12

"Hmph, this room leaves much to be desired," Aria scoffed, settling into one of the chairs with an air of indifference. Her back was turned to the shadows creeping along the walls, where multiple figures emerged, their presence thick with menace.

"Aria Mon'draigg... the Bloody Thorn," Baron Balthort muttered, his voice low as he pointed his spear at the elderly woman. Aria, unfazed, continued to clean her rapier with a white cloth, her movements slow and deliberate. The six figures surrounding her tightened their grip on their weapons, tension crackling in the air like a storm about to break.

"I'm impressed," Aria said, finally standing and tossing the cloth high into the air. It fluttered down like a slow-motion leaf, and she watched it with a bemused smile. "Bribing one of my own... now that is something worthy of recognition." Her gaze remained on the cloth, never acknowledging the armed men as if they were beneath her notice.

Baron Balthort and his men remained silent, their eyes narrowing as they inched closer, weapons raised in silent threat. Aria's smile grew, a glint of steel in her eyes as she raised her rapier, its edge catching the faint moonlight seeping through the window. "No words? A pity. I had hoped to meet the one pulling your strings. But no matter, I'll get the answers I want from your corpses."

The room's temperature seemed to drop as Aria assumed an offensive stance, her blade poised to strike. Tension coiled in the air like a viper ready to strike.

---

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit chamber not far away, Jin faced his old friend with a grim resolve. Alcor's approach was methodical, his eyes locked onto Jin's, a dangerous glint in their depths.

"...How did you find us?" Jin demanded, his voice steady, though his heart pounded in his chest. His sword arm throbbed from their earlier clash, a numbing pain he tried to shake off.

Alcor's lip curled in a sneer. "...A father always knows where his son is, no matter the distance." The words rang hollow even to his own ears, and he glanced away, embarrassed by the sentiment.

Jin stared at him, disbelief flashing across his face. "...Pathetic." He crouched low, his gladius held defensively as Alcor moved with lethal precision. The sound of clashing steel echoed off the walls, sparks flying with each powerful strike.

Alcor's attacks came in swift, calculated waves, his blade slicing through the air in an attempt to overwhelm Jin. But Jin held his ground, parrying each blow with practiced precision, his muscles burning with exertion. Every time Alcor thought he had found an opening, Jin countered with a strike of his own, their deadly dance continuing in a relentless rhythm.

The chamber was alight with the fiery sparks of their duel, the intensity of their battle painting the walls in flickering shadows. They moved like shadows themselves, neither giving an inch, neither willing to back down.

Realizing the stalemate, they broke apart, panting heavily. Jin wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes never leaving Alcor, who unbuttoned his shirt for more freedom of movement. The air between them crackled with unresolved tension, memories of their shared past adding weight to every swing of their blades.

"...Why?" Alcor's voice cracked as he lunged forward, his blade thrusting toward Jin's abdomen. Jin deflected the attack with a deft twist of his gladius, then countered with a sharp kick that sent Alcor stumbling backward.

"You know damn well why!" Jin retorted, flipping backward to regain his footing, his blade a blur as he blocked Alcor's next assault. Sparks flew as their swords met, the clashing steel reflecting the fierce determination in their eyes.

"You and I... we deserve better than this!" Jin roared, his voice thick with desperation as he swung wildly, only for Jin to sidestep and retaliate with a savage upward slash aimed at Alcor's chest.

Alcor twisted mid-air, kicking Jin's blade aside and delivering two rapid kicks that forced Jin back. The two combatants never slowed, each attack met with an equally ferocious counter.

"That's no excuse to betray your family!" Alcor shouted, his words cutting through the din of their clashing swords as he landed a solid punch to Jin's jaw.

"The Mon'draiggs were never our family!" Jin's voice thundered in reply as he grabbed Alcor's wrist, using his momentum to hurl him to the ground. "We were nothing more than tools to them, hunting dogs sent here to prove our worth!"

The boy watching from the corner felt his heart constrict as the brutal truth of his uncles' pasts hit him. Abandoned, just like him. The goddess, silent in her wisdom, knew the battle had to end this way. She remained still, a sorrowful witness to the tragedy unfolding.

"They loved us, Jin!" Alcor's voice cracked as he struggled to his feet, tears mixing with the blood and sweat that covered his face.

"To make us forget!" Jin's voice was raw, his soul bared as he drove his blade into Alcor's thigh, the sharp tip cutting deep. Alcor grunted in pain but retaliated with a punch to Jin's chest, the force of it sending Jin staggering backward.

The fight continued, brutal and unyielding. Every blow landed with the weight of their shared pain, every strike fueled by years of suppressed rage. Blood spilled freely as the battle wore on, their bodies battered and bruised, yet neither willing to yield.

"So you ask why I did this!?" Jin's voice was a roar as he delivered a savage kick to Alcor's chest, sending him crashing into the wall. Jin advanced, each step heavy with the burden of his choices. "I want to reclaim the worth I know I have! I want to be where I truly belong!"

He raised his blade high, intent on ending it all, on silencing the demons that haunted him. But before he could strike, a sharp pain lanced through his back. Jin's eyes widened in shock as he looked down to see the boy standing behind him, a dagger in his small hands.

"Uncle Jin..." The boy's voice was trembling, his cheeks wet with tears. "You forgot... actions determine your worth."

Jin's response was a swift kick that sent the boy sprawling, but it was enough. The distraction allowed Alcor to surge forward, his sword plunging into Jin's chest with a sickening crunch.

Jin gasped, blood bubbling from his lips as he met Alcor's anguished gaze. His grip on his gladius loosened, the weapon slipping from his fingers as his strength ebbed away. A sad smile tugged at his lips, a final expression of regret.

"...I'm sorry," Jin whispered, his voice barely audible as Alcor withdrew the blade, letting Jin's body crumple to the ground. The room fell into a heavy silence, the echoes of battle from outside fading into nothingness as Alcor stared out the window, tears falling unchecked onto the blood-stained floor.