A circular door opened, leading into the torture chamber.
The moment Tini Bras stepped inside, a sharp pain struck his head, and memories of the torment he had endured there came flooding back without mercy. The stench of the المكان was unbearable, as if the suffering of countless victims still lingered in the air.
He sat down for a moment, trying to steady himself. Then he remembered—his grandfather used to enter through another door in this very room, one he had strictly forbidden anyone from approaching.
Curiosity took over.
Tini Bras stood up and walked toward that door. He noticed it had once been protected by an entry spell… but to his surprise, the spell was gone.
He slowly pushed it open.
A far more disgusting odor burst out, nearly making him collapse, but he forced himself forward.
What he saw inside was beyond human.
A strange black statue stood at the center, surrounded by mysterious symbols carved into the ground… and over those symbols lay piles of children's corpses, their heads and limbs severed.
Tini Bras froze.
It felt as if his soul was burning.
He remembered his grandfather James in the past… despite his overwhelming power, he used to love children, playing with them and treating them with kindness.
Tini Bras couldn't understand.
What had he done…?
He stepped closer, slowly raising his gaze toward the statue's eyes.
At that moment—
James was sitting on a chair… then suddenly burst into laughter. A dark, hollow laugh devoid of any emotion.
Beside him stood his son, Henry, clearly shocked by that laughter.
In front of them was a table… with a chessboard placed upon it.
James placed the piece in his hand and said in a calm, chilling voice:
"You've finally arrived…"
From the other side, Tini Bras saw nothing within the statue's eyes…
Only darkness.
A deep, incomprehensible darkness.
He stepped back.
Then turned and left, rage burning inside him.
His grandfather… who was supposed to have been executed by hanging… was still alive.
Without hesitation, Tini Bras headed straight toward Silva's castle in the heart of the forest.
Before he arrived, a shadow was watching him…
But he never noticed.
When he reached the castle, he found Silva cutting wood. He sat beside him and asked:
"What do you know about the Red Star?"
Silva glanced at him calmly and replied:
"You've grown… but some secrets are better left unchased."
Tini Bras stayed at the castle for several days.
One day, while he was away, a group from a well-known gang called the Eclipse Brothers invaded the forest.
Their levels weren't extremely high, but they were still stronger than him. They were at the fifth stage of the Curse Core level, while Tini Bras was only at the first stage.
The battle began.
Despite the gap, Tini Bras managed to kill one of them and severely injure another.
But he couldn't keep up.
He fled through the forest, jumping from tree to tree, until he got close to the castle.
They were about to kill him—
When Silva appeared.
He was sitting calmly… as if nothing was happening.
"Get away! I don't want you to get hurt!" Tini Bras shouted.
Silva didn't move.
Without even raising his hand, white lightning burst forth from his body, striking all the Eclipse Brothers in an instant.
One of them tried to escape to call for reinforcements…
But the lightning caught him mid-run and split him in half.
Tini Bras stood there, stunned.
The old man he had lived with all this time…
He had thought he was weak.
He was completely wrong.
From that moment on, Tini Bras kept chasing after Silva, begging him to train him—but Silva kept ignoring him.
Days later—
Two masked figures entered the forest.
Before they even reached the castle, both Tini Bras and Silva sensed them and prepared for battle.
They stood face to face.
Silva decided to test them and released a spark of lightning—
But the girl deflected it effortlessly.
"Why are you here?" Silva asked.
She replied coldly,
"And who are you to question us? Move aside."
Silva launched white lightning toward her. She dodged it and clashed with him directly.
Silva was impressed by her strength.
At that moment—
Tini Bras arrived and shouted:
"Stop!"
Everyone froze.
He ran toward the girl and embraced her tightly:
"My sister… I missed you, Clowie!"
Then he turned to the other and hugged him as well:
"Welcome, Arswi!"
Silva was visibly surprised.
"These… are my siblings," Tini Bras said.
Arswi and Clowie were not the same age as him…
But they shared the same father.
Henry Novera.