Bab 27: Shadows Of Revenge.

Anna's scream pierced the air as she rushed toward Kae and Tharros. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight before her. Tharros' lifeless body lay on the ground, blood pooling beneath him like a crimson tide.

Kae knelt beside him, his face twisted in anguish, his eyes a fiery red though he fought to hide his tears. He cradled Tharros' body, rocking back and forth, still gripping his bloodied sword in his trembling hand.

"No, no, no…" Kae whispered hoarsely, his voice breaking. "This can't be happening…"

Anna collapsed next to them, her face as pale as death. Her shaking hands grabbed Tharros' body away from Kae, pulling her brother close to her chest as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"Kae..." Anna's voice trembled with fury and sorrow. "You killed him. You killed my brother!"

Kae's eyes, raw with torment, met hers. "Anna, please... you have to believe me. I didn't kill him Tharros... he killed himself. I never wanted this. Never."

"Get away from me!" Anna shrieked, pushing Kae with all her might before clinging to Tharros' body again. "He died by your sword! You killed him so you could live! You're a monster!"

The other consorts who had defeated their teammates, also sat down on the floor with tears rolling down their cheeks as they held their teammates dead body close to their chest.

Ding!

{What's all the fuss about? The battle was kill or be killed. Would she prefer if Tharros had killed you instead? If you ask me, she's the cruel one.}

"Shut the hell up!" Kae roared, slamming his fist into the ground with enough force to make the earth tremble. Rocks and dirt shot into the air before crashing down again. His eyes burned with an intense, unnatural red, and dark smoke began to seep from his body like a living shadow.

Anna, who was nearest to him, gasped in terror. She alone could see the transformation, the red glow in his eyes, the smoke coiling from his skin. Her heart raced in her chest as she clutched Tharros tighter, as if protecting him from Kae's growing fury.

"Y..Your eyes..." she whispered in disbelief, her voice barely a breath. Fear gripped her as she recoiled, trembling.

Ding!

{Control your anger, or you'll awaken the demon lord's soul. And if that happens, Anna will die. Once the demon takes over, it won't return without bloodshed or engaging in dual cultivation to regain strength. Anna isn't an Elyria, she'll be killed to suppress the demon before you can regain control again. The choice is yours.}

Kae took a ragged breath and forced himself to calm down. Slowly, the redness in his eyes faded, the smoke dissipating into the air.

Commander Aethera's cold voice shattered the tension. "The training continues. Those who are still standing, prepare for the next round."

The other consorts, shaken from the loss of their partners, hesitated but eventually moved back into their positions. Kae remained kneeling, his gaze now locked on Commander Aethera. His eyes burned with a mixture of rage and hatred.

"I'll make you Elyria pay," Kae muttered, his voice low and menacing. His anger stirred again, his eyes briefly flashing red before he forced it back down. "This isn't over."

Anna, now trembling with both fury and grief, stared at Kae in horror. "What are you?" she choked out, tears streaking her face. "You're a monster, aren't you?"

"I'm not... but you have to believe me, Anna. I didn't kill Tharros. He died protecting me. He left you in my care. I have to protect you, and I will avenge him."

"Don't you dare touch me!" Anna screamed, pulling away from him with a look of pure disgust. "You're the reason he's dead! You killed him with your sword, and I swear I'll kill you for it. I'll avenge him. You'll be the first to die, Kae, before I kill every one of those monsters." she vowed, her voice bow barely above a whisper. Her resolve was as cold and sharp as a blade. She spat out her words, her eyes blazing with hatred and determination.

Two Elyria guards soon appeared and dragged her away as they saw her as a disturbance and hinderance from continuing the training. Kae could do nothing but watch.

Tharros' body, along with the others who had fallen, was pierced by the Soul-Depriving Arrows, disintegrating into nothingness.

"No!" Anna wailed, her cries echoing in the training grounds as she fought against the guards, trying to break free. But they dragged her off, her desperate screams trailing behind her.

Kae stood frozen, staring at the spot where Tharros had vanished. "I'll make them pay for this, Tharros. I swear on your life, they will bow before me," Kae vowed, his voice filled with rage and unyielding determination. "I'll make them all bow and beg to live."

Ding!

{The demon lord's soul within you is stirring again. Be cautious, host. Your choices will have consequences.}

Commander Aethera's icy voice snapped back to the consorts. "The battle is kill or be killed. No room for mercy. Consider this your lesson for the wars to come."

Kae clenched his fists but held back the storm of anger that raged within him and stood up from the ground.

________

The moon cast a cold, silvery light over the Elyrian palace. The consorts had trained relentlessly throughout the day, their hatred for the Elyria vented on the magical statues that fell more easily than ever before. The training had been grueling, but the rage fueling the consorts made them stronger, faster, more lethal.

"The training is over for today," Commander Aethera announced, her voice calm and almost indifferent. "Return to your chambers. Training resumes tomorrow."

Kae left the training grounds and headed straight to his chamber. When he arrived, he couldn't help but notice Anna dissaperance.

"Anna... she's gone?" Kae muttered to himself, his brow furrowing in concern. He dropped onto the bed, his mind racing. "Where the hell did she go? She wouldn't... she wouldn't kill herself, would she?"

"Of course not, she's too focused on revenge and wouldn't die until she avenge Tharros." he told himself, though the thought did little to ease his worry.

After a moment of rest, Kae headed to his bath. The warm water, adorned with rose petals, waited for him. He submerged himself, trying to wash away the horrors of the day as well as Tharros blood which was over his body, but the weight of Tharros' death pressed heavily on his heart. Tears rolled down his face as the memory replayed over and over in his mind.

'How many humans had died since the Elyria arrived?' Kae thought to himself, though there was no one to answer. Even the system remained silent.

After bathing and dressed in a new clean outfit, Kae returned to his bed and lay down, staring at the moonlight streaming through the window. His thoughts drifted back to Anna.

"I hope she's okay," he murmured softly.

Suddenly, a sharp pain exploded in his chest. Kae gasped, his hand instinctively reaching for the source of the pain. A knife had been plunged into him, the blade gleaming with his own blood.

Without thinking, Kae yanked the blade free and spun around, his hand pressing hard against the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Die you monster! A familiar voice hissed. It was Anna.

Kae's eyes widened in shock as he saw her standing there, eyes blazing with fury, ready to strike again. Just when he had thought he had subdued her, another figure dressed in black, face covered, appeared from behind, sword raised, ready to strike Anna down.