Chapter 105 – The Memory Beyond the Beginning
The sky turned completely white.
Not bright.
Not glowing.
White.
Every cloud disappeared.
Every star vanished.
Even the moon was gone.
Crosshaven stood beneath a sky that looked like an endless blank page.
Nobody moved.
For the first time in centuries, the City Between Worlds was completely silent.
Cr-Hook held Kai tightly in his arms.
Kai was unconscious.
The black symbol over his heart continued moving slowly.
Like an eye opening.
Evetyl stared upward.
Her face had gone pale.
"No…"
Original Cr-Hook looked at her.
"What?"
Evetyl's voice trembled.
"This happened before."
Cr-Hook frowned.
"When?"
Evetyl slowly lowered her eyes.
"Before the first world ended."
The ground suddenly shook.
BOOM.
A crack appeared beneath their feet.
Then another.
Then another.
The ancient city began breaking apart.
Original Cr-Hook looked toward the white sky.
"It has started."
Cr-Hook tightened his grip around Kai.
"What has started?"
The boy didn't answer.
Instead, he pointed upward.
Something was moving inside the white sky.
At first, it looked like a shadow.
Then it became a shape.
A gigantic black line appeared across the sky.
Then another.
Then another.
Three enormous cracks.
Evetyl stared at them.
Her breathing became heavier.
"No…"
Cr-Hook looked at her.
"Evetyl."
She didn't answer.
"Evetyl!"
She finally looked at him.
"I remember this."
"What?"
"The sky."
Her eyes began filling with tears.
"The first world had a white sky too."
Original Cr-Hook suddenly froze.
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
Evetyl pressed a hand against her chest.
"I remember people screaming."
Another tremor shook the city.
"I remember buildings disappearing."
Another.
"I remember the oceans turning white."
Another.
"And I remember Kai."
Cr-Hook looked down.
Kai's fingers suddenly moved.
"Kai?"
His eyes remained closed.
But his lips moved.
"...Lyra…"
Evetyl's expression changed.
"Kai?"
Kai whispered again.
"Don't…"
Cr-Hook leaned closer.
"Don't what?"
Kai's black symbol suddenly pulsed.
THUMP.
A wave of darkness exploded from his body.
Cr-Hook was thrown backward.
"CR-HOOK!"
Evetyl caught herself against a broken pillar.
Original Cr-Hook stood completely still.
The darkness passed through him.
He didn't move.
Then he looked down.
A black mark had appeared on his hand.
His eyes widened.
"No…"
Cr-Hook stood up.
"What happened?"
Original Cr-Hook looked at him.
"It touched me."
"And?"
The boy slowly closed his fist.
"I can hear her."
Evetyl immediately understood.
"Who?"
Original Cr-Hook looked toward Kai.
"The one inside him."
Silence.
Then Kai opened his eyes.
They were completely black.
Evetyl froze.
"Kai?"
Kai stared at her.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he smiled.
But it wasn't Kai's smile.
"Evetyl."
Her heart stopped.
That voice.
It was older.
Colder.
And strangely familiar.
Cr-Hook stepped in front of her.
"Who are you?"
Kai's head slowly turned toward him.
The black eyes stared directly into Cr-Hook's.
"You still don't remember."
Cr-Hook clenched his fists.
"Remember what?"
Kai smiled again.
"You were there."
"Where?"
"Before the beginning."
Cr-Hook's expression hardened.
"I don't care what you think I forgot."
Kai tilted his head.
"You should."
The black symbol on his chest expanded.
A second eye appeared beside it.
Then a third.
Evetyl stepped forward.
"Kai isn't yours."
The expression on Kai's face changed.
For the first time, the strange presence looked angry.
"You always say that."
Evetyl stopped.
"What?"
"You always say he isn't mine."
Kai's voice became quieter.
"But you never ask who he belongs to."
Evetyl stared at him.
"He belongs to himself."
The presence inside Kai laughed.
A quiet, broken laugh.
"You learned that too late."
Evetyl's eyes widened.
"Who are you?"
Kai slowly raised his hand.
The black eye on his palm opened.
"I am the memory you buried."
The world went silent.
Evetyl couldn't breathe.
