Chapter 77 – The Eaters of Memory
"You are not taking them again."
The child's voice echoed across the Memory Field.
For such a small voice...
It carried incredible determination.
The enormous hand of darkness paused above the white flowers.
For a moment...
Everything became still.
Even the wind stopped.
Then the black crack in the sky slowly widened.
A second hand reached through.
Then another.
The darkness twisted like smoke before slowly taking shape.
Tall figures stepped out one after another.
Each was wrapped in a cloak darker than the night sky.
Their faces were completely hidden.
Where their eyes should have been...
Only empty darkness remained.
There were seven of them.
They stood silently in the air, looking down at the Memory Field.
The child instinctively stepped closer to Evetyl.
"...They're here."
Evetyl kept her eyes on the strangers.
"Who are they?"
The child swallowed.
"They don't destroy worlds."
"They don't destroy people."
"They destroy..."
"...memories."
---
One of the cloaked figures slowly floated downward.
Its feet never touched the flowers.
Instead...
The flowers beneath it simply disappeared.
Not crushed.
Not burned.
They vanished as though they had never existed.
Evetyl frowned.
"What are they?"
The child answered quietly.
"The Eaters of Memory."
"They exist wherever memories begin to fade."
"They consume what's left."
The figure raised one hand.
Its voice was deep and emotionless.
"The Last Memory."
"You have remained hidden long enough."
The child stood its ground.
"I'm not going with you."
"You have no choice."
"I do."
"No."
---
Outside the Memory Field...
The same black crack appeared above Crosshaven.
People screamed as darkness spread across the sky.
The Eye immediately rose into the air.
"It has breached the barrier."
The Curator's golden key glowed brightly.
"The seal has been broken."
Kai looked upward.
He couldn't see the cloaked figures.
But he could feel them.
A cold feeling settled deep inside his heart.
The traveler from the future clenched his fists.
"They found the Memory Field."
Kai looked at him.
"Can we stop them?"
The traveler hesitated.
"...Yes."
Kai immediately noticed the hesitation.
"But?"
"They cannot be defeated by strength."
Cr-Hook sighed loudly.
"Why does every enemy have strange rules?"
The First Anomaly folded its arms.
"Because life enjoys making things difficult."
---
The Warden stepped forward.
Its ancient chains slowly unraveled around its body.
For the first time...
The chains stretched across the entire plaza.
They glowed with ancient silver light.
The former Outer King looked surprised.
"I've never seen you release that many."
The Warden didn't take its eyes off the sky.
"I never needed to."
---
Inside the Memory Field...
The leading Eater slowly looked at Evetyl.
"You do not belong here."
Evetyl met its gaze.
"I'm not leaving."
"You have already forgotten."
"I know."
"Then forget again."
The words echoed across the field.
Suddenly...
Evetyl felt something strange.
Her memories became blurry.
Kai's face...
She could still remember it.
But for one terrifying second...
His name disappeared.
"...Kai..."
She whispered.
The name immediately returned.
She staggered backward.
"What..."
The child grabbed her arm.
"Don't listen to them!"
"They feed on forgotten things."
"If you doubt yourself..."
"...they become stronger."
Evetyl took a deep breath.
She closed her eyes.
"My name is Evetyl Clarke."
She spoke firmly.
"My friends are waiting for me."
"Kai."
"Noah."
"Cr-Hook."
"The Curator."
"The Warden."
"The Eye."
"The First Thought."
One by one...
She spoke every name she remembered.
The strange feeling slowly disappeared.
The leading Eater became completely still.
"...Interesting."
---
Outside...
The First Thought suddenly opened its book.
"The records are changing."
The Eye floated beside it.
"What now?"
"They're trying to erase memories directly."
Kai looked confused.
"What does that mean?"
The First Thought answered without looking up.
"If enough people forget someone..."
"...that person may disappear from history."
Silence.
Cr-Hook slowly looked at Kai.
"...I suddenly don't like this enemy."
Kai nodded.
"Neither do I."
---
The traveler from the future stepped toward the black crack.
"I'll hold the entrance."
Kai grabbed his shoulder.
"Alone?"
The traveler smiled faintly.
"I've done this before."
"You don't have to fight alone."
The traveler looked at Kai.
For a moment...
His expression softened.
"You always say that."
Kai blinked.
"I haven't."
"Not yet."
The traveler quietly drew a simple sword from beneath his cloak.
Unlike most weapons...
It wasn't glowing.
It wasn't covered in runes.
It looked completely ordinary.
The Curator stared at it.
"...That blade."
The traveler nodded.
"Yes."
"You recognize it."
The Curator whispered,
"I've only seen drawings."
The First Thing suddenly appeared beside them.
Its calm expression had disappeared.
"It cannot be."
Kai looked between them.
"What?"
The First Thing slowly spoke.
"That sword..."
"...was forged before worlds existed."
---
Inside the Memory Field...
The child slowly walked forward.
"You don't have to do this."
The leading Eater answered calmly.
"We do."
"You weren't always like this."
Silence.
Evetyl looked at the child.
"...You know them?"
The child nodded sadly.
"They used to protect memories."
"What?"
"They were the First Keepers."
The seven cloaked figures remained motionless.
The child continued.
"They remembered every world."
"They guided lost memories home."
"So what happened?"
The child's eyes filled with tears.
"They remembered too much."
"They couldn't bear the pain anymore."
"So they chose..."
"...to forget everything."
The leading Eater quietly finished the sentence.
"And in forgetting ourselves..."
"...we became this."
No hatred.
No anger.
Only endless emptiness.
Evetyl looked at them differently now.
They weren't monsters.
They were victims.
Victims who had lost themselves.
The child whispered,
"I tried to save them."
The leading Eater slowly lowered its head.
"You tried."
"It wasn't enough."
At that moment...
A second black crack split open above the Memory Tree.
Something enormous began moving behind it.
Much larger than the seven Eaters.
The child looked up...
And all the color drained from its face.
"No..."
"It woke up."
Evetyl followed its gaze.
A gigantic golden eye slowly opened inside the darkness.
It was larger than the entire Memory Tree.
And the moment it looked down...
Every flower in the Memory Field bowed.
The seven Eaters immediately knelt.
Even the wind stopped.
The child whispered with fear unlike anything Evetyl had heard before.
"...The King of Oblivion."
To Be Continued...