Rising like a monolithic spike against the bleak horizon, the Obsidian Spire stood as an inescapable fortress—a colossal tower of eternal torment.
Within its labyrinthine depths lay countless cells, holding a myriad of prisoners: wretched souls from forgotten realms, fallen beasts, and rebels whose defiance had long been crushed.
This was no ordinary dungeon; it was an impregnable stronghold echoing with ancient power, bound by impenetrable wards where even hope dared not linger.
Suddenly, the deafening groans of the massive gates shattered the heavy silence as they swung open. From the looming shadows stepped a single, imposing figure.
Clad in the magnificent, legendary armor of an Emperor—forged from dark steel interwoven with gleaming gold filigree that pulsed with a faint, lethal aura, bearing jagged pauldrons shaped like the wings of a predatory beast—he cut a terrifyingly majestic silhouette. Atop his head rested an imperial crown, cold and absolute.
He was a young man, striking yet chilling, with a cascade of striking blood-red hair framing his cold visage.
This was the undisputed master of the tower, the warden who held all these dangerous beings in the palm of his hand: Emperor Arthur de Costa.
He cast a cold glance over the countless prisoners he had hunted and caged throughout his life—then dismissed them entirely, as if they were nothing more than dust.
Without a second thought, he began climbing the spiral stone stairs, ascending higher and higher into the suffocating heights of the tower. Finally, he reached the very peak.
Locked away in the highest cell was a single prisoner.
The man looked less like a human and more like a walking skeleton. Starved of food for a terrifyingly long period, his skin clung tightly to his protruding bones. He was an frail, withered old man with long, unkempt white hair.
Arthur stopped in front of his cell, stared down at him with an unreadable expression, and quietly said:
"Big brother... I am going to leave this planet soon."
Hearing this, the old man slowly raised his head. He fixed a cold, piercing gaze on Arthur, a mocking smile twisting his sunken face.
"So... you’ve finally grown powerful enough to travel through space? I suppose there is nothing left on this planet for you anymore, is there?"
Arthur nodded quietly. "Yes, Big Brother. There really is nothing left for me here. I am going to leave this planet and travel beyond, along with my entire family."
He looked back down at the withered old man, his expression turning heavy.
"I know I’ve done terrible things to you. But even so... I cannot just leave you here like this. Forgive me, but today... I have to kill you."
Hearing this, the old man burst into laughter—a hollow, mocking laugh filled with a deep, crushing sorrow.
"You were my little brother," he choked out, his voice trembling.
"I gave you everything. I protected you from every single danger. But when you became the most powerful Flame Mage in this world and claimed the throne... what did you give me in return? Huh?!"
He suddenly shouted, his voice echoing off the stone walls.
"I had only one rare treasure—my fire Demon Bloodline, which I acquired after risking my life through unimaginable hardships! But you... you ripped it right out of me and handed it over to the Demon Emperor, just so you could force a peace treaty between the Human Empire and the Demon Empire!"
"Did you even think about your own brother for a single second? Did you care what would happen to me once my bloodline was stolen?"
Arthur’s expression tightened. "It was necessary for humanity."
"Humanity?" The old man let out a dry, bitter chuckle. "You had so many other powerful Emperors standing right beside you! If you wanted to, you could have crushed that Demon the moment he made such an absurd demand".
"But what did you do? You caved in to his demands. And even after making me sacrifice everything... even after stripping away my bloodline... you locked me away in this hellhole to rot!"
With a heavy, sorrowful look in his eyes, Arthur replied, "Brother... I know you hated me for it. But you are far too knowledgeable and powerful. I couldn’t risk you becoming a threat to my family or my empire. Locking you up was the only choice I had left."
Arthur fell silent for a moment, the weight of the words hanging heavily in the air. Finally, only a single phrase slipped from his lips:
"I’m sorry, Big Brother."
Hearing this, the old man began to pant heavily. He had spoken far too much, and his frail body possessed almost no energy left to spare.
Arthur raised his hand, and a brilliant, crackling purple flame materialized in his palm.
Seeing the flame, the old man started laughing again, a weak, broken chuckle. "You pathetic, useless little brother... Tell me one thing. You could have just made me swear an oath—swear that I would never harm your family or the empire."
"But instead, you locked me away. Did you enjoy watching me suffer like this?"
Pure hatred burned in his eyes, and due to his extreme weakness, a thin stream of blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth.
Arthur didn’t answer.
The old man continued, his voice strained. "You could have handled everything so easily... but you just didn’t want me to live in peace, did you? Tell me... why? Why did you hate me so much back then, and why do you still hate me now?"
Finally, Arthur spoke, his voice quiet and heavy.
"I don’t know, Big Brother. But ever since I was a child, whenever I looked at you, only one thought echoed in my mind-a deep instinct told me that one day, you would destroy everything. That is why... I had no choice but to lock you away here."
He paused, his expression breaking. "I’m sorry."
With that, Arthur thrust his hand forward, hurling the purple flame directly at his older brother.
The old man couldn’t last even a single second against the terrifying heat. The purple fire consumed him instantly, reducing his body to ashes.
The magical flames devoured every trace of him, dancing briefly over the pile of ash before suddenly vanishing into thin air.