Part 1 - The King Of Light (Chapter 3)

Vael: "What do you need..?"

Lament Pauses, blinking blankly "I forgot."

Vael Flatly "You forgot."

Lament: "Mhm."

Vael: "Osk. You tell me."

Osk:"The Light King is going on a parade in fifteen minutes. I need you to come with us."

Vael: "What are we gonna do?"

Osk: "Nothing yet. He'll announce something."

Vael: "Maybe a new law?"

Osk: "We'll have to see for ourselves."

Lament: "Dude maybe he'll say something crazy, like 'I'm abolishing taxes!' or 'From now on, everyone gets free cake!'"

Vael: "Yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what this tyrant is planning."

Lament: shrugs "Hey, a guy can dream."

(Osk doesn't respond, instead adjusting his hair and looking toward the city.)

Vael: "You seem... different about this."

Osk: "This isn't just another speech. He doesn't hold parades like this unless he wants people to remember something."

Vael: "And you think it's bad."

Osk: "I know it is. Every time he does this, someone disappears. A speech, a celebration, then a purge."

(The distant sound of drums begins to echo from the city.)

Lament claps "Well, standing around won't get us answers! Let's go watch a god stroke his own ego."

Vael: "Fine. But if he hands out free cake, I'll assume it's poisoned."

...

| Vael, Osk, Lament stand together at a parade, packed full of people |

| Drums roar. Fireworks pop. People cheer. |

...

| A bright light shines at the top of the peak of Aurelis. |

Snap.

| The sky forcefully turns into an Golden Aurora Australis |

The Light King: "ARE YOU READY???!!!"

He blitzes down faster than anyone can react.

The Light King: "EYES OVER HERE!"

| The crowd yells in excitement |

The Light King flashes his golden tooth, fixes his golden ring, and throws his hat into the crowds

| The crowd yells in excitement |

He steps forward, hands clasped behind his back, surveying the ocean of people before him. The golden aurora dances above, casting an almost divine glow on his face.

"I have given you security, prosperity, and a world free from darkness." He lets the words hang, absorbing the silent awe of his audience. Then, with a small chuckle, he tilts his head, eyes gleaming.

"And yet..."

His grin tightens. He slowly scans the crowd, pausing just long enough for people to shift uncomfortably, to wonder if they've done something wrong.

"There are those among us—" his voice drops low, "who fail to appreciate what they've been given. Who question the light. Who whisper in the shadows, hoping to stir fear, to spread doubt. Who would rather trade safety for chaos."

His gold tooth catches the light as he smirks.

"You see, I am not just a ruler. I am a protector. A shepherd. And my kingdom? My people?" He spreads his arms, voice swelling with practiced passion.

"You are my flock."

| A roar of approval rises, hands clapping, voices cheering. But his smile never reaches his eyes. |

"And a shepherd does not tolerate wolves in his pasture."

The cheers die down. The weight of his words settles. His gaze sweeps across the faces before him—calculating, knowing, searching.

The Light King spreads his arms wide, his golden cloak catching the light and rippling like liquid.

"I see you."

The air tightens. The people closest to the stage have hands clutching at their hearts in silent devotion.

"I know which one of you belligerents tend to sway your way in and out of what I rule to be safe. My heaven. Our heaven."

His smile doesn't falter, but there's something behind it now. Something sharp, something dangerous.

The Light bends.

Above the city, the golden aurora pulses, shuddering like a living thing. Light trails from his fingertips as he flexes his hands, a soft crackling sound barely audible beneath the tension.

"And yet... there are always those who question, who doubt, who step beyond their place."

"Let me remind you," he continues, his voice lower now, almost a whisper to the ones closest to him, "this peace is mine to give. And it is mine to take. The Light bends to my will, and all who stand against it will burn in its glory."

The golden aurora pulses above them again, more violently now.

"I will not let anyone destroy what I have built. Not while I breathe. Not while I rule."

He raises his hands, fingers trembling with the energy of the aurora, and the crowd falls into a reverent silence, waiting, knowing the final words are coming.

"And if you doubt me, look up. The light will always find its way to the truth."

With that, he raises his hands in a commanding gesture, as if calling the light itself to shine brighter.

The crowd erupts in frantic applause, their cheers rising to screams.

"And to those who dare threaten my kingdom—who think they can tear apart the peace I've crafted, the harmony I've sculpted with my own hands—I will not let you leave."

His voice drops lower, sharper. The crowd stirs uneasily, but he remains still, his smile never faltering, like a predator waiting to strike.

