"Uzah, are you sure everything is under control?" I asked, my voice low. The weight of my words was heavier than usual, the doubts gnawing at me like rats in the dark corners of my mind.
"Yes, sire," Uzah replied, his tone unwavering. "I promise, everything is secure. You're just overthinking it."
He wasn't wrong. I was overthinking it. But that didn't stop the sense of dread from curling around my throat.
"Today is supposed to be joyful," Uzah continued, trying to reassure me, but I heard the undercurrent of unease in his voice. He was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince me. "Your wedding day. A day of celebration."
I sighed, the weight of the moment pressing harder against my chest. "You're right. I just want everything to go perfectly. It's not just about Hiromi and me. This day marks the merging of our families."
Uzah stepped forward, his hand resting on my shoulder for a moment. His eyes, however, remained sharp. "Take a breath, Nasien. I may be your head guard, but I'm also your best man. And more importantly, I'm your brother. Trust me. Everything's in place."
A knock at the door interrupted our conversation. A servant peeked through, his expression calm, though my nerves twisted at the sight. "It's time, my lord."
Uzah gave me a final, firm pat on the back. "Lead the way, brother," I said, my voice calmer now, but my heart still drummed with a quiet urgency. I turn to follow him, and with every step I can feel my blood slowly starting to boil. As if it's trying to warn me of the impending doom.
---
Uzah led me through the corridors to the grand hall. As we neared the massive doors, I glanced at him. He didn't return my look right away, his focus solely on the doors. Finally, I nodded, and he pushed them open with effortless grace.
The hall was filled with people—my family, friends, and allies on one side. Their faces were alight with genuine joy and tearsof happiness, though I couldn't help but notice a few uneasy glances from the younger ones. They could sense it too. Something was wrong.
Across from them, seated among deep blue banners, were Hiromi's people. I could feel their eyes on me—some with disgust thinly veiled by forced smiles, others with blatant resentment. The hall itself seemed to reflect this tension: crimson red on one side, dark blue on the other. The royal purple accents that lined the room did nothing to ease the sharp divide between our two worlds.
I then look doen the middle of the grand hall, i see a distinct black line, separating our colors from blending. A subtle design choice, but I couldn't shake the feeling that the line was more of a boundary, a warning of what was to come.
I kept my eyes forward, ignoring the weight of the stares and the whispers as Uzah took his place beside me. "Getting soft, old friend?" I muttered, seeing the rare trace of happiness in his eyes.
He smirked, giving me a light shove. "You wish. A man can't be happy for his brother?"
I let out a quiet chuckle, the tension easing only slightly.
---
The doors opened again, and the entire hall turned their attention to the entrance. There she was—Hiromi. She moved gracefully down the aisle, her dark hair flowing behind her, her blue gown shimmering with every step. Beside her, her father. The man I would never trust.
For a moment, I couldn't think about him. All I could see was Hiromi. She adjusted her glasses and smiled at me, the softest smile I'd ever seen, one that lit up the room and for just a second, made me believe that maybe, just maybe, this would work.
But then I saw her father's eyes. Cold. Calculating. He wasn't smiling. He never did. As he walked Hiromi down the aisle, our eyes never parted from each other. Only then when they approached did he let out a sly, shit eating grin.
Ignoring that small detail, Hiromi reached my side, and I offered her my hand, squeezing it gently, though the tension never left my body.
The priest began the ceremony. My mind wandered to my guards, Uzah's words echoing in my ears. He'd said everything was fine. But I couldn't shake the gnawing feeling, couldn't push aside the image of Hiromi's father standing there, watching, as if waiting for something.
I glanced at Uzah. He stood tall, vigilant. My most trusted ally. My brother in arms.
The ceremony continued, the words slipping by me as I repeated the vows. "I do." The words felt heavy in my mouth, the weight of this union pressing down on me.
When it was Hiromi's turn, she looked at me with that same smile. "I do."
The priest raised his hands. "Then by the power vested in me by the gods, I now pronounce you—"
An explosion.
The hall was chaos before I could even register the sound. I felt the force of it as it sent me sprawling across the ground, my head slamming into the stone floor. Everything blurred. The ringing in my ears drowned out the screams.
When my vision returned, the first thing I saw was her.
Hiromi.
Lying in a pool of her own blood. Her hand, outstretched toward me. Her eyes, wide but lifeless.
No.
I crawled toward her, my body moving on its own, my mind screaming. "No... no, no, no!" I didn't know if it was me screaming or someone else. The pain in my throat told me it was me.
