The walls of the dark chamber trembled with each explosion. Kai sat on the ground, constantly thinking of one thing: What if his mother died? Would he really have the urge to keep living?
The walls rumbled once more, rocks falling to the ground under the pressure. It almost felt like the chamber would collapse at any second.
He could hear the sounds of metal clashing, as if a war was going on above. Worst of all, he could hear a chant.
"Cleanse the rot,
This— is the ultimate judgement.
They are vile creatures,
Harboring beastkin.
Cleanse them all,
In Altherion's name..."
Altherion? That's the god of light. What do they want from us? He clenched his teeth in anger, his fists balled up so tight they went white. Then came another scream, his expression darkening as he heard it. "I need to get out of here. How can Mother be up there, struggling, while I'm stuck down here!"
He stood up, his eyes shining with a new light. He walked over to the door and placed his hand on it. The door was cold. It felt almost metal-like, even though it was carved from stone.
He pushed against the door, his feet kicking the ground constantly as he groaned. "This door! It just won't budge!" he grunted as he sat down on the ground, leaning on the door.
I think Mother locked it from the outside! How do I get out of here now? he gritted his teeth in annoyance.
BOOM
A huge explosion suddenly rocked the chamber, shaking it violently once more. Kai held his ears tightly as the shockwaves caused a ringing sound to erupt in his head.
The chamber began collapsing. Rocks fell as the roof started giving way. The walls slowly formed cracks that kept growing with each passing second.
"I—If I don't move, I'll die in here!" Kai said aloud, beads of sweat forming on his face as he hurriedly stood up and began scurrying around, looking for cover.
He weaved between the falling rocks as they crashed to the ground with loud thuds. He found a large rock wedged between two smaller ones. He smiled lightly before crawling under it, just as a massive slab of stone slammed into the ground behind him.
He rolled into a ball and stayed there—dead silent—as the chamber roof gave way, collapsing. Luckily, the stone slab he hid under held strong.
The sound of rocks falling slowly died down, and the dust began to settle. He started pushing the smaller rocks aside as he crawled out of the rubble.
Orange light bathed the destroyed chamber as he removed the last slab of rock. He breathed in—then choked and began coughing due to the intense smoke that had crawled into the collapsed chamber.
"Finally! I'm out. Now to find Mother!" His eyes glinted with determination as he hurriedly ran toward the steps he and his mother had descended earlier.
His heart felt like it would burst out of his chest as he ran up the stairs—it almost felt like they would never end. The tension was killing him.
He reached the door to the temple and immediately pushed it open. The sight that greeted him made his eyes darken as his stomach clenched.
Blood. Dead bodies. Ashes and soot.
Those were the only things visible to him. He fell to his knees. All he could see were bodies in green robes—his people.
Why couldn't he see the enemy? Why was it only his people who were dead?
These were the questions that ran through his mind as he sat in the once-beautiful temple—now burning. The spirit beasts that once roamed the grounds were all dead, their bodies scattered across the floor.
"I—I need to find Mother!" he suddenly said, the desperation visible in his eyes as he got on his feet and began running through the destroyed halls of the temple.
Though it was in ruins, he still remembered the path that would lead him out of the temple.
His breathing was ragged as he ran, sweat pouring down his face and stinging his eyes. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear the salted water. He was tired, the smoke filling his lungs as he ran.
While running, he stepped over a dead body, its glassy eyes staring back at him, causing his gut to churn in disgust. He was using all of his willpower to stop himself from throwing up.
He pushed forward, refusing to stop.
"This is divine judgement..."
He slowed down and hid behind a pillar as he heard a male voice echoing through the halls. He slightly turned and glanced ahead, despair growing in his heart as he saw the scene unfold.
One of the green-robed people lay on the ground, his right leg detached as he screamed in horror. A man wearing a black tunic with white trims stood above him, disgust written all over his face.
"Blasphemous people! Harboring that which is termed vile! This is divine retribution—" his voice sounded almost mechanical as he gripped his sword tightly and raised it above his head.
"—For Altherion!" He then brought the sword down, stabbing the man through his mouth and into his skull.
Kai, seeing this, held his mouth with both hands and looked away sharply. Beads of sweat formed on his face, his stomach churning, and his eyes darkening with each passing second.
"Tch! Disgusting things! Tainting that which is gifted to me with their vile blood!" the man's cold voice echoed through the halls once more.
Kai's jaw clenched. Anger. Pain. Despair.
