RETURN OF THOMAS

As Thomas stood over Kane, his eyes burning with a cold fire that Marcus had never seen before. The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, the only sound the crackle of Kane's energy and the labored breathing of the two men.

Kane, struggling to get back on his feet, wiped blood from his mouth and glared at Thomas.

Kane: "You think you can beat me, Thomas? After everything I’ve done? You’re just a shell of who you used to be."

Thomas stared down at him, unblinking, his voice eerily calm.

Thomas: "I’m more than enough to stop you, Kane. You’ve turned your back on everything we stood for. I won’t let you destroy what’s left."

Kane snarled, his fists clenching as dark energy began to swirl around him again.

Kane: "You don’t know what you’re talking about. The world is a mess! It needs to be rebuilt, and you—both of you—are too weak to understand that!"

Marcus, still struggling to catch his breath, leaned against a tree, his body aching from the battle. He glanced between the two men, his mind racing.

Marcus: "Thomas... how are you here? We thought you were dead."

Thomas didn’t take his eyes off Kane, his voice still calm.

Thomas: "I was. But Kane couldn’t leave me alone, could you?"

Kane’s lips curled into a sneer, but there was an edge of fear in his eyes.

Kane: "I brought you back because I needed you. You should be thanking me."

Thomas stepped closer, his face darkening.

Thomas: "You didn’t bring me back out of kindness. You brought me back to use me, to control me. But I’m not your puppet, Kane."

Kane backed up, his energy flickering, as if unsure whether to attack.

Kane: "Control? You think I wanted to control you? No. I wanted you on my side because you were the strongest. We could have ruled this world together, but you turned your back on me!"

Thomas shook his head slowly.

Thomas: "I didn’t turn my back. You lost your way, Kane. You became something... unrecognizable."

Kane’s anger flared again, and he pointed a finger at Thomas, his voice rising.

Kane: "No! You’re the one who doesn’t see it! This world... it’s broken. And I’m the only one who has the power to fix it! You and Marcus, you’re both stuck in the past, clinging to ideas that no longer work."

Thomas’s gaze didn’t waver. His voice was softer now, almost sad.

Thomas: "You’re blinded by your own rage. What happened to us, Kane? We were brothers once."

Kane’s face twisted with a mix of emotions—anger, pain, regret. He glanced at Marcus, then back at Thomas.

Kane: "Brothers? We were never brothers, Thomas. You were always the favorite, the golden one. And I... I was always in your shadow."

Marcus, watching the exchange, felt a pang of understanding. He hadn’t known the depth of Kane’s resentment. But now, it was all spilling out.

Marcus: "Kane, this isn’t about the world, is it? This is about you. You’ve always felt like you were second place. But this... this path you’re on... it won’t bring you peace."

Kane whirled on Marcus, his eyes blazing.

Kane: "Peace? You think I want peace? I want power! I want to reshape this world into something that works. Something where I’m not the one left behind!"

Thomas took another step forward, his voice firm but gentle.

Thomas: "You don’t need to do this, Kane. There’s still time to stop. We can find another way."

Kane’s face twisted in rage, and he let out a roar, dark energy exploding from his hands.

Kane: "No! There’s no other way! You’ll never understand!"

Kane’s energy slammed into Thomas, but Thomas raised his hand, deflecting it with ease. Kane stumbled back, his breathing heavy, his energy waning.

Kane, now looking desperate, glanced between Marcus and Thomas. He took a step back, his voice shaking slightly.

Kane: "You... you think you’re better than me? You think you can just stand there and judge me? You don’t know what I’ve been through!"

Thomas’s voice was steady, but there was a deep sadness in his eyes.

Thomas: "I know you’re hurting, Kane. But this isn’t the way to heal. This... destruction... it’s only going to make things worse."

Kane laughed bitterly, his voice filled with scorn.

Kane: "Worse? How could things possibly get worse? The world is already falling apart!"

Marcus, struggling to stand, limped toward Kane, his voice quiet but firm.

Marcus: "You’re wrong, Kane. Things can always get worse. But we can stop it. We can help each other."

Kane glared at Marcus, his voice full of venom.

Kane: "Help each other? Don’t make me laugh. You two have never been on my side. You’ve always been against me!"

Thomas shook his head.

Thomas: "That’s not true. We’ve always wanted to help you, Kane. But you pushed us away."

Kane’s face twisted in pain, and for a moment, it seemed like the fight had drained out of him. He looked at the ground, his fists trembling.

Kane: "I... I didn’t want to be alone..."

The vulnerability in Kane’s voice took Marcus by surprise. For the first time, he saw the man beneath the rage—the broken, lonely man who had been consumed by his need for power.

Marcus: "You don’t have to be alone, Kane. It’s not too late. We can still fix this."

Kane looked up, his eyes filled with confusion and pain. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, the ground beneath them shook violently.

Thomas glanced around, his face tightening with concern.

Thomas: "What’s happening?"

Kane’s eyes widened in fear as he looked down at his hands, which were crackling with unstable energy.

Kane: "No... no, this isn’t right. I didn’t mean for this to happen."

Marcus’s heart pounded in his chest as he realized what was happening. Kane’s power was spiraling out of control, and if they didn’t stop it, it could destroy everything.

Marcus: "Kane, you need to stop this! You’re losing control!"

Kane looked panicked, his energy flaring wildly around him.

Kane: "I... I don’t know how! It’s too much!"

Thomas stepped forward, his voice calm but urgent.

Thomas: "Let me help you, Kane. I can stabilize the energy. But you have to trust me."

Kane hesitated, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. For a moment, he looked like he might accept Thomas’s help, but then his face twisted with anger again.

Kane: "No! I don’t need your help! I can handle this on my own!"

Before Marcus or Thomas could react, Kane unleashed a massive wave of energy, the force of it sending both men flying backward. Marcus hit the ground hard, his vision swimming as pain radiated through his body.

Thomas, struggling to stand, shouted over the chaos.

Thomas: "Kane, stop! You’re going to destroy everything!"

Kane’s voice was filled with desperation as he clutched his head, his energy spiraling out of control.

Kane: "I... I didn’t want this! I didn’t want any of this!"

Marcus, his body screaming in pain, forced himself to his feet, his voice hoarse.

Marcus: "Then let us help you, Kane. You don’t have to do this alone."

Kane looked at Marcus, his face a mask of torment. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, the ground split open beneath him, and a massive surge of dark energy erupted from the earth, swallowing him whole.

Marcus’s heart stopped as he watched Kane disappear into the darkness, his scream echoing in the night.

Thomas: "No!"

Thomas rushed toward the edge of the chasm, but it was too late. Kane was gone.

The forest fell silent, the only sound the distant rumble of the earth settling once more. Marcus stared at the spot where Kane had been, his heart heavy with a mix of relief and sorrow.

Thomas, breathing heavily, stood beside him, his face pale.

Thomas: "Is it... is it over?"

Marcus shook his head, his voice quiet.

Marcus: "I don’t think so."

As they stared into the darkness, a low, rumbling laugh echoed from the depths of the chasm.

Voice: "You think this is the end? It’s only the beginning..."

The laugh grew louder, more sinister, as the ground trembled beneath their feet. Something was coming. Something far worse than Kane.