Devoid

#FIVE

Moses tensed as his eyes locked onto his half-brothers. His disbelief warred with a surge of fury burning as hot as his flames. He knew them too well: Kondo's fierce, angular features twisted with hatred, and Sefu's calculating gaze that held a malice born from years of bitterness. Their presence defied logic. He had killed them both, yet here they stood, alive.

Kondo was the first to recover from the shock. His eyes widened briefly, then narrowed as recognition dawned. "Moses, little brother," he hissed, his voice dripping with venom. "After all this time, you're here?"

Silence gripped the room as the High Tribunal members froze, uncertainty on their faces. The guards shifted nervously, unsure whether to defend against the intruders or deal with this new revelation. Amina's gaze darted between Moses and his brothers, confusion and fear etched on her face.

Moses' eyes turned fiery red, his gaze as sharp as a blade. "I could say the same. How are are you alive?" His voice was a low growl vibrating with anger.

Sefu stepped forward, his expression darkly amused. "Death isn't permanent for us." He glanced at Kondo, then back at Moses, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "We've been granted another chance to finish what was started long ago. And now… we get to kill you."

Limbikani's voice broke the tense silence. "What do you want?" he demanded, his tone steady despite the fear flickering in his eyes.

Kondo's gaze shifted dismissively to the boy before returning to Moses. "We came for the High Tribunal," he spat. "But finding you here? That's a bonus we didn't expect."

Moses took a step forward, controlled rage simmering beneath his calm exterior. He ignored the High Tribunal members and the other sorcerers positioned around the room, focusing solely on his brothers. "Leave them," he demanded.

"No, Moses," Kondo growled.

The tension boiled over. Tendai and Chisomo, sensing the danger, began to weave spells under their breath, but the dark magic surrounding Kondo and Sefu flared up, disrupting their focus. The air crackled with energy as if reality itself trembled before the oncoming storm.

"Everyone, stand back," Moses warned, his voice a command that brooked no argument.

Before anyone could react, the room erupted into chaos. Kondo lunged forward, dark magic swirling around him like a living shadow, while Sefu raised a hand, releasing a wave of black fire that scorched the air between him and the High Tribunal.

Moses moved instinctively, his own flames roaring to life as he countered Sefu's attack. Their powers collided, sending shockwaves that rattled the chamber's foundations.

The High Tribunal members scrambled for cover, their guards springing into action. Tendai and Chisomo joined forces, casting a protective barrier around the remaining members of the High Tribunal, their faces taut with concentration.

"Moses!" Amina's terrified scream cut through the chaos, and Moses's heart clenched at the sound.

"Stay back!" he shouted, sparing her a single, desperate glance before focusing back on his brothers.

Kondo's grin was savage as he advanced, his dark magic coiling around him like a serpent ready to strike. "You can't protect them all, Moses," he sneered.

With a roar of rage, Moses unleashed a blinding inferno, sending his brothers staggering back. The ground beneath him cracked and split, the force of his magic warping the air around them.

Kondo and Sefu stumbled back, their expressions twisted in shock as they struggled to withstand the onslaught. For a moment, it seemed Moses had the upper hand, but then a sudden, violent pulse of energy surged through the room, knocking everyone off balance.