Chapter 63 It’s Time to get Serious.

“There’s nothing to talk about. Nothing to understand! It’s simple—you answer for what you’ve done. For every lie, every life you destroyed, every sin you buried under this kingdom!”

He pointed his sword at Arthur.

“You don’t get to walk away from this, grandfather. You don’t get to pretend it’s all fine. You need to atone for your crimes. Every last one of them. And if you won’t… then I’ll make you.”

Arthur spread his arms wide, in that moment he looked less like a monster and more like a weary old man speaking from the heart.

“Oh, my dear boy… please. You have to understand. Everything I did—every sacrifice, every secret—was for the greater good. Can’t you see? Haven’t you looked around you? My kingdom is haven. Streets so clean you could eat from the stones! No crime. No murder. No theft. No prisons. No slaves. No beggars to rot on the steps of temples. Every man and woman work, and because they work, they prosper. Because of me, Rein. Because of my rule.”

He took a step forward.

“You say the truth will condemn me, that people will rise against me… but you’re wrong. You haven’t seen the filth in other nations—the hunger, the sickness, the cruelty, the filth that festers when kings grow weak. Compared to them, Aura kingdom is paradise. My people will not leave me. They cannot. They know they will never find another land so perfect as mine.”

Arthur’s voice grow warm again, almost pleading.

 “Please, stop this foolishness, Rein. Come home. I can forgive this outburst. The castle destroyed? Pffft! We can rebuild, I was thinking about remodeling anyway. The people know a little blunder of mine? They’ll forget soon enough, give it a hundred years or two. You, siding with the enemy, betraying me—betraying my trust in you?” 

Arthur chuckled low, shaking his head as if at some harmless prank.

 “Ha! I’m a forgiving man, Rein. Let’s call it water under the bridge. All forgotten… and forgiven. It’s fine—I know what it's like to be young, hot-blooded, swept away by love and passion. I was there once too. I know how blinding it feels.”

He smiled, wistful and almost sad.

“But with time, you’ll see. You’ll see that I was right all along. Rein… you are not like them. You are royal blood. Blessed beyond all others. Do you know what I saw the day you were born? In all my centuries, not once had I seen a child so touched by the gods. You were a miracle to me. My wonder boy.”

Arthur’s voice deepened, full of pride, even reverence.

“You. Rein. You alone are worthy to carry my legacy. You, who surpass me in blessings. You, who will soon surpass me in power. It is your destiny. My throne, my kingdom, my crown—it was always meant for you.”

He extended his hand, palm open, eyes filled with warmth.

“Please, my boy. Understand. This is who you are. This is who you were born to be. I'll ask you again, Rein. Let's go home.”

Rein stared at Arthur’s outstretched hand, at the warmth in his grandfather’s eyes, and felt the heat rising in his chest until the words burst out of him.

“I don’t care! I don’t care about destiny! I don’t care about power! And I couldn’t care less about your damn crown! All I care about are the people around me—the ones I swore to protect. The ones you would trample, enslave, destroy, just to keep your throne. You talk about blessings and miracles? Maybe you’re right. Maybe I was born for something greater… but if that’s true, then I wasn’t born to follow you. I was born to stop you."

“Don’t be foolish, boy! So young... so damn naïve! Rein, you and I—we are the same! Looking at you, I see myself when I was your age! Full of stupid pride and foolish beliefs! Thinking talk could end bloodshed, that love could endure anything. That a few good words will save the world, that if we just talked, we could solve any problem crap! But that’s not how the real world works!”

Arthur took a step forward.

“I saw your blessings the moment you were born, Rein. I recognized one instantly. You have the Longevity Blessing… just like I do. You will live as long as I have—longer, even! Do you know what that means?! Do you know what time does to you?“ 

Arthur’s voice dropped, heavy, haunted.

“I built this kingdom for her… for my wife. My one and only. I was just like you—sick with love, blinded by hope, desperate to believe in the goodness of people. She was my world, my reason. Eighty-one years, Rein. Eighty-one years—the best of my life. I loved her when youth faded, when illness stole her laughter, when her body grew frail and tired. I loved her until her final breath. I never stopped loving her. I love her to this day.

But time… time is cruel, Rein. She turned to dust, and I—I remained. Always the same. Always watching. I loved her, but time ripped her from me. Time will rip everything from you too.”

Arthur’s voice sharpened, his finger jabbing toward Rein like a spear.

"I have lived for 364 years, Rein! 364 fucking years! You will meet the same fate as me! You will know the pain of watching everyone you know, everyone you love—all your friends, your children, your beautiful wife—grow old and turn to dust… while you remain forever the same!"

Rein stood silent for a long moment, letting his grandfather’s words ring in his head. The grief, the rage, the centuries of loneliness—he could feel it all. 

“…No, I won’t become like you. I won’t break the way you did. I won’t turn into you. I know pain is coming. I know I’ll outlive people I care about. But that doesn’t mean I’ll throw them away before time takes them. Because every moment I get with them is worth it. That’s the difference between us, grandfather.” 

Arthur’s face twisted, veins pulsing at his temple as he stepped closer.

“Give it a few fucking hundred years, boy! Then say that to my face! You think your convictions will hold? After two hundred years, when everyone you love is nothing but dust, when you’ve buried them all with your own hands, when you're the only one standing in the funerals—then you’ll see. Then you’ll curse every word you just said. You’ll see that I was right. You’ll see ME in the mirror!”

Suddenly, space tore open behind Arthur, a black scar of void ripping wide. From its abyssal depths, a blade as black as night burst forth, cleaving downward with monstrous force. Obsidian light rippled like fire across its edge. The claymore slammed toward Arthur like the wrath of a star, and from the void emerged Aura herself.

“Arthur, you bastard! What lies have you been pouring into his ears?!”

 “Rein—whatever he said, don’t let him get in your head. That man’s words are rot. He’ll say anything to chain you down, to make you doubt yourself.”

“He told me nothing that will change my mind, But I’m glad you’re alright, Aura. Because the time for talking is over. We’re going to finish this.”

His head turned back to Arthur.

“Sorry, Grandpa. For thinking you were just old and weak… for underestimating you. But now—it’s time I got serious.”

“Ahhh... So stubborn. Just like your father, my foolish son. Come then. Show me what you’ve got.”