The battlefield had finally grown silent.
The storm that once roared across the shattered land had faded. The wind moved slowly now, carrying dust through the broken rocks and deep craters left behind by the battle.
In the middle of that ruined battlefield stood two figures.
One of them was barely standing.
Lord.
Blood covered his body. His breathing was slow and heavy. Every movement caused pain to run through his limbs.
He already knew.
His end had come.
Across from him stood Asher.
Asher's body was trembling from exhaustion. His clothes were torn, and wounds covered nearly every part of him.
Yet he was still standing.
Their eyes met.
Lord slowly lifted his head.
Even in that condition, he forced himself to stand up straight.
Step by step, he began walking toward Asher.
His steps were slow.
Weak.
But determined.
Asher watched him carefully.
"Don't move," Asher said quietly.
But Lord kept walking.
Until he stopped right in front of him.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Lord slowly raised his hand.
He placed two fingers gently against Asher's forehead.
At that instant—
The world disappeared.
Memories flooded Asher's mind.
Images.
Warm ones.
He saw himself as a child.
Running through a field.
Laughing.
Beside him was Vale, chasing him through the grass as they played together.
Another memory appeared.
A table.
His family sitting together for dinner.
His mother smiling warmly.
His father speaking calmly.
And then—
Another child.
Someone else was sitting at that table.
Asher's eyes widened.
There had been another brother.
Older than him.
The memories became clearer.
A name echoed through his mind.
Cassiel.
Asher's breathing stopped.
Tears suddenly streamed down his face.
He slowly looked up.
Standing before him—
Was Lord.
No.
Not Lord.
Cassiel Ashborne.
His middle brother.
Cassiel slowly stepped back and leaned against the rocks behind him.
Blood continued to drip down his body.
He looked at Asher with tired eyes.
Then he began speaking.
"I was born… one thousand years ago."
His voice was quiet.
"But my birth changed the world."
He slowly closed his eyes.
"When I came into existence, humanity began awakening new powers."
He looked back at Asher.
"And I stood above them all."
Cassiel gave a faint, bitter smile.
"To some people, I was hope."
"To others… I was a curse."
His breathing grew heavier.
"Many tried to kill me."
"But one man saved me."
His gaze drifted toward the sky.
"I grew up."
"And with my power… I enslaved everyone."
For a moment he paused.
Then he continued.
"But when I looked at humans…"
His voice softened.
"I saw kindness."
Something he had never known before.
"I didn't understand it."
He slowly looked back at Asher.
"What did it mean to be human?"
"What was I?"
Cassiel closed his eyes again.
"So I searched the world."
"I learned every secret it had."
"And then… I made a decision."
He took a slow breath.
"I killed myself."
Asher's eyes widened.
"I chose reincarnation."
"The next life would begin."
"And my powers would return with me."
Cassiel gave a weak smile.
"And then… everything went dark."
He slowly continued.
"When I opened my eyes again…"
"I was in a house."
"There was a child beside me."
His eyes softened.
"My older brother."
"He was only one year old."
Asher listened silently.
Cassiel continued.
"Then you were born."
He looked directly at Asher.
"I loved you."
More tears began falling from Asher's eyes.
"I loved our life."
"I loved living with you."
"I loved being human."
"But one day… everything changed."
Cassiel's voice became heavier.
"We were sitting at dinner with our parents."
"Our mother said we had grown up."
"She said we would join the WHU."
"Our father told us we would go there the next day."
Cassiel clenched his fist weakly.
"I was furious."
"How could that be possible?"
"Our lives had only just begun."
Then he looked directly into Asher's eyes.
"You were still just a child."
"How could you survive something like that?"
Cassiel's voice trembled.
"In this life… I wanted something different."
"I wanted a weak life."
"A peaceful one."
"But I couldn't escape it."
He closed his eyes.
"The battle began."
"Our parents fought me."
His voice broke slightly.
"And… I killed our mother."
Asher covered his mouth.
Cassiel continued.
"Father was devastated."
"I ran away."
He slowly exhaled.
"Father's power could erase memories."
"So he erased me."
"From all of you."
Cassiel leaned further into the rocks.
"I suppose…"
A faint smile appeared.
"I burned in my own curse."
"In memories."
"In the past."
His breathing slowed.
Then—
It stopped.
Cassiel Ashborne died.
Asher's hand slowly rose to his mouth.
Then he collapsed to his knees.
Tears poured down his face.
"Mom…"
"Dad…"
"Cassiel…"
His cries echoed across the silent battlefield.
Months passed.
The world slowly began rebuilding the damage left behind by the war.
Asher had just been released from the hospital.
His body was still covered with injuries.
But the world now spoke of him as a hero.
In the battle, five thousand fighters had entered.
Only 238 survived.
The first place Asher went…
Was the cemetery.
Rows of graves stretched across the hill.
He stood silently before them.
Then he walked further.
Until he reached one grave.
Sebastian.
Asher stood there quietly.
Then he smiled slightly.
"We won, Sebastian."
He turned and walked away.
Returning to headquarters.
When he entered, Lina saw him first.
She ran forward and hugged him tightly.
Then Wang appeared.
One of his arms was gone.
But he smiled.
He hugged Asher and said,
"You did it."
Asher smiled faintly.
Later, he walked upstairs.
Julia was there.
The moment she saw him, she ran forward and hugged him.
"I was scared," she said.
"I thought I would lose you."
Asher laughed softly.
"But I'm still here."
Then he entered another room.
Inside was Vale.
Vale had finally awakened.
When Vale looked at him, pride shone in his eyes.
"You did it… brother."
Asher hugged him tightly.
"Yes."
"I did it."
Weeks later.
Asher slowly climbed a long staircase.
When he reached the top, he stood before a door.
He opened it.
Inside the room stood a man around forty or fifty years old.
The moment the man saw him—
His eyes filled with tears.
Asher stood silently.
Then he spoke.
"…Forgive me, father."
And for the first time since the war ended—
The Ashborne family finally faced the truth.
The End.