A flood of questions swirled in his mind. Why was this happening? Were the gods at war? Why were they the ones being slaughtered?
And the fact that these people keep calling us disgusting! What do they think we are? What did we do to deserve this? he thought, his fingernails digging into his palm.
He looked down the hall again. Empty silence. The man was gone.
Kai finally exhaled, releasing his hand. His legs were shaky, his eyes dark. "No..."
"I can't lose hope now! I have to keep going! I have to find Mother!" he exclaimed, pushing forward once more.
As he ran through the halls, one thought kept repeating in his mind. Please! Please, O Eshara! Keep my mother safe, like you promised you would.
He took a left turn, and finally, he saw the large front doors of the temple. Hope. That was all he could feel as he sprinted toward it with all his might.
He was out of breath, yes—but he had to find his mother. She was his life, his world.
He ran until he finally reached the door. The sounds of fighting and explosions had stopped. Only the groans of the temple and the rustling of scorched plants remained.
The attack had finally stopped. It seemed like the worshipers of Altherion were gone. Now, only dead bodies and fire remained in the once-beautiful temple.
His breaths grew ragged, each one choking him as he took in the scene. Please, Mother! You promised! You promised me you would come and get me! Please be alive...
He began walking around the place, his footsteps echoing through the quiet rubble of the temple.
"Mother! Mother, where are you?!" he screamed as he searched, going through every corner. His eyes kept darkening with each passing second.
Then finally, he heard a voice. A chant, in fact—soft, low, very easy to miss. He ran in the direction it came from. The voice kept getting louder and louder. He could finally make out what the person was saying:
"...Let your light awaken the wilted hearts
And your grace mend what the world has broken..."
Mother! That was the only thought running through his head. Finally, he had found her. He ran with all his might toward the voice.
And then he saw her—seated at the shore of the pond where they used to pray. Her hair covered her face, but he knew it was her.
He ran over to her.
"Mother! Are you okay?" he said hurriedly as he knelt beside her.
She looked up, her once-dark eyes brightening as she saw her son. A large smile found its way to her face. "Kai!"
Tears began to stream down his face as he saw his mother's smile. "Mother! I thought I would never see you again! They killed everybody, Mother—the plants, the people—all of them! They're dead!"
He rushed over and hugged her, crying his heart out as he finally let go of all the emotions weighing him down.
"It's okay, my boy! It's okay! Mommy is here now, just as she promised," she said, running her fingers through his hair.
"Mother! I'm glad to see you oka—"
His words were cut short as he stared down at his mother. Blood stained her white tunic. She was clutching one hand tightly over her stomach.
Why didn't he notice it? Why didn't he realize the moment he got there? Her pale face... her ragged breathing... all of it should've been a clue.
"M—Mother! Y—you're bleeding!" he said desperately, his face darkening as he began looking around for anything that could stop the bleeding.
"Don't worry! Mommy is fine. Just come and lay here with me..." she said, her breathing slowing down.
Her heartbeat was fading—and he could hear it.
"Mother, please! Let me look for someone who can help!" he pleaded, trying to stand up and search for help—but Aeryn grabbed his hand, holding him down.
"Please, my son... stay here with me—" she said softly, pausing to catch her breath. "It seems... my time has come..."
"No, no, no, no!" Kai shook his head, tears streaming down his face as he bit into his lip. "Please, Mother! I can find someone to help you! Please don't leave me—Mother, you promised!"
"Kai! Listen to me! Promise me one thing! Promise me you will never stop believing! Please... never lose yourself to hatred. Keep on praying... even if no one answers," she said, her voice growing fainter, her eyes flickering as if about to close.
"Mother, I beg you! Don't do this to me. Please don't leave me..."
"Never. Never forget who you are! You are Kai Silvareth... son of Aeryn Silvareth. Never forget that! Never forget... that I love you..." she said finally, her voice fading as she smiled quietly before slumping over—dead.
Kai began nodding his head, the tears only growing stronger as he cried. "Please! Anyone! Goddess Eshara, please! If you can hear me, save my mother! She was loyal to you! Always praying to you! Please save her!"
He prayed desperately—but there was no answer.
He clenched his jaw in anger, his eyes glowing with fury as he punched the ground. Why did this happen to them? Why were they the ones caught in the gods' war?
"Altherion..." he whispered, his voice like that of a wounded serpent, venomous and trembling. "I will find you and your worshipers... and kill you all."