The narrow passage descended endlessly beneath the World Tree.
With every step Kael took, the warmth of the Garden grew fainter behind him. The gentle fragrance of flowers slowly disappeared, replaced by the cool scent of ancient stone that had remained untouched for thousands of years. The living roots surrounding the staircase became thicker and darker, their silver glow fading into deep blue veins that pulsed softly beneath rough bark. Unlike the upper chambers, where every leaf had seemed alive with quiet joy, this place felt forgotten.
Not abandoned.
Simply...
Forgotten.
The wooden key resting within Kael's hand remained warm, but the tiny green leaves growing from its surface had folded tightly against the polished wood. They no longer danced gently in invisible breezes. Instead, they clung to the key as though sensing something that lay ahead.
The silence became heavier.
Not frightening.
Lonely.
It was the kind of silence left behind after everyone had gone home and only empty halls remained.
Far above, the heartbeat of the World Tree continued echoing faintly through the endless roots.
Each beat felt farther away than the last.
Kael kept walking.
The staircase curved downward for what felt like hours before finally opening into a vast underground cavern hidden beneath the oldest roots of the World Tree.
He stopped.
The chamber before him was unlike any place he had ever seen.
The ceiling stretched so high that it vanished into darkness, while colossal roots descended like the pillars of forgotten temples. Between them floated thousands of tiny blue lights resembling sleeping fireflies. They drifted silently through the air, illuminating the cavern with a soft glow that transformed every shadow into deep sapphire.
At the center of the cavern rested a small lake.
Its waters were perfectly still.
Unlike the crystal rivers flowing through the Garden above, this lake reflected nothing.
Not the roots.
Not the lights.
Not even Kael.
Its surface resembled polished obsidian.
Standing beside the lake...
With bare feet resting upon smooth stone...
Was a little boy.
He couldn't have been older than eight.
His black hair reached his shoulders in uneven strands, as though nobody had ever cut it properly. His clothes consisted of simple gray fabric patched together countless times, while his sleeves hung loosely around thin arms that looked almost fragile.
He held a tiny lantern.
Inside it...
No flame burned.
Only a single blue light floated quietly.
The little boy had his back turned toward Kael.
He stared silently into the dark lake.
For several moments...
Neither of them spoke.
Then the child quietly asked,
"Did they send you?"
His voice carried no excitement.
Only cautious hope.
Kael slowly approached.
"No."
The little boy nodded.
"I thought so."
Silence returned.
The blue lights continued drifting peacefully around the cavern.
Eventually, Kael stopped several steps behind him.
"Were you the one calling?"
The child looked down at the unlit lantern.
"I've been calling..."
A faint smile appeared.
"...for a very long time."
He slowly turned around.
His eyes were the deepest blue Kael had ever seen.
Not bright.
Not joyful.
They looked like someone who had spent centuries staring into endless nights.
Yet...
Despite the loneliness hidden within them...
The child smiled politely.
"My name is Eli."
Kael returned the smile.
"I'm Kael."
The little boy's expression suddenly froze.
He stared at Kael for several seconds before lowering his head.
"So..."
He whispered quietly.
"You really came back."
The words carried no surprise.
Only relief.
Kael frowned.
"You know me?"
Eli nodded gently.
"I remember everyone."
His small fingers tightened around the lantern.
"They just don't remember me."
Those words settled over the cavern like falling snow.
Kael slowly looked around.
There were no toys.
No books.
No furniture.
Only the lake.
The lantern.
And endless silence.
"You've been here alone?"
Eli thought for a moment.
"I don't know."
The answer sounded strangely honest.
"I forgot how long."
He looked toward the dark water.
"At first..."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"...I counted."
He held up both hands.
"Then I counted the roots."
His eyes drifted toward the enormous ceiling.
"Then I counted the lights."
He quietly lowered his hands.
"Eventually..."
His voice became softer.
"...I forgot the numbers."
Kael felt something tighten painfully inside his chest.
He slowly knelt until their eyes met.
"Why didn't you leave?"
Eli looked confused.
"I can't."
He pointed toward the dark lake.
"I'm the Lock."
Silence filled the cavern.
The realization struck Kael immediately.
This child...
Wasn't guarding the Third Lock.
He was...
The Third Lock itself.
Eli noticed Kael's expression.
"Everyone gets sad when they find out."
He smiled awkwardly.
"I'm sorry."
Kael stared at him.
The child...
Was apologizing.
For making others sad.
Without thinking, Kael gently placed one hand on Eli's head.
The little boy froze.
His eyes widened.
"You..."
His voice trembled.
"...you remembered."
Kael blinked.
"Remembered what?"
"No one..."
Tears slowly formed in the child's blue eyes.
"...ever touched my head."
He laughed quietly through those tears.
"They were always afraid I'd disappear."
The wooden key suddenly pulsed with warm light.
A memory surfaced.
The burning Garden.
The Door stood open.
Darkness swallowed the horizon.
Children cried beneath the World Tree.
Old Rowan knelt before a little boy holding an unlit lantern.
The same child.
Eli.
Old Rowan smiled gently while placing both hands upon the boy's shoulders.
"I have one last favor."
The child nodded immediately.
"I'll do it."
"You don't even know what I'm asking."
"I trust you."
Old Rowan closed his eyes.
For a brief moment...
He couldn't speak.
Finally...
He whispered,
"I need someone..."
His voice cracked.
"...to remember the forgotten."
The little boy looked toward the burning Garden.
"What if..."
He hesitated.
"...everyone forgets me too?"
Old Rowan embraced him.
A long silence followed.
Then the old gardener whispered,
"I won't."
The memory dissolved.
Reality returned.
Kael slowly removed his hand from Eli's head.
Tears rolled silently down the child's cheeks.
"He promised."
Eli smiled despite crying.
"He really did."
Kael looked around the lonely cavern once more.
The empty lake.
The endless roots.
The silent blue lights.
Everything suddenly made sense.
The Third Lock wasn't testing strength.
Or wisdom.
Or memory.
It was asking something far simpler.
Could someone...
Remember the person everyone else had forgotten?
Eli quietly wiped his tears before looking toward the dark lake.
"I've been waiting..."
His small voice echoed gently through the cavern.
"...because someone has to open the door."
The surface of the black lake suddenly rippled for the very first time.
From its endless darkness...
A single stone staircase slowly began rising toward the surface.
Each step carried ancient silver runes that glowed brighter as they emerged from the water.
At the top...
Rested another doorway.
Unlike every doorway before...
This one wasn't made from wood.
Or roots.
Or stone.
It was made entirely from countless names.
Millions of glowing names woven together into a single archway.
Eli slowly held out his tiny lantern toward Kael.
The blue light inside it finally ignited.
"I think..."
He smiled shyly.
"...it's your turn to remember them all."