The words drifted through the crowd in hushed whispers, yet each one struck Kadai harder than any blade ever had. His head remained lowered as he was marched through the streets toward his sentence, magical restraints biting into his limbs with every step. He refused to meet the eyes of those lining the roads. These were the very creatures he had sworn to protect. The same citizens he had bled for, suffered for.. sacrificed for. And now they called him a traitor. A bitter scoff escaped beneath the iron muzzle clamped over his muzzle, muffled into little more than a growl. Yes, he had walked the razor's edge of morality more times than he could count. His methods were ruthless, his hooves stained by deeds others lacked the resolve to commit. But every decision, every sacrifice, every atrocity had been made for the betterment of Equestria. If that made him a monster... Then so be it. Someone had to become one so the real monsters could be kept at bay.

---

They had declared him a threat. To whom, he still did not know. What he did know was that the Royal Guard had turned against him. That was the true betrayal. After everything he had given, he had never asked for medals, titles, or recognition. He had never sought glory. Duty itself had been enough. His own unwavering sense of justice had carried him through every impossible assignment. Perhaps they believed he had become uncontrollable. Perhaps the leash they had kept around his neck had finally snapped. Or perhaps.. He was nothing more than a convenient scapegoat. A political sacrifice offered to preserve the image of those sitting comfortably behind palace walls.

---

One of his ears twitched. "Traitor." The word rose above the rest, easily isolated by the thestral's keen hearing. He stopped. For the first time since his march had begun, Kadai slowly raised his head. Golden eyes locked onto the stallion within the crowd who had spoken. Silence lingered for only a heartbeat. "Kin-slayer." This time the accusation came from behind. A guard slammed the butt of his spear against Kadai's flank, forcing him forward while barking for him to keep moving. Slowly, Kadai turned his gaze toward the crowd once more. There was no sorrow reflected within those golden irises. No shame. No regret. Only a simmering, unrelenting fury. Not the rage of a criminal.. But the wrath of a soldier betrayed by the nation he had devoted his life to.

---

It had been presented as a routine operation. Bag and tag. A dangerous criminal. Another piece of Equestrian scum destined for Tartarus. The briefing had been suspiciously thin. Sparse details. Vague intelligence. Everything about it smelled wrong, but Kadai had obeyed regardless. Orders were orders, and he had never once questioned his oath to Equestria. He should have. Under the cover of darkness, his squad breached the target location without resistance. The room beyond was empty. Dust drifted lazily through the stale air. Only a single candle remained, its lonely flame flickering beside a folded note resting atop a wooden table. Kadai approached. Opened it. One word. The realization struck too late. Steel hissed from scabbards. Spears lowered. The soldiers behind him shifted formation, though not toward the empty room.. Toward him.

---

"So this is how it ends.." His voice remained calm despite the betrayal surrounding him. "If you will not grant me your love.." His golden eyes swept across the faces of those he had once called kin. "..then I shall give you my rage." Weapons tightened in trembling grips. "Look upon what you have made." For the briefest of moments, something almost resembling sorrow crossed his expression. Then it vanished. "Pray.. forgive my transgressions." The former Celestial Guard moved. Steel clashed. The room erupted into chaos. When the fighting ended, one guard lay dead. Two more clung desperately to life, their armor shattered and stained crimson. Kadai himself knelt amidst the wreckage, battered, bloodied, and finally overwhelmed beneath the weight of numbers. It was enough. Enough to brand him forever. Only later did he understand the truth. The death. The injuries. The note. The empty room. Every piece had been carefully arranged long before he ever accepted the mission. He had never been sent to capture a criminal. He had been sent to become one.

---

Execution.. That, he could have accepted. A warrior's death. A final act of atonement beneath an executioner's blade. There would have been dignity in that. Instead, they chose something far crueler. Tartarus. He knew the stories. He knew what became of those buried beneath its endless darkness, where whispers wormed their way into the mind and despair became more relentless than hunger. Death would have been mercy. This.. This was punishment.

---

Now he stood powerless. Bound in enchanted restraints. A heavy iron muzzle sealed his jaws, denying him even the dignity of speaking his final thoughts. Only low, animalistic growls escaped as the guards shoved him onward. Toward the gates of Tartarus. Toward oblivion. The crowd continued to spit curses behind him, but Kadai no longer heard their voices. Only silence. Only betrayal. Only the quiet promise forming within the depths of his soul. As he was forced toward the prison gates, he lifted his head one final time. Within those brilliant golden eyes burned neither fear nor despair. Only unbridled rage. And the silent vow that if fate ever granted him freedom again.. Equestria would one day answer for what it had created.