new control.
Kaith, exhausted and torn apart, turned to leave the area. He raised his voice to his friends:
"Come on, let's tell the people and declare a new era!"
But suddenly, a sharp sensation pierced his back. Five swords stabbed through his body. His heart stopped beating, blood spilled onto the ground, and shock flooded his mind.
He looked at the girl he loved, then at the rest of his friends, and with a choking cry said:
"Why? Why did you do this?"
One of them replied coldly:
"Because your father caused all of this… and this is the punishment."
Kaith fell dead to the ground. The last thing he wished for did not happen: revenge was not in his hands yet.
End of Chapter One