Kael was falling.
He couldn't feel his body.
He couldn't feel the passage of time.
There was only darkness.
Eryx's hand was still locked around his.
"Kael!"
"I'm here!"
Kael tried to pull Eryx closer.
But something was separating them.
A strange force pushed between their bodies.
Eryx gritted his teeth.
"Something is pulling me away!"
Kael reached for him.
"Don't let go!"
"I won't!"
The darkness around them suddenly changed.
Thousands of lights appeared.
Not stars.
Memories.
Kael saw moments from his life.
His first meeting with Eryx.
His first encounter with Aetherion.
The first dying star.
The first Hunger.
His first death.
Everything moved around him.
Then Kael noticed something strange.
Some memories were missing.
He reached toward one.
The moment he touched it, the memory shattered.
Kael froze.
"That wasn't my memory."
Eryx looked at him.
"What?"
Kael stared at the broken pieces.
"It was someone else's."
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the darkness.
"Correct."
Kael looked around.
"Who said that?"
No answer.
Then another voice spoke.
"You are finally outside the experiment."
Kael's expression hardened.
"Show yourself."
A small light appeared.
It slowly formed into a human figure.
A man.
No.
Kael couldn't tell what it was.
It looked human, but its body was made of countless moving stars.
Its face constantly changed.
Young.
Old.
Male.
Female.
Human.
Something else.
Kael raised his hand.
"Are you the creator?"
The being smiled.
"No."
Kael frowned.
"Then who are you?"
"I am what remained after the creators disappeared."
Eryx stepped forward.
"Disappeared?"
The being nodded.
"They believed they were creating life."
It looked at Kael.
"They were actually creating their replacement."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"The Origin?"
"No."
The being pointed toward Kael.
"You."
Silence.
Kael shook his head.
"I wasn't created to replace the Origin."
"You were."
"But the Origin already existed."
"Yes."
"Then why create me?"
The being smiled.
"Because the Origin had a flaw."
Kael already knew the answer.
"It couldn't choose."
The being nodded.
"Creation, destruction, and transformation were merely functions."
Kael looked down at his hands.
"But I can choose."
"That was the purpose."
Eryx stepped forward.
"And what was my purpose?"
The being looked at him.
"To make sure he never chose alone."
Eryx went silent.
Kael looked at his brother.
"So that's why we were connected."
"Yes."
"And the third piece?"
The being's expression changed.
"The third piece was never supposed to exist."
The child-like Eryx suddenly appeared between them.
He looked confused.
"Then why am I here?"
The being stared at him.
"Because Kael refused to let you disappear."
Kael's eyes widened.
"What?"
"You were created as one existence."
The being pointed toward the three pieces.
"Kael."
Then Eryx.
Then the third piece.
"You were never three beings."
Kael felt something inside his chest move.
"You were one."
The three of them suddenly began glowing.
White.
Black.
Silver.
The same three forces.
The same energy that had appeared during the Final Evaluation.
Kael understood.
"We were split."
"Yes."
"Why?"
The being looked toward the darkness.
"Because the creators were afraid of what would happen if you became complete."
Kael clenched his fists.
"And what happens?"
The being's smile disappeared.
"You become something they cannot control."
The darkness suddenly shook.
A massive crack appeared.
Something was trying to enter.
The being turned toward it.
"They found you."
Kael looked at the crack.
"Who?"
The being answered quietly.
"The creators."
Kael's expression hardened.
"I thought they were gone."
"They were."
"Then who is coming?"
The being looked directly at Kael.
"Their creation."
The crack expanded.
A massive hand reached through.
The hand was covered in white light.
Kael recognized it.
It was the same energy as the Origin.
Eryx raised his weapon.
Kael summoned his power.
Creation.
Destruction.
Transformation.
The three forces formed around him.
The being stepped backward.
"You aren't ready."
Kael looked at it.
"I've heard that before."
The hand broke through.
Then another.
Something enormous began forcing its way into the space beyond the experiment.
Kael looked at Eryx.
"Together?"
Eryx smiled.
"Always."
The third piece stepped forward.
"I want to help too."
Kael looked at him.
Then smiled.
"Then let's see what happens when all three of us fight together."
Their powers merged.
White.
Black.
Silver.
The three energies became one.
For a moment, everything stopped.
Then—
BOOM!
A wave of power exploded outward.
The creature was pushed back.
Kael stared at his hands.
He could feel something new.
Not creation.
Not destruction.
Not transformation.
Something beyond all three.
A fourth force.
Kael whispered:
"What is this?"
The being stared at him in shock.
"I don't know."
Kael looked toward the creature.
Then toward the endless darkness.
For the first time, he smiled.
"Good."
Eryx looked at him.
"Why?"
Kael raised his hand.
"Because if even they don't know what I am…"
His eyes began glowing.
"…then they can't control me."
The creature suddenly stopped attacking.
It looked directly at Kael.
Then it spoke.
Not with one voice.
But with thousands.
"We remember you."
Kael froze.
The voices continued.
"You were the first one."
Kael's smile disappeared.
"What?"
The creature moved closer.
"Before the Origin."
Kael's heart stopped.
"Before the Firstborn."
The darkness trembled.
"Before the creators."
Eryx stared at Kael.
The creature raised its hand.
"There was you."
Kael couldn't speak.
The Last Core inside his chest suddenly opened.
And a single memory appeared.
A memory from before his birth.
Kael was standing alone in complete darkness.
And something was standing beside him.
Something that looked exactly like him.
The other Kael turned toward him.
Then spoke.
"If you ever reach this place…"
The memory version of Kael smiled.
"…remember that you were never created."
The memory ended.
Kael stared into the darkness.
The creature whispered:
"You were awakened."
And behind Kael…
something opened its eyes.
TO BE CONTINUED...