What is Left of Me

The cold air of northern England bit at Lee's skin as he and Kuran approached the worn-down mansion that stood atop a hill. The building's cracked stone walls and broken windows spoke of a history marred by war and judgment. It loomed over the landscape like a specter, its presence commanding both reverence and fear.

"Are you ready?" Kuran asked, his voice low and calm.

Lee swallowed hard, his palms clammy despite the chill. "Ready as I'll ever be. Why do they call him the Judge of Heaven?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Kuran replied grimly, not elaborating further.

The heavy iron door creaked open as they stepped inside. The interior was eerily quiet, the silence thick enough to make every step feel like an intrusion. At the far end of the grand hall stood Aries. His presence was overwhelming—tall and broad-shouldered, his pale blond hair fell in waves, and his piercing eyes gleamed with a cold light that seemed to strip Lee bare of all pretense. He radiated authority, a living embodiment of judgment itself.

"Lee Geon," Aries said, his voice reverberating through the hall. "You stand before me as Ophiuchus, the 13th Zodiac. A sin thou hast committed, and a sin thou shalt commit. Thy punishment awaits."

Before Lee could respond, Aries moved. In an instant, he was upon Lee, a blur of motion too fast for the human eye to follow. Lee barely managed to raise his arms in defense as Aries' fist connected with his stomach, sending him flying across the room. He crashed into the stone wall, the impact knocking the wind out of him.

"Aries!" Kuran shouted, stepping forward. "What are you doing?"

Aries didn't answer. His cold gaze remained fixed on Lee as he approached him, each step deliberate, measured. "Ophiuchus is a threat to the balance of the celestial court. I will not allow another to bring ruin to our world."

Lee scrambled to his feet, his body screaming in protest. "I don't even know what you're talking about!" he shouted, his voice cracking with fear and frustration.

"You don't need to," Aries replied, his tone devoid of emotion. "You only need to be judged."

Kuran moved quickly, positioning himself between Aries and Lee. "Enough, Aries. He's not the one you fought before. He's just a kid trying to understand his powers."

Aries' eyes narrowed. "Step aside, Kuran. This is not your fight."

"I won't," Kuran said firmly. "If you attack him, you'll have to go through me."

"So be it."

Without hesitation, Aries lunged at Kuran, his movements precise and ruthless. Kuran barely managed to dodge the initial strike, summoning a barrier of shimmering energy to block the follow-up blow. The force of the attack cracked the ground beneath them, the sheer power behind it shaking the entire room.

Lee watched in horror as the two clashed. Aries was relentless, his attacks sharp and calculated, while Kuran defended with agility and skill, his barrier flickering under the onslaught. The battle was a storm of power, each clash of energy reverberating like thunder.

"Lee, get out of here!" Kuran shouted, his voice strained.

"No!" Lee yelled back. "I'm not leaving you!"

Aries turned his gaze to Lee, his expression unyielding. "Foolishness," he said, vanishing from sight.

Lee's instincts screamed at him to move, and he barely managed to leap to the side as Aries reappeared, his blade slicing through the air where Lee had been standing. The attack grazed Lee's arm, drawing blood. Aries didn't stop, pressing his assault with ruthless precision.

Lee staggered backward, his mind racing. He couldn't fight Aries—not yet. He didn't have the skill or the power to stand against someone like him. But he couldn't abandon Kuran, either.

"Think, Lee!" Kuran shouted, throwing up another barrier to block Aries' attack. "You've got power—use it!"

Taking a shaky breath, Lee reached deep within himself, calling on the energy that had awakened inside him. He felt it surge through his veins, raw and untamed. With a shout, he unleashed it, sending a shockwave of energy toward Aries.

The attack forced Aries to pause, but only for a moment. He turned to Lee, his expression unchanged. "You have strength, but no control. You are unworthy."

He charged again, his blade aimed directly at Lee's chest. Lee braced himself, but before the strike could land, Kuran intervened, his barrier shimmering as it absorbed the impact.

"That's enough!" Kuran roared, his voice echoing through the hall. "If you kill him now, you'll be no better than the threat you claim to protect against!"

Aries stepped back, his blade lowering slightly. He looked between Kuran and Lee, his expression unreadable. After a tense moment, he sheathed his weapon.

"This is not over," he said coldly. "If you cannot prove your worth, Ophiuchus, I will finish this. For the sake of the celestial court, I will not hesitate."

With that, Aries turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing through the hall.

Lee collapsed to his knees, his body trembling. "What… what the hell was that?"

Kuran knelt beside him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "That was Aries, the Judge of Heaven. And now you understand why they call him that."

Lee nodded weakly, his mind still reeling from the encounter. He had survived, but only barely. And the words Aries had spoken hung heavy in his mind. A sin thou shalt commit.

What did it mean? And how could he prove his worth when the very powers he relied on felt so far beyond his control?