For a moment — a rich, raw moment — the heavens fell silent. The thunder seemed to withdraw its voice just long enough for the two former brothers to confront their fate.
Marco tightened his grip on the pistol, knuckles white beneath leather gloves. "It's come to this, Theo. Brother against brother."
"It didn't have to be." Theo said quietly, rich disbelief battling pure rage in his voice. "We fought side by side… we bled together… and now you destroy it all… for what?"
"For power. For freedom from your shadow." Marco answered, rich in bitterness. "I was always the lesser king in your court… the man in the background… the soldier, not the ruler."
Ava pressed forward, ignoring Theo's protective arm. "Your greatest chains were not Theo… they were your own doubts."
The rain fell faster, thunder growling above, as the two men raised their weapons. There was a rich, dramatic pause — a moment suspended in time — and then…
…the two fired in the same instant.