"I remember what I did to the first universe."
Eryx's words echoed through the darkness.
Kael stared at his brother.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Then Kael stepped forward.
"What did you do?"
Eryx didn't answer.
His hands were trembling.
The white light surrounding his body flickered violently.
"I remember the beginning."
His voice was barely a whisper.
"And the end."
Kael's expression tightened.
"Tell me."
Eryx closed his eyes.
The darkness around them suddenly changed.
A memory appeared.
A universe.
Beautiful.
Countless stars filled the sky.
Planets moved peacefully through space.
Civilizations lived beneath the light of their suns.
Kael recognized it immediately.
"Our first universe."
Eryx nodded.
"It was different back then."
Kael watched the memory.
There was no war.
No Eclipse.
No Devourers.
No Hunger.
No Origin collapsing.
Everything was alive.
Then—
A black line appeared across the sky.
The same kind of crack Kael had seen before.
Only smaller.
Something was trying to enter.
Eryx looked at it.
"I saw the creature."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"The one beyond creation."
"Yes."
Eryx continued.
"It wasn't attacking us."
Kael frowned.
"Then what was it doing?"
"It was searching."
"For what?"
Eryx looked at Kael.
"For us."
The memory shifted.
Two young versions of Kael and Eryx stood inside an enormous chamber.
The Firstborn surrounded them.
Scientists.
Warriors.
Architects.
All terrified.
One of the Firstborn stepped forward.
"We have to separate them."
Another shouted.
"It's too late."
A third screamed:
"The creature has found them!"
Kael's eyes widened.
"They knew."
Aetherion stood behind them in the memory.
He looked younger.
But even then, he looked afraid.
Eryx continued.
"The Firstborn discovered that we weren't normal."
Kael stared at the memory of himself.
"What were we?"
Eryx shook his head.
"I don't know."
The memory suddenly distorted.
A voice from the Firstborn echoed through the chamber.
"One of them carries the Hunger."
Another answered.
"The other carries the Boundary."
Kael looked at Eryx.
"The Boundary."
Eryx nodded.
"That's what the symbol on me means."
The memory changed again.
The first universe was dying.
Stars were collapsing.
Planets were breaking apart.
The Origin was losing control.
The First Hunger had awakened.
And at the center of everything—
Kael and Eryx stood together.
Kael was surrounded by darkness.
Eryx was surrounded by white light.
Their hands were connected.
Kael whispered:
"We can't stop it."
Eryx answered:
"Then we'll contain it."
Kael watched his younger self.
"That's when we created the Hunger."
"No."
Eryx's voice became quiet.
"That's when we created the first boundary."
Kael froze.
"The Hunger came afterward."
Eryx nodded.
"We realized something."
"What?"
"The creature beyond creation couldn't enter our universe while the Boundary existed."
Kael looked toward the enormous creature watching them.
"So you created the Boundary to keep it out."
"Yes."
"What happened?"
Eryx lowered his head.
"I destroyed it."
Kael's eyes widened.
"Why?"
"Because you were trapped."
The memory changed.
Kael was inside a massive sphere of darkness.
The First Hunger surrounded him.
It was consuming everything.
Kael was slowly disappearing.
Eryx stood outside.
He tried to reach him.
But the Boundary prevented him.
Kael screamed:
"Eryx! Don't!"
Eryx ignored him.
He raised both hands.
The Boundary began cracking.
Aetherion appeared beside him.
"Stop!"
Eryx turned.
"If I don't break it, Kael dies."
Aetherion shook his head.
"If you break it, everything dies."
Eryx looked toward Kael.
Then toward the dying universe.
His face was covered in tears.
"I choose my brother."
The Boundary shattered.
A massive explosion ripped through the first universe.
Kael was thrown free.
But the universe—
Was destroyed.
Kael stared at the memory.
"You destroyed the universe… to save me."
Eryx nodded.
"I didn't know what would happen."
Kael looked at him.
"You knew people would die."
"I did."
"And you still did it."
Eryx's eyes filled with tears.
"I couldn't watch you die again."
Kael froze.
"Again?"
Eryx looked away.
"You had already died once."
Kael's breathing stopped.
"What do you mean?"
Eryx didn't answer.
Instead, another memory appeared.
Kael saw himself.
Not the Kael who had entered the Hunger.
An even earlier Kael.
Standing alone.
Blood covering his body.
He was holding Eryx.
Eryx was dead.
Kael screamed.
Then something happened.
Kael's body began breaking apart.
His soul split.
His memories shattered.
And the Last Core appeared.
Kael stared in disbelief.
"That was my first death."
Eryx nodded.
"You died before the Hunger ever existed."
Kael looked at him.
"Then what did the Hunger have to do with it?"
Eryx's expression changed.
"It was created because you refused to accept that death."
Kael's eyes widened.
The memory continued.
Kael stood over Eryx's body.
He was crying.
Begging.
Pleading with the universe.
"Bring him back."
Nothing answered.
So Kael reached into the Origin.
He pulled out a piece of its power.
Then another.
Then another.
He gathered so much energy that reality began collapsing around him.
Aetherion shouted:
"Kael! Stop!"
Kael refused.
"I'll find a way."
He created something.
A creature capable of consuming energy.
A creature capable of devouring anything.
The First Hunger.
Kael whispered:
"If I can't bring Eryx back…"
He looked at the newborn creature.
"Then I'll consume everything until I find something that can."
Kael's eyes widened.
The truth struck him like a blade.
The Hunger wasn't originally created to save the universe.
It was created because—
Kael couldn't accept Eryx's death.
Kael looked at his brother.
"You were dead."
Eryx nodded.
"I was."
"And I created the Hunger because I wanted to bring you back."
"Yes."
Kael's hands began shaking.
"Then how did you come back?"
Eryx looked toward the ancient creature.
"I didn't."
Kael froze.
"What?"
Eryx's voice became almost inaudible.
"The Eryx standing beside you now…"
He touched his chest.
"Isn't the original me."
Silence.
Kael stared at him.
"What are you saying?"
Eryx looked directly into Kael's eyes.
"I'm a replacement."
Kael's heart sank.
The creature beyond creation suddenly spoke.
"Not a replacement."
Kael turned.
The enormous eye stared at Eryx.
"A copy."
Kael's face went pale.
Eryx closed his eyes.
The ancient being continued.
"The original Eryx was consumed by the Boundary."
Kael couldn't breathe.
"And you?"
The creature answered:
"He was rebuilt from Kael's memory."
Kael stepped backward.
"No."
Eryx looked at him.
"I'm sorry."
"No."
Kael shook his head.
"You're my brother."
Eryx smiled sadly.
"I know."
Kael's Core began pulsing violently.
The ancient creature watched.
Then—
A second crack appeared behind Eryx.
Something stepped through.
A silhouette.
A familiar silhouette.
Kael stared.
Eryx slowly turned around.
His face lost all color.
Because standing behind him—
Was another Eryx.
But this one was covered in blood.
And his eyes were alive.
The original Eryx looked at Kael.
Then at the copy.
And whispered:
"Why did you take my place?"
The universe trembled.
Kael couldn't move.
Two brothers stood before him.
One who had survived.
And one who had been forgotten.
TO BE CONTINUED...