The ship waited at the bottom of the canyon.
Kael had expected something large.
Instead, he found a vessel that looked as though it had been built by people who trusted neither the sea nor the laws of physics. Its hull was made from dark wood reinforced with strips of black metal, while enormous curved bones formed part of the frame. Three masts rose from its deck, each carrying a collection of folded sails that shimmered faintly beneath the moonlight. Strange symbols had been carved along the sides of the ship, glowing whenever the water touched them.
Aren stood at the edge of the dock and stared.
"That's a ship?"
Veyra looked offended.
"Of course."
"It looks like it survived a war."
"It has survived twelve."
Aren became silent.
Lyra walked around the vessel.
"Does it actually float?"
Veyra smiled.
"Usually."
Aren looked at Kael.
"Usually?"
Kael sighed.
"We're getting on."
The pirates moved quickly.
Crates were carried onto the deck. Ropes were tightened. Weapons were checked. Several members of the crew climbed the masts and began preparing the sails.
Kael noticed something strange.
There were no oars.
"How does it move without wind?"
Veyra pointed toward the back of the ship.
A large crystal was embedded into the hull.
"That."
Seraphine immediately approached.
"Mana crystal?"
Veyra shook her head.
"Not exactly."
Seraphine touched it.
Her eyes widened.
"This isn't mana."
Kael looked at her.
"What is it?"
She slowly pulled her hand away.
"Pressure."
"Pressure?"
"Something is pushing against reality through the crystal."
Veyra smiled.
"That's why I like her."
Seraphine frowned.
"You've known me for less than an hour."
"I like people who don't immediately try to destroy my ship."
Aren muttered,
"Give it time."
The crew laughed.
Kael stepped aboard.
The moment his foot touched the deck, the symbols carved into the hull illuminated.
The silver point on his palm responded.
Kael stopped.
Veyra noticed.
"It recognizes you."
Kael looked down.
"Everything seems to recognize me lately."
Veyra's expression became serious.
"That's because you are connected to the old world."
"No."
Kael closed his hand.
"Not anymore."
Veyra looked at him for a moment.
Then smiled.
"Good answer."
Everyone boarded.
The ship slowly moved away from the dock.
The crystal beneath the hull brightened.
A low vibration passed through the deck.
The ship accelerated.
The canyon walls blurred.
Aren grabbed the railing.
"Why is it so fast?"
Veyra laughed.
"Because it's a good ship."
Aren looked at Kael.
"I officially hate pirates."
Kael smiled.
"You're adapting."
The ship reached the open sea before midnight.
The ocean stretched endlessly beneath the twin moons.
The water was strangely calm.
Too calm.
Kael stood at the front of the ship.
Elara joined him.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then she asked,
"Are you thinking about her?"
Kael knew who she meant.
"The woman beneath the capital."
"Yes."
"I don't know who she is."
"You saw her memory."
"I saw her."
Elara shook her head.
"No."
Kael looked at her.
"You think that's important?"
"I think what she did is important."
"What did she do?"
Elara looked at the sea.
"She remembered."
Kael frowned.
"Everyone remembers."
"Not like her."
Elara turned toward him.
"She remembered things that never happened."
"Possible futures."
"Failed realities."
"Worlds that existed only for an instant."
Kael looked toward the horizon.
"Caelum."
Elara nodded.
"His ability might come from her."
"Then why doesn't he know her?"
"Because she may not have been his ancestor."
Kael waited.
Elara continued.
"She might have been his source."
Kael frowned.
"Source?"
"Some abilities aren't inherited through blood."
"They are inherited through memory."
Kael looked at his palm.
The silver point remained quiet.
"Then maybe the network gave Caelum her ability."
"Maybe."
A sudden gust struck the ship.
The sails snapped.
The crew shouted.
Kael looked ahead.
A dark cloud had appeared on the horizon.
It was enormous.
And moving toward them.
Veyra walked toward the front.
"Storm."
Kael stared.
"That's not a normal storm."
"No."
Veyra's expression became serious.
"It's the western storm."
The same storm Varek had warned them about.
The one that changed the land.
The one nobody crossed.
Aren came forward.
"Can we go around?"
Veyra shook her head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because it covers the entire western sea."
Kael looked at the dark clouds.
Lightning flashed inside them.
But the lightning wasn't white.
It was silver.
Blue.
Green.
Red.
Different colors appeared simultaneously.
Seraphine stepped beside them.
"That isn't weather."
Kael nodded.
"What is it?"
She stared at the storm.
"Possibility."
Kael looked at her.
She continued.
"The storm contains different versions of reality."
"Every lightning strike is a different outcome."
"Every wave carries a different possibility."
Kael frowned.
"So if we enter..."
"We may not come out in the same world."
Aren stared.
"That's comforting."
Veyra smiled.
"Don't worry."
Aren looked at her.
"Why?"
"We've crossed it before."
Aren relaxed slightly.
"Good."
"We lost two ships."
Aren's face fell.
"Of course."
Kael looked toward the storm.
"How do we cross?"
Veyra pointed toward the center.
"There is a path."
"Where?"
"In the storm."
Kael stared.
"Of course."
The ship entered.
The temperature dropped immediately.
The sea became violent.
Waves struck the hull.
The crystal beneath the ship screamed.
Veyra shouted orders.
"Raise the sails!"
The crew moved.
"Turn starboard!"
The ship turned.
Lightning struck the ocean.
The water exploded.
Aren grabbed the mast.
"Is this normal?"
"No!"
Veyra shouted.
"Then why are you smiling?"
"Because normal is boring!"
Another wave hit.
Kael stumbled.
Elara grabbed him.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes."
"You're bleeding."
Kael touched his forehead.
A small cut.
