That night, while everyone celebrated the upcoming engagement and the fact that the twins' eighteenth birthday would be the next day, some prisoners from the demon realm —who had been turned into slaves— managed to escape.All the knights were sent with a single order: capture them alive or, if necessary, dead. Truthfully, it didn't matter which.
Lior roamed the dark streets of the city, scanning every alley, until a noise caught his attention. He drew his sword and ventured into the darkness.
In front of him were two demon women. One, older and visibly pregnant, lay on the ground. In front of her, a younger girl of about thirteen held a dagger in her trembling hands.
—Back! Back, or I swear I'll cut you! —shouted the younger one.
—Daughter… No… —the older woman said in pain.
—Don't worry, Mom. I'll protect you.
Lior looked at them; he was ready to capture them and knew it was his duty. But he approached slowly and, with a swift movement, disarmed the younger girl and helped the pregnant woman to her feet. This time, his heart had won over duty.
—I shouldn't be doing this… but I can't. If you go straight in that direction, you'll reach the city's sewer. It's not the cleanest way, but you'll make it to the river and escape, —Lior said, lowering his gaze.
—And why should we trust you? —asked the younger girl.
—You have no other choice…
After that, Lior left, hoping they would escape safely.
The next morning, Lior was summoned to see Lucen.
—Good morning, Lord Lucen. How can I help you?
—Lior, my dear, tell me: did you manage to find any of the fugitives last night?
—No… I couldn't find anyone, sir. I'm sorry.
—Hmm… that's a shame, but I'm sure you did your best —Lucen said, approaching the boy and placing a hand on his shoulder—. You know, compassion is a hallmark of a true hero.
Lior was speechless. He knew Lucen was aware of what had happened the night before, but before he could say anything, Lucen continued:
—I know it's your birthday, but you and Cian must come with me to a place. There, we will discover the end of the prophecy and which one of you will be the hero. But to be honest… I've already placed my bet on one of you —he said with a smile.
The journey they took was long. The place was far from the city, near the border of the human kingdom. It was an old church, filled with panels and markings that told the story of how Aurenval defeated his brother and saved humanity from complete destruction.
—This place, boys, is the first church of Aurenval. Here, our god, in this precious place, struck down his brother —Lucen said, taking a sheathed golden sword from a reliquary—. This is the most sacred treasure: the "Sky Punisher," the divine sword left by our god to cut and destroy evil, and it will be wielded by the hero of our people… one of you two.
Lior gazed at the sword with hope and anticipation, while Cian's eyes were full of greed. The boys were led through a passage until they reached a strange hall. The floor bore old bloodstains, evidence that the place had witnessed thousands of deaths. But what impacted them most was the abyss at the end—the darkness spilling from the precipice could sap the courage of even the bravest warrior.
—This is the hall where we make offerings to our lord, boys. And here everything will be decided… you will fight to the death, and the winner will be the hero.
—What?! What are you saying, Lucen? You're crazy! How could you want me to kill my own brother?!
Lior didn't want to fight. The thought of spilling his brother's blood terrified him. But before he could speak, Cian had already attacked.
The battle was far from epic; it could be better described as a clumsy dance, for Cian had two left feet. Lior parried and dodged everything with elegance as sparks flew. Cian, however, was a bloodthirsty beast, dreaming of the day he would finally destroy his greatest enemy: his own brother.
Lior was growing tired of the situation. Ending it would be easy, but he did not want to harm his brother. With a swift movement, he disarmed Cian; the sword fell over the precipice, leaving Cian defeated on the ground.
Lior looked at his brother's terrified face, pleading for mercy. He raised his sword under Lucen's expectant gaze. His hands trembled, and as he prepared to deliver the finishing blow, he dropped his weapon to the side and turned toward Lucen.
—I refuse to kill my own brother —he raised his hand, pointing at Lucen with contempt—. Let him be the hero; I don't care. Let him have the glory… but I will not kill my brothe…
Something stopped him from finishing the sentence. Perhaps it was the fear of defying authority, Lucen's gaze, or exhaustion… but what truly froze him was seeing Cian, using his own sword, cut Lior's arm from the shoulder in a pure act of betrayal. The arm fell to the ground, and Lior's knees followed. Wrapped in pain, he looked up, and his brother's triumphant face filled him with a feeling he had never known before: hatred.
—You traitor! I spared your life, and this is how you repay me! You're a demon, Cian!
As he tried to rise, Cian struck him and dragged him to the edge of the precipice. Behind them, Lucen approached.
—You know, Lior… you were my favorite. With all due respect to Cian, you had no flaws. The people loved you; you were a great leader, agile with the sword… the princess was going to marry you. And to be honest, I wasn't even going to make them fight this duel: I would have killed Cian myself to clear your path. But you made one mistake: showing compassion to our enemies. What use is a hero who cannot kill? I'll tell you: none.
—Relax, little brother… I'll take care of the beautiful Eliza —Cian said, licking his lips with lust.
Lior's expression hardened, but before he could react, Cian drove the sword through his chest.
—The problem, brother, is that she loves you. The people love you, not me. And, honestly, no one would believe that you lost to me.
Blood trickled from Lior's chest, and his vision blurred as a coldness devoured his body.
—Fortunately for me, little brother, we are identical twins. You should be proud, because even though I don't like it… your name will be the hero's. So… long live the hero Lior!
Cian kicked his brother's body with force, and it was slowly swallowed by the abyss… until everything became darkness.