After a long and arduous journey, Nahid and Dante arrived at the grand gates of the Monastery of Flames. The monastery carried a terrifying yet sacred atmosphere, with flames that burned endlessly. Looking around, Dante asked, "So this is where you'll regain your power?"
Nahid, his eyes fixed on the interior of the monastery, replied, "Yes. This is where I will face the Fire God."
Dante shrugged. "Looks like a pretty scary place," he muttered.
Turning to him, Nahid said, "Wait here. I need to go inside alone. I must speak with the Fire God and find a way to restore my power."
Dante smiled slightly. "Alright, go alone. But be careful… those flames might be a bit hot," he joked.
Nahid smiled faintly and stepped inside. The interior of the monastery resembled a massive circle of fire. He walked to the center, knelt down, and bowed his head. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and called out to the Fire God.
"O God of Flames, I have come to regain my power. As a warrior who has served you, I ask for your aid."
The voice of the Fire God echoed throughout the monastery—powerful, majestic, and deep.
"My warrior, you have called upon me, and I have heard you. I cannot fully restore your power. But I can grant you a favor."
Nahid lifted his head, attentive. "What do you mean? What will you grant me?"
"I will grant you the Flame Sword," the Fire God said. "This blade will allow you to use your power again. But remember—your power will exist only while you hold the sword. The moment you let go, it will vanish. This is your fate."
Suddenly, a radiant sword engulfed in flames appeared before Nahid. Without hesitation, he grasped it. At that moment, a burning energy surrounded his body. Where his missing arm had been, a new arm formed—entirely made of fire. He could feel power flowing through his veins once more.
Taking a deep breath, Nahid said, "Thank you, Fire God. I will not waste this chance," and gripped the sword firmly.
When he stepped outside, Dante was waiting with his arms crossed. Seeing Nahid's arm made of flames, he smirked.
"So… planning to do some hot work with that new arm?"
Nahid chuckled lightly. "That's not something to joke about, Dante—but thanks."
The two set off toward the temple. Nahid felt the weight of his new power and everything this journey had brought. But now, he was determined—he was one step stronger in his fight against Nicat and the darkness of hell.
A month had passed since the war, yet Nihad still carried its burden. His mind was clouded by guilt over his siblings' deaths and the weight of their fate. At the same time, paranoia was slowly dragging him into darkness.
Eventually, Nihad sent his vizier and a few trusted soldiers to the Peak of Fate. His goal was to find the bodies from the battlefield and bury them, hoping it would ease his mind, even if only a little.
But when the vizier and the soldiers arrived, they found nothing. There were no remains of Nahid or Nicat.
One of the soldiers turned to the vizier. "My lord… could they still be alive? Their bodies aren't here."
The vizier remained silent for a moment, lost in thought. If he told Nihad the truth, the king might lose his mind completely. Nihad believed his brothers were dead—any other possibility could destroy him.
To maintain control, the vizier devised a cruel plan. He called two soldiers forward and seized them by force. Using his flame power, he burned them alive. Their screams filled the peak as their bodies quickly turned to ash. The horrifying silence that followed was suffocating.
The vizier ordered the burned bodies to be placed in coffins. The other soldiers bowed their heads in fear, not daring to question him. Then he returned to the palace with the coffins.
When Nihad heard they had arrived, he rushed to the courtyard. As the coffins were opened and he saw the burned bodies, his heart nearly stopped.
"My brothers… Is this how you were left?" he whispered, his eyes filled with tears.
The vizier bowed his head. "Your Majesty, the intensity of the battle made their bodies unrecognizable. But we found them and brought them here to lay them to rest."
Nihad believed they were his brothers. Once again, guilt consumed him.
"Bury them in my garden," he said coldly. "They will rest here, in the deepest place of my heart."
After the funeral, Nihad retreated to his chamber. He couldn't cope with his emotions. His guilt, combined with paranoia, drove him deeper into darkness. In his mind, he heard the echoes of his brothers' voices, their screams, their ghosts.
He questioned himself constantly.
"What if they're really alive? What if I lose them again?"
As his paranoia grew, his trust in others began to fade. He saw everyone as a traitor, a threat. Yet deep inside, there was a hope he couldn't admit to himself—
What if his brothers were truly alive?
But that hope only pushed him closer to madness.
When Nahid and Dante arrived at the temple, they were welcomed with great joy. Despite the warm reception, Nahid remained quiet, his mind still lingering in the past. Dante, however, stayed close, continuing to crack jokes despite the seriousness of the situation.
One of Nahid's former comrades approached him, his face filled with concern.
"My lord, there's something we need to tell you."
Nahid frowned. "Go on. What happened?"
The man took a deep breath.
"After you left, we went to the Peak of Fate to search for your brothers' bodies. But we found nothing."
Nahid's eyes widened. The news shook him deeply.
"And that's not all," the man continued. "We've received word that Nihad is alive. He returned to his palace after the war, but… from what we hear, he's on the verge of losing his mind."
Before anyone could react, Dante jumped in with a grin.
"So Nihad's in the throne room, staring at a mirror and ordering himself around like, 'You're the king!' huh?"
Nahid blinked in surprise—then a faint smile appeared on his face. He lightly smacked Dante on the back of the head.
"Dante, this is serious… but I'll admit, that was a good one."
At that moment, another comrade continued:
"My lord, Nihad has declared martial law. There's a magical barrier surrounding the city. Because of it, entering the city has become completely impossible."
Dante immediately followed up with another joke:
"A magical barrier? Ah, of course—because what a king really needs when he's losing his mind is a giant magical bubble! Maybe it says, 'No entry—let Nihad feel like a proper king!'"
This time, Nahid couldn't help but laugh.
"Dante, I admire your seriousness… but unfortunately, you being this funny makes things harder," he said.
Then his smile faded, and he turned serious again.
"If Nihad is alive… then Nicat might be alive too. You didn't find his body either. If Nicat is still alive, that could be a disaster for all of us."
His comrades looked at him with concern.
"Then we must save Nihad, my lord. But first, we need to find a way into the city."
Nahid took a deep breath and made his decision.
"Find a way. When Nihad sees me, he'll come back to himself. I won't leave him like this."
His comrades and Dante immediately began preparing a plan to enter the city.
But Dante leaned closer to Nahid and whispered:
"So… when we get past that barrier, do you want me to shout 'Surprise!' to your king brother?"
Nahid let out an involuntary laugh and replied,
"We'll talk about that after we get through, Dante."
Despite everything, Nahid felt that Dante's presence gave him a small sense of comfort on this difficult path.