Kael stood completely still.
Across the enormous chamber…
Thousands of beings stared back at him.
Every one of them had his face.
Some looked young.
Some looked ancient.
Some wore armor.
Others wore simple clothing.
Some had silver eyes.
Others had white, black, or colorless eyes.
But they all had one thing in common.
They were Kael.
Eryx slowly stepped beside him.
"I think I'm starting to hate seeing your face."
Kael almost laughed.
"Same."
The thousands of beings didn't react.
They simply watched.
Then one stepped forward.
He looked older than the others.
His hair was white.
His eyes contained countless galaxies.
He looked at Kael.
"Original."
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"Stop calling me that."
The being tilted his head.
"Why?"
"Because I don't know what it means."
The being smiled.
"That is precisely why we called you here."
Kael's expression hardened.
"You brought me here?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
The being looked toward the others.
Then back at Kael.
"To remember."
Kael clenched his fists.
"I already remember."
"No."
The being shook his head.
"You remember what we allowed you to remember."
Kael froze.
Eryx looked at him.
"What does that mean?"
The being raised his hand.
The chamber disappeared.
Suddenly, Kael was standing somewhere else.
A vast darkness surrounded him.
But this darkness was different.
There were no stars.
No planets.
No time.
Nothing existed.
Then—
Kael appeared.
Not as a human.
Not as a god.
But as a single point of light.
A thought.
A possibility.
The being's voice echoed.
"Before the first universe…"
The point of light expanded.
"Before the Origin…"
It became a shape.
"Before the Firstborn…"
The shape became a person.
"Before the Creators…"
The person opened his eyes.
"Before everything…"
Kael stood alone.
The original Kael.
He looked exactly like the Kael standing in the chamber.
But his eyes were different.
They contained something no other version possessed.
Complete understanding.
Kael watched the memory.
"That was me?"
"Yes."
The memory continued.
The original Kael raised his hand.
A universe appeared.
Then another.
Then another.
He created stars.
Planets.
Life.
Time.
Space.
Reality.
Everything.
Kael watched silently.
Then he saw Eryx appear.
A young boy stood beside the original Kael.
He smiled.
"Brother."
The original Kael smiled.
"Eryx."
Kael's chest tightened.
He watched himself create the Origin.
Then the Firstborn.
Then the first universe.
Then the Hunger.
Everything he had spent his entire existence searching for…
had begun with him.
But then the memory changed.
The original Kael stood alone.
Eryx was gone.
The universe was dying.
The Origin had become unstable.
The Hunger had escaped.
The original Kael fell to his knees.
"I can't save everyone."
The words echoed through the darkness.
Kael watched himself cry.
Then he stood.
He made a decision.
One that changed everything.
He split himself.
One piece became Eryx.
Another became the Hunger.
Another became the Origin.
Another became the first universe.
And the final piece became…
Kael.
The Kael who would forget.
The Kael who would live as a normal human.
The Kael who would eventually become the Star Eater.
Kael stared at the memory.
"I did all of this?"
The older Creator answered.
"Yes."
"But why?"
The Creator looked at him.
"Because you wanted to understand something."
"What?"
"Humanity."
Kael frowned.
"You created humanity?"
"Yes."
Kael looked at the memory.
Humans began appearing on a young planet.
They were weak.
Fragile.
Mortal.
But they were different.
They could choose.
They could love.
They could hate.
They could create.
They could destroy.
They could change.
The original Kael watched them.
Then smiled.
"I want to become like them."
Kael's eyes widened.
"What?"
The Creator continued.
"You had everything."
Power.
Knowledge.
Immortality.
Complete control over existence.
But you had never experienced uncertainty.
You had never experienced fear.
You had never experienced loss.
You had never truly experienced love.
So you decided to become human.
Kael stared at himself.
"You mean…"
"Yes."
The Creator looked directly at him.
"You erased your memories."
Kael's expression changed.
"And everything that happened…"
"Was part of your plan."
Kael suddenly remembered the rooftop.
Seventeen.
Broke.
Invisible.
Looking at the stars.
Then the falling light.
Aetherion.
The Last Core.
The voice.
Everything.
Kael's eyes widened.
"The dying star…"
The Creator nodded.
"Was you."
Kael's breathing stopped.
"What?"
"You created the Star Eater."
Kael stepped backward.
"No."
"You designed the path."
"No."
"You created the Last Core."
Kael shook his head.
"No…"
"You created Aetherion."
Kael froze.
Aetherion became completely silent.
Kael slowly turned inward.
"Aetherion?"
Nothing.
"Aetherion!"
Still nothing.
Kael's heart began pounding.
The Creator spoke.
"He was never your guide."
Kael's eyes widened.
"He was your memory."
Silence.
Aetherion finally spoke.
"I'm sorry."
Kael's body went completely still.
Eryx stared at him.
"Aetherion…"
Aetherion's voice trembled.
"I was created to guide you back to yourself."
Kael closed his eyes.
All the pieces suddenly connected.
Aetherion.
The Last Core.
The Star Eater.
The Hunger.
Eryx.
The Origin.
The Firstborn.
The Creators.
Everything had been leading here.
But there was one question left.
Kael opened his eyes.
"Then why did you let me suffer?"
The Creator looked at him.
"Because you asked us to."
Kael froze.
"I asked you?"
"Yes."
The Creator's expression became serious.
"You wanted to know whether humanity was worth saving."
Kael looked around.
Thousands of versions of himself stood silently.
"You wanted to experience humanity completely."
The Creator continued.
"So we created the experiment."
Kael's fists tightened.
"And if I failed?"
The Creator looked at him.
"Then you would become one of us."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"And if I succeeded?"
The Creator smiled.
"Then you would become something greater."
Kael stared at him.
"Greater than the Creators?"
The chamber became silent.
The Creator nodded.
"Greater than creation itself."
Eryx stepped forward.
"And what about me?"
The Creator looked at Eryx.
"You were never part of the experiment."
Eryx frowned.
"What?"
"You were the reason it existed."
Kael's eyes widened.
The Creator continued.
"You were the one thing the original Kael could never recreate."
Eryx looked at Kael.
"You created me because you were lonely."
Kael nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"And you kept me because you loved me."
Kael's eyes became wet.
"Yes."
Eryx smiled.
"Then I guess I'm glad you forgot."
Kael looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because you got to meet me again."
Kael smiled.
For the first time in a long time…
he felt peace.
Then—
The chamber shook.
Every Creator suddenly looked upward.
Their expressions changed.
The older Creator whispered:
"No."
Kael looked around.
"What?"
The Creator stared at him.
"The experiment wasn't the final test."
Kael's smile disappeared.
"Then what is?"
The Creator looked toward the darkness behind them.
Something was approaching.
Something even they feared.
The ancient being's voice echoed from far away.
"The final test is waking."
Kael turned.
A massive silhouette appeared beyond the chamber.
It was larger than every universe.
Larger than reality itself.
And at its center…
was a single familiar face.
Kael's face.
The Creator lowered his head.
"The one you created before us…"
Kael stared at the approaching entity.
"…has awakened."
The entity opened its eyes.
And smiled.
"Father."
Kael's blood ran cold.
Because for the first time…
he remembered creating something he had completely forgotten.
Something that was never supposed to wake up.
Something even the Original Kael had been afraid of.
To be continued…