Prologue

Helios sat cross-legged on his bright-red iron throne, looking up at the dull, dark-red ceiling, ignoring the screams outside his throne room.

For the first time since he had become king, he had no guards around him. He had sent them all out to die for him, while he sat alone, fixated on spending his last moment reminiscing, instead of fighting side by side with his men.

He wondered what his men had thought of him as they charged out alone. It was pathetic of him to do nothing, after all, he was the powerful Phoenix King. The undying ruler of Ykurd. The living legend who had never lost a battle.

A soft laugh escaped his lips. All his titles were nothing but lies sung by bards and told by parents to their children. He was neither a legend nor a hero, but a man riddled with regrets of his past.

'It shouldn't take long now,' he thought, letting out a sigh.

He could hear the laughter of the man he once called a brother echoing behind the doors as more screams rose, seemingly crying for their king to aid them. Rage built up within Helios, but he remained seated, trying to shut everything out. There was nothing he could do anymore.

The doors slammed open, revealing three lightly armored men. Helios was amused they weren't fully geared up. The trio was as ever cocky as usual.

"Helios!" the man in the middle called out, spreading his arms as he walked towards the throne. He had white hair reaching his neck, coupled with fiery grey eyes that mocked Helios. The wicked smile on his lips was as disgusting as the scar across his forehead, but Helios refrained from insulting him. It would be nothing but banter from a dead man.

"It seems he has truly lost all hope," the man on the right scoffed, disappointment laced in his words. Helios felt the rage within him swell once more as the second man spoke. "I hoped we'd have one last duel before you died."

Like the man walking towards Helios, this one had grey eyes as well, but they were dull. His hair was simply cut low and black while his face held no scars. On his breastplate, he had engraved the sigil of his nation, a small chicken standing upright.

The last man was bald, with tusks growing from the sides of his mouth. His red eyes matched that of Helios' throne, burning with passion. The passion for senseless slaughter.

"What do you want me to say?" Helios chuckled, reclining into his seat. "You've killed both the Wolf and the Dragon. I have nothing to fight for."

"You're disappointing, Phoenix King," the one with the chicken breastplate said.

Anger welled up in Helios' chest as he sat forward, pointing a finger at the man. "I'm disappointing?" The trio went silent as they hadn't expected a sudden outburst from someone who had looked so defeated. Helios had also not expected himself to react the way he did, but the welled-up anger inside him began spilling out uncontrollably. "You betrayed us, Louis. You killed the Wolf and the Dragon. You started this war." He grasped the arms of his throne, squeezing it with all his might. "And you will be the cause of thousands of innocents dying. All because of your insatiable greed."

"You're naive and foolish, brother," Louis replied, but Helios shot up to his feet, slamming his fist on the armrest of his throne.

The trio flinched as his fist left a burning imprint on the armrest. Helios stood tall, staring them down with his skin glowing bright red.

"Do not call me brother. You are nothing to me."

Louis averted his eyes from Helios' fierce gaze and said nothing. The man with tusks and the one who had stepped forward, both unsheathed their swords, wary of a sudden attack.

"How would you like to die, Helios?"

"How would YOU like to die, Averys?"

Helios' skin erupted into flames, increasing the temperature of the throne room drastically. Clenching his fists, he marched down the steps leading up to his throne. Although he had intended for a death without struggle, deep down inside him he knew he would never die to the monsters in front of him without a fight.

Spreading his arms, he looked down at the trio and snarled. Golden wings burst out from his back, ripping his clothes into shreds. Let the lies be lies. He was the Phoenix King and knew damn well his death wouldn't be the end of his story.

Leaping down, Helios let down a shrill scream as he dove right towards Averys. With flames igniting his eyes, he swore he would be back to exact his revenge.