The underground city remained suspended between silence and catastrophe while the Sleeper waited for an answer. Ancient bells echoed throughout the prison, their mournful song drifting across shattered districts and broken towers that still leaned precariously over the abyss. Rivers of crystal light flowed through ruined streets while fragments of stone continued falling into the darkness below, yet none of it seemed capable of drawing attention away from the silver throne. The Sleeper remained seated upon it, calm and motionless, its golden eyes fixed entirely on Kael.
The question still lingered in the air.
Do you remember your name?
The thing beyond the Door reacted before anyone else could speak.
"Don't answer."
For the first time since its appearance, genuine urgency could be heard in the ancient voice. The enormous eye remained fixed on Kael while darkness churned violently around the widening crack in reality. The pressure radiating from the opening increased dramatically, causing fresh fractures to spread through the prison. Entire sections of the cavern groaned beneath the strain as though reality itself was struggling to contain whatever waited beyond the Door.
The Sleeper paid no attention to the warning.
Neither did the First Son.
Golden light drifted around the ancient warrior while he watched Kael with a strange expression. There was tension in his face, but also anticipation. It looked as though he had spent thousands of years waiting for this exact moment.
Nearby, the stranger who shared Kael's face folded his arms and stared toward the abyss.
"You always panic when things stop going your way."
The comment wasn't directed at Kael.
It was directed at the thing beyond the Door.
The ancient entity laughed softly.
The sound carried bitterness.
"Because I remember what happens next."
The statement settled heavily over the city.
Even the First Son's expression darkened slightly.
Kael noticed.
That reaction mattered.
It meant the entity wasn't lying.
Something terrible had happened before.
Something all of them remembered.
The black mark covering his arm pulsed again. Silver light flowed through the ancient symbols while fragments of memory surfaced from the depths of his soul. This time there was no violent transition. No sudden vision. The memory simply unfolded around him like a page turning inside an ancient book.
He stood atop a silver tower overlooking an endless city.
Countless bells drifted through the sky.
Golden stars illuminated the heavens.
The city below stretched toward the horizon.
It was alive.
Beautiful.
Whole.
The First Son stood beside him.
Young.
Smiling.
The stranger leaned against a nearby wall while reading one of his countless books.
Everything felt peaceful.
Normal.
Then Kael's ancient self looked toward the horizon.
The smile disappeared immediately.
The First Son noticed.
"So it's started."
The memory-version of Kael nodded.
Below them, bells began ringing throughout the city.
Not celebration.
Warning.
The memory faded before he could see more.
Reality returned.
The underground prison reappeared around him.
The bells ringing through the city sounded eerily similar.
The realization sent a chill down his spine.
The bells had rung before.
Long ago.
Before the war.
Before the Door opened.
Before everything was lost.
The Sleeper seemed to notice the memory.
Its gaze softened slightly.
"You remember the warning."
The statement wasn't a question.
Kael slowly nodded.
A distant expression crossed the ancient being's face.
Regret.
The sight surprised him.
The Sleeper looked less like a cosmic force and more like someone carrying an unbearable burden.
The thing beyond the Door suddenly laughed.
"Tell him the rest."
The voice echoed throughout the cavern.
"Tell him what happened after the bells."
Silence followed.
The First Son's expression hardened.
The stranger looked away.
Even the Sleeper remained quiet.
The reaction alone revealed enough.
Whatever followed the bells was something none of them wanted remembered.
The city trembled beneath another violent shockwave as the crack in reality widened once more. Ancient runes exploded throughout the prison while darkness surged from the opening like black fire. The pressure radiating from the Door had become almost unbearable.
Yet despite that, the thing beyond the Door sounded amused.
"You still haven't told him."
The eye focused on Kael.
"Do you know why your name was erased?"
The question immediately drew everyone's attention.
Kael froze.
The First Son took a step forward.
"Enough."
The ancient warrior's voice carried genuine warning.
The thing beyond the Door ignored him.
"Do you know why nobody remembers you?"
Darkness churned around the crack.
The eye remained fixed on Kael.
"Do you know why even your brothers couldn't save you?"
The prison shook violently.
For the first time since awakening, uncertainty crossed the First Son's face.
The stranger clenched his fists.
The Sleeper closed its eyes.
Their reactions answered the question before anyone spoke.
Something terrible had happened.
Something personal.
Something connected directly to him.
The thing beyond the Door laughed again.
A tired laugh.
An ancient laugh.
"You weren't erased by your enemies."
The underground city fell silent.
The bells continued ringing.
The abyss continued shaking.
Yet every soul present listened.
The voice continued.
"You erased yourself."
The words struck Kael like a physical blow.
The black mark erupted with silver light.
Memories flooded his mind.
A battlefield.
A broken sky.
The Door opening.
Countless worlds burning.
The Sleeper wounded.
The First Son covered in blood.
The stranger kneeling among ruins.
And himself standing before the Door.
Alone.
A name burning across his soul.
A choice.
An impossible choice.
The memory shattered before he could see the outcome.
Reality returned violently.
Kael staggered.
His heartbeat thundered inside his chest.
The thing beyond the Door remained silent.
Waiting.
Allowing the truth to settle.
The First Son slowly lowered his head.
"You weren't supposed to remember that yet."
His voice sounded weary.
Anciently weary.
The stranger sighed.
"That was always the problem."
Kael looked toward them.
Questions filled his mind.
Thousands of them.
Yet only one mattered.
"What did I do?"
The city became silent.
The Sleeper opened its eyes.
The First Son looked away.
The stranger closed his book.
And somewhere beyond the Door, the ancient entity smiled.
Because for the first time since awakening—
Kael had begun asking the right question.