Kael could not breathe.
Not because he had no air—
But because something deeper refused to let him.
The thing in front of him did not move.
It did not attack.
It simply existed.
And that alone was enough to crush everything around it.
"…This… is bad," Kael whispered.
The figure watched him.
No eyes.
No face.
But Kael felt it staring straight into him.
"…You see it now," the figure said.
Kael forced himself to stand straight.
"…Yeah… I see something."
His voice shook slightly.
"…Still don't know what it is."
The figure stepped closer.
The space behind it collapsed into nothing.
"…You are not meant to know."
Kael laughed weakly.
"…That never stopped me before."
The figure tilted its head.
"…You still speak like you are whole."
Kael frowned.
"…What's that supposed to mean?"
The figure raised its hand.
The air cracked.
"…Look."
Kael's vision twisted.
Suddenly—
He saw himself.
But not just one.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
All broken.
All incomplete.
"…What…?" Kael whispered.
"They are you," the figure said.
"…No… that's not right."
"They are what remains."
Kael stepped back.
"…I'm right here."
"…A part of you is."
Kael clenched his fist.
"…Then I'll take the rest back."
The figure's voice became colder.
"…You cannot reclaim what you already abandoned."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"…Then I'll rebuild it."
The figure paused.
"…Rebuild?"
Kael smiled.
"…Yeah."
He stepped forward.
"…You think I don't understand what's happening?"
The figure did not answer.
Kael continued.
"…I broke myself to get stronger."
He looked at his hands.
They were still unstable.
Flickering between form and nothing.
"…So now I just put it back together."
The figure spoke slowly.
"…You think it is that simple?"
Kael laughed.
"…Nothing about this is simple."
He raised his hand.
Fragments around him began to move.
The broken versions of himself—
Started to drift closer.
"…If I'm scattered," Kael said, "…then I gather."
The figure's presence grew heavier.
"…You are forcing unity."
Kael nodded.
"…Exactly."
The fragments resisted.
They shook.
Some tried to escape.
Kael gritted his teeth.
"…No… you don't…"
He pulled harder.
"…You're all me."
The fragments screamed.
Voices.
Different.
Conflicting.
"…We are not you…"
"…We chose different paths…"
"…We don't belong…"
Kael's eyes widened.
"…Shut up!"
He forced them closer.
"…You're coming back whether you like it or not!"
The pressure increased.
The entire space trembled.
The figure watched silently.
"…This is dangerous."
Kael ignored it.
"…I don't care!"
More fragments merged into him.
Kael's body stabilized slightly.
"…See?" he said. "…It's working."
But then—
Pain.
Sharp.
Violent.
"…ARGH—!"
Kael dropped to one knee.
"…What… is this…?"
The voices grew louder.
"…You are forcing contradictions…"
"…You are not all of us…"
"…You will break…"
Kael grabbed his head.
"…Shut up… shut up… SHUT UP!"
The figure stepped closer.
"…You cannot force yourself to be one."
Kael's breathing became unstable.
"…Watch me…"
He stood up again.
Barely.
"…I don't lose to myself."
The figure raised its hand again.
"…Then face it."
The fragments around Kael—
Suddenly attacked.
All at once.
Kael barely reacted.
"…What—?!"
A version of him struck first.
Kael blocked.
Another attacked from behind.
He dodged.
"…You've got to be kidding me!"
The voices echoed.
"…You want us?"
"…Then fight us…"
"…Earn us…"
Kael grinned despite the situation.
"…Fine."
He raised his weapon—
Then paused.
"…Wait…"
He looked at his hand.
"…No weapon?"
His sword was gone.
The figure spoke.
"…You wanted yourself."
Kael sighed.
"…Of course."
The fragments rushed him.
Kael moved.
Punch.
Kick.
Block.
Everything felt different.
Slower.
More real.
"…This feels… human," he muttered.
A fragment hit him.
Kael stumbled.
"…Yeah… definitely human."
He wiped blood from his mouth.
"…Alright."
He smiled.
"…Let's do this properly."
He charged.
The fight exploded.
No energy.
No powers.
Only pure combat.
Each version of Kael moved differently.
Some faster.
Some stronger.
Some smarter.
"…This is unfair!" Kael shouted.
"…This is you," they replied.
Kael laughed.
"…Then I'm more annoying than I thought!"
He dodged a strike.
