BOOK TWO: THE KINGDOM BEYOND THE GATE
Chapter 23: The Man Who Remembers Everything
The underground garden fell silent.
Even the white tree stopped glowing.
The hooded man stood at the edge of the darkness.
He did not carry a weapon.
He did not release any aura.
Yet everyone instinctively stepped in front of Lyra.
Riva.
Lucien.
Orion.
Eva.
Parna.
Aarvi.
The Six Heirs formed a protective circle around the little girl.
The stranger smiled beneath his hood.
"So..."
"You chose to protect her."
Lyra whispered,
"Don't listen to him..."
"He twists the truth."
The man sighed.
"I've heard that sentence for thousands of years."
He slowly removed his hood.
Everyone stared.
His face wasn't terrifying.
It wasn't scarred.
It wasn't old.
He looked like an ordinary man in his early forties.
His long black hair fell over his shoulders.
His silver eyes were calm.
Almost kind.
But there was something unnatural about him.
His eyes reflected stars that no longer existed.
Eva frowned.
"Who are you?"
The man bowed politely.
"I've had many names."
"But the first one..."
"...was Eryndor."
The name echoed strangely through the garden.
Even the white tree trembled.
Lyra lowered her head.
"He remembers..."
Lucien stepped forward.
"Were you part of the First Kingdom?"
Eryndor smiled.
"I existed..."
"...before the First Kingdom."
Silence.
Aarvi blinked.
"Before?"
"How is that even possible?"
He looked toward the endless sky above the garden.
"I was there..."
"...when the first Gate was created."
The crystal sphere in Eva's hand suddenly projected ancient symbols.
She quickly translated them.
Her voice trembled.
"The First Witness."
Alaric had spoken of Guardians.
Caelum had spoken of Kings.
But never...
A Witness.
Parna looked around.
"Why does nature fear him?"
Eryndor answered gently.
"Nature doesn't fear me."
"It remembers me."
Lyra took a step backward.
"You shouldn't have come."
"I had no choice."
Eryndor replied.
"The balance is breaking."
Suddenly—
The white tree released hundreds of glowing leaves.
Instead of falling...
They circled Eryndor.
Each leaf became a memory.
A child laughing.
A kingdom celebrating.
Guardians making promises.
One after another...
The memories stopped before reaching him.
They simply disappeared.
Eva gasped.
"The tree..."
"It can't remember him."
Lyra nodded sadly.
"Because he remembers everything."
Riva frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Eryndor looked at her.
"When kingdoms vanish..."
"I still remember them."
"When people are erased..."
"I still remember their names."
"When history changes..."
"My memories do not."
Silence filled the garden.
"For thousands of years..."
"I've carried every forgotten history."
Lucien slowly lowered his sword.
"Then you're not working with the Devourer."
Eryndor smiled.
"No."
"I've been running from it."
Suddenly—
The ground shook violently.
The Devourer's shadow broke through the ceiling above the garden.
Dark roots spread toward the white tree.
Lyra cried out.
"The Heart is weakening!"
The silver leaves began turning black.
One after another.
The beautiful garden started dying.
Parna dropped to her knees.
She pressed both hands against the earth.
Golden vines burst from the ground.
Flowers bloomed again.
But this time...
The darkness consumed them within seconds.
"It's too strong..."
She whispered.
Queen Riva and Future Lucien finally reached the underground garden through the newly opened passage.
Both stopped the moment they saw Eryndor.
Future Lucien's face became pale.
"So..."
"You really exist."
Queen Riva slowly knelt.
"The First Witness."
Riva looked between them.
"You know him?"
Future Lucien nodded.
"In every future..."
"We searched for him."
"But we always arrived too late."
Eryndor smiled sadly.
"You finally arrived on time."
He slowly walked toward the white tree.
Every step caused forgotten memories to appear around him.
Children playing beneath silver skies.
Ancient festivals.
The first Guardians laughing together.
A beautiful kingdom whose name no longer existed.
The Six Heirs silently watched.
History itself was following him.
He placed one hand upon the dying tree.
Immediately...
The black corruption stopped spreading.
Golden light returned to the roots.
Lyra smiled through tears.
"You still remember..."
Eryndor nodded.
"As long as one person remembers..."
"Hope survives."
The Devourer's voice thundered across the underground garden.
"Witness..."
Thousands of glowing eyes opened within the darkness.
"Give her to me."
Eryndor stood calmly before the tree.
"No."
"You've taken enough."
The darkness laughed.
"She belongs to the beginning."
Lyra hid behind Riva.
"I won't go back."
Suddenly, Eva's crystal sphere projected another prophecy.
Ancient words appeared in brilliant silver.
She translated them slowly.
"When the First Witness meets the Final Heirs..."
"...the Ninth Gate shall awaken."
Everyone froze.
Lucien frowned.
"There were only eight."
Eryndor closed his eyes.
"No."
"There were always nine."
"The Ninth Gate..."
"...was hidden from history."
The mysterious box in Aarvi's hands reacted once more.
The wooden bird flew into the air.
Instead of singing...
It flew toward Eryndor and landed gently on his shoulder.
He smiled warmly.
"I remember carving this."
Aarvi's eyes widened.
"My uncle carved it."
Eryndor looked at her kindly.
"No."
"I taught him how."
Silence.
"So many years ago..."
"He promised me that if the Final Heirs ever appeared..."
"He would help them find Home."
Aarvi smiled through tears.
"My uncle kept his promise."
Without warning—
The crystal floor beneath the white tree split apart.
A beam of brilliant white light shot into the heavens.
The entire garden trembled.
The crystal sphere cracked.
A new location appeared on its map.
Not the Throne of Dawn.
Not the Silent Observatory.
A place no one had ever seen before.
Its name slowly formed in glowing letters.
THE NINTH GATE
Eryndor's calm expression disappeared for the first time.
He whispered,
"No..."
"It has awakened too early."
Far away...
Beyond every kingdom...
Beyond every Gate...
An enormous doorway made of pure white light slowly opened.
From within came the laughter of a child...
Followed by the cry of an ancient king.
The final journey had begun.
End of Chapter 23