The universe had stopped moving.
Kael stared into the enormous eye that had opened beyond reality.
It was impossible to understand its size.
The eye alone was larger than entire universes.
Yet somehow, Kael felt something familiar coming from it.
Not power.
Not hatred.
Memory.
Aetherion suddenly spoke.
"Kael…"
His voice was different.
Almost afraid.
Kael looked inward.
"What is it?"
Aetherion remained silent.
Kael frowned.
"Aetherion?"
"I don't know."
Kael's eyes widened.
"You don't know?"
For the first time since Kael had known him…
Aetherion didn't have an answer.
The ancient being was still standing in front of the enormous eye.
Its body trembled.
The faceless Kael had stopped attacking.
Even the Hunger remained completely still.
Eryx looked toward Kael.
"What is happening?"
Kael shook his head.
"I don't know."
Then the eye blinked.
BOOM!
Reality collapsed.
Kael, Eryx, the third piece, the Hunger, and the faceless Kael were thrown into different directions.
Kael spun through darkness.
He tried to reach Eryx.
"ERYX!"
No answer.
Kael forced his body to stop.
He looked around.
Nothing.
No stars.
No universe.
No light.
Only darkness.
Then a voice spoke.
"You have changed."
Kael turned.
A figure stood behind him.
A human.
An ordinary-looking human.
A man wearing simple clothes.
Kael stared at him.
"You're the one behind the eye."
The man smiled.
"No."
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"Then who are you?"
The man looked at Kael for several seconds.
Then he answered.
"Someone who remembers you."
Kael's expression hardened.
"I don't remember you."
"I know."
The man walked closer.
"You weren't supposed to."
Kael prepared himself.
White energy formed around his hand.
The man didn't react.
"You've been searching for answers about your origin."
"Yes."
"You've blamed the Firstborn."
"Yes."
"The Origin."
"Yes."
"The Creators."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Yes."
The man smiled sadly.
"And even the ancient being."
Kael didn't answer.
The man looked behind Kael.
"The truth is much simpler."
Kael waited.
"You were never their creation."
Kael's heart stopped.
The man continued.
"They didn't create you."
"They found you."
Silence.
Kael stared at him.
"What?"
The man pointed toward the darkness.
"Before the first universe existed…"
A tiny light appeared.
"Before the Origin."
Another light.
"Before the Firstborn."
Another.
"Before the Creators."
Another.
"There was you."
Kael's breathing became slower.
"No."
The man nodded.
"Yes."
Kael shook his head.
"That doesn't make sense."
"Of course it doesn't."
The man smiled.
"You were the first thing that didn't need a universe to exist."
Kael stared at his hands.
The memories began returning.
Not like before.
These were different.
Older.
Deeper.
He saw himself standing in endless darkness.
But he wasn't alone.
There were other beings.
Thousands.
Millions.
Possibilities.
Kael watched as he reached toward them.
Every time he touched one…
A universe appeared.
He created stars.
Planets.
Life.
Time.
Space.
Everything.
Then Kael saw something else.
Himself creating Eryx.
A younger version.
A companion.
A brother.
Then another memory.
Kael creating the Origin.
Then another.
Creating the first universe.
Then another.
Creating the Hunger.
Kael's eyes widened.
"No…"
The man watched him.
"You remember now."
Kael grabbed his head.
"I didn't create everything."
"You did."
"I couldn't."
"You could."
Kael fell to one knee.
His memories continued.
He saw himself standing alone after creating everything.
He had watched civilizations rise and disappear.
He had watched his creations suffer.
He had tried to fix them.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Until one day…
He became tired.
Kael remembered looking at Eryx.
His brother had smiled.
"You don't have to carry everything alone."
Kael remembered crying.
Then he remembered splitting himself.
Creating different versions.
Different possibilities.
Different pieces.
One became Eryx.
One became the Hunger.
One became the first universe.
One became the Origin.
And one…
Became Kael.
The man crouched beside him.
"You divided yourself because you wanted to experience existence from the beginning."
Kael looked up.
"Why?"
"To understand your own creation."
Kael's eyes widened.
"You mean…"
"Yes."
The man smiled.
"You forgot yourself."
Kael stared at him.
"I chose to forget."
"Yes."
"Why?"
The man stood.
"Because you were afraid."
Kael's expression hardened.
"Of what?"
The man looked directly into his eyes.
"Of becoming alone again."
Silence.
Kael slowly stood.
Then another voice echoed through the darkness.
"Enough."
The man turned.
Kael froze.
The ancient being appeared.
But it was different.
Its enormous body was shrinking.
Its cracks were closing.
Its terrifying appearance was disappearing.
Until only a human remained.
The same human shape as the man.
Kael stared at them.
"There are two of you?"
The first man smiled.
"No."
The ancient being looked at Kael.
"We are the same."
Kael's eyes widened.
The two beings merged.
Light exploded through the darkness.
When it disappeared…
Only one person remained.
He looked exactly like Kael.
But older.
Much older.
His eyes contained entire galaxies.
Kael stepped backward.
"Who are you?"
The older Kael smiled.
"You've asked that question many times."
Kael's heart began pounding.
The older Kael reached toward him.
"I am the version of you that remembered everything."
Kael didn't move.
"And what happened to you?"
The older Kael looked away.
"I became tired."
Kael understood.
"You gave up."
"Yes."
"You became the ancient being."
"Yes."
"You became the thing everyone feared."
The older Kael nodded.
"Yes."
Kael's fists tightened.
"Then why are you still alive?"
The older Kael smiled.
"Because you haven't made the same mistake yet."
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A distant explosion shook the darkness.
Kael turned.
"Eryx."
The older Kael looked toward the sound.
"He is fighting."
"With who?"
The older Kael's expression became serious.
"The one thing you have never been able to defeat."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
The older Kael looked directly at him.
"Yourself."
Kael's expression changed.
The faceless Kael appeared in the distance.
But he was no longer alone.
Behind him stood countless versions of Kael.
Millions.
Billions.
Every possible version.
Warrior Kaels.
King Kaels.
Monster Kaels.
God Kaels.
Broken Kaels.
Dead Kaels.
And at the center…
Eryx stood surrounded by darkness.
Kael's eyes widened.
"Eryx!"
The older Kael whispered:
"The final experiment has begun."
Kael looked at him.
"What experiment?"
The older Kael smiled.
"To see which version of you deserves to exist."
Kael's expression became cold.
"There won't be a winner."
He stepped forward.
"I'll destroy the experiment."
The older Kael watched him disappear into the darkness.
Then he smiled.
"That's exactly what I hoped you would say."
Far away…
Eryx opened his eyes.
Something had changed inside him.
His silver eyes slowly turned black.
And a voice whispered inside his mind.
"Brother…"
Eryx looked up.
A tear fell from his eye.
Then he smiled.
"I'm ready."
The darkness exploded.
And the final battle began.