Chapter 100: I’m sorry, my child

Chapter 100: I’m sorry, my child The sky remained covered by thick black clouds, motionless, as if the wind had completely disappeared. In the ruined city of the Medici Clan territory, the streets were littered with corpses and debris. Blood flowed through the cracks in the pavement, mixing with the relentless rain, carrying away pieces of flesh, mud, and ash. The Lightning Boar wreaked havoc, slaughtering members of the Medici Clan and the great families, while the elders and others tried to control the situation, which was becoming increasingly precarious. Furthermore, the Silver Wolf of viscount rank had not yet made his move, which increased the mental pressure on the survivors, who were plunged into uncertainty about their possible fate, which was not entirely assured. The elderly Colson watched the situation with calculating eyes. Despite having established a defensive formation, it was already beginning to collapse under the constant attacks of the normal lightning boars and silver wolves, which were working together with the three-eyed black crows. The situation is becoming increasingly uncontrollable... If this continues, all of us here will die at the hands of the beasts. Colson glanced sideways at the outsiders, those who did not belong to the clan. He did not trust them for a second. They were mere temporary allies, nothing more. A useful tool while the situation stabilized, if that was still possible. He had not forgotten the betrayal. The holes in the wall did not appear by chance; they were made from within. There were infiltrators, and he did not yet know how many. The more he thought about it, the clearer a vision became: the total downfall of the Medici Clan. And yet, amid that darkness, he felt a spark of relief. The most promising young people were still alive. So was the clan leader. Even if all of them died there, the Medici name would not be extinguished. It would rise again sooner or later. The lineage still breathed, and as long as that was true, there would be hope. "Milson, we’ve sent the letter to the clan chief. If it isn’t intercepted... we might have a chance." His voice was grave, somewhat tired, but his eyes still sparkled. Milson pressed his lips together. For a moment, his expression hardened. Then he let out a long sigh and nodded. "If that man arrives in time... it would be a blessing. And maybe we can prevent more deaths." Just then... Boom! Boom! Boom! Another chain of explosions rocked the city, one after another, rumbling like thunder in the heart of every fighter. The ground shook, and with it, so did the morale of those fighting the savage beasts. In a matter of seconds, spirits collapsed like a poorly constructed wall. Desperate glances were exchanged. Some were trembling. Others were backing away without realizing it. Are we fighting the beasts, and now more enemies are appearing? What’s the point of continuing to fight? Will we get out of this alive...? Fear began to seep into their hearts like poison... Until a voice boomed like thunder amid the chaos: "Are you going to give up now?!" Colson shouted, his voice vibrant and ruthless. "Are you going to kneel like cowards before mindless beasts?! All those years of training to end up crying like children?! Where is your thirst for revenge for those who were devoured?! Pathetic... if you’re afraid, then die! But if you still have pride left in your hearts... then rise and fight like true sons of the Kingdom of Aragon!" Everyone’s morale began to rise again after Colson’s words, which came just when they were most needed. One by one, the knights opened their eyes, their faces contorted with contained fury, rage, and hatred burning in their pupils. They had lost mothers, wives, children, and brothers. They had lost everything because of those damn savage beasts. And now they were supposed to give up without even avenging their loved ones? No. One by one, they channeled their essence of mana. Some turned it into an aura, others directed it toward their magical diagrams. They were ready to fight. To die if necessary. But then, the sky darkened even more with the mournful sound of croaking. A group of three-eyed black crows appeared in the rain, circling like harbingers of disaster. A chill ran down everyone’s spine. Amidst the chaos of silver wolves attacking anything that moved, one of them began to grow. Its body deformed, its muscles expanding violently, its size doubling until it reached four meters in height. Its presence became oppressive, its aura unmistakable: a savage beast of Viscount rank. Silence fell instantly. What little they had regained immediately collapsed. Because if a single Viscount-ranked beast had them on the verge of collapse... now they had