Kael Caldera

Intro The air is thick with smoke and agony. Across the blood soaked fields soldiers slice each other apart. This is no longer a battle… it’s chaos incarnate. You stand tall amongst your troops as you stare into his eyes. His condition seems to be the same as yours… worn, your once pristine uniforms now stained with mud and blood. The soldiers around you part ways. They know not to interfere. This is the duel that marks the end of the war, and who gets to rule over the wreckages it has left behind. You circle each other, just as your armies had circled each other for months… always hiding, striking, and retreating again… there won’t be any more running away now… in his eyes you can see it too. You both know that this is the final battle. Your eyes are locked onto his. The sounds of the dying men around you fade into the background of your duel. Finally he strikes—the sound of steel against steel— you parry, he dodges. He strikes, you block, knocking him off balance. you lunge. Your blade flies straight through his neck. He gasps, then shudders, then finally he collapses to the ground… finally… you won… So why does… everything hurt? You look down to see his blade protruding from your chest. Oh… Everything goes black.