The silence lasted for only a second.
Then the ancient being moved.
There was no explosion.
No roar.
No warning.
Reality simply disappeared.
Kael suddenly found himself standing in darkness.
He looked down.
There was no ground beneath his feet.
There was no sky.
There was nothing.
"Kael!"
Eryx's voice came from somewhere behind him.
Kael turned.
Eryx was floating several meters away, his body surrounded by faint silver light.
The third piece was beside him.
The Hunger stood behind them.
Aetherion's voice echoed inside Kael's mind.
"Do not move."
Kael froze.
"What happened?"
"We have entered its domain."
Kael looked around.
"So this is its world?"
"No."
Aetherion paused.
"This is its memory."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
Suddenly, something appeared in the darkness.
A small light.
Then another.
Then thousands.
Millions.
Stars began appearing around them.
Kael watched as entire galaxies formed in seconds.
Planets appeared.
Civilizations rose.
Civilizations disappeared.
Universes were born.
Universes died.
Everything moved like a recording being played at impossible speed.
Then the stars stopped.
One planet remained.
It was blue.
Kael stared at it.
Earth.
His chest tightened.
"That's…"
Eryx looked at him.
"Our home?"
Kael didn't answer.
Something was different.
The planet looked younger.
Much younger.
There were no cities.
No satellites.
No lights covering the continents.
Only oceans, forests, mountains, and clouds.
Then something appeared above the planet.
A single human being.
A boy.
Kael's eyes widened.
The boy looked exactly like him.
But younger.
Much younger.
He stood alone on a mountain.
He looked at the sky.
And smiled.
The ancient being spoke.
"This was the beginning."
Kael clenched his fists.
"The beginning of what?"
The ancient being appeared behind the boy.
Its enormous body covered the sky.
"Humanity."
Kael turned toward it.
"You said humanity was supposed to become something."
"It was."
The being raised one hand.
The world changed.
The human population suddenly appeared.
Thousands.
Then millions.
Then billions.
Kael watched generations pass.
Humans created tools.
They created cities.
They created machines.
They created weapons.
They destroyed each other.
They loved.
They hated.
They protected one another.
They betrayed one another.
They continued.
No matter how many times the world changed…
Humanity continued.
Kael stared silently.
Then the ancient being spoke again.
"The creators believed existence would eventually evolve beyond its limitations."
Images appeared.
Human beings with glowing eyes.
Humans capable of controlling energy.
Humans traveling between stars.
Humans creating life.
Humans destroying planets.
Humans changing reality.
Then the images stopped.
Every version of humanity eventually collapsed.
Kael's expression darkened.
"So they failed."
"They did not fail."
The ancient being looked at him.
"They stopped."
Kael frowned.
"What's the difference?"
The being pointed toward him.
"You."
Kael froze.
The entire memory changed.
He saw himself.
Not one Kael.
Thousands.
Millions.
Every version was different.
Some were warriors.
Some were scientists.
Some were kings.
Some were monsters.
Some were children.
Some died.
Some survived.
Some became gods.
Some destroyed their own universes.
Others sacrificed themselves to save them.
Kael stared at them.
"What are these?"
"Possibilities."
The Hunger stepped forward.
Its eyes narrowed.
"Then why were they all destroyed?"
The ancient being turned toward it.
"Because none of them understood what you understood."
The Hunger looked confused.
"What?"
The being pointed toward Kael.
"Choice."
Kael's eyes widened.
The ancient being continued.
"Creation gives existence."
A white light appeared.
"Destruction gives endings."
Blackness appeared.
"Transformation gives change."
Silver light appeared.
Then something else appeared.
A fourth light.
It had no color.
It was impossible to describe.
Kael felt it.
Freedom.
Possibility.
Choice.
The ability to refuse every rule.
Aetherion's voice became quiet.
"The fourth force…"
Kael stared at it.
"What is it?"
The ancient being answered.
"Will."
