BOOK THREE: THE FALL OF THE FIRST KINGDOM
Chapter 33: The Brother Who Was Erased
The Gate stood open.
Nothing moved.
Nothing breathed.
The Seven Flames that had illuminated the heavens only moments ago were completely dark.
Caelan stared at the figure standing beyond the Gate.
His own face.
His own eyes.
His own silver mark.
But there was something different.
Something deeply wrong.
The stranger smiled.
"Hello, brother."
Caelan couldn't speak.
---
Riva stepped closer to him.
"Caelan..."
He didn't respond.
His eyes remained fixed on the stranger.
"I remember you."
The stranger smiled wider.
"I know."
"You were never supposed to."
---
The First Guardian stepped forward.
His face was filled with disbelief.
"Impossible."
The stranger looked at him.
"You said that before."
The Guardian's voice trembled.
"We watched you disappear."
"No."
"You watched them erase me."
---
Elara slowly approached.
"What is your name?"
The stranger looked at her.
For the first time...
His smile disappeared.
"You don't remember?"
Elara closed her eyes.
"I don't."
He whispered:
"Aren."
---
The name echoed through the chamber.
Aren.
The First Son.
The forgotten child.
The one whose existence had been removed from every record.
---
Caelan suddenly fell to his knees.
Memories flooded his mind.
Two children running beneath the White Tree.
Aren teaching him how to use a wooden sword.
Aren protecting him from the Guardians.
Aren promising:
"If anything happens to you..."
"I'll come back."
Then...
The memory changed.
The First Guardian stood before Aren.
Behind him stood Aurelion.
Aren was crying.
Caelan was being carried away.
A door closed.
And Aren shouted:
"Don't forget me!"
---
Caelan screamed.
"I remember!"
Riva knelt beside him.
"What happened?"
Caelan looked at Aren.
"They took him."
Aren nodded.
"They were afraid of what I could become."
---
Aurelion stepped forward.
"You were unstable."
Aren laughed bitterly.
"Because I could see the future."
The First Guardian looked away.
"You saw something that should never have been seen."
Aren's eyes darkened.
"I saw the fall of every Gate."
"I saw the Unwriting."
"I saw you fail."
---
The Last Unwriter stared at him.
"You knew?"
Aren nodded.
"Long before you became the Unwriter."
---
Riva stood.
"Then why are you working with Aurelion?"
Aren smiled.
"I'm not."
He looked toward Aurelion.
"He thinks he controls me."
Aurelion's expression hardened.
"Don't."
Aren laughed.
"You always believed you could control everything."
"Even the First Promise."
"Even Elara."
"Even me."
---
Aurelion raised his hand.
Dark energy surrounded Aren.
Aren didn't move.
The darkness touched his body...
Then disappeared.
Aurelion's eyes widened.
"What?"
Aren smiled.
"You forgot something."
"I was the first Keeper."
"The First Flame chose me."
---
A silver flame appeared above Aren's hand.
The Flame of Beginning.
The same Flame that had vanished earlier.
Riva stared.
"It never left you."
Aren shook his head.
"It was never stolen."
"It was hiding."
---
The Seven Flames slowly began glowing again.
Not above the other Keepers.
Around Aren.
The Flame of Beginning recognized him.
But something was wrong.
The flame was black around its edges.
The Last Unwriter whispered:
"He's corrupted."
Aren looked at him.
"Not corrupted."
"Changed."
---
Caelan stood.
"Why did you come back?"
Aren looked at him.
"Because I was promised something."
"What?"
"Freedom."
Aurelion's face darkened.
"I never promised you freedom."
Aren laughed.
"You promised me the truth."
---
He pointed toward the First Guardian.
"Ask him."
Everyone turned.
The First Guardian closed his eyes.
"I lied."
Riva frowned.
"About what?"
The Guardian's voice trembled.
"Caelan wasn't the heir."
Silence.
Aren looked at Caelan.
"You were."
Then he pointed toward himself.
"And I..."
"...was the sacrifice."
---
Caelan's face went pale.
"What does that mean?"
The Guardian answered:
"The First Promise required two children."
"One to carry the future."
"One to carry the past."
"Aren was chosen to carry the past."
"But when the Guardians discovered what that meant..."
"They became afraid."
---
Aren continued.
"They sealed me beyond the First Gate."
"Not to protect the Kingdom."
"To protect themselves."
---
Elara looked horrified.
"You were trapped there..."
"for thousands of years."
Aren nodded.
"And I wasn't alone."
---
The Gate behind him began shaking.
Something moved in the darkness.
Aren looked over his shoulder.
His expression changed.
Fear.
For the first time...
He looked genuinely afraid.
"It found me."
Riva whispered:
"Who?"
Aren answered:
"The thing beneath the Gate."
---
The Gate cracked wider.
A massive black hand appeared.
The Seven Flames flickered.
The Last Unwriter raised his Flame of Memory.
"Everyone get behind me!"
The hand stopped.
A voice echoed from beyond the Gate.
"Aren..."
Aren closed his eyes.
"No."
The voice laughed.
"You promised me."
Riva looked at Aren.
"What did you promise?"
He slowly turned toward her.
His black eyes filled with regret.
"I promised..."
"...to bring it the Seven Flames."
Everyone froze.
Caelan stepped backward.
"You betrayed us."
Aren shook his head.
"I didn't have a choice."
The darkness behind him suddenly exploded.
Aren was dragged backward toward the Gate.
Caelan reached for him.
"Aren!"
Their hands touched.
For one second...
The brothers looked at each other.
Aren whispered:
"Don't let it through."
Then the darkness pulled him away.
The Gate slammed shut.
The Seven Flames burst back to life.
But one flame...
The Flame of Beginning...
Was gone.
Caelan stood frozen.
Riva placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll bring him back."
Caelan looked toward the sealed Gate.
"No."
His expression hardened.
"We'll save him."
"Because he's my brother."
Far beyond the Gate...
Aren opened his eyes.
He was standing in an endless black world.
Something enormous stood behind him.
Aren whispered:
"I kept my promise."
The creature answered:
"Then give me the Flames."
Aren turned around.
And smiled.
"Not yet."
End of Chapter 33