Countered another.
But they kept coming.
"…Too many…" he muttered.
He stepped back.
Breathing hard.
"…Think… think…"
Another attack—
Kael blocked—
Barely.
"…Okay… new plan."
He stopped attacking.
The fragments paused.
"…What are you doing?" one asked.
Kael lowered his stance.
"…I'm done fighting."
Silence.
"…Liar," another said.
Kael shook his head.
"…No."
He looked at them.
One by one.
"…You're all me, right?"
They didn't answer.
"…Then why am I fighting myself?"
The fragments hesitated.
The figure watched closely.
Kael stepped forward.
"…If I destroy you… I lose parts of me."
Silence.
"…If I accept you… I become complete."
The fragments began to shake.
"…We are not the same…"
Kael nodded.
"…I know."
He smiled slightly.
"…That's the point."
He opened his arms.
"…Come back."
The fragments froze.
"…We are not you…"
Kael replied softly.
"…You are."
Long silence.
Then—
One fragment stepped forward.
"…If we merge… we disappear."
Kael shook his head.
"…No. You become me."
The fragment hesitated.
"…And you promise…?"
Kael smiled.
"…I don't make promises."
The fragment stared at him.
Then—
It stepped forward.
And merged.
Kael's body stabilized further.
"…That's one," he whispered.
Another stepped forward.
"…We are different…"
"…I know."
Merge.
Another.
Merge.
More.
More.
Each one made Kael stronger.
More stable.
More complete.
The figure spoke quietly.
"…You are choosing acceptance."
Kael nodded.
"…Better than destruction."
More fragments joined.
But some stayed back.
"…We refuse," they said.
Kael looked at them.
"…Why?"
"…Because we chose paths you would not."
Kael smiled.
"…That's fine."
They froze.
"…You… accept that?"
Kael nodded.
"…Yeah."
He turned away.
"…You don't have to come back."
Silence.
The remaining fragments looked at each other.
Then—
Slowly—
They stepped forward.
"…Then we choose to return."
Kael smiled.
"…Good choice."
Merge.
Merge.
Merge.
Finally—
Silence.
Kael stood alone.
Complete.
Stable.
Strong.
He looked at his hands.
Solid.
Real.
"…That feels better," he said.
The figure stepped closer.
"…You succeeded."
Kael looked up.
"…Of course I did."
The figure studied him.
"…But you changed."
Kael smirked.
"…That's the point."
The figure's voice lowered.
"…Then show me."
Kael grinned.
"…Gladly."
He stepped forward.
Energy returned.
But different.
Calm.
Controlled.
"…Let's go."
The figure moved.
Fast.
Kael moved faster.
They clashed.
BOOM.
The entire space shook.
"…Stronger," the figure said.
Kael smiled.
"…Told you."
They fought.
Faster.
Cleaner.
Sharper.
Kael adapted instantly.
Each move precise.
Each attack calculated.
"…You are no longer scattered," the figure said.
Kael replied—
"…And you're about to lose."
He struck.
The figure blocked—
But was pushed back.
"…Impossible…"
Kael appeared behind it.
"…Possible."
He attacked again.
The figure staggered.
For the first time—
It was losing.
"…This is new," Kael said.
The figure's voice grew colder.
"…Then we end this."
It raised its hand.
The giant eye above—
Opened fully.
Kael froze.
"…Oh… not again…"
The pressure returned.
Stronger than before.
"…You think you are complete," the figure said.
Kael struggled.
"…I am!"
The eye pulsed.
"…Then face what is beyond complete."
The space broke again.
Something else began to emerge.
Bigger.
Worse.
Kael's expression hardened.
"…You've got to be kidding me…"
The figure whispered—
"…This is the truth you opened."
Kael took a step forward.
Despite the pressure.
"…Then I face it."
The figure paused.
"…Even now?"
Kael smiled.
"…Especially now."
The thing beyond the eye—
Moved.
Slowly.
Its presence alone distorted everything.
Kael felt it.
Fear.
Again.
But this time—
He did not step back.
"…Alright," he said.
"…Let's see how far this goes."
The thing turned—
And looked directly at him.
And this time—
It recognized him.
"…You…"
Kael's eyes widened.
"…It knows me?"
The figure answered—
"…Yes."
Silence.
Heavy.
Final.
Then—
The thing spoke.
"…You are not supposed to exist."