"No…"
"Yes."
Kai's voice echoed.
"I remember everything."
The white sky suddenly cracked.
KRRRRRRAAAACK.
A massive black shape appeared behind the cracks.
Original Cr-Hook immediately stepped forward.
"Close your eyes!"
Cr-Hook looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because if you see it, it will see you."
Cr-Hook ignored him.
He looked upward.
"What is that?"
Original Cr-Hook's expression became terrified.
"The place outside the world."
The black shape slowly pushed through the white sky.
It wasn't a creature.
It wasn't a building.
It wasn't a planet.
It was something that had no proper shape.
Something that existed before shapes existed.
Evetyl whispered:
"The Shadow…"
Original Cr-Hook shook his head.
"No."
Cr-Hook looked at him.
"Then what is it?"
The boy swallowed.
"The thing that created the Shadow."
The black shape opened.
And Crosshaven disappeared from sight for one second.
Then everything returned.
But something was different.
The ancient city was gone.
The broken streets were gone.
The pillars were gone.
The three ancient eyes were gone.
Only Evetyl, Cr-Hook, Original Cr-Hook, and Kai remained.
They were standing in an endless white space.
No ground.
No sky.
No horizon.
Nothing.
Cr-Hook looked around.
"What happened?"
Evetyl answered quietly.
"We're not in Crosshaven anymore."
Original Cr-Hook stared ahead.
"We're inside the memory."
Cr-Hook looked at him.
"Whose memory?"
The boy didn't answer.
Kai did.
"Mine."
Evetyl slowly turned toward him.
Kai's black eyes were gone.
His normal eyes had returned.
He looked confused.
"Where are we?"
Cr-Hook immediately moved toward him.
"Kai!"
Kai looked at him.
"Cr-Hook?"
Cr-Hook grabbed his shoulders.
"Are you yourself?"
Kai blinked.
"...I think so?"
Cr-Hook sighed in relief.
Then Kai looked at Evetyl.
"Why are you crying?"
Evetyl wiped her face.
"I…"
She couldn't finish.
Kai smiled weakly.
"I did something stupid again, didn't I?"
Evetyl laughed through her tears.
"Yeah."
Kai looked at Cr-Hook.
"And you?"
Cr-Hook sighed.
"You almost killed me."
Kai looked embarrassed.
"Sorry."
Cr-Hook stared at him.
Then he smiled.
"Apology accepted."
Original Cr-Hook watched them silently.
For some reason, his eyes became wet.
Kai noticed.
"Little Brother?"
The boy froze.
Evetyl looked at him.
Cr-Hook looked at him.
Kai stepped forward.
"Are you okay?"
Original Cr-Hook stared at Kai.
"You remembered."
Kai nodded.
"A little."
"What do you remember?"
Kai looked around the white world.
"Everything."
Evetyl's heart sank.
"Everything?"
Kai nodded.
"I remember the first world."
He looked at Original Cr-Hook.
"I remember you."
Then he looked at Cr-Hook.
"I remember you too."
Cr-Hook's expression softened.
Kai finally looked at Evetyl.
"And I remember you."
Evetyl whispered:
"What do you remember about me?"
Kai stared at her for several seconds.
"You were crying."
Evetyl's eyes widened.
"When?"
"After the world ended."
Kai slowly walked closer.
"You were holding me."
Evetyl couldn't speak.
"You kept saying my name."
His voice became softer.
"You said you were sorry."
Evetyl covered her mouth.
"I don't remember saying that."
"I do."
Kai stopped in front of her.
"You said…"
He hesitated.
Then whispered:
"'I chose you.'"
Evetyl's tears fell.
"I did."
Kai nodded.
"I know."
A long silence followed.
Then Kai asked:
"Why?"
Evetyl looked down.
"Because I couldn't leave you."
Kai's expression became sad.
"You knew?"
"Yes."
"You knew the world would die?"
Evetyl closed her eyes.
"Yes."
Kai remained silent.
Then he stepped forward and hugged her.
Evetyl froze.
"Kai…"
"You were scared too."
She began crying.
"I was."
"I know."
For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Original Cr-Hook turned away.
Cr-Hook noticed.
"You okay?"
The boy quickly