Eryx stood alone in the darkness.
Thousands of versions of Kael surrounded him.
Some looked human.
Some looked like monsters.
Some wore armor made from stars.
Others had no bodies at all.
They were possibilities.
Every path Kael could have taken.
Every choice he could have made.
Every ending he could have reached.
Eryx slowly looked around.
"Where is my brother?"
One of the Kaels stepped forward.
It looked almost exactly like the Kael he knew.
Except its eyes were completely black.
"Your brother is coming."
Eryx narrowed his eyes.
"And you're going to wait for him?"
The black-eyed Kael smiled.
"No."
He raised his hand.
The entire darkness moved.
Thousands of Kaels attacked at once.
Eryx's eyes flashed.
BOOM!
Silver energy exploded from his body.
The first wave disappeared.
But hundreds more came.
Eryx moved through them.
Punch.
Kick.
Energy.
Every attack destroyed another version.
But for every Kael that disappeared…
Another appeared.
Eryx's breathing became heavier.
"This is pointless."
A voice answered.
"Exactly."
Eryx turned.
The black-eyed Kael stood behind him.
"You cannot defeat infinite possibilities."
Eryx clenched his fists.
"Maybe not."
He smiled.
"But I don't need to."
The black-eyed Kael's expression changed.
Eryx raised his hand.
"I only need to find the real one."
The darkness shook.
For a moment, every version of Kael froze.
Eryx closed his eyes.
He ignored their power.
Their appearances.
Their memories.
Instead, he searched for something deeper.
A feeling.
A connection.
A bond.
Something that couldn't be copied.
Then he felt it.
A heartbeat.
Eryx opened his eyes.
"There."
He disappeared.
BOOM!
His fist struck the black-eyed Kael.
The creature was thrown backward.
Eryx followed.
"You're not my brother."
The black-eyed Kael wiped blood from his mouth.
"I never said I was."
"Then what are you?"
The creature smiled.
"I am the version of Kael that learned the truth."
Eryx's expression hardened.
"What truth?"
"That love is a weakness."
Eryx stared at him.
The creature continued.
"Kael created me because he couldn't accept losing you."
Eryx froze.
"What?"
"He couldn't accept your death."
The creature pointed toward Eryx.
"So he created countless versions of himself."
Images appeared around them.
Kael searching through universes.
Kael creating new versions.
Kael trying to find a world where Eryx survived.
Kael failing.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Eryx watched silently.
The creature smiled.
"He destroyed countless universes trying to find one where he didn't lose you."
Eryx's eyes widened.
"No…"
"Yes."
The creature stepped closer.
"And eventually he realized something."
"What?"
"That there was only one way to guarantee you would never die."
Eryx's expression became cold.
"What?"
The creature whispered.
"End everything."
Silence.
Eryx lowered his head.
Then he laughed.
The creature looked confused.
"You're laughing?"
Eryx looked up.
Tears were running down his face.
"Kael really is an idiot."
The creature frowned.
"You don't understand."
"No."
Eryx wiped his tears.
"I understand perfectly."
He smiled.
"My brother would never choose that."
The creature stared at him.
"You're wrong."
Eryx shook his head.
"Then why did he keep fighting?"
The creature didn't answer.
"Why did he fight the Origin?"
Silence.
"Why did he fight the Hunger?"
Nothing.
"Why did he cross the Final Boundary?"
The creature's expression changed.
Eryx stepped forward.
"Why did he come back for me?"
The darkness trembled.
"Because he never wanted to save only himself."
Eryx's silver energy erupted.
"He wanted everyone to have a choice."
The black-eyed Kael suddenly screamed.
The surrounding versions began disappearing.
One by one.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Millions.
They faded into nothing.
Eryx looked around.
"What is happening?"
A familiar voice answered.
"Because you found the answer."
Eryx froze.
"Kael?"
A silver light appeared.
Kael stepped through it.
His body was covered in wounds.
His clothes were torn.
But his eyes were calm.
Eryx smiled.
"About time."
Kael smiled back.
"Sorry."
"You're late."
"I got distracted."
"By what?"
Kael looked behind him.
An older version of himself stood in the distance.
"The truth."
Eryx stared at the older Kael.
"Who is that?"
Kael looked at him.
"Me."
Eryx sighed.
"Of course."
The older Kael slowly approached.
"You've both learned something important."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
The older Kael looked at Eryx.
"Your bond cannot be replicated."
Then he looked at Kael.
"And that is why the experiment failed."
Kael stepped forward.
"Then why are we still here?"
The older Kael smiled.
"Because the experiment was never designed to find the strongest version of you."
Kael's expression changed.
"What was it designed to find?"
The older Kael answered.
"The version capable of refusing the experiment."
Silence.
Kael looked around.
All the alternate versions had disappeared.
Only three remained.
Kael.
Eryx.
And the older Kael.
Then the darkness began collapsing.
The older Kael looked upward.
"They know."
Kael frowned.
"Who?"
The older Kael pointed toward the darkness above them.
Thousands of enormous eyes opened.
Kael's expression became cold.
"The creators."
The eyes watched them.
Then a voice echoed across the void.
"Final candidates identified."
Another voice followed.
"Kael."
Then another.
"Eryx."
The third voice was different.
Cold.
Mechanical.
"Begin final selection."
The darkness beneath them disappeared.
Kael and Eryx began falling.
The older Kael remained behind.
Kael reached toward him.
"Come with us!"
The older Kael smiled.
"I already did."
Kael froze.
"What does that mean?"
The older Kael touched his chest.
Then his body began turning into silver light.
"You don't need me anymore."
The light entered Kael.
Memories flooded into him.
Every universe.
Every experiment.
Every failure.
Every version.
Every death.
Every moment Kael had forgotten.
Kael screamed.
Eryx grabbed his shoulder.
"Kael!"
Kael opened his eyes.
His pupils had changed.
For a moment, Eryx saw something impossible inside them.
Infinite universes.
Then Kael whispered:
"I remember."
Eryx looked at him.
"Remember what?"
Kael slowly looked upward.
The eyes were getting closer.
"I remember who created the experiment."
A voice echoed through the darkness.
"Then you remember us."
Kael smiled.
"Yes."
He raised his hand.
"And now I know where you are."
The darkness shattered.
A massive door appeared.
Behind it was a place that had never existed inside any universe.
Kael stepped forward.
Eryx followed.
The Hunger emerged behind them.
Aetherion's voice returned.
"Kael…"
Kael looked toward the door.
"What?"
Aetherion spoke quietly.
"Once you open that door, there is no going back."
Kael placed his hand against it.
He looked at Eryx.
Eryx nodded.
Kael smiled.
"Good."
The door began opening.
Behind it stood thousands of beings.
The Creators.
But they weren't gods.
They weren't monsters.
They were human.
And every single one of them had Kael's face.
Kael's smile disappeared.
Eryx whispered:
"What…"
One of the Creators stepped forward.
He looked exactly like Kael.
Then he spoke.
"Welcome home, original."
The door slammed open.
And Kael finally saw the truth.
He had never been their experiment.
He had been their creator.