Darkness.
That was all Kael could see.
No stars.
No ground.
No sky.
No sound.
For the first time since he could remember, Kael couldn't feel the Last Core.
He couldn't feel creation.
He couldn't feel destruction.
He couldn't feel transformation.
He was simply—
Kael.
Nothing more.
He looked toward Eryx.
His brother stood several steps away, surrounded by darkness.
"Eryx?"
No answer.
Kael moved closer.
"Eryx!"
Slowly, Eryx raised his head.
His eyes were still black.
But something behind them was changing.
The darkness faded.
Then returned.
Faded again.
Like two different beings were fighting for control.
"Kael."
It was Eryx's voice this time.
Kael stopped.
"Are you okay?"
Eryx looked at him.
"I don't know."
Kael approached carefully.
"What happened?"
Eryx touched his chest.
"The moment we entered this place, something woke up inside me."
Kael frowned.
"Something?"
Eryx nodded.
"I can hear it."
"What is it saying?"
Eryx looked into the darkness.
"It keeps calling me… the other half."
Kael's heart tightened.
"The other half of what?"
Eryx didn't answer.
Instead, the darkness around them began moving.
It gathered beneath their feet.
Then—
A light appeared.
A single tiny point of silver.
Kael stared at it.
The light expanded.
A scene appeared inside it.
Two children.
Kael and Eryx.
But they weren't human.
They were surrounded by enormous pillars of light.
Behind them stood the Firstborn.
Scientists.
Architects.
Ancient beings.
All watching.
Kael stepped closer.
"This is our beginning."
Aetherion's voice came from somewhere behind him.
Kael turned.
Aetherion was standing at the edge of the darkness.
But he looked different.
Younger.
Less damaged.
And afraid.
Kael stared at him.
"You remember."
Aetherion lowered his head.
"Yes."
"Then tell me the truth."
Aetherion looked at the memory.
"The Firstborn didn't create you."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Then who did?"
Aetherion pointed toward the two children.
"You did."
Silence.
Kael stared at him.
"What?"
"You created yourselves."
Eryx stepped forward.
"That makes no sense."
"It does here."
Aetherion looked around.
"This place exists outside normal creation. Cause and effect do not work the way they do in a universe."
Kael looked at the two children.
"Then why don't I remember this?"
Aetherion's expression darkened.
"Because your memories were divided."
Kael felt something inside him react.
"Divided between us?"
Aetherion nodded.
"You and Eryx were one existence."
Eryx froze.
"One?"
"One consciousness."
Kael looked at his brother.
"You mean…"
Aetherion continued.
"You split yourselves."
The memory changed.
The two children stood before an enormous black sphere.
Inside it—
Something was struggling.
The same darkness Kael had seen before.
The First Hunger.
Kael watched his younger self raise his hand.
"I remember this."
Aetherion looked at him.
"You should."
Kael's breathing became heavier.
"I created the Hunger."
"Yes."
"To consume the excess Origin."
"Partly."
Kael looked at Aetherion.
"Partly?"
Aetherion nodded.
"The Hunger had another purpose."
The memory changed again.
Kael saw himself standing beside Eryx.
Both were holding hands.
Between them was a small sphere of light.
Their own energy.
Their own essence.
Kael whispered:
"We split ourselves to create the Hunger."
Aetherion shook his head.
"No."
He looked directly at Kael.
"You split yourselves because you knew you would eventually have to face it."
Kael stared.
"What did we know?"
Aetherion didn't answer.
The memory suddenly distorted.
Something had entered it.
The enormous eye appeared.
Even inside the memory.
Watching.
Kael felt fear rush through him.
The creature's voice echoed through the darkness.
"You were never supposed to remember this."
Kael raised his fists.
"Then why show me?"
The creature answered:
"Because the time has come."
The memory shattered.
Kael and Eryx were thrown backward.
Eryx hit the ground.
Kael rushed toward him.
"Eryx!"
His brother pushed himself up.
"I'm fine."
Kael looked around.
The darkness was changing.
Something was forming in front of them.
A doorway.
But this one wasn't like the doorway they had entered.
It wasn't made of light.
It wasn't made of darkness.
It was made from memories.
Thousands of them.
Millions.
Kael saw fragments of his lives.
The rooftop.
The dying star.
The Last Core.
Eclipse.
The Origin.
The First Hunger.
Eryx.
All of them connected.
Like pieces of one enormous puzzle.
Kael stared.
"That's my life."
Aetherion shook his head.
"No."
Kael turned.
"Then what is it?"
Aetherion answered quietly.
"That's your prison."
Kael's expression changed.
"My prison?"
"You thought your memories were erased."
Aetherion paused.
"They weren't."
Kael felt his stomach drop.
"They were stored."
"Where?"
Aetherion pointed toward the doorway.
"There."
Kael stepped closer.
A voice whispered from inside.
His own voice.
"Don't open it."
Kael stopped.
Eryx walked beside him.
"Why?"
The voice answered.
"Because once you remember everything, you won't be Kael anymore."
Kael stared into the doorway.
"Then who will I become?"
Silence.
Then another voice answered.
Eryx's voice.
But Eryx wasn't speaking.
"The Star Eater."
Kael's eyes widened.
The doorway opened.
A wave of energy exploded outward.
Kael's body was pulled toward it.
Eryx grabbed his arm.
"Kael!"
Kael grabbed Eryx's hand.
Neither brother let go.
The darkness screamed around them.
Then Kael saw it.
At the center of the doorway stood another version of himself.
Not seventeen.
Not the Star Eater.
Not the boy from the rooftop.
Something older.
Something ancient.
Something that had already lived through the end of countless universes.
It opened its eyes.
Kael stared at himself.
The other Kael smiled.
"You finally came back."
Kael's blood ran cold.
"Who are you?"
The ancient version of himself stepped forward.
"I'm the part of you that remembered."
Kael couldn't move.
The ancient Kael raised his hand.
The Last Core appeared in his palm.
Kael stared at it.
"But my Core disappeared."
The other Kael smiled.
"No."
He crushed the Core into his chest.
"You simply stopped carrying it."
A violent heartbeat echoed through the darkness.
THUMP.
Kael's body shook.
THUMP.
Silver light erupted from his chest.
THUMP.
White and black energy followed.
The Last Core returned.
But it was different.
Its center was no longer white.
No longer black.
No longer silver.
It was completely transparent.
And inside it—
Kael saw himself.
Not one version.
Not two.
Countless versions.
Every life.
Every death.
Every choice.
Every mistake.
All connected.
Kael whispered:
"I wasn't devouring stars."
The ancient Kael smiled.
"No."
Kael looked at Eryx.
"We were devouring ourselves."
Eryx's eyes widened.
Then the ancient Kael looked toward the darkness beyond them.
His smile disappeared.
"But you still don't understand the most important part."
Kael looked at him.
"What?"
The ancient version pointed behind him.
Kael turned.
The enormous creature was standing there.
But it wasn't looking at Kael.
It was looking at Eryx.
For the first time—
The creature looked afraid.
Its voice shook.
"He is the one you must never remember."
Kael stared at his brother.
"Eryx?"
Eryx slowly looked down at his hands.
Black light began leaking from his fingers.
And a second heartbeat echoed through the darkness.
THUMP.
Eryx's eyes turned completely white.
Then he whispered:
"I remember."
Kael froze.
"Remember what?"
Eryx looked up.
A tear rolled down his face.
"I remember what I did to the first universe."
And behind him—
The darkness began screaming.
TO BE CONTINUED...