Fires devoured what remained of her kingdom, her people, her family, her life.
Everything was gone.
The throne, the castle, even her name, were all meaningless now.
Let the bandits raid the vaults. Let the vultures pick through the scraps. What truly mattered to her was already burning.
"I should've fought harder," Sinephilim whispered without thinking.
Her jaw clenched.
"I should've protected them…" Her voice soured.
Her fists trembled.
They killed everyone.
A finger tapped her nose.
"Boop."
"Wha…?" She said startled.
Rhenvar stepped out of her shadow like a bad memory.
"Y'know, arm thief," he said casually, "while you're busy monologuing in despair, Aucteros is siphoning your stolen power and gearing up to end the world. Just figured I'd mention it."
Her eyes narrowed. She ignored his words. "I see you really are immortal… Why are you still here?"
Rhenvar sighed, hands on hips. "Apparently, I'm here to save your life."
"I'm not interested in your games, jester." She sneered. "Or should I call you by your other titles? Mad shadow. Aucteros's dog. Or the idiot who danced with the elven prince."
He shrugged, unfazed. "Better a dog than a corpse, like your brothers I guess."
You monster.
"I should reclaim your ring and drag you back to your leash." She stepped forward. "At least then, I'd get some peace and quiet."
That one landed. She saw a flicker behind his light blue eyes.
"Relax, former demon queen," he said, voice a touch colder. "I did not come for a fight. I came to deliver a message."
He stepped closer, gazing at her.
"Your brother Karn wants to speak with you."
Her heart stopped.
That name. There's no way you speak that name to me you monster-
Her thoughts ended.
"…Karn is dead," she breathed.
Rhenvar tilted his head.
"Yeah, I thought so too. Viir was supposed to eat him." He muttered to the side, "Still not clear on that part." Then louder: "Turns out he's… kind of alive. Soul stuck. But I can take you to him."
She hesitated.
Hope… ugly, aching hope, slipped through the cracks of her grief.
He's lying but-
"Why?" She asked softly. "Why would you offer this?"
"Because he asked," Rhenvar said simply. "And because he won't shut up about it."
"You're lying."
"I lie. Often demon. But not about this."
Her eyes searched his face. Lips tight. Fists trembling.
I have one chance… this man is beyond mortal. I ripped out his throat. And he's alive, acting like nothing happened.
Sinephilim looked at his hand.
The stories were true… he can't be killed. This is a good opportunity to see what he is and what he's planning.
"…Fine," she finally said. "But if this is a trick, I'll tear your soul apart from the inside out."
She grabbed his offered hand.
"Wouldn't be the first time someone tried." He said smiling.
His hand- it was cold yet oddly welcoming.
Crimson light swallowed them whole.
****
The Chaos Temple.
They stepped into a ruined temple.
Black floor. Black walls. An endless sky of red stars shimmered above in eternal stillness. She could not hear anything, but one word did escape her lips.
"…Beautiful," she murmured before she could stop herself.
The stars pulsed faintly. They felt… alive.
Was this his domain? It feels… chaotic. What is he?
The only shape in the room she could make out was a pedestal and a body-shaped indent in the wall behind it.
"Welcome to my little hideaway from reality," Rhenvar said, arms wide. "The chaos temple. Oh, and look! This here is where my sword goes, and my armor goes here in this wall!"
She felt odd seeing him excited, like he was showing off.
He's so... relaxed.
"Oh, I can show my blood magic too!" Rhenvar scratched his nose. "Not to brag but it's healing capabilities- wait, you ripped open my-"
A red blur zipped past her eyes, cutting her attention from Rhenvar.
"OH MY Rheeeen~! You brought a girl!" The voice was high-pitched and annoyingly smug.
A palm-sized crimson fae zipped through the air, spiraling around her like an overly excited insect. An insect that looked at her like food.
"Mother would be so proud! You finally brought someone home! Is she the ONE!"
"…What." Sinephilim said in disbelief.
"Viir," Rhenvar snapped, flicking her midair.
"Ow! Pfft. Killjoy." Viir crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue.
Rhenvar turned to Sinephilim. "We'll give you privacy. Don't keep her waiting, Karn."
