The past (10): This ends now.

"Please"

Still his brother stood motionless--- an unmoving monument to all that gone wrong.

And the silence, Carlos had always thought to protect his brother, means to become the sword that ends the others that try to ruin his brother. But Carlos finally understood: to protect his brother now meant becoming the sword that ended him. Not out of hate. Not out of pride. But out of his mercy.

A single tear traced down Carlos cheek as he let his hand fall and grabbed his sword. It had been a long time since he had let tears fall down and coldness had taken his face. Now he understands, his brother is truly the one that can break him like that.

The king watched how Carlos' hand fell and grabbed the sword. He sighs as he also grabs his own sword.

"So, you had made a choice"

"..."

"It is a good choice"

Then both of them lunged. 

Steel met steel with the scream of betrayal,of brothers turned enemies for fate and destiny. Their blades clashed like thunder, echoing the whole room. Blow after blow, they fought—not for the throne, but for survival and the memories of the boys they used to be.

And with every clash, Carlos felt something break deeper inside him, not just trust, not just loyalty but heartbreak for his brother consuming with—

Love.

The king's eyes flared with a cold light, unnatural and ancient. As their swords were crushed again and again and locked, Carlos had realized that frost curled up the steel of the king's blade, crawling towards Carlos' sword like a serpent of winter. With a sudden burst, the king shoved Carlos back and swept his free hand through the air. And before the king can swirl again, Carlos jumps back to not touch the sword filled with frost. And Carlos saw ice explode across the floor as if the snowy storm had crossed throughout the whole room.

"You can't win this" the king said, voice layered with magic, breath fogging in the sudden chill.

"You had no blessings , no powers and especially no gods to supported you"

"And i don't like wasting time"

Carlos' breath came in clouds, his fingers numbed from the cold biting through his gloves. Even though he was able to avoid the explosion, his sword still caught the frost. Stil, he stood tall.

"I had survived without those guys for a long time already" 

"I don't need them, I don't need powers nor blessings."

"I have rage, brother. And I have purpose."

The king raised his sword again, this time wreath in shards of ice that howled like wind through mountain peaks. He brought it down with unnatural speed, the cold cracking the floor in his wake—but Carlos was already moving. He knows that move. He knows what his brother would do. Carlos' memories are still clear, he trained with his brother again and again until he won against his brother. Even so, Carlos knows his brother never uses his full strength. Carlos duck beneath the blow and answer with a savage slash that sparked against the king's cloak.

Each movement was a defiance. The King fought like a god— elegant, destructive, otherworldly. Even though it is not the time, Carlos had no choice but to admire. His brother had never fought with such a facial expression. That is truly new for Carlos. And for some reason, the world is slowing down as it is grateful for his brother's face. As he was thinking, the swords lunged towards like a storm. Only then did Carlos realize that he is still fighting his brother. Carlos then focused again and fought like a man with nothing left to lose. Every step he took cracked the ice, every parried blow chipped away at the king's confidence.

"You were always the better swordsman." the king admitted, circling Carlos as if the wolf were circling his prey before eating.

"Thanks to you and the war" Carlos said back, not breaking eye contact with the king.

For a moment, Carlos was taken aback as he saw his brother smile on his motionless face.

But before he could speak, the ice swords that his brother had created had already attacked him. And Carlos avoided all the ices while running, he saw his brother standing as he watched Carlos avoiding all those attacks. With a roar, Carlos surged toward his brother. As expected the king saw it coming as ice formed a barrier— but the king didn't think about Carlos' craziness. Carlos shattered it with brute force. The king was taken aback by that. But the shockingness was quickly returned into motion as the king focused again. Swords flashing and crashing again and again. Carlos drove the king back, blow after blow, until sparks flew and frost broke down by his pure force. 

And Carlos' hand, it is bleeding. But Carlos had no time to care. He had to fullfil the promise. He needs to survive.