Chapter 25

And then, the clash erupted with an explosion of chaos and fury. Arrows whistled through the air, metal clashed against metal, and the palace resounded with the cacophony of battle cries and roars. The morning sky seemed to darken, like as though the moon goddess knew what had happened and mourned for the fallen king. Amidst the tumultuous clash, Kane's eyes burned with an unbridled rage that matched the fire in his heart as he stared at Eric. His fingers clenched around his weapon, his knuckles white as his grip tightened.

He was going to kill him.

“Eric!” Kane’s voice thundered through the chaos, a challenge that reverberated through the night. “You’ll pay for all the evil you’ve committed.”

Eric came to a stop just a few distance from him, a mocking sneer on his face. “I can see the wolves decided not to kill you. Does this mean you’ll die after the battle?” he said, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Too bad. They should’ve killed you when they had the chance. Because now, it’s my turn.”

Around them, the wolves and hunters clashed like opposing tides. Kane and Eric maintained eye contact, their hatred for each other palpable in the charged silence that hung between them.

With a feral growl, Kane lunged forward, his weapon—a sword—sweeping through the air in a vicious arc. Eric parried the blow with a calculated ease, his lips curling into a sinister smirk. “You're a fool, Kane. Your sentiment blinds you to the truth.”

Kane glared at him. “Yeah? And what truth is that?”

“One of us will fall here today, and it won’t be me.”

Kane's retort was a guttural snarl as he launched a flurry of attacks, his strikes driven by a storm of anger. “I’ll never lose to the likes of you, Eric. Not when I have enough sense to know that you’re nothing but a despicable son of a bitch who’d rather take out his anger on innocent creatures than face his own demons.”

Eric's movements were measured and precise, his defenses impenetrable as he countered Kane's onslaught. “I've embraced a greater destiny, one where power is mine to wield. You're just a pawn in a larger game.”

“And you are a coward.”

The battle around them raged on, the clash of forces igniting with an explosive energy. Kane's strikes were fueled by a burning desire for vengeance, his muscles aching with the weight of his determination. He could see the light now. Eric might have believed he’d saved him but he had done nothing but introduce Kane into a world of violence and bitterness.

As their blades met in another clash of sparks, Eric's laughter cut through the din. “You fell in love,” he scoffed. “Of course you did. No one else would be stupid enough to fall for the enemy. Especially when Fiona has pined after you for half of her pathetic life.”

At that, a powerful strike from Kane caught Eric off guard, the force of the blow staggering him. Eric's mocking grin wavered, replaced by a flicker of surprise. “Impressive, Kane. What, did I hurt your delicate senses?”

It occurred to Kane that Eric had never known love and probably never would. Even if he did not care for the man, it was such a sad thought that he would never get to experience the euphoria that was falling in love. Nevertheless, he was not going to lose this fight. Not when the rest of his life depended on it. Kane pressed his advantage, his attacks unrelenting as he fought to break through Eric's defenses. “Your lust for power blinds you to the cost. The wolves and hunters deserve better than your tyranny.”

Eric's counterattack was swift, his blade slashing through the air with deadly precision. “The cost is irrelevant when I hold the reins of fate. The king's death was just the beginning.”

Kane's voice was a fierce growl as he deflected Eric's attack. “Then it ends here, with me.”

The two of them clashed with renewed fervor, their blades an extension of their convictions. Kane tried to search for Ophelia from the corner of his eyes but he could not risk taking his eyes away from Eric for even a second or he would die. Eric had taught him how to fight, and one of his most important lessons was never to take one’s eyes away from the enemy during combat.

They fought on for what seemed like hours, and Kane almost thought that it would never end. They were both skilled and both had everything to lose. But then, in a flash moment, a solid blow struck true and Kane's weapon connected with Eric's side. His knife had pierced into Eric’s side. Eric staggered, his grip on his weapon faltering as pain seared through him. He met Kane's gaze, a mixture of fury and disbelief in his eyes.

“You…” Blood splattered from his mouth as he fell to the floor, his eyes wide. “Fuck…”

Kane heaved in a breath, a bad idea because now the adrenaline was slowly passing and pain ricocheted through his entire body. He hadn’t recovered from the beating he’d gotten from the wolves earlier and Eric had done his equal share of damage. But seeing him on the ground with blood spewing out around him, Kane felt a deep sense of satisfaction. The world would be a better place without Eric. He was sure of it.

“You were wrong,” Kane said as he stared down at him. “One of us did fall today, but it was you.”

Eric’s orbs were filled with fury and Kane wondered how deep his hatred for wolves ran that he did not even feel remorse at the few seconds he had left. He’d spoken about power but Eric had not wanted any true power; he’d wanted to prove a point. He’d brought a team of about thirty hunters to a peaceful kingdom to prove that he could kill any wolf he wanted. And when the Blue Hounds proved to be too much of a threat to him, he’d decided to damn it all to the devil and show his real self.

Eric was disgusted that he had ever revered the man.

Slowly, the life evaporated from Eric’s eyes. The battle around Kane began to quell. One by one, the hunters saw that their leader had fallen. Kane did not delude himself that they were all happy with him but he saw that some of them were just like Fiona; scared. Eric had been too full of life, too large of a man that no one had wanted to go against him.

Now he was gone. Now they could all breathe. It was a calming thought.

“Eric is dead!” Kane yelled to the hunters. Even the wolves turned their gazes to him. Wonder filled their eyes and there was no doubt now that Kane was on their side. “The battle has ended. Surrender your weapons.”