The Stellate Vortex

It's cold...

Kieth slowly opened his eyes, realizing he was lying on the floor.

Wait... where the hell am I?

He scanned his surroundings, his vision blurry. Footsteps echoed nearby. He tried to get up instinctively, but pain surged through his body, forcing him back down.

"Easy there, soldier. You wouldn't want to mess yourself up too badly," came a voice.

Kieth turned his head and saw Amun entering the chamber.

"Where am I? And where are my friends?" Kieth asked, his voice hoarse.

"Oh, don't worry. They're fine," Amun said with a calm tone. "But you... you won. Congratulations, I suppose. You deserve it."

Kieth stared at him suspiciously, unsure of the man's intentions.

"You know," Amun began, not meeting Kieth's gaze, "I never understood it. Back when I was a king, I never saw willpower like yours. Or maybe I didn't see it because I was a tyrant."

He paused, his tone reflective.

"There were those who rebelled, those who had the gall to stand against me. And yet... I never even saw them. Not their faces, not their corpses. I didn't care—they opposed me, so why should I? But today, I saw it... in you, Kieth. You showed me what I'd ignored. And still, I don't understand it. Why do you struggle so much?"

Kieth met his gaze steadily. "Because I want to leave this place with my friends."

"Is that so?" Amun chuckled, his laughter hollow. "Ah, yes. Simple. A perfectly human answer."

"It is simple," Kieth replied firmly.

"Of course it is," Amun mused. "That's humans for you. Striving for the simplest things, even if it drives us insane. But doesn't that get you killed?"

Kieth faltered, unable to deny the truth in his words.

Amun chuckled again, softer this time. "It's wonderful, honestly. A small thing, and yet it can change your entire life. I love it. It's beautiful... just like a flower. I didn't witness it when I ruled. And when I finally wanted to, I was already on my deathbed."

His expression turned somber. "Humans are selfish... but they're also selfless. Some will sacrifice themselves for the ones they love, while others would let the world burn to avoid their own deaths. It's... fascinating."

"What are you getting at?" Kieth asked cautiously.

"I don't know," Amun admitted.

Kieth tried to stand again but stumbled. Amun watched him without offering help.

"Aina left," Amun said suddenly. "She was smiling, even with that bruise on her cheek. It didn't hurt her much, I'm sure, but it still looked painful on her soft skin."

Kieth froze.

"You're the new lord now," Amun continued. "But I suppose you want to leave."

"Yeah," Kieth said bluntly. "Instead of me, you can choose Ushi Chang. She has an ability."

"And you do not," Amun remarked with curiosity. "Fascinating. I wonder how strong you'd become if you gained one. But Kieth..." His tone shifted, cold and deliberate. "I cannot let you leave."

"What?" Kieth asked, his body tensing.

"I hold a grudge against you for winning," Amun said calmly.

Kieth's wariness deepened. "What are you talking about?"

"If you hadn't won," Amun said, his voice almost wistful, "that girl wouldn't have left. How cruel. She'll die someday, you know. Everyone who leaves this place does. Here, we are immortal, yet no one wants to stay. I wonder why."

Kieth glared at him.

Amun chuckled darkly. "Yes, I understand. We are tyrants, after all."

Before Kieth could react, his body lifted off the ground.

"Whoa, what the—!"

"Don't fret," Amun said. "This is my ability."

Amun carried Kieth through the air, eventually setting him down gently in a bigger chamber. Vasil, Rita, and Akane were already there.

"Kieth!" Akane cried, rushing to him. She wrapped her arms around him, followed by Vasil.

"Ow, Vasil! Don't hug too hard—it hurts!" Kieth winced.

"Oh, sorry!" Vasil pulled back, wiping a tear from his eye.

"You won," Akane whispered, her smile radiant.

"Yeah..." Kieth replied softly.

Rita, however, wasn't smiling. She turned to Amun with a fiery glare. "Where are we, you bastard?"

Amun looked down at her, unfazed. "You're quite rude. But I suppose I was rude as well, bringing you here without notice."

He gestured to the massive gate before them. "Look at the gate in front of you."