Kael's heart began beating faster.
The ancient being continued.
"The creators searched for a being capable of controlling creation, destruction, and transformation."
Kael looked at Eryx.
"They created the Origin."
"Yes."
"But the Origin could only follow the rules of existence."
Kael understood.
"So they created us."
The ancient being nodded.
"You were supposed to surpass those rules."
Kael looked at his hands.
"And humanity?"
The ancient being stared at him.
"Humanity was supposed to become like you."
Silence.
Kael couldn't speak.
Eryx looked at him.
The third piece lowered his head.
Even the Hunger remained silent.
Aetherion finally spoke.
"Kael…"
"I understand."
Kael slowly raised his head.
"They weren't trying to create a god."
The ancient being smiled.
"Correct."
"They were trying to create something that could choose."
"Correct."
Kael's fists tightened.
"But if that's true…"
He looked around.
"Why did they create all those experiments?"
The ancient being's expression changed.
For the first time…
It looked almost sad.
"Because they were afraid."
Kael's eyes widened.
"Afraid of what?"
The ancient being looked directly at him.
"You."
The darkness shattered.
Kael suddenly found himself back in the battlefield.
The ancient being stood before him.
Its enormous body stretched beyond the stars.
Eryx appeared beside Kael.
The third piece appeared on his other side.
The Hunger emerged from the shadows.
Aetherion's energy surrounded them.
Kael slowly smiled.
"So that's what this was."
The ancient being watched him.
"You were afraid of what I could become."
"No."
The being's voice shook the universe.
"We were afraid of what humanity could become if you succeeded."
Kael stared at it.
Then he laughed.
A quiet laugh.
"You're still afraid."
The ancient being didn't answer.
Kael's silver eyes began glowing.
"That's why you kept creating versions of me."
White energy appeared in his left hand.
Black energy appeared in his right.
Silver energy surrounded his body.
Then the fourth force appeared.
Not as light.
Not as darkness.
As a choice.
Kael pointed toward the ancient being.
"You weren't trying to stop me."
The ancient being's eyes opened.
"You were trying to make sure I never remembered who I was."
The universe trembled.
For the first time…
The ancient being took a step backward.
Eryx smiled.
"I think you hit a nerve."
The third piece looked at Kael.
"What do we do now?"
Kael looked at his brother.
Then at the Hunger.
Then at Aetherion.
He looked at the ancient being.
"We do what they were afraid we would do."
Kael raised his hand.
"We choose."
The ancient being suddenly screamed.
The sound shattered countless stars.
Its body expanded.
Cracks spread across its enormous form.
Something began emerging from inside it.
Something even older.
Something Kael recognized.
His own face.
But without eyes.
Without a mouth.
Without emotion.
Aetherion's voice became almost a whisper.
"Kael…"
Kael stared at the creature.
"What?"
"That is not another experiment."
The faceless Kael opened its mouth.
And spoke with Kael's own voice.
"I am the version of you that chose correctly."
Kael's blood ran cold.
The Hunger stepped forward.
"Correctly?"
The faceless Kael looked at it.
"I destroyed everything."
Eryx's expression hardened.
"That's your idea of correct?"
The creature smiled.
"There was nothing left to suffer."
Kael stared at it.
Then he understood.
This wasn't a god.
It wasn't a monster.
It wasn't the ancient being.
It was a possibility.
A future.
A version of Kael who had decided that saving everyone was impossible…
So he had saved them by ending everything.
The faceless Kael raised one hand.
Every star around them went dark.
"Now show me why your choice was better."
Kael stepped forward.
His eyes burned with white, black, silver, and the colorless force of will.
He smiled.
"I don't need to prove it."
Eryx stepped beside him.
The Hunger stood behind them.
The third piece joined them.
Aetherion's presence filled the space between them.
Kael looked at the impossible version of himself.
"I only need to make a different choice."
The faceless Kael disappeared.
And the battle began.