Tower of Heaven

"Keugh…!"

With his body righted, Kaladyn was able to gasp for air that was unavailable to him. As he did so, the blood that clogged his throat spilled out. His chest shakily moved up and down as his eyes opened just enough for him to see the face of his son.

"FATHER!"

Kade was still yelling, trying to bring his father back to reality. Their constitutions connected and created a great energy of healing, but it wasn't able to fix Kaladyn's current body.

At the end of the day, even he was only as strong as Atlas was in his main body. The impact he took shattered all of his bones, ruptured his internal organs, and left him in a state of life worse than death.

For him, there was no longer hope. He understood this the moment he regained consciousness.

Still, he used all of his remaining strength to raise his hand to his son's face.

"Kade…"

The word choked Kade, leaving him unable to speak. The tears in his eyes made his vision blurry, but perhaps it was for the best. Kaladyn didn't want his son to see his current state.

Nevertheless, he joked like nothing was wrong.

"Stop your tears…they are unbefitting of a man. Our Empire will be yours to rule from now on…you cannot show your weakness to anyone else."

Perhaps it was a dated belief, but it was not an incorrect one. The Emperor had to be a symbol of power. He could not show even a single moment of weakness to anyone, not even his closest allies.

But, that was something for Kade to learn on his own. Just…

'It is a shame that I cannot see him grow into his role.'

Kaladyn smiled hollowly.

"Kade, you have made me so proud… I do not know if I ever had a chance to tell you…"

No matter how much he wanted to respond, Kade bit his lip until it was bloodied and kept his mouth shut.

"You three brothers…watching you grow was the most fulfilling thing I ever experienced…"

Kaladyn had accepted death. Kade had no choice but to accept it too.

His face became stern. The golden walls separating him from the people had dispersed along with the rest of Kaladyn's qi. He could not show weakness in front of the people.

"Kade Von Ataraxia…"

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Kaladyn knew he didn't have enough time to say all the words he wished to say. In this moment, he could only wish that he had been a better father. He could only say what needed to be said while keeping his feelings to himself.

"...I hereby crown you as the Emperor of Ataraxia. While I leave for the afterlife, I will leave the kingdom in your capable hands."

He used the last of his qi, making those words loud enough to be heard by the gathering crowd.

And…

"Kade, know that I love you. I am truly sorry…for everything."

He closed his eyes. They would never open again.

Why did he apologize?

"Why did you apologize?!"

Did he believe that he had done too little? Did he believe that all of this was his fault?

"NONSENSE!"

He was the great Emperor who ruled the Empire of Ataraxia. He was the person who brought peace and prosperity to the people, turning what used to be a land of war into one where families could enjoy their smiles without worry.

He was a great man. The greatest man.

So what if he wasn't the best father?

So what if he had to neglect his children for the sake of the empire?

Perhaps it would have mattered if he was alive, but–

"–you're not here anymore, so why does it matter?!"

He was the man that Kade respected more than anyone else and the person he wanted to be in life. Kaladyn Von Ataraxia, in his mind, was a perfect man despite his flaws.

Because, in the end, he still loved his children dearly and wanted the best for them. He was just unable to show them.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

A scream rang out from the edge of the crater.

Kade was not the only person grieving.

A husk of a person, a man whose body was so shriveled that he couldn't be distinguished from a corpse, crawled to the edge of the crater and saw the scene below.

He saw the scene of his own father as a mangled corpse in the hands of his brother.

He saw the results of his own actions.

"IT WAS ME! IT WAS ME! I KILLED FATHER!"

Klyde Von Ataraxia, the true Klyde Von Ataraxia, had returned to the world. The influence of the seed of darkness was gone, but he remembered everything that happened while he wasn't in control of his body.

The realization of his sins was far too much for him to bear.

He cried out and screeched. He held himself and curled up into a ball as he realized the level of sin he had committed.

"I ruined it…I ruined everything…it was my fault…"

He had only just awoken, but he knew it deep in his heart. He could not live with those sins.

"I must be punished."

As his brother carefully picked their father's body up and moved him out of the crater, his hands fell upon an item on the ground next to him.

A knife.

"Right, if I die…" Klyde muttered to himself maniacally. He brought the knife to his chin with a twisted grin.

"If I die…!"

He pushed his arms forward, stabbing the knife into his own throat.

But no blood was drawn.

Before the blade could touch his skin, it was obstructed by the hand that grabbed it.

The warm blood that dripped from the hand woke Klyde up from his trance.

"Br-brother…?"

His grip did not have any strength. When Kade pulled the blade away, he was forced to give it up.

"You cannot do that."

The blade was thrown to the side as he spoke.

"Do you think that you can atone through death? Is that your goal?" Kade asked with a sneer.

"Do you think that will mean anything?"

"Then, what am I supposed to do, brother?! Look what I have done! I deserve to die!"

"No."

Kade kneeled down on his ground and pulled his brother's head to his chest.

Their father's body had been handed off to the purified guards to be kept somewhere safe. Now, Kade had to deal with the rest of his family's troubles.

"I understand that you were not at fault. You are a victim just like anyone else. However, the world cannot see it as such if you die here. Show them that you are guilty, show them that you will atone through life and bear those sins. Only then will you have a chance of earning the forgiveness you seek."

Death would only sully his image. Klyde needed to stay alive, because if he didn't, then the victims would have nowhere to direct their grudges.

"It will be a life worse than death, but if your wish is truly to atone, then it is the life you must live."

He wanted to speak more, but he'd been forced to ignore the state of his body for too long.

The Sacred Chains took a toll on Atlas' mind and body, as did all of the injuries he suffered during the clash. The adrenaline that kept him alive and the raw emotion inside of Kade were calming down.

Without their support, he could do nothing but collapse.

But, he did not hit the ground.

Klyde's arms were weak, but he found strength in this moment to hold his brother up.

"Can I truly earn their forgiveness?" He asked slowly.

"You can," Atlas responded weakly.

"I believe that you can do it."

They were surrounded by a silent atmosphere as everything came to a close. There was much to be done. The Dark Cult still needed to be driven out of the Empire, however, for this moment, they could enjoy peace.

They thought they could enjoy peace.

Abruptly, the crowd erupted into screams. Before either of them could notice, a foreign intruder arrived on the stage and charged at them.

"I won't let you succeed!"

Those words were spoken. The knights on the stage immediately moved to block the figure, but their presence was meaningless. That person moved impossibly and avoided all of them, arriving in front of the Second and Third Prince in an instant.

The knife in his hand was raised into the air.

"Die, Atlas Vaun!"

It stabbed down into a fleshy target.

And blood spurted into the air.