The group turned to see a towering structure carved with intricate symbols that resembled ancient runes.

"Looks like a giant gate," Vasil said, confused.

"Inside is something I do not know," Amun said cryptically. "But I can read the symbols." He recited:

"Beneath the veil of flesh and bone,

Lay bare the truth, the cost your own.

A toll of blood, a price so steep,

The heart must give what it can't keep.

When nature's truth is laid to rest,

The door shall grant your deepest quest."

"What does it mean?" Akane asked, her brow furrowed.

"It requires one to show their true human nature," Amun explained. "I've never seen anyone succeed. But I've figured it out—one's true nature is revealed only when they're given a choice."

What...

"So, I'll give you a choice..."

Amun turned to Vasil, Rita, and Akane as Kieth was lifted and taken into another chamber by an invisible force.

"Vasil, Akane, and Rita," Amun said coldly, his voice devoid of emotion. "You have a choice. Sacrifice Kieth, or the three of you will die. You have five minutes to decide."

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME! NO WAY I'M LISTENING TO YOU!" Rita snapped, trying to lunge at Amun, but her body froze mid-step, bound by an invisible force.

"You cannot harm me," Amun said flatly. "Kieth, the strongest among you, barely managed to strike a lord. What makes you think you have a chance?"

Akane trembled as tears streamed down her face. She clung to Vasil, her voice shaking as she whispered, "I... I don't know what to do..."

"I can't..." Vasil murmured, though he tried to keep a brave face. His voice betrayed his fear.

Without another word, Amun left their room and entered Kieth's chamber.

"Hello, Kieth," Amun greeted him without any inflection. "You must be wondering what I said to them."

Kieth stood shakily, gripping a jagged piece of metal in his hand. His eyes were filled with rage.

"Why... were they crying?" he asked, his voice trembling but sharp.

Amun observed Kieth dispassionately. "I didn't hurt them. I merely gave them a choice."

"What kind of choice?" Kieth demanded, his tone rising with anger.

"I told you about this," Amun said. "But I'll explain again. I gave them two options: sacrifice you, or all three of them die."

"WHAT?!" Kieth roared, his anger boiling over. "WHY THE FUCK WOULD I SACRIFICE THE PEOPLE I FOUGHT FOR?!"

In a burst of rage, he charged at Amun. But the invisible force slammed him into the ground, holding him in place.

"You propose that no one should die, then?" Amun asked, his tone unchanging.

"OF COURSE!" Kieth spat, glaring at him.

"Understandable," Amun said. With a flick of his hand, he lifted Kieth and carried him into the main chamber.

"The five minutes are up," Amun announced as he set Kieth down. "You three, tell me your decision."

Kieth turned to the others, his voice filled with defiance. "OF COURSE, THEY WON'T SACRIFICE ANYONE, YOU BASTARD!"

But then he heard Akane whimper. His confidence faltered as he turned and saw her trembling, her finger pointed at him.

"What...?" Kieth's voice cracked.

"I'm sorry..." Akane sobbed, collapsing to her knees.

Rita stood in stunned silence, her mouth opening and closing, unable to form words.

"WAIT! WAIT, NO! WE HAVEN'T DECIDED YET!" Vasil screamed desperately. "I DECLINE! I DECLINE!"

But Amun's cold gaze shifted to Akane. "I have my answer."

The massive gates began to creak open behind them as Kieth was dragged upward by the invisible force.

"NO! NO! NO! FUCK NO! WHY?! WHAT IS THIS?! AKANE?! WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE ME?!" Kieth screamed, his voice breaking.

"I... I don't want to die..." Akane stuttered, her voice cracking through her sobs.

"AND YOU THINK I WANT TO DIE?!" Kieth shouted, his voice shaking with fury and betrayal.

"I FOUGHT FOR YOU!" he yelled. "I FOUGHT FOR ALL OF YOU! I FOUGHT THAT WOMAN—SHE COULD'VE KILLED ME! BUT I STILL DID IT FOR YOU! AKANE, I CRAWLED THROUGH A FUCKING SHITHOLE TO SAVE YOU! AND THIS IS WHAT I GET?!"

