The Flames of Betrayal

They sat quietly, still processing the elder’s long explanation about the village’s secret. The wind outside had calmed, but inside the shrine, something heavy hung in the air.

Ren finally broke the silence.

“So… who do you think was behind the attacks? The kidnapping of Hiyori?”

The elder closed his eyes for a moment and let out a tired sigh.

“I have a strong suspicion,” he said. “Though I wish I didn’t.”

He opened his eyes, gaze firm.

“It’s my older brother. Raiga.”

The group blinked in surprise.

“Your brother?” Alex asked. “But why would someone from your own family—your own village—want to harm you? And go after the elixir?”

The elder looked away, disappointment tightening the lines on his face.

“Raiga was exiled fifty years ago. He was a gifted mage, but… greedy. Twisted by ambition. He wanted to sell the secret of the elixir to outsiders—tried to broker deals with warlords and kings who would’ve drained this place dry. When we refused, he turned violent. We had no choice but to cast him out.”

They listened closely, eyes narrowed, jaws tight. None of them had expected this to turn into a story of betrayal from within.

“He’d be… what, almost a hundred by now?” Melissa asked. “But… he’s still alive?”

“I suspect he either stole a large amount of the spring’s water before he was exiled… or he found a way to sneak back and keep drinking from it in secret,” the elder said grimly. “There’s more than one path into this valley. Most are hidden from outsiders—but not from those born here. He knows every inch of this land. The traps, the maze, the blind spots. Someone like him wouldn’t need the front gate to reach Hiyori.”

Rachel’s expression darkened. “So that means… the one who kidnapped her didn’t come from outside. He was already inside.”

Ren leaned forward.

“Elder… we didn’t just come here chasing rumors. I’ve been searching for answers. My body—it’s not normal. I don’t have any special training or powers, but I’m far stronger than I should be. I can survive things no one else can. Do you know anything about that?”

The old man gave him a thoughtful look, as if weighing something deep within his memory.

“Strong…? What do you mean by strong?”

Before Ren could answer, a sudden explosion shook the earth beneath them—BOOM.

Dust rained from the shrine’s ceiling.

“What was that?!” Melissa shouted, bolting to her feet.

Then came a second blast. BOOM. Closer. Louder. The whole building trembled.

A distant alarm bell rang out—low and urgent. The kind of sound that only meant one thing.

An attack.

They rushed outside.

Smoke curled into the air in dark, choking spirals. Fires had erupted in several parts of the village. People screamed as they fled down the streets—families clutching children, elders shouting for help. Chaos had erupted like a wildfire.

And among the smoke… figures.

Thugs in ragged armor, blades drawn, cutting down anyone who stood in their way.

“Oh no…” the elder whispered, horror overtaking his voice. “It’s him. He’s here. My brother… he’s come to destroy us all.”

They didn’t hesitate. The group sprinted into the village to help.

Kazuma helped lift a fallen beam off a collapsed roof. Alex summoned walls of earth to block the spreading flames. Rachel broke open locked doors to get people out. Melissa tended to the injured, dragging them to safety.

Children cried. Flames roared. People screamed.

“They were already here,” Kazuma growled, drawing his sword. “They never left. These are the same bastards who attacked us on the mountain.”

That’s when a man stepped forward through the smoke—tall, cloaked in black, with a scar running down his cheek.

His voice came cold and cruel, laced with venom and glee.

“Brother… my sweet little brother. It’s been so long.”

The elder’s eyes narrowed.

“Raiga.”

Raiga grinned, stretching his arms out mockingly.

“You’re still as soft as ever,” he said. “Come now. Join me. Help me sell that miracle water of yours and you’ll live a rich, easy life. Refuse… and I’ll take it from your corpse.”

“I’d rather die,” the elder said quietly, “than sell our ancestors’ legacy to a monster like you.”

Without another word, he raised his hands and whispered an incantation. Water formed from the air—streams rising into the sky before cascading down like a sudden monsoon.

The fires hissed and died beneath the downpour.

Ren’s eyes widened.

“That’s… amazing.”

Alex grinned, despite the chaos.

“Man, I wish I could use more than just earth and fire.”

But the elder didn’t respond. He was already moving again—toward the next flame, toward the next scream, toward anyone he could still save.

The group followed him.

They ran into fire.

The elder had managed to put out most of the fires with his magic. Smoke still lingered in the air, but for now, they were focused on rescuing as many people as possible. Villagers huddled in the corners, coughing and scared. Cries echoed from every street. But amidst the chaos, one man stood calmly.

Raiga.

He watched the destruction like it was a performance made for his amusement. A twisted grin spread across his face.

Then he raised his hand.

“Come on out, boys. Time to end this little charade.”

A group of fighters emerged from the smoke.

They were rough-looking men—battle-hardened, weapons drawn, eyes burning with bloodlust. Among them were faces Ren and the others recognized. The pirates. The same ones from the ship.

Ren’s fists clenched at the sight of their boss.

His blood boiled.

There were others too—new ones. Men dressed like wandering swordsmen, some clad in armor with long katanas strapped to their backs. A strange mix of mercenaries and madmen.

The pirate boss’s voice rang out, loud and taunting.

“You caught me off guard back then with that flashy little fire trick. But this time, I’m ready. I’ll bury every one of you… and drink the spring dry.”

He laughed, wild and confident.

“You’re still a coward,” Ren growled, stepping forward. “You used a little girl to threaten us. That won’t work today.”

His eyes burned with rage.

“I’m going to rip you apart with my bare hands.” said Ren

Kazuma stepped up beside him, both swords drawn.

"You ran off that day like a coward. If you’d stayed, we would’ve shown you exactly who you messed with."

The pirate boss’s expression twisted. “Kill them all.”

His men charged.

The villagers who were trained for combat pushed back, clashing with the thugs in a desperate attempt to defend their home.

Kazuma was already slicing through the enemy lines, cutting them down with ruthless precision. He wasn’t holding back. Not today.

“You,” Ren said, locking eyes with the pirate boss. “You’re mine.”

“Ren, wait!” Rachel called out, but he didn’t turn.

“Stay out of this, Rachel,” he snapped. “This is between him and me.”

The boss grinned, pulling off his coat and letting it drop to the ground.

“I’ll leave the swords out of this,” he said with a crooked grin. “Didn’t work on you anyway.”

They moved toward an open space, just outside the village’s outer path—far enough from the chaos. A place where they could finish what was started.

With fists.

To be continued...