The Weight of Power

Chapter 5:

Darius stood over the lifeless body of the magical beast he had slain. The black mist around him slowly faded, revealing his trembling hands. The surge of power coursing through his veins felt foreign yet exhilarating. He clenched his fists—he had changed. But he had no time to dwell on it. Gathering the beast's flesh, he made his way back to town.

As he approached his home, a horrifying sight met his eyes—a group of townspeople beating Krish. Anger flared within him, his vision turning red. With a swift dash, he grabbed his son and shielded him. The men sneered, "So now the weakling's father comes to save him?"

Darius didn't reply. He kicked the nearest man, sending him flying into a stack of crates. The others charged at him, but he had no patience for mercy. Raising his hand, a dark mist coiled around his fingers, spreading toward them. A wave of unseen force gripped their bodies, making them convulse in pain.

The townspeople's eyes widened in horror. "What… what kind of magic is this?!" They trembled as they felt their life force being drained.

Whispers filled the air. "He has magic?!" "This power… it's unnatural…" The crowd took a step back, fear evident in their eyes.

Realizing he had exposed himself, Darius exhaled sharply, retracting his power. He scooped up Krish and hurried home.

Inside, he knelt before his son. "What happened?" he asked, his voice soft but edged with fury.

Krish wiped his bruised face. "Father… I was only asking for food. Kishore is hungry."

Darius felt his heart shatter. He pulled Krish into a tight embrace, his body trembling with grief and rage. His sons were suffering. And it was because of this cursed world.

That night, he made a decision.

"We're leaving this town. We'll find a place where no one will harm you again."

Chapter 6: A False Peace

Darius took his sons to a far-off village, one where poverty thrived, but power meant nothing. Here, they built a modest home, away from the grasp of the Royal Palace.

For a time, they lived in peace. Darius hunted magical beasts for meat, providing food for both his sons and the village. The villagers welcomed him as a hero, grateful for his protection. His sons, though still haunted by their past, found happiness in their father's strength.

But peace was fleeting.

Word of a mysterious dark warrior spread. The Royal Palace, sensing a potential threat, dispatched scouts to investigate. Meanwhile, remnants of the magical bandits Darius had slain had joined forces with the Palace's elite to eliminate him.

Chapter 7: The Massacre of Innocence

One day, as Darius hunted deep within the forest, a nightmare unfolded back in the village.

A group of men disguised as Royal Palace soldiers stormed the village. Their mission: erase all traces of Darius and his family. The villagers, defenseless, were slaughtered mercilessly. Krish and Kishore hid inside their home, trembling as they listened to the screams outside.

The killers found them.

"So these are the sons of the dark warrior?" one of them sneered.

They beat the boys mercilessly, their laughter echoing as Krish shielded his younger brother. But instead of killing them, they did something far crueler—they hung them upside down from the ceiling, leaving them barely alive.

Hours later, Darius returned, his hands full of freshly hunted meat, a rare smile on his face. But the sight that met him erased all joy from his soul.

Blood. Everywhere.

His fellow villagers—dead. Their bodies scattered, lifeless, their homes reduced to rubble.

His heart pounded. "Krish! Kishore!" He ran, his breath ragged, to his home.

There, he found them. Hanging. Beaten. Barely alive.

With shaking hands, he cut them down, holding them close. Tears streamed down his face as he pressed his forehead against theirs. "My sons… I failed you…"

Krish's eyelids fluttered open. "Dad… they wore Royal Palace robes…"

The world around Darius turned to pure rage. His past suffering, his wife's death, his humiliation—all flashed before him.

"Enough."

He had tried to run. He had tried to live in peace. But peace had never been an option.

Chapter 8: The Wrath of Shadows

Darius took his sons and disappeared into the depths of the magical forest. There, he built a fortress of wood and stone, slaughtering every beast within miles to ensure their safety.

"Stay here," he ordered. "I will return for you. But first… I must erase them from this world."

Krish grabbed his father's arm. "Please… don't go."

Darius only smiled. "This is the only way."

He left. A storm followed.

That night, the Royal Palace guards stationed in the capital began disappearing. Bodies piled up in the streets. And then—

The Royal Palace gates shattered.

Darius walked in