"There will be no place you can hide. No darkened alley or distant corner where you can find refuge. You cannot escape the light that I control."

"Some may call it justice," he continues, his voice slipping into a quieter, more dangerous tone, "but what I do is far beyond that. I do not need your gratitude. I do not seek your love. What I give is a world free from chaos, a world of order, and I will not allow even the smallest seed of disorder to sprout."

He pauses, his grin widening but remaining hollow, calculating.

"Because you see," he leans forward, almost whispering now, "I am not a hero. I am not your savior. I am the light that guides you, and the hand that will smother every thought of rebellion. When the time comes, you will understand that my protection is not a gift. It is a necessity. A mercy."

"To those here today. I Caelus Aurelis, will grant you eternal peace, eternal love, and eternal prosperity."

"Goodbye."

| Everyone in the crowd scream their lungs out. |

"CAELUS! CAELUS! CAELUS! CAELUS! CAELUS!"

| The Aurora Australis stops. |

...

Vael: "A false god."

Lament: "I didn't understand any of his fancy lingo."

Osk: "He's gonna send someone to kill us all. I've seen it before. Anyone who poses a threat will die to due to his word."

"We need to prepare."

...

— Osk's House.

Vael: "So what now..?"

Osk: "We have no plans. We cant make one.. Listen, Vael."

"I've spent my life hiding from him—his influence, his power. But the truth is, I'm a product of his hands. No matter where I run, I can never escape what he made me. So if he wants to finish what he started, he can come and take me himself. I won't run. I won't hide. Let him face what he's created. Because if it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he'll get. I'll make him see what he truly made—someone who isn't afraid to tear it all down."

...

Lament: "Someone's here."

| The walls explode. |

| A black fog starts to leak into the surroundings. |

Osk: "COVER YOUR NOSE!!"

Vael blocks his mouth and nose with water.

Osk covers his nose.

Lament covers his toes.

Lament is sent to sleep.

A robed man, covered with a mask saying "Caution: Hazard," steps out.

Osk: [That's one of the generals in Aurelis.]

SHING!

Morticivus goes through a fake image of the general.

Osk: [Have I already been caught by the smoke??]

Vael shoots a precise beam of water behind Osk.

The general is hit.

A small amount of blood sprays onto the floor.

The General: "So it's true... another one of you magic users has rebelled against him."

The General sets his own toxin on fire.

| BOOM! |

Lament, Osk, and Vael are sent flying out of the house.

Osk: "AGH!"

Vael: "SHIT!"

| Coughing |

| They have some time to breathe before the smoke is replaced again. |

| Panting |

The General rushes over to Lament.

He pulls out his poisoned dagger.

...

BANG!

Osk shoots and clips The General's pointer and middle fingers off his hand.

Osk and Vael rush in, relentlessly attacking The General with punch after punch, kick after kick.

The General releases his toxin. Osk inhales some of the gas.

The General kicks away Vael. Grabs Osk and releases spores that latch onto his skin.

Osk: "AGGH!"

Vael: "This can't be happening... not now... not today."

The General leaps to Vael and lands a devastating right hook.

The General releases more spores.

Vael drops a water bottle, causing it to explode, creating small piercing water bullets and mist that negate the spreading spores.

The General is hit, and blood splatters from his chest.

Osk sweeps low, trying to catch him off guard, but the General blocks and kicks him across the chest. Vael lunges in, landing a blow to the General's ribs, but he immediately retaliates with a sharp elbow to Vael's throat, sending him stumbling back.

The General releases more toxin, Osk inhales some of the gas and stumbles. His vision blurs, but he grits his teeth and fights through it, pushing forward.

Osk: "Focus... Focus..."

His vision changes. His body feels like it's sinking, too heavy, too slow. The poison digs deeper. The General's form distorts—one moment solid, the next shifting in multiple directions.

Osk: "Hallucinations? That fast?"

His grip on Morticivus falters. The poison floods his system, and every step feels like wading through quicksand. The General steps closer, voice taunting.

The General: "Ah... there it is. The moment you realize your own body isn't yours anymore."

The General hits an hard right hook at Osk.

The General laughs and lunges at Vael, throwing a quick jab to his stomach. Vael gasps for air but counters with a water whip, lashing it across the General's face, pushing him back for a moment.

But the General shrugs it off, his body slamming into Vael with full force. The General grabs Vael by the neck, squeezing as he releases another wave of spores, forcing Vael to struggle for breath.

Vael: "Gah...!"