Akane wailed, unable to look at him.

"YOU SELFISH FUCKS!" Kieth screamed, his voice filled with venom. "I SHOULD HAVE LET YOU DIE INSTEAD! I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF IF I GET OUT OF THIS!"

A sickening crack silenced him as his arm twisted unnaturally.

"IT HURTS!" he screamed, his voice breaking. "FUCK, IT HURTS!"

The invisible force began to break his bones one by one, each movement deliberate and slow. His screams echoed through the chamber, raw and agonizing.

"PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! SOMEONE, PLEASE SAVE ME! PL—" His cries were cut short by a loud snap as his neck broke. His lifeless body fell limp, hanging in the air.

Amun watched with the same cold detachment as he tossed Kieth's body into the gaping maw of the gate. It slammed shut with a thunderous boom.

Rita stood frozen, her body trembling, tears streaming down her face. Vasil collapsed, his hands shaking as he stared blankly ahead.

Akane sobbed uncontrollably, covering her face, unable to bear the weight of what she had done.

But it didn't matter.

Kieth was gone.

"Interesting," Amun remarked as he stared at the now-shut gate. His tone was calm, detached. "Humans are truly selfish. I see... I got my own reward. I learned more about humanity."

He turned toward the three survivors, his gaze impassive. "But you three did a wonderful job showcasing it to me. As a human who barely listened to his subjects in life, I am... pleased to see that humanity is just as I expected."

His eyes briefly flicked back to the gate. "Though... in a sense, he was an exception."

Amun looked at Vasil, Rita, and Akane one last time. "You are free now. I'll arrange for escorts to guide you to the surface." Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving it in a suffocating silence.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT, AKANE?!" Vasil's voice broke through the quiet, his face contorted with rage and anguish.

Akane, still trembling, sobbed.

"WHY?!"

Her voice rose as she shouted back, "AND WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?! LET YOU TWO DIE?! I DIDN'T WANT EITHER OF US TO DIE! BUT IF I DIDN'T CHOOSE, ALL THREE OF US WOULD BE DEAD!"

Vasil's voice cracked, "WE COULD'VE FIGURED SOMETHING OUT!"

"LIKE WHAT?!" Akane screamed, her words choked by tears.

The room erupted into shouting, their voices overlapping in anger and grief. Vasil's chest heaved with every breath, his heart heavy with guilt. Kieth had fought for them—saved them—and in return, they had betrayed him.

"I can't forgive myself either," Akane whispered, her voice breaking as she collapsed into tears.

Rita remained silent. Her wide, vacant eyes stared at the ground, her mind replaying Kieth's screams. She couldn't comprehend it. She had hoped for a new start—a chance to live again—but now, the weight of Kieth's death crushed her. She felt a gnawing guilt she couldn't put into words.

Hours passed before they left the chamber, their movements slow, burdened by the weight of what had happened. They walked in silence until they were greeted by Sen at the cave's entrance.

Sen sighed, his usual smirk absent. "Guess he did it, huh? And I take it Kieth's... gone."

Before he could say more, Vasil stormed forward and grabbed Sen by the collar. His eyes burned with anger as he hissed, "Was it a mistake asking you for help that day?"

Sen didn't flinch, his expression unreadable. "Maybe... I don't know. But don't blame me. You're the ones who chose to sacrifice him."

Vasil froze, his grip loosening. He knew Sen was right. Slowly, he let go, his arms falling to his sides.

Sen dusted himself off and sighed again. "I'll... take you to the surface. Least I can do."

He guided them through the cave, leading them along a rope until they emerged into the open air. As they stepped out, they felt something lift from their bodies.

"What was that?" Rita finally asked, her voice hoarse.

"Hannibal's ability," Sen explained. "It's been lifted now that you're outside." he didn't bother explaining as none of them asked.

The three turned to the horizon and saw it—a breathtaking world stretched out before them. Rolling green plains and vibrant forests gleamed under the light of the rising sun. It was beautiful.

But one of them was missing.

The one who had fought for them, sacrificed for them, and endured until the bitter end would never witness this beauty.

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