"I'm fine."
The storm intensified.
Then Kael saw something.
A ship.
Another vessel was floating beside them.
It looked exactly like their ship.
But it was damaged.
Burning.
Empty.
Kael stared.
Veyra noticed.
"Don't look at it."
"Why?"
"It's another possibility."
The burning ship suddenly changed.
The flames disappeared.
Now it was intact.
Then it became enormous.
Then tiny.
Then it vanished.
Kael looked away.
The storm continued.
Another ship appeared.
This one carried people.
Kael saw himself standing on its deck.
Older.
Wearing a crown.
Beside him stood Elara.
She looked sad.
Kael blinked.
The vision disappeared.
Elara noticed his expression.
"What did you see?"
"Myself."
"Doing what?"
"Ruling."
She looked away.
Neither liked the implication.
The storm suddenly became silent.
Too silent.
The waves stopped.
The wind disappeared.
The ship continued moving.
Veyra's expression changed.
"Everyone stay still."
Kael looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because something is here."
A shape appeared beneath the water.
Huge.
The ship rocked.
Aren drew his sword.
Veyra shouted,
"Don't attack!"
The shape rose.
A massive creature emerged from the ocean.
It resembled a whale, but its body was covered in transparent scales.
Its eyes were enormous.
It looked at Kael.
Then it spoke.
"Creator."
Kael froze.
Again.
The creature lowered its head.
"Why do you return?"
Kael stepped forward.
"I don't know you."
The creature's eyes narrowed.
"You have forgotten."
"Apparently."
"Then remember."
A pulse of energy spread from the creature.
Kael's mind filled with images.
The black-haired woman.
Aster.
Elara.
Elion.
A massive ocean.
A newborn world.
Then something else.
A tower.
At the top of the tower stood Kael.
But he wasn't alone.
The black-haired woman stood beside him.
And beneath them...
the entire world was kneeling.
Kael pulled away.
The vision disappeared.
He fell to one knee.
Elara caught him.
"Kael!"
He breathed heavily.
"I saw..."
"What?"
"The capital."
Veyra approached.
"What did you see?"
Kael looked at her.
"Everyone was kneeling."
Veyra's expression became grim.
"Then we are running out of time."
"Why?"
"Because that isn't a possibility."
She pointed toward the storm.
"That's a memory."
Kael stared.
"Whose?"
Veyra's answer was quiet.
"The world."
The creature beneath them slowly disappeared.
The storm returned.
The ship continued west.
Nobody spoke for several minutes.
Finally, Kael asked,
"Veyra."
"Yes?"
"How many times have you crossed this storm?"
"Six."
"And how many times did you reach the capital?"
"Three."
"What happened the other three times?"
Veyra looked at the sea.
"We died."
Aren sighed.
"I really hate this trip."
Lyra smiled.
"You knew what you were signing up for."
"I didn't."
"You chose to come."
"I regret it."
Kael laughed.
The tension eased slightly.
Then Caelum approached.
His face was pale.
"I can see the capital."
Kael turned.
"Already?"
Caelum nodded.
"Through the storm."
"What do you see?"
Caelum hesitated.
"A city."
"Is it destroyed?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"People are gathering."
"Why?"
Caelum looked directly at Kael.
"They're waiting."
"For what?"
"For you."
Kael frowned.
"Why?"
Caelum shook his head.
"I don't know."
The storm suddenly parted.
A path opened ahead.
Veyra stared.
"That has never happened."
The ship moved forward.
Beyond the storm...
the western continent appeared.
Kael stared.
The land was enormous.
A coastline stretched for hundreds of kilometers.
Massive cities rose from the plains.
Crystal towers pierced the sky.
Floating structures drifted above the capital.
Roads of glowing stone connected enormous settlements.
This wasn't a primitive civilization.
It was more advanced than anything Kael had seen.
Even the Firstborn settlement seemed ancient compared to it.
Aren stared.
"That's a city?"
Veyra nodded.
"The western capital."
Kael's expression became serious.
The city was beautiful.
But something was wrong.
No one was moving.
The streets were empty.
The floating structures remained still.
The towers were dark.
A massive wall surrounded the city.
And above the central palace...
a black tree was growing.
Kael recognized it.
The same tree from his vision.
The artificial World Tree.
But this one was much older.
Much larger.
And beneath it...
stood the black-haired woman.
Kael's heart stopped.
Elara whispered,
"She's waiting."
The ship approached the harbor.
No guards stopped them.
No ships moved.
No one challenged them.
The harbor was completely empty.
Veyra lowered the sails.
The ship entered.
Kael stepped onto the dock.
His companions followed.
The city remained silent.
Then the central gates opened.
A long road appeared.
At the end of it stood the black-haired woman.
She wore a simple white dress.
No armor.
No weapon.
No crown.
Yet every instinct in Kael's body told him she was more dangerous than anyone they had faced.
She looked at him.
Then at Elara.
A small smile appeared.
"You finally came."
Kael stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
The woman smiled.
"You've asked that question before."
Kael frowned.
"I don't remember."
"I know."
She turned toward the city.
"Come."
Kael didn't move.
She looked back.
"If you want to know why the cycle existed..."
Her eyes settled on him.
"...you need to learn what happened before it."
Kael's expression became cold.
"Who are you?"
The woman finally answered.
"My name is Aelia."
Kael's heart skipped.
Elara's face became pale.
Caelum stepped backward.
Seraphine's book slipped from her hand.
Kael stared at the woman.
"Why does everyone recognize that name?"
Aelia smiled sadly.
"Because I was the first."
"The first what?"
She looked toward the black tree.
"The first person to remember."
The city gates closed behind them.
And deep beneath the western capital...
something enormous opened its eyes.