The halls of Heaven trembled with tension. The corridors echoed with whispers of war, but none rang louder than the accusation Dikun carried. He summoned the Heaven officers, his voice sharp and unyielding.
"Sen Ruyon has kidnapped Dik," he declared, his words striking like thunder. Though in truth, he knew Dik had gone willingly, driven by a mixture of curiosity and desire, Dikun spoke the lie with conviction. He knew that the truth would serve neither Dik nor Heaven—it would only invite chaos.
Even before the Emperor could question him further, Dikun stood firm, his voice carrying into the Emperor's throne room. The lie was complete.
The Heaven Emperor's face darkened with rage. His voice echoed through the court like the toll of a war bell. "How dare they provoke us when the Ghost Realm suffers its own crisis? I have turned a blind eye for the sake of our old friendship, but still they have not learnt their lesson. Dikun—take one hundred thousand soldiers. March to the Ghost Realm. Burn their stronghold to ashes. Leave nothing but ruin."
Dikun bowed sharply, his eyes burning with a promise. "Your majesty… I will not fail."
Without hesitation, Dikun mobilized his army. The drums of war thundered through the realms, a sound that shook even the foundations of Heaven itself. Soldiers clad in shimmering armor gathered under his command, their weapons gleaming with holy light.
The army descended upon the Ghost Realm like a storm. Dikun's wrath was unrelenting. He cut through enemy ranks as though they were but air, every swing of his blade a testament to his fury. No soldier, no civilian—none were spared. The Ghost Realm burned beneath the onslaught.
Yet no matter how deep he searched, Dikun could not find Dik or Sen Ruyon. His rage deepened, festering into something personal, something sharp.
"I will find him," Dikun growled under his breath. "And when I do… I will kill Sen Ruyon with my own hand."
The war was no longer just a command of the Emperor—it was Dikun's vendetta.
Somewhere, hidden in the shadows of the Ghost Realm, Dik and Sen Ruyon continued to move forward. The threads of fate were weaving them closer together, while behind them, a storm of steel and blood drew ever nearer.
The battlefield lay in ruin. Smoke curled in pale wisps into the sky, mingling with the scent of blood and ash. The clash of war had faded, leaving only silence, broken occasionally by the distant cries of survivors and the faint groans of the wounded.
Dijun stood among the ruins, her eyes fixed on Dikun. His armor was streaked with blood, his breath ragged, his hands trembling—not from exhaustion, but from something far deeper. Behind him lay the smoldering remains of the Ghost Realm. Every street, every home, every innocent soul who had dared stand in his path lay reduced to dust.
Her voice broke the silence, sharp but heavy with disbelief. "Why, Dikun… why did you kill the innocent civilians? This was not war—it was slaughter. You've changed. You've become something else. If Heaven Emperor learns of this… he will punish you without mercy."
Dikun turned slowly toward her. There was no anger in his eyes, but something darker—something raw. A cold smile touched his lips, almost bitter.
"Laugh if you want, Dijun," he said softly, voice low, yet burning with years of resentment. "But the truth is… Heaven Emperor has never truly cared for me. Not once. Do you remember when we were children? When Dik was given attention, praise, affection… while I lay sick, forgotten? When Emperor played endlessly with him and never glanced my way? When he promised Dijun that the next ruler—the Empress—would be her daughter, but never said a word to me? Tell me, Dijun… tell me what wrong I have done to deserve this neglect."
Dijun said nothing. Her lips parted as if to speak, but no words came.
Dikun's voice rose, filled with anguish and something more—a confession he had buried deep within himself for centuries. "Is it because of my mother? Because she loved the Ghost King? Because she dared to hold something Emperor could not give her? I was born into silence, Dijun. Born into shadows where no one saw me. And now… now I have found my happiness. I have found it in Dik. I have loved him—not as a brother, but as my heart itself. For years I've kept it hidden. I treated him as my brother because I had to, but my soul… it belonged to him long before anyone noticed. And I told my father—your father—that I would protect him with my life. For once, I made him smile. For once, I felt… seen."
His voice cracked. The steel in his tone faltered. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles whitened. "And then… he leaves. Without a thought for me. Without a care for what I have sacrificed. Dik never once thought about how I would feel. Tell me, Dijun… what did I do wrong? Why must I suffer for loving him? Why must I be the one left with nothing but bitterness?"
Dijun remained silent, her heart heavy. She had never seen this side of Dikun—the wounded side, the vulnerable side, the side that hid behind loyalty and discipline.
Dijun stood unmoving, her gaze fixed on the smoldering battlefield before them. The cries of the wounded had faded, replaced by a heavy, suffocating silence. Dikun's words still lingered in the air, like a blade cutting through the calm.
She did not speak immediately. Her chest tightened with a strange mix of sorrow and unease. She had always known her brother to be loyal, strict, and fearless, but never had she seen him bleed so openly—not with wounds of flesh, but wounds of the heart.
Finally, her voice broke the quiet. It was soft, yet firm. "Dikun… I never knew. You've carried this burden alone all these years. You thought no one cared, and in your own way, you are right. The Emperor has never praised you the way he should have. And perhaps… perhaps he never understood you. But this path you've chosen—this cruelty… it will change you. It will destroy you."
Dikun looked at her sharply, his crimson eyes still burning with anguish. "Destroy me? Dijun… I have already been destroyed. I am nothing now but the shadow of my own heart. And Dik… Dik is all I have left. That is why I will protect him—no matter the cost. Even if it means defying Heaven itself."
Dijun's lips trembled, though she held her head high. "You are not the only one who will suffer for this. If Heaven learns what you've done today, war will burn across all realms. And Dik… he is already in danger. You know that. Sen Ruyon will not stand idle."
Dikun's jaw tightened. He turned away, staring toward the horizon where the Ghost Realm lay in ruin. His voice was low, almost a whisper. "Let him try. Let Sen Ruyon come. I will fight him. And if anyone dares to take Dik away… I will burn their world to ashes."
Dijun fell silent again, her heart torn between anger and sorrow. She knew Dikun's vow was no idle threat. But she also knew that this war was far from over. Somewhere, deep in the shadows, Sen Ruyon's eyes burned for Dik—and his obsession would not be denied.
And so, the quiet before the storm grew heavier still.
In the distance, the sound of war drums echoed faintly—a warning that the blood-soaked path ahead would not end until hearts and realms alike lay broken.