to face two. Under the incessant rain, Colson didn’t say a word. He just stared at the two monsters: the giant silver wolf and the lightning boar, whose eyes glowed with hunger. ... In the bamboo forest, the trunks stood straight and firm, pointing skyward like spears. Kael watched with slight surprise as the figure emerged from the sword forged from his mother’s body. In his four hundred years of existence, he had never witnessed anything like this. The silhouette in front of him was perfect. His mother’s face was intact, just as he remembered it. Jet-black hair fell softly over her shoulders. Dark, deep eyes looked at him tenderly. She was dressed in black, a simple but elegant outfit that moved gracefully with the wind. Her features were precise, unyielding: thin lips, long eyelashes, perfectly shaped eyebrows. It was her. Exactly as she had been in life. Kael didn’t move. The drops that slid down his cheek were not caused by the rain. They were not tears of weakness or regret. They were a silent, involuntary response to the impossible image before his eyes. "...Mother." His voice was barely a whisper. For a moment, his emotions churned like a storm beneath the surface of indifference. But he didn’t flinch. He didn’t fall to his knees. He didn’t allow himself to break down. The expression on Alessia’s translucent face softened into a warm smile as she placed her transparent hands on her beloved son’s tears. "I’m sorry," Kael finally said, his voice breaking. "For not getting there sooner. For leaving you alone." Alessia reached out an incorporeal hand and placed it on his cheek. Although he didn’t feel her touch, his soul did. "You don’t have to apologize, Kael. The world is cruel, but you... You did what you had to do. I understand." He shook his head, his eyes closed. "I shouldn’t have let this happen. If I had been more careful and hadn’t neglected your safety... if only..." "Shh..." Alessia brought her forehead close to his, and the world seemed to fall silent. "Life doesn’t measure love by strength, son. It measures it by intention. You loved me. Even now. Even though you never said it out loud, I always knew." Kael trembled. The emptiness he had held inside for so long washed over him like a tidal wave. A long silence stretched between them, warm like the embrace they never shared. Then she spoke, in that voice of hers that never aged. "You know? Mothers are like roots beneath the earth. Even if we are torn from the world, we continue to nourish our children from deep within. No matter how tall they grow, or how far they go, there will always be a part of us in their shadow." Kael opened his eyes. "Even so... I wish you had lived longer. I wish I could have given you back the peace you deserved." She smiled. "Don’t cry about that. I wasn’t unhappy. I was a mother. And that’s enough. Seeing you grow up, seeing what you’ve become, even if the world doesn’t understand... to me, that’s eternal." Kael fell to his knees. Not out of weakness. But because, for the first time in centuries, his soul had remembered what it felt like to be a son. Alessia looked at him with infinite tenderness. "Even if you were born a thousand times over, I would love you in each one of them just as you are." The figure began to fade, dissolving into haze and light. But before leaving, it gave her one last smile. "I’m sorry, my child... for not being able to spend more time with you." And then it disappeared. All that remained was the sound of rain on the bamboo... and for a moment, he was embraced by the purest love in the world. Kael remained silent for a long time, clutching the sword forged from his mother’s spine. He made no effort to hide the emotions he had held back for so long. This time, he let them come out... silently. He didn’t scream. He didn’t roar. He didn’t curse the sky or the world. He simply held the weapon steady as the rain drenched his body and the wind rattled the bamboo like spears echoing in his ears. Finally, he stood up. He placed the sword behind his back with slow, almost ceremonial movements. Then he threw back his long black hair, revealing his face: expressionless, cold, unperturbed. As if nothing had happened. He had already cried all he needed to cry. He had already said what he needed to say. He had already heard his mother’s last words... and he had avenged her. Now, all that was left was to keep moving forward. Alone. The last anchor holding him back had been torn away. What once held him back no longer existed. There was only one path left for him. A path covered in thorns and blood, clear and inevitable. The Divine Throne awaited him. And he would reach it... no matter the cost. As he left the bamboo forest in the heavy rain. Kael said with a smile: "Goodbye, Mother."