Dancing on the golden ashes

This was the person I had been hunting—the one I had sworn to kill.

"Kim Ha-Joon..." I muttered under my breath, my grip on the scythe tightening as my blood boiled with anticipation.

"Hello, Gaon... Do you like this palace? I built it for you." Kim Ha-Joon's voice dripped with mockery, his words echoing with an otherworldly resonance. His maniacal laughter cut through the air, sending a chill down my spine. "If you submit to me, I will make you my empress. You won't even need to do much—just warm my bed! Hahaha!"

The twisted humor in his voice, mixed with the eerie undertone, reminded me too much of the voice that haunted me daily, trying to drag me into madness.

"Disgusting as always..." I spat, raising my scythe slightly, its blade catching the pale moonlight. My gaze locked onto his—eyes as black as the void itself, radiating malice and darkness. "It's Lee Gaon for you. Show some respect to your superiors, scum."

The tension crackled like lightning between us, our opposing auras clashing in silent battle even before the first strike was made.

"What a pity... and here I thought you'd be more submissive," Kim Ha-Joon sneered, his smile widening wickedly as his gaze shifted past me. "But let's see... who do we have behind you?" His eyes glinted with malevolent delight as they locked onto someone standing at my back.

"Come here, slut. Don't you miss your boyfriend?" he commanded, his voice laced with venom and control.

To my utter shock, Soo-Ah moved—she obeyed him. Without hesitation, her body dashed to his side, and she embraced him.

I stood frozen, speechless, my scythe trembling slightly in my grip. The world around me blurred as confusion and betrayal washed over me in waves. How could this happen? What in the world is going on here?

I wanted to scream, to demand answers, to order her to come back. But no words escaped my lips. My heart felt like it had been crushed under a mountain, the weight unbearable, slamming into me harder than any blow I had ever endured in battle.

"Tell me you're just acting..." I pleaded, my voice a desperate whisper, thick with disbelief and pain. But in my gut, I already knew the truth. The pieces fit together now. The betrayal that shattered me before... it wasn't random, wasn't sudden. She had been with him the entire time. She was his... hahaha... what a twist of shitty fate...

She hid it from me. Pretended to be my friend, my ally. How dare she?

Rage erupted in my chest, swallowing the sorrow, threatening to consume me entirely. My vision turned red as my grip on my scythe tightened. No forgiveness. No mercy.

"I told you, Gaon... you can't trust her," the eerie voice whispered in my mind, its tone dripping with vindication.

You shut the fuck up! I don't have time for you!

A single tear slid down my cheek, hot and bitter, as I watched the last possibility of our friendship dissolve. Any hope I had harbored—no matter how small—was extinguished in that moment. Discover more stories at empire

Kim Ha-Joon's mocking laughter sliced through the air. "Did you have fun with the boys? I hope they treated you well. Hahaha! Though, I imagine they're dead, considering this bitch is here. Well," he smirked, "it was a worthy sacrifice."

Her voice trembled, weak and pitiful. "Yes… love," she murmured, not even glancing my way.

I felt my chest tighten, a cold rage filling the void where my heart should have been. Love? That word coming from her lips as she stood beside him... it was a knife driven straight into my soul.

Kim Ha-Joon's grin widened as he raised a hand, summoning a black staff from thin air. The staff writhed with a sinister energy, its surface etched with pulsating, glowing runes. Souls circled it, their ghostly forms writhing in agony, their screams piercing the air like nails on a chalkboard.

"Now move," he commanded, shoving Soo-Ah away as if she was nothing less than garbage. He stepped forward, his eyes locking onto mine with a predatory gleam. "I have some unfinished business with your friend."

"Behold! The power that will dominate this world!" Kim Ha-Joon bellowed, his voice cracking under the weight of his delusions. Darkness rippled from him, spreading in all directions like a vile tide. "Everything here was built for me and me alone! I will be the emperor of everything!"

I stood still, my gaze unwavering. I whispered under my breath, my voice barely audible over the rising tension. "You took everything from me..."

