8. Shattered Dreams

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Chapter 8: Shattered Hope

Kai couldn't even lift his head anymore. His body had given up. Every breath felt like a curse, and each second dragged like an eternity. Lying there, he stared blankly into the void, thinking to himself:

What did I ever do to deserve this? Did I harm anyone? Is this the punishment for being weak?

Tears welled up in his eyes—not from the pain, but from helplessness.

If only I had been strong... If only I had trusted my instincts instead of walking into this hell.

He gave a bitter laugh under his breath.

I was the fool. A fragile, naive fool.

That small laugh echoed faintly in the cavern, and Ruok, who was watching from a distance, narrowed his eyes.

"You're laughing?" Ruok's voice was sharp, almost offended. "Why are you laughing when you're about to die?"

Kai's voice trembled but carried weight. "I'm laughing... at myself. At how pathetic I am. Weak, gullible... and so damn trusting. I keep falling for the same tricks again and again. I even believed you'd spare us."

Ruok smirked, amused. He walked over with a wicked glint in his eyes and looked at Moon, who lay unconscious nearby like a corpse, completely still. Then, he held up a small vial containing a faint green liquid.

"I have a healing potion," Ruok said mockingly. "Only one, though. Guess who gets it?"

Kai's eyes widened. "Give it to me! Please!"

Without thinking, he snatched the vial from the air as Ruok tossed it lazily toward him. Without hesitation, Kai opened it—but was stunned to see that it contained only a single drop of liquid. Still, he didn't care. If there was even the smallest chance it could help his brother, he would take it.

He leaned over and gently opened Moon's mouth, letting the drop fall in.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then—

Moon's body began to twitch violently.

Kai recoiled in horror.

"No… no, what's happening?!" he shouted. "What did you give me?!"

Moon's peaceful, still body began to convulse as though possessed. His skin started to melt in places—his stomach bubbled and split open, revealing rotting organs. His liver disintegrated before Kai's eyes, and blood sprayed outward like a cracked dam.

Kai's scream echoed. "MOON!!!"

Ruok burst into maniacal laughter. "HAHAHAHA! You idiots fall for everything! You trusted the same monster who already betrayed you once. What did you expect?"

He pointed at Moon, whose eyes were rolled back, his mouth frozen in a silent scream.

"You fed your brother poison, and now look at him—he's dying… slowly… screaming in a place you can't even reach."

Ruok said after a break "You're the reason he is getting this pain"

Kai turned back toward ruok in disbelief, only to be met with a brutal slap across his face. His jaw cracked loudly, the pain shooting through his skull like fire. He fell to the ground, blood pouring from his mouth.

But he didn't stop. Then his eyes fell over the broken katana which he used to kill that essence creature. He grabbed the broken remains of his katana and lunged toward Ruok, aiming for his eyes with all the fury in his heart.

In the background, Moon's agonized screams echoed like death itself. His body was dissolving. Parts of his skin were peeling off, his belly was torn wide open, and everything inside him was rotting from some cursed energy, Moon felt a pain worse than death at this moment. Only thought Moon had to get death as soon as possible he dont want this pain .

Ruok caught the blade with ease.

"You think I'm some weak little Cryo Rhino?" Ruok growled, his grin disappearing. He grabbed Kai's wrist and clenched.

Kai screamed in agony. With a sickening crunch, the bones in his hand turned to powder.

The pain was unbearable, but Kai still tried to fight, to kick, to move—anything. But Ruok pinned him down with a brutal hold and started twisting the broken hand again.

"You feel that?" Ruok whispered, licking the blood from his cheek. "That's the sound of your useless resistance."

Then, with a final jerk, Ruok tore Kai's entire arm off.

A fountain of blood exploded, soaking Ruok's face.

Ruok closed his eyes and smiled as if he were in pure ecstasy.

"Oh, the sound of your brother screaming… the scent of your blood… it brings me peace."

Kai was shaking uncontrollably. His vision was blurring, his body failing him. But still, he tried to crawl. He tried to bite Ruok's leg, to do something, anything.

But Ruok kicked him down again and grabbed his other arm.

He proceeded to tear off all of the Rest limb intact to Kai .

Kai this try time bite his lower lip To resist but failed and end up screamiidn"aaaaaah"

Then Ruok showed him a hand of his .

"Didn't you attack me with this hand?" he said coldly. "Let's fix that."

And then, with a twisted calm, walked up and took a bite of it like it was meat, well it was a meat but of the same kin, which Rouk was eating like Chicken or lamb .

Kai choked on his own screams.

Moon's voice had now faded. His breath had stopped.

At the end Moon had said only one thing "Kai".

Kai turned his head, eyes wet with tears, and saw Moon's lifeless body… still and pale… completely still.

"No… Moon… please…" he cried, voice broken and barely audible. "Don't leave me…"

Ruok walked over slowly, crouched near Kai, and whispered, "Why not follow your brother, hmm?"

Kai tried to resist. Even with no arms, no legs, just a pool of blood beneath him, he tried to bite Ruok. But Ruok laughed, grabbed him by the hair, and twisted his head clean off.

As his soul began to fade, Kai's mind drifted one last time.

He saw Takashi, the owner of the restaurant they worked in , warning them:

> "Remember, no one who enters the Shifting Expanse comes back the same. If they come back at all."

He saw Mrs. Talrana's angry face, the landlady who'd thrown them out like trash.

> "You weak cooks. Get out of my house!"

He remembered Ashok Alhuwalia's voice from their exile hearing:

> "These brats have no potential. Disgrace to the clan."

He remembered everything... the humiliation, the helplessness, the moments of kindness, and Moon's laughter during their last meal together.

With one final breath, Kai's vision went black.

The cavern was silent once again.

Only Ruok remained, drenched in blood, smiling in the dark.

To be continued.

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