This was the end of his flight. There was nowhere else to go. With the last of his strength, Luceris Korrin, the last heir of a murdered dynasty, stumbled forward and collapsed to his knees at the black water's edge, staring into its void.
Perhaps the gods were kind to offer him a source to end it all, he thought, his mind numb. Breathing in such water, perhaps he could join his parents and clan soon enough. As the thought finished, his hands grasping the rough stone edge, he braced himself.
And then it happened.
The perfectly still water rippled. The abyssal shine cracked, revealing a blinding, molten gold glow from the depths. Luceris instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes, scrambling back. Looking around, the air itself seemed to thicken with a presence. Something was watching him.
He spun at the sound of a footfall on stone, but there was no one. A moment later, water splashed as if kicked, yet the pool was undisturbed. Then, a single stone skipped across the temple floor from the shadow of a pillar.
"W-wh-who's th-there?" he stammered, his voice echoing in the silence.
"I think he's brave, brother." The voice was charismatic, resonating not in the air but within his very bones.
"Suicide at our altar is… tasteless, at best," answered another, its tone a deep, mellow rumble.
Luceris trembled, his mind racing. In his flustered state, he'd forgotten his suicidal intent and the more important fact: he was in a temple of the deities his mother had so devoutly worshipped.
"Sad, really. I quite liked him."
"That's only because his mother visited our homes to make offerings, brother."
"Really? Hey, mortal cub?"
Luceris, lost in thought, had finally come to the conclusion of who was talking to him. It had to be the Twin Deities. What were their names again?
"...mortal cub?"
"Yes, my Lord?" Where did he get the confidence?
"We liked your mom, mortal cub. So we'll make a deal with you."
"It's not 'mortal cub,' his name is Luceris, remember."
"Ahhh—well, Luceris, what say you?"
Luceris, no longer afraid of the disembodied voices, had seated himself in an unceremonious posture—one leg splayed in front, the other bent as an armrest as he leaned back, looking about. Focus, he commanded himself.
That single thought snapped him back from the false solace of the sanctuary. His clan had been MASSACRED! He was too relaxed! The few moments spent here had made him forget how he had arrived. SUICIDE? That was not an option now.
He steadied his thoughts, realizing in hindsight that this sudden calm was likely the deities' doing. The simmering anger turned to fury, boiling over. The adrenaline that had faded began to roar once again.
Bolting to his feet, he glared into the empty space. "And where were you? Where had you been when my clan was getting massacred! When your people needed you!" He looked at the altar, his voice rising to a shout. "OUR prayers were calling out to you! And you joke with me? Are you serious?"
Quieter now, his head bowed, the words were a broken whisper. "Where were you? Your subjects needed you… our prayers calling out to you. I needed you."
Realizing what he had admitted, he began to laugh. It was a cold, unfeeling sound that tore at his soul, leaving him breathless and heaving. The silence that welcomed him only stoked his rage further.
"MY PARENTS WERE SLAUGHTERED BEFORE ME! MY-MY MOTHER!....MY FATHER! COUNTLESS OTHERS! DO YOU HAVE NO CONSCIENCE?!"
His composure shattered. His body shook, then trembled heavily, his eyes unfocused. Tears welled up, blocking his vision, and then they flowed—hot and relentless—down his chin. One after another, they dripped onto the ancient stone floor. His knees buckled under the weight of his realization.
He was alone. —A hand, unseen but solid as marble, anchored him from falling forward.
He was the last of his clan. —His skin flushed with anger and a soul-tearing pain that began to eat at his being.
He was an orphan. —He began to tremble uncontrollably.
Because of them. —Then he caught onto a wisp of hope. Because of them. Not the deities, but those who had betrayed the clan.
The quake in his hands steadied. Those who had shattered the long-fought peace. They'd betrayed the people.
Perhaps it wasn't too late.
His eyes cleared then, the tears ceasing. Perhaps his mother would get her apology after all. So, it would happen at a later date. With his current strength, he was too weak. Being able to kill them now was wishful thinking. The professionals who had broken into the palace were highly skilled. With the little training he'd been given, his chance of success was a slim 30%. It wasn't enough.
Wait. Deal?
"What deal—" Ahhhhh!
Before he could finish his question, an unseen force lifted and hurled him into the air. With a tremendous SPLASH, he was consumed by the freezing, glowing black water. He quickly held his breath as the golden light pressed in on him from all sides.
"Enough yelling already," grumbled a voice that filled the water.
"Solarius. Could you not act like a hooligan with the subjects!" chided the other.
"What? Don't act like you weren't annoyed by his shouting."