The Guardian gods

Rattan maintained his facade of the weary hero until he reached the privacy of what was once Kaelen's personal chamber. A deep, shuddering breath escaped him as the weight of the performance lifted. He was so consumed by relief that he failed to notice the room was no longer the ransacked ruin he remembered.

Deep in exhaustion, Rattan fell into a profound sleep. It was then that the Phantom seized the opportunity, subtly weaving more of Kaelen's memories and mannerisms into Rattan's mind, perfecting his mimicry.

A week later, Rattan awoke, and the first things he did were a series of unconscious movements. His body moved on its own, checking the seals and wards he now instinctively knew protected his home. Kaelen had been no mage, but his understanding of magic far surpassed most. Drawing on these new memories, Rattan began to inspect his chambers, then the entire mansion. He meticulously checked every magic circle, ensuring each was intact and untouched.

A fleeting memory surfaced, a vision of a figure who might have done such a thing: his brother, the Emperor. A chilling question formed in Kaelen's mind, "Was he missing me, or was he just mourning me?"

He walked into the throne room, the central node for all the magic circles protecting the estate. As he sat on the throne, a subtle thrum of power washed over him. With a quick, instinctive connection, Kaelen's mind linked with the entire mansion, feeling its pulse and confirming his control over its defenses.

As Rattan sat upon the throne, his eyes glazed over with a deep, unsettling memory. It wasn't long ago he had knelt below this very seat in servitude, and now, he was its master. The irony wasn't lost on him. The only thing missing was a loyal retinue; Kaelen's men had followed their king to war, and none had returned.

Rattan didn't mind the solitude. He knew it wouldn't last. Soon, this place would be bustling with people bringing him gifts. Nobles from every land would kneel before him, offering their finest treasures to appease the empire's new hero.

He was looking forward to it. He knew his role, and he intended to play it to perfection. His purpose was to sow the seeds of chaos and desperation throughout the empire, and all he had to do was act as the old Kaelen once did.

The first step was clear. It was time to call a meeting or perhaps, a party with all the ogre generals of the empire. He had a tasty cake to hand over to them, and he was eager to see how they'd react to his little gift.

From his throne, Kaelen's mind, now Rattan's, set the machinations in motion. Invitations were dispatched to all his targets with a speed only the arcane could grant. He had to set up the party himself, as his mansion remained eerily silent, devoid of the maids and servants he needed. He was no longer the old Rattan, however.

His Cube, now an arifact, emerged from within his robes and merged with the throne. Kaelen's memories of his resources and crafting rooms surfaced, providing the means to build his own servants. He handed the task of creating humanoid magical puppets to the Cube, then settled back into the throne to meticulously plan his next moves.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the palace, the Emperor and Vellok were also planning, but Kaelen was no longer the sole topic of their discussion. They had decided that while they could not act directly against Kaelen, their best move was to ignore him. This was why no new staff had been assigned to his home. He was a hero and a king, but only in name. The current Kaelen was a one-man show, his power limited to the fame he had earned. They believed that without a network of support, he would be powerless.

The immediate and more pressing concern for the Emperor and Vellok was the demon lord Zarvok. He remained a ghost, yet his army advanced with terrifying efficiency. Their most urgent problem was deciphering his ultimate goal. It might have been a coincidence, but Zarvok's forces were steadily pushing toward a location of critical importance to the empire.

Whether by chance or design, they couldn't allow this to happen. They had to force the demon king out and deal with him before his army came too close. Their main obstacles were the two gods on the demon king's side and the unknown number of sixth-tier demons he commanded. However, they were less concerned about these six tier demons; the mages who had a brief skirmish with them had dismissed them as weak or newly promoted to the stage.

An idea began to take hold—a strategy mirroring Zarvok's own initial tactics: sending a high-tier powerhouse to deal with the lower-level threats. This time, however, they wouldn't send just one. They would send all their remaining sixth-tier powerhouses. The more they discussed it, the more tempting the idea became.

"Even one of our sixth-tier mages is more than capable of undoing all the demons have achieved, save for the corrupted lands themselves," Vellok stated, his tone firm.

The Emperor nodded slowly. "But we must not allow them to recover. We should have the entire army stationed to follow up immediately, giving the demons no time to recoup or regroup. Kaelen's abyssal armor means we have no issues battling in the abyss itself. We must not give them time to prepare." He turned from the glowing war map to face Vellok, his veiled form a silhouette in the dim light. "From what we've gathered, countermeasures have already been set up for the god with the cursed divinity." He paused, his voice dropping to a low rumble. "I trust you can handle him, correct?"

Vellok's usual composure faltered. He was calm, but hesitant. "He is strong, brother," he said quietly. "I have no confidence in handling him in my normal state. I will need the angel's power if I am to win."

The Emperor was silent for a long moment. "Has he ever spoken with you since?" he asked.

Vellok shook his head slowly. "I can't help but wonder if we made the right choice, trapping him for our own ends," he murmured, his gaze distant. "Now, that angel's rage is a blade hanging over our entire empire, ready to fall at any moment."

The Emperor opened his mouth to speak, but Vellok raised a hand to stop him. "There's no use regretting my past choices now," Vellok admitted, his voice a low confession. "I've been blind, brother, consumed by my own arrogance. This fight is a price I have to pay. There will be no coming back for me. My goal isn't victory; it's to ensure that angel falls with me, and his shadow never touches our people again."

Vellok placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, a gesture of shared burden. "I'll do my best to grant us a final win and make sure the angel falls with me, never to turn his gaze toward our people again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have lands reclaimed by our brother Kaelen to purify."

A shimmering portal of swirling arcane energy opened behind Vellok. He stepped through, leaving the Emperor alone in the cavernous chamber. As the portal collapsed with a soft whisper, the Emperor's facade of control shattered. He fell to his knees, his eyes—hidden behind the veil—holding a chaotic mix of hope and despair. The mana in the room began to fluctuate wildly, mirroring the storm raging within him.

A soft, rhythmic clicking sound started, growing faster and faster until the Emperor's surroundings dissolved entirely. He found himself not in his familiar chamber, but in a boundless space of swirling stars and a flowing, cosmic river. He was accustomed to this vision, a place where he often went to seek solace and power. He took a step into the river, intending to move forward, but was stopped cold when he saw a figure fishing from its banks.

The figure turned its gaze toward the Emperor, a silent command that froze him in his tracks. In a voice that echoed only in his mind, the figure spoke, "You are not yet ready for what lies beyond this point. Many like yourself are not ready." With a simple wave of a hand, the Emperor was thrust back into the cold reality of his chamber.

He landed hard on the floor, the memory of that voice fueling a surge of pure, unadulterated rage. He roared into the empty room, his voice raw with fury and frustration. "What use is this power of mine when I can't even save my own people? What use is all this for?" His words hung in the air, a desperate plea to a power that seemed to toy with him, offering glimpses of what he could be but denying him the means to get there.

A portal shimmered into existence high above the war-torn lands where Kaelen had fought. Vellok stepped through, his gaze sweeping over the ravaged, corrupted ground below. A grim sort of joy filled him, knowing that the ritual he was about to perform would cleanse these lands, securing them for his people to thrive once more.