My grip tightened on my scythe, its presence comforting in my hands. The darkness-fire around me ignited, blazing with a ferocity that mirrored the storm inside me. I raised my voice, calm but unyielding. "Now, I will take everything from you."

Our auras collided like raging tides, the air crackling with the intensity of our power. His wild grin met mine, both of us fully prepared to end this. To take each other's lives.

He moved quickly, a bit too quickly, grabbing me by my throat as he carried me to the sky.

"GAON!" Soo-Ah screamed out and she quickly followed us. Idiot, get away from me, I will kill you...

I saw the fight break out. The entire palace suddenly became a battlefield. Thunderous tempests joined in, ripping the main gate apart. The chaos was relentless, killing countless lower-level people caught in the crossfire.

I tried to struggle, but his grip felt like a lock, I was not able to move. He shoved me to the ground, and I hit several trees on the way, destroying them in my path.

I spit out a mouthful of blood, and stood up quickly. My body was covered in scratches but I regenerated at insane speed.

He's fast... Even my new ability was not able to keep up, what the hell is his level...n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Inspect!

[Kim Ha-Joon]

[Death Warlock]

[Level 30] ...

He's way stronger than me... Can I win? Doubt clawed at my resolve, the uncertainty gnawed at me like a parasite. I could feel fear trying to root itself in my heart, whispering that I wasn't ready, that I wasn't strong enough. But I couldn't let it consume me. Not now. Not ever. I had to fight, even if the odds were impossible.

It was the first time I didn't feel confident, this fight, I might have come too soon.

"You're so weak... Why did you come to see me now? Just to die? This fight will be boring..." He sighed, still suspended in the air, his staff was releasing darkness clouds keeping him afloat. A massive darkness orb manifested behind him, radiating an aura of death. He moved his arm, aiming at me, and the orb rushed at where I stood.

"Darkness is my specialty, you idiot!" I scoffed, my body burned in darkness flames, I dashed through the air, dodging the attack with ease, leaving only dark fire on the ground. My speed was much faster than in my last fight. I was prepared to end this fight with my speed, and if it was not enough I had more skill points. Speed was something I could be proud of, it was my ultimate weapon when it came to opponents that overpowered me.

"I will slay you Kim Ha-Joon!" My legs moved on their own, driven by an urge to slay the person before me.

The massive orb of darkness hit the ground where I had stood moments before, corroding everything in its path. What a fearsome skill... My stomach dropped. I knew I'd be dead if I was hit by it. I hated my lack of power to deflect it, but I stayed focused on my goal. This was no time for fear or doubt; I had to keep my head clear.

In an instant, I approached him, my scythe slashing at his waist. You'll move left? Okay... I could slightly see his movements. These eyes were my new strongest ability—of course, if I didn't have the power of speed, they'd be useless, but at the moment, they were exactly what I needed. One thing I didn't like about this ability was that I had to will it to see the future; I couldn't see all the time, which let him grab me that one time. I remembered that moment clearly, the sheer terror of being held in his grip, but it was also a lesson—I needed to master this power fully if I wanted to stand a chance.

My scythe met a metallic surface, and sparks flew in all directions. I was stopped in place, but I used that to my advantage. I spun my scythe, using the momentum to spin around his staff and crash into him with my heels. The impact reverberated through my bones, and I felt his resistance waver for just a moment.

"What the!?" He could only muster these words before his body slammed into the ground. Dust and dirt flew into the air, leaving a small crevice where Kim Ha-Joon's body lay, unscathed but furious. His eyes blazed with rage, and I could see the dark energy pulsating around him, almost as if it had a life of its own.

"Get annihilated, bitch!" I screamed as powerful dark fire danced from my palms, crashing onto him. But to my disappointment, a massive black shield spun in circles, devouring my attack as if it were a mere snack. The shield seemed almost mocking, as if it was amused by my efforts.

How many skills does he have in his arsenal? This is absurd... He seemed to have an endless supply of tricks, and each one was deadlier than the last.

At that moment, I noticed darkness spreading out from the shield, looking like tentacles, rushing at me with incredible speed, trying to shackle me. How disturbing... but I have one of my own.