Faul: The Reincarnation

Chapter 13: Back To Find My Brother

“Something’s wrong. Are they in trouble?” Billie thought the moment the sword left its scabbard. The strange sensation that followed sent a chill down his spine.

“Billie… Billie… you need to find Faul. Find him and tell him not to come looking for me. He needs to be prepared for what’s to come,” a voice echoed in his mind. It was soft, almost like a whisper in the wind, but Billie instantly recognized it—it was Maria.

His heart pounded. “I have to find him… before he does something that will get us all killed,” Billie muttered to himself.

Just then, a hand landed gently on his shoulder.

“Hey, Billie. The boss says it’s your turn to take the guard post tonight,” said Dan, one of the oldest and most respected members of the escort cavalry.

“Okay, Dan. I got it,” Billie replied, forcing a smile. Dan had always been like an older brother to him—easygoing, protective, and understanding. Since Billie joined the escort cavalry, Dan had looked after him with care and patience.

They still had about a week before they’d reach Jura—before he could find Faul again. But Billie’s mind was far from peaceful. All through the night, he couldn’t sleep. He kept thinking about the sword—the way it had acted strangely earlier, splitting into two—and the mysterious voice of Maria in his head.

Unable to rest, Billie decided to start training before dawn. He moved quietly away from the camp and began swinging his blade, repeating stances and footwork endlessly under the moonlight.

“I need to grow stronger… I have to go back and find my brother,” he whispered, determined.

From a short distance, Dan sat silently watching him, a worried look on his face. He had noticed the change in Billie since the sword incident.

“I wonder what’s got him all worked up since that strange sword split… Something's definitely not right,” Dan thought.

***

Far away, Faul suddenly jolted awake, drenched in sweat.

“Billie!” he shouted in the dark, his breathing ragged.

“No… I can’t lose my family. I’m still too weak to protect them. I’ve already failed my mother… I can’t lose Billie too,” he thought, guilt weighing heavily on his chest.

Without thinking, Faul got up and ran out of the camp, heading straight into the forest. The cool night air didn’t calm his nerves, but the solitude helped clear his mind.

Not far behind, Phil followed him quietly. He had sensed something was off the moment Faul woke up. He trailed him carefully, step after step, until they reached deep into the mountains.

“I know you’re here, Phil,” Faul said calmly, not turning around. He sat cross-legged on a rock, breathing slowly. “I know you’ve been following me all this while. Just come out.”

Phil stepped into the clearing. Faul, still not looking at him, removed his shirt and continued to meditate. What Phil saw next nearly knocked the breath out of him.

Red, shimmering scales ran down Faul’s spine, beginning from the nape of his neck. They glowed faintly under the moonlight, forming a dragon-like pattern across his back.

Phil stepped closer, stunned. He circled around and sat in front of Faul, curiosity shining in his eyes. When Faul finally opened his eyes, he saw Phil’s jaw practically on the floor.

Phil stared at the red diamond-shaped scales embedded in Faul’s chest. But what shocked him even more were the two twin red, scaly blades—one embedded on each of Faul’s upper arms. They looked like part of him, like they had grown from his body.

“What… exactly did you say you were, Faul?” Phil thought to himself, reaching out instinctively to touch Faul’s chest.

“Does this mean the more you grow, the more these scales will spread throughout your body?” Phil continued in his thoughts, mesmerized.

“You know I can hear your thoughts, right?” Faul said without opening his eyes.

Phil froze and nearly choked on his own breath.

“W-What?” he stammered.

“I said I can hear your thoughts,” Faul repeated, this time opening his eyes. “And no, I don’t know if the scales will cover my whole body as I grow… but I do know this: if I get pissed off, they definitely will.”

Phil stared, wide-eyed.

“Faul… I’m your friend, right?” he asked hesitantly.

“Yeah. You are,” Faul answered with a small nod. “And once I consider someone a friend, they’ll always be—unless they go against me.”

Phil felt a small wave of relief. “Okay. But… how many magic powers do you have? I mean… it’s my first time hearing someone being able to read minds,” he asked.

Faul shrugged, a small smirk appearing on his face.

“I don’t know exactly,” he admitted. “But I know I can do things… a lot of things. If I’ve seen someone do it before, I can usually replicate it—and even go beyond it.”

Phil’s eyes widened even more.

“You know… in my previous world, I was the second-in-command,” Faul said, voice turning soft. “I was one of the strongest beings. I’ve fought titans. I’ve slain gods. I’ve brought down monsters that could swallow the sky.”

He paused, clenching his fists.

“But… I was betrayed. By my own brother, Gao.”

“What happened?” Phil asked gently.

“He wanted to absorb every life force, every being in existence… to become a god himself. I refused to help him. That was enough reason for him to see me as a threat. So he wiped out every last dragon… and finally me,” Faul said, his voice cracking with emotion.

Phil listened in silence as Faul continued.

“He wasn’t stronger than me. But he allied with a god… and they brought me down. I couldn’t save Azra, my home. I failed everyone.”

Sadness and guilt hung heavily around Faul as he stared at the night sky.

Phil moved closer and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“You’re not alone, Faul. Not anymore. This world… it’s our world now. And we’ll protect it together. I’ll always be by your side. We’ll train harder. We’ll grow stronger. And when the time comes… we’ll fight.”

The two of them sat in silence under the stars for a while longer, the wind rustling gently through the trees. No more words were needed.

They stood and left the mountain, walking side by side in the quiet of the night—brothers not by blood, but by bond.