Osk rushes in, grabbing the General's arm and pulling it off Vael. He forces a knee into the General's side, but the General laughs and kicks Osk off, sending him crashing into a wall.

The General takes a deep breath, his body trembling as he releases even more spores into the air. Osk can feel them beginning to latch onto his skin.

Osk: "Damn it..."

Vael, still struggling to breathe, grabs a nearby rock and hurls it at the General, distracting him just long enough for Osk to regain his footing. Vael follows up with a water blast, pushing the General back.

But the General is fast. He lunges, catching Osk by the arm and twisting it behind his back, forcing Osk to his knees.

Osk: "Ugh...!"

Vael rushes in, but the General backhands him with a savage strike, knocking him off balance.

The General's toxic form surges, and he releases a powerful punch aimed directly at Osk's face, but at the last moment, Osk dodges to the side, narrowly avoiding the hit. The punch slams into the ground, leaving a crater.

Osk: "Not this time..."

With a burst of hope, Osk breaks free. The Star of Noctros activates. | Osk gets faster, stronger, more durable during possible near death experiences. |

launching himself at the General with a barrage of strikes. Vael follows up, his fists and water pressured beams crashing into the General's defenses.

The General raised his arms to block, but the constant barrage wears him down. His form begins to flicker, the gas and spores leaking from his body more erratically.

Osk and Vael press on, relentless. The General's movements slow, but his rage intensifies, each strike more desperate than the last.

Osk flicks in with his weapon, knowing that death could come at any moment.

BANG!

He shoots off the General's elbow, leaving his arm hanging by the remaining tendons and skin.

The General roars in pain, his arm dangling. His gaze locks on Osk, blood dripping to the floor.

Osk: "Your false god isn't here anymore."

Vael and Osk rush toward him, unleashing a barrage of punches, kicks, and occasional attacks with their weapons.

The General stares. Without hesitation, he thrusts his remaining arm into the air, a cloud of toxins swirling around his fist like a storm. The gas condenses into a dense, poisonous mass.

With a roar, he punches the down.

SHHHRRROOOOM! BOOM!

The force of the punch sends a shockwave through the surroundings, knocking debris in all directions. Osk barely manages to dodge as chunks of stone and wood explode around him. Vael reacts quickly, pulling Osk out of the way just in time.

Vael: "Watch out, he's—"

The General charges, moving faster than either of them can. His remaining arm whips forward, a spurt of gas aimed directly at Osk's face.

Osk: "Not good!"

Vael grabs one of his water bottles and—

The General stabs Vael.

Vael: "AHG?!"

Vael is sent flying toward Osk.

Vael softens the impact by creating water to slow down the transfer of energy.

Vael: "Damn iiiiit!"

...

"You know, I never had the best grades, never the smartest one in the room.

I always stuttered when I tried to explain myself, never had the right words. I thought I could make up for it, maybe by being brave... by being strong. But none of that mattered here.

Look at me now.

I can barely stand, can't even keep my eyes open without feeling like I'm drowning. I thought I was meant for something more, but all I've done is hold everyone back.

I was supposed to be better than this.

Why didn't I try harder? Why didn't I learn faster? If I could just think clearer, just do something right...

But I never was good enough.

The world doesn't care about my excuses. Doesn't care about the things I wanted to say or the things I never said. It doesn't care that I wanted to be a hero.

I'm just a kid who wanted to be something more. And now I'm a fool, lying here, barely able to move.

I never had the right words...

Maybe I never needed them. Maybe I was just supposed to do.

But what if doing isn't enough? What if this is how it ends?"

Vael goes through Osk.

| It was a reflection of water. |

The General: "What? What the fuck?"

Osk rushes in behind, leaping behind The General, and STABS him right through the heart.

The General: "AAAAGH!!!"

"I will not die like this! Not in the hands of these rebels! Not in failure! You promised me power, you promised me victory—DO NOT ABANDON ME NOW!"

| The General transforms into his gaseous form by taking all toxins back. |

...

Vael: "Hey, tox guy! Should've hydrated yourself!!!!" [Laughs]

Vael clicks the lighter that the general had used to explode the house.

The General: "No... NO!"

The General's voice is a horrified roar, his pride and desperation melding into a chaotic scream.

The flames roar louder, his form distorting as the fire melts through his gas, his screams becoming raw, animalistic.

He's forced to return to human form, his mask and clothes melting on him.

The General: "AHHH!! AHHH!!!"

...

2:32 AM.

The fight ends.

| CHAPTER 3 END. |