She was gone.
The screams around me faded as my eyes scanned the room. My family—burnt corpses, torn apart by the blast. My men—my loyal guards, men who had fought for me, who trusted me—they were dead, their bodies dismembered, blood painting the walls.
But her father. Her father and his people—gone. Fled.
All that was left was a small, beaten group of guards, Uzah, and me.
I looked at Uzah, my chest tight with rage. The king had betrayed us. He had taken everything. Every fiber of my being was burning, as an unknown energy starts to seep from a deep part of myself.
"Uzah, where are they?" I say in a broken voice, sounding as if multiple people spoke.
Taken aback, Uzah then responds " They're outside my lord, after the first bomb, the humans started attacking us."
Gripping a slightly deep wound tighter, he continues, " They rushed our guards and bought time for their families to leave. After they were gone, the second bomb went off. This one though, was near our own families.." Uzah's words trailed off as he looked at our own lying on the ground.
"After that, we were caught in the cross fire of the explosion. Thinking we were mostly dead, they left the hall, saying they have one more final surprise for us to make sure we are dead."
I then let out a long sigh, " Then let's give them a surprise before they do. There's only a few of us, but we can at least go down with a fight. " I say as my eyes harden while I look at the door.
Seeing the determination in my eyes, despite what we are facing. My men steel their resolve to follow me, Uzah then speaks " The day we decided to join you what did we swear to do? Follow and serve you to the death. So brother, that's what we will do."
Hearing his speech, I then summon a tall battle spear from the armory. Seeing the magic appear in my hands, the men ready their weapons. Uzah standing firm with his trident.
Seeing the readiness of my men, I start marching towards the doors. Every step of my boots echoing my confidence and will throughout the hall. Once we reach the doors, without hesitation, I kick them open. Sending the doors flying out, crushing the kings guards on the other side.
Once the doors open, my men bolt out into the kings men. Slaughtering the stunned soldiers that were standing guard.
We then finally reach the buildings exit to the outside world. Peaking out one of the windows, I could see the king with a battalion of soldiers outside. As if he knew I would survive this trap he's set.
I give once last look at Uzah and my men, no one had to say it. We all knew this was our last stand. I then give my men and my brother a huge smile as I say, "See you on the other side gentlemen." With that, we walked outside to handle this final act with the king.
I walk outside the building, and I am instantly greeted by a wicked cackle. " So you did survive! For a minute there I thought we already killed you, but granted yes we did kill poor Hiromi. My sweet beautiful daughter, too bad you had to poison her with your demonic presence." He says with disdain.
"Though I do suppose I should be grateful to you, now I can finally get rid of the pesky thorn in my side known as your kind. Of course that's after I spread the story that this was your ambush, and poor Hiromi was caught by your blade in the crossfire." He proclaimed with a wicked smile and a disgusting look in his eyes.
Before I could even respond to him, his archers fired their bows at us. Uzah and I were able to dodge the sudden attack, but my men couldn't say the same. There was too many of them at once..
Uzah lunged forward, dashing to their front lines. As he starts fighting, I rear back my spear, aiming for the king. With a small prayer, I let the spear loose. Sending it tearing through the sky, it's sights set on one man. The king seen the spear coming in, he tried to dodge it on his horse but he couldn't move well enough. The spear miss the mark of his head, but impaled the Kings shoulder. Leaving him gravely injured.
To retaliate, he issues an order to the mages to attack. While magic starts to rain down on my position, I look over to see Uzah fighting valiantly against the soldiers like a lone knight fighting for their liege. Then suddenly directly behind him, a soldier approaches and swings his blade. Cutting Uzahs head off his shoulders, I see a devilish grin on his face as my dear brother and comrade gets decapitated. Unable to do anything, I grit my teeth.
Thinking about what has become of this joyous day, the build up to and the aftermath. My valiantly men, my family, friends, everyone i have loved. Even my precious Hiromi, the one that has brought peace and harmony to me and my lands.
I let out a sigh, looking at the barrage of magic pelting my position. I then start readying a spell, pouring every thought, emotion, feeling, desire, will, everything i have into it. The barrage stops, I walk out of my position and proclaim, "Death will not be the end of me. I curse everyone of you here, you and your loved ones. Especially your so called king, may even after death I still haunting your life's. The actions you committed here today will forever bring you consequences in life. That I will see to." I raise my hands to unleash the spell, a Shockwave unleashes forward followed by a torrent of fireballs. Setting everything ablaze.
The mages, urgent to stop the