The universe went silent.
Then—
BOOM!
Kael was thrown backward.
He crashed through several layers of broken space before stopping himself.
His feet touched nothing.
Yet somehow, he stood.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Across the battlefield, the faceless Kael floated motionlessly.
There wasn't even a scratch on him.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"So that's how strong I could have become."
The other Kael tilted his head.
"No."
His voice was calm.
"You could have become much stronger."
Kael's expression hardened.
The faceless Kael raised one hand.
Instantly, thousands of stars disappeared.
Not exploded.
Not destroyed.
They simply ceased to exist.
Kael's eyes widened.
Eryx appeared beside him.
"Kael!"
"I know."
Eryx looked at the empty space where the stars had been.
"That wasn't destruction."
Kael nodded.
"He didn't destroy them."
The Hunger stepped forward.
"He erased their possibility of ever existing."
The faceless Kael smiled.
"Correct."
The third piece stared at him.
"How?"
The other Kael looked toward him.
"Because I stopped believing existence had value."
The words echoed through the universe.
Kael clenched his fists.
"You're wrong."
The faceless Kael slowly turned toward him.
"Am I?"
Images appeared around them.
Worlds filled with suffering.
Wars.
Death.
Children crying.
Civilizations collapsing.
Friends betraying one another.
People losing everything they loved.
Kael watched silently.
The faceless Kael spoke.
"You wanted to save everyone."
Another image appeared.
Kael standing alone among billions of corpses.
"You failed."
Another.
Kael screaming as Eryx died.
Another.
The First Hunger consuming everything.
Another.
Kael watching universe after universe collapse.
"You kept trying."
The images continued.
"Again."
"Again."
"And again."
Kael's breathing became heavier.
The faceless Kael approached him.
"And eventually…"
He stopped directly in front of Kael.
"You realized the truth."
Kael stared at him.
"What truth?"
The faceless Kael whispered.
"Nothing can be saved forever."
Silence.
Kael lowered his head.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then Eryx stepped forward.
"That doesn't mean we stop trying."
The faceless Kael looked at him.
"You were the easiest part."
Eryx froze.
"What?"
"You died."
The faceless Kael smiled.
"And Kael broke because of it."
Kael's eyes turned cold.
"Don't talk about my brother."
"Why?"
The faceless Kael spread his arms.
"Your grief created the Hunger."
Kael's expression changed.
"You became stronger because of pain."
The faceless Kael pointed toward Eryx.
"And you kept suffering because you refused to accept reality."
Eryx's fists tightened.
"Maybe."
He looked at Kael.
"But I would rather suffer with him…"
Eryx's eyes began glowing.
"…than live in a world without him."
Kael looked at his brother.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Eryx…"
The faceless Kael stared at them.
"You still don't understand."
Eryx shook his head.
"No."
He stepped forward.
"We understand perfectly."
The third piece moved beside him.
The Hunger joined them.
Aetherion's presence grew stronger.
Kael looked at all of them.
His family.
His mistakes.
His memories.
His choices.
Everything that had brought him here.
He looked back at the faceless Kael.
"You chose to end everything."
The faceless Kael nodded.
"Yes."
"You thought that was the only way to stop suffering."
"Yes."
Kael's silver eyes began glowing.
"But you made one mistake."
The faceless Kael tilted his head.
"What?"
Kael raised his hand.
White energy appeared.
Then black.
Then silver.
Finally, the colorless force of Will surrounded him.
"You decided that everyone else should live by your choice."
The faceless Kael's smile disappeared.
Kael stepped forward.
"I won't do that."
The fourth force exploded.
BOOOOOOM!
The battlefield shattered.
The ancient being watched from the distance.
For the first time, its enormous eyes widened.
"What…"
Kael disappeared.
The faceless Kael barely raised his arm before—
CRACK!
Kael's fist struck his chest.
The impact sent the alternate Kael flying across the universe.
He smashed through a dead galaxy.
Then another.
Then another.
Kael appeared above him.
"You wanted to erase everything?"
He struck again.
BOOM!
"You wanted to remove pain?"
Another strike.
BOOM!
"You wanted to decide that existence wasn't worth saving?"
Another.
BOOM!
The faceless Kael finally stopped himself.
Blood flowed from his mouth.
He touched it.
Then looked at the blood on his fingers.
For the first time…
He looked confused.
"You hurt me."
Kael floated before him.
"Yes."
"How?"
Kael smiled.
"I chose to."
The faceless Kael suddenly laughed.
A terrifying laugh.
"Then you still don't understand!"
His body began changing.
Cracks spread across his skin.
His face disappeared completely.
His body became enormous.
Galaxies formed inside his chest.
Black holes opened across his arms.
Reality itself began bending around him.
"I am the end of every possibility!"
His voice shook creation.
"I am what happens when choice disappears!"
Kael stared upward.
The creature was now larger than entire universes.
Eryx appeared beside him.
"Kael…"
"I know."
"Can we win?"
Kael looked at the impossible creature.
Then he smiled.
"I don't know."
Eryx blinked.
"You don't know?"
"No."
Kael tightened his fist.
"But that's the point."
The Hunger smiled.
The third piece understood.
Aetherion spoke softly.
"Possibility."
Kael nodded.
"We don't know what happens next."
He looked toward the monster.
"And neither does he."
The faceless Kael suddenly stopped.
Kael's smile widened.
"You've seen every version of me."
The creature remained silent.
"You've seen every possible ending."
Kael raised his hand.
"But you've never seen this one."
The fourth force erupted.
Not outward.
Inward.
It entered Kael's heart.
His body began changing.
White.
Black.
Silver.
And something beyond all three.
Eryx's energy merged with him.
The third piece joined.
The Hunger entered.
Aetherion's consciousness connected to his.
For one moment…
Kael became completely still.
Then he opened his eyes.
The faceless Kael whispered:
"What are you?"
Kael looked at him.
"I don't know."
He smiled.
"And neither do you."
The ancient being suddenly screamed.
"STOP!"
Kael turned.
The ancient being was shaking.
Its enormous body was cracking.
"Why are you afraid?"
Kael asked.
The ancient being didn't answer.
Kael looked at the cracks spreading across its body.
Then he realized something.
The ancient being wasn't afraid of him.
It was afraid of what was happening to the universe.
Something was awakening.
Something behind the ancient being.
Something even the ancient being had been keeping contained.
A voice echoed from beyond reality.
Quiet.
Cold.
Ancient.
"You finally remembered."
Kael froze.
Aetherion's voice disappeared.
Eryx stopped breathing.
The Hunger looked toward the darkness.
The ancient being lowered its head.
For the first time…
It looked afraid.
Kael slowly turned toward the voice.
"Who are you?"
A pause.
Then—
"I am the reason they were afraid of you."
The universe cracked.
And something opened its eyes.
To be continued…