The next day. I was sitting under my favorite sakura tree that was far away from the estate. A book was on my lap as I just finished reading. Then I stood up and repeated the contents of the book.
But I was annoyed because the events of last night were still haunting my mind I saw something dark, it had flames but that should not happen as only red and orange in the family is allowed.
Just looking at the sky thinking of my past life how I grew up from an orphan who's parents were killed a day after birth to dangerous training developing a cold and ruthless personality, then taking the role as emperor of the ten kingdoms.
As I was still daydreaming about my past life I heard a noise, sounds like people either cheering or confusion so I went down to go check the commotion.
"What's going on?"
Then I arrived at the gate and I see almost 30 guards.
Then mummers started to spread.
"He has returned, after 4 years."
"He looks more beautiful than ever."
More and more whispers were heard but I was still far away so I could not see perfectly but after a quick jump I got a sight even for a second it was my older brother even though I only saw him when I was two years old I still remembered that face Iehiro Kureha.
The place he was going was at my house so I went to my house maybe he had a meeting with my father.
As I arrived at the house I saw Iehiro go to my fathers room then before he knocks on the door he gave me a glance and smiled.
"Come in."
Iehiro goes in the room and kneels down to the head of the Kureha clan
"What a surprise my son has truly come back.
Father gave a smile of acknowledgement. Iehiro nodded back.
"I am not worthy of your praise father.
Then a servant came in with tea for the both of them. After placing the tea the servant went out the door after bowing down to the head.
The tea had a bitter taste.
Father sat there, exuding his usual air of authority, his robes heavy with intricate embroidery and the weight of expectations. His face, etched with the lines of many years, looked as solid as stone, embodying honor. His sharp, icy gaze scrutinized Iehiro, much like a ruler assessing a potential threat.
"You've returned," Lord Kureha said, his voice smooth and resonant.
"I have," Iehiro replied, keeping his eyes downcast.
A silence hung between them, stretching out.
"Stronger?"
Iehrio finally met his gaze, his expression unreadable. "I have achieved the power you believed in."
A slight twitch at the corner of Lord Kureha's mouth was it approval or a warning? Iehiro couldn't quite tell.
"The southern cults?"
"Crushed. Their temples turned to ash."
Father took a deliberate sip of his tea. "You realize why this is important, don't you? The clans to the east have begun to take notice. Even the elders are starting to murmur."
Iehiro nodded slightly. "We already devised plans for that action."
That earned a dry, brief chuckle from father.
"And what about your training?"
Iehiro reached into his cloak and pulled out a small talisman, placing it carefully on the mat between them.
"The reward from one of the Xarvier floors," he declared. "I survived the trials."
Lord Kureha leaned in a bit, examining the talisman. For just a brief moment, a hint of pride flickered in his eyes.
"Looks like you are getting stronger that's good. I believed you would be dead."
Iehiro's gaze remained steady. "And yet, here I am."
Silence enveloped them again. It was thick, charged with unspoken words.
"You have done well," Father finally said. "Better than anyone could have anticipated."
Iehiro bowed once more, this time deeper. "Your teachings shaped me."
Father rose and turned to the high window behind his throne, gazing out at the courtyard where guards and servants bustled about, murmuring about Iehiro's return.
"And Shimei?"
For the first time, Daigo hesitated.
"What about him?"
"Have you seen him today."
"Yes I did but only for a second.
Father still looking at the window.
"Why is that?"
Iehiro did not an good answer on why he did not talk with me before coming to him to speak about his adventures.
"He looks up to you," Father remarked.
Iehiro didn't flinch, but his hands tightened slightly on his knees.
"He shouldn't."
"Why not?"
"Because the fire he desires," Ierhiro replied softly, "was never meant for him."
Father turned to face him, his eyes inscrutable.
"Just because he has not unlocked his core."
Iehiro smiled, slow and shadowy.
"Yes he is not worthy to be part of this powerful family.
Father remained silent. He returned to his seat, poured more tea, and set a second cup in front of Iehiro.
"The clan recognizes your strength. But remember: strength without restraint is wildfire. It destroys more than it protects."
"And restraint without power is just smoke," Iehiro countered. "Useless and fading."
The two sat in that delicate silence, the fire flickering between them.
Outside, the wind began to pick up, causing the banners of the Kureha to flutter wildly, blissfully unaware that one of their own was already starting to burn from the inside out.
Iehiro took another sip of his tea.
It was still bitter.
The scent of Iehiro's talisman still hung in the air long after he had left the room. I remained still, my fingers lightly tracing the rim of his tea cup.
Ieharu had seen it in Iehiro's eyes.
Not hunger. Not loyalty.
Ambition.
It burned too brightly to be anything else a flame that didn't just want to protect, but to devour.
"You speak too smoothly, Iehiro," he murmured. "Just like I taught you."
I rose slowly, each joint creaking like the timbers of a ship that had weathered many storms. He moved to the window, watching the sun dip below the horizon.
"You might just be the future of the clan if you had the family blood," I whispered. "But I can't help but wonder... will you also be its downfall?"
Then, the image of Shimei flickered in Ieharu's mind.
So quiet. So observant. So often overlooked.
There was a fire in that boy. It just hadn't found the air it needed to ignite.
He would have to make a choice soon.
Between the son forged from blood and the son born of fire.
Between a legacy... and a weapon.
It was well past midnight when I quietly slipped away from the estate, my footsteps barely making a sound on the stone paths, his breath visible in the chilly air. The moon hung low and pale, like a ghostly eye watching over the night.
I made his way back to my tree.
The crooked pine that stood sentinel over the misty hills beyond the estate wall. Here, where no one could see him, he practiced.
I took a deep breath and moved through my forms. Shadows flickered as I spun, kicked, and struck. The blackened scars on my hands glimmered softly in the moonlight.
The glyphs he had carved into the roots pulsed gently beneath his feet.
My body remembered more than his mind could grasp. Each strike felt like a prayer, a defiance against fate.
Then
A scream.
Distant.
But definitely real.
I froze for a second but then I thought it was a prank until, my heart started racing.
Another scream, this one closer. Wet. Filled with desperation.
Then came the unmistakable roar of flames.
My breath caught in my throat. I turned toward the estate. Smoke twisted into the night sky.
I ran.
Branches lashed at his face. Stones jabbed at his feet. He didn't slow down. I reached the outer wall and saw the flames. The east wing was engulfed in fire. Bodies lay crumpled in the courtyard. Guards. Servants. A child. My breath hitched in my throat.
I dashed through the gate only to stop short at the sight of the main hall, its doors thrown wide open.
At the center, surrounded by a ring of bodies
Iehiro.
His blade dripped with blood. His cloak fluttered in the wind, singed at the edges. His eyes glowed with an unnatural heat.
I just stared in shock.
Iehiru smiled.
"You're late, little brother."