Chapter 38: The Master's anger

The air was heavy with a suffocating aura as Rhylen entered the grand chamber of the Abyssal Fortress. Towering black pillars lined the room, pulsating with a dark energy that seemed alive. At the far end of the chamber sat his master, shrouded in a swirling mass of shadows, his crimson eyes burning like twin suns.

Rhylen knelt before the figure, bowing his head. "Master, I have returned."

The shadows around the master churned violently, a sign of his barely restrained anger. "Rhylen," the voice boomed, low and guttural, echoing through the chamber. "You've been hiding something from me."

Rhylen tensed but kept his composure. "I do not understand, Master. I have always served you faithfully."

The shadows surged forward, wrapping around Rhylen's throat like tendrils. He was yanked off his knees, suspended in the air.

"Do not insult me with lies!" the master roared. "You never told me that Kael was your brother. You never told me that the Lord of the World—my greatest enemy—is your father!"

Rhylen struggled against the tendrils, but the master's power was absolute. "It was… irrelevant," he choked out. "Kael's bloodline doesn't change our plans. He's just another obstacle."

The master's grip tightened, his crimson eyes narrowing. "Irrelevant? You dare call this irrelevant? Do you understand what you've done by keeping this from me?"

Rhylen winced but met his master's gaze. "Kael's bloodline doesn't matter. I've handled him. He's not ready for the truth, and he's far too weak to challenge us."

The master released him, and Rhylen fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. The shadows receded slightly, though the oppressive aura remained.

"You underestimate him, Rhylen," the master said, his tone quieter but no less dangerous. "The blood of the Lord of the World flows through his veins. He is destined to awaken a power that could destroy everything we've built. And you, his brother, have allowed him to grow stronger under your very nose."

Rhylen rose to his feet, his expression defiant. "I haven't allowed anything. I've tested him, pushed him. And when the time comes, I'll be the one to end him."

The master's laughter was deep and menacing, reverberating through the chamber. "You think you're capable of killing him? You've already failed to break him, Rhylen. Your hesitation, your sentiment—it's a weakness. And weakness is unacceptable."

Rhylen's jaw tightened. "I've shown no hesitation. Kael is nothing to me now. Whatever bond we had as brothers is long gone."

The master leaned forward, his shadowy form growing larger, more menacing. "You lie to me and to yourself, Rhylen. I see the conflict in you, the doubt. If you truly wish to serve me, then prove it. Bring me Kael. Alive. He is the key to the Abyss's final victory."

Rhylen hesitated for a moment, his fists clenching. "And if I don't?"

The shadows surged again, wrapping around Rhylen's limbs and pulling him to his knees. The master's voice was a whisper, yet it carried the weight of a thousand storms.

"Then I will break you, Rhylen. And I will take Kael myself."

The tendrils released him once more, and Rhylen staggered to his feet, his body trembling with a mix of anger and fear. He bowed his head, his voice steady but laced with defiance.

"As you command, Master."

The master leaned back into his throne, the shadows around him calming. "Do not fail me again, Rhylen. Or you will learn what true despair feels like."

Rhylen turned and left the chamber, his mind racing. The weight of his master's words bore down on him, but so did the image of Kael's face when the mask broke. For a brief moment, he had seen not the enemy, but his little brother—the boy he once swore to protect.

As he walked through the dark halls of the fortress, Rhylen's thoughts were torn between duty and family. The line between the two was growing thinner with every step.