With that, he and Viir sank into the shadows and vanished.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then one of the stars drifted down from the heavens like a falling ember. It shimmered, then began to change.
A shape formed.
"K- Karn!"
He stood before her exactly as she remembered, tall, red-skinned, horned… healthy. And that same gentle smile.
He pulled her into a crushing embrace. His voice trembled.
"Sister… thank Father. I have this one chance to tell you the truth."
She couldn't move and barely breathe.
"Karn, I-" her voice broke. "I tried so hard, I failed, I failed our kingdom."
Wait, Karns here, he's really here, I can save-
Karn pulled back, smile never fading. "I know your heart, Sin. I know you're already thinking of a way to save me. But you can't."
"Why not? You're here. Rhenvar brought me. There must be something we can do."
"No." Karn's smile faded as he sat down. His voice grew serious. "This place… this magic… it's not part of our world. Rhenvar isn't just cursed. He's something else. Divine, maybe. Or damned. Maybe both."
"A God?"
He shook his head. "I'm not one to pry. But still, he saved you, because I asked."
Saved me? From what?
She stared at the red-lit sky, unsure what to say.
"Why?" She finally asked. "I have nothing left. My power. Our kingdom…"
Karn looked up at the red stars with her. "Because you're my sister. And because you're special."
Now Karn looked into her eyes. "Your mother and our father together fought against an entity we have never seen before, wielding powers that did not come from our world."
"Are you saying Rhenvar is not from our world?"
"…Sin, that's not important right now." Karn was serious.
Far more than Sinephilim had ever seen. She understood. This was life or death.
"When you were born your mother, she gave you power, made you the key." He continued.
"Was that why I gained that divine energy?" She asked.
"That wasn't just raw power," Karn looked away. "It unlocks the inner sanctum beneath the Holy City. The place where the heart of our world sleeps."
Karn's face tensed. "Where the world can be destroyed."
She looked at him.
"And now?" Karn's voice darkened. "Aucteros has that power."
Her stomach dropped.
"He's there now." She blurted. "He used his odd magic to-"
"And there's no way to reach him in time." Karn nodded solemnly.
"Karn, this is ridiculous!" She said in disbelief. "This must be a jest."
"It is not sister, our world is going to end."
"N- no. I won't accept that. I saved so many innocent people. I gave everything even our kingdom! Like you wanted- "
"You can't accept it. But you must."
He placed a hand over hers. "I want you to live. There is still hope. Rhenvar, he is here to save another world. Viir told me, in one of her little rants. He may know how to restore our world."
She blinked. "You trust him? He killed you. He killed so many- "
"And maybe he can fix what he helped break. Don't blame him, Sin… he is a troubled man. You saw it in his eyes."
"I still don't understand. Why do you believe in him?" She looked away.
Karn smiled faintly. "Because you're still alive. He brought you here, all I did was ask. Most would have feared the thought, yes he is immortal. But underneath he is still, a man."
Before she could reply, his body flickered. The star rose back into the sky.
And she was alone again clenching her fists.
"RHENVAR!" She screamed.
Rhenvar and Viir reappeared from the shadows, like summoned ghosts.
"So," he said, scratching his head. "Ready?"
"For what, cursed knight?"
He looked past her, at the void, at the stars, at the dying world outside.
"For the end of this world, Demon Queen," he said. "And hopefully a chance to save it. If Darkness is not dead…"
Not dead?
"Rhenvar… can you explain?"
"Sure," he sat down tracing the black stone tiles with his finger.
"Basically we'll be here for eternity if the Goddess of Shadow doesn't survive."
"W-" Sinephilim choked on her breath. "WHAT!"
"I mean that's a good thing isn't it?" Rhenvar looked at her. "You can talk to your brothers forever!"
"Plus it's gets boring with just us two~" Viir flew up to her face. "No one has ever come home."
"Wait," Sinephilim rubbed her temples. "So, you really are really immortal?"
"Yeah!" Rhenvar answered. "Trust me, it's not all it's cracked up to be. It's super boring."
"No it isn't!" Viir fluttered to him. "It's only boring to you because you're a human."
"Hey," Rhenvar grabbed Viir. "My only entertainment in this place is meditation!"
"And you look so funny when you do it," Viir giggled.
I regret taking that hand.