Chains of Vengeance

Chapter 86: Think Evil

Narinder looked at the sky dyed in shades of purple and orange, the night beginning to fall with its cloak of stillness over the cult. Although he had crossed the lands of Silk Cradle quickly, the wear and tear of combat and the memories on his skin had left a mark on time and on his own body. But he was back, with a firm step and his spirit renewed by victory.

He advanced towards the arrival area of ​​the cultists he had teleported, and there he found him. Shamura, in his mortal form, was standing there waiting for him. At first glance, the figure of his brother made him travel back in time: a young-looking spider, like when they both shared a bond that had lasted for centuries. But now, Shamura wore worn and faded clothes, a shadow of what was once his imposing bearing. His red eyes shone with a spark of dissent, an indication that he was about to lose control.

Narinder calmly approached and greeted, "Hello, Shamura."

Hearing his voice, Shamura's eyes changed to their characteristic violet hue, and a genuine smile spread across his face, radiating a peace that Narinder had not seen since his youth. Surprise struck him like a bolt of lightning: Shamura showed no anger or resentment, only a pure, ancient calm.

"Hello, Narinder," Shamura replied, in that soft, familiar voice.

Narinder barely reacted, paralyzed by the unexpected sweetness of the reunion. Then, Shamura looked towards a point on the horizon and began to speak while walking slowly, as if lost in his own world. "Today is Leshy's birthday... I have to find her a new cloak," he said in a calm voice, but his tone made it clear that something was wrong.

Narinder frowned, trying to read his brother's mind. This time, to his surprise, he did succeed. But what he found was a mess of disorganized memories, intertwined thoughts, and a chaos of incomplete emotions. Narinder immediately understood that Shamura's mind was shattered, each thought a fragmented shadow of the lucidity he once possessed.

His older brother, who had once guided and protected him, was lost in deep, painful confusion.

Narinder felt a lump in his throat as he listened to Shamura's words. He squeezed his brother's shoulder a little, not tightly, but like an anchor, as if trying to keep him in the present. That memory, those words, transported him to a time so distant and peaceful that it was impossible to ignore it. But he knew that, although Shamura's body was there, his mind still wandered among shadows of the past.

"Come this way, Shamura," Narinder said softly, trying to keep his voice from betraying his sadness. He did not want his cultists to see him hesitate for even a moment; He needed to project strength, even now, if only for his brother's sake.

As he led him to the healing area, Shamura continued to speak with childlike excitement, with that spark that Narinder remembered so well. "Hey, brother, we have to keep everything a secret, because if Heket finds out, she'll eat the cake before Leshy sees it," Shamura said, smiling with the same innocence as when they were young. Narinder recognized every word, every detail, the talk they shared back then, when their destinies as deities did not yet exist and everything seemed so simple.

With a sigh, Narinder helped his brother sit in a corner of the healing area. Shamura settled himself meekly, not noticing Narinder's deep, heavy sigh, who looked at him with a mix of affection and sadness.

"Kallamar said that Leshy was great all year... I want to give her a big cake, Narinder," Shamura insisted, his eyes shining with the same excitement as before. Narinder swallowed, his voice barely a murmur so that no one else would hear.

"Relax, Shamura. We will have the best cake for Leshy," Narinder assured him, forcing a smile.

Narinder untied the bandages with a delicacy he had not shown in centuries, each movement slow, careful, as if just touching them would break something more than the cloth ties. Shamura smiled with a radiant expression, his mind anchored in a much simpler time. "I know you don't like chocolate, but Leshy loves it," he said, with the same sparkle in his eyes as before. "Be good and eat that flavor for him."