Chapter 2669: Story 2670: The Beginning Awakens

The word echoed across the collapsing kingdom.

“Elarion...”

Kael felt the ancient name burning inside his chest.

The white eye widened.

The sky shattered.

Lena grabbed Kael’s hand.

“Kael!”

“I’m here.”

The stranger pointed toward the sky.

“Now you understand.”

Kael looked at him.

“What is the Beginning?”

The stranger answered,

“It is the first consciousness, before light, darkness, blood, or time.”

Silence followed.

Something moved beyond the broken sky.

A massive shape descended, covered in white eyes around a heart of darkness.

Lena whispered,

“That is alive.”

The stranger nodded.

“And it remembers every soul.”

The creature spoke.

“ELARION.”

“You know me.”

“I REMEMBER YOUR FIRST BREATH.”

Kael’s sword shone brighter.

“Then tell me why I was created.”

The creature remained silent.

Azael stepped beside him.

“Answer him.”

The Beginning turned toward Azael.

“YOU WERE CREATED AFTER HIM.”

Azael froze.

“What?”

“You were the first division.”

Kael looked at him.

The fifth child screamed.

“No!”

His wings burst outward.

The kingdom shook.

“I remember!”

Everyone turned.

“It was not six pieces.”

Kael’s heart stopped.

“How many?”

“Seven.”

Elias’s light flickered.

“Then what happened to the seventh?”

“He became the lock.”

Kael touched his chest.

“The seventh symbol.”

“Yes.”

The Beginning suddenly laughed.

“THE LOCK WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO CONTAIN ME.”

The ground exploded.

A colossal white arm emerged.

Kael charged.

His sword struck the arm.

White fire erupted, throwing Kael backward.

Lena caught him.

“You cannot fight it alone.”

“I know.”

Azael joined him.

“We fight together.”

Elias raised both hands. Golden energy surrounded them.

Lena’s red power joined it.

Black flames and silver light followed.

Their energies merged.

A brilliant sphere formed.

The stranger watched.

“The six are becoming one.”

Kael looked at them.

“No.”

He raised his sword.

“We are becoming whole.”

The sphere entered Kael’s chest.

Every symbol ignited. The seventh mark opened, revealing a massive white eye above his heart.

The Beginning recoiled.

“NO.”

A voice entered Kael’s mind.

Not the Beginning.

Not the First Soul.

His own ancient voice.

“Remember.”

Kael closed his eyes.

A memory appeared.

Seven children stood before a white tree.

Behind them stood a faceless man without crown or armor.

He held the hand of a newborn child.

Kael recognized the child: Elarion.

The faceless man whispered,

“You are not my weapon.”

The memory faded.

“You are my successor.”

Kael opened his eyes.

The Beginning screamed.

The kingdom collapsed.

Kael stood among falling ruins, sword blazing white.

He looked at the creature.

“You were afraid of me before I remembered my name.”

Its countless eyes opened.

“BECAUSE YOU ARE THE END.”

Kael smiled.

“Then you should have been afraid of what comes after.”

Lena, Azael, Elias, the fifth and sixth children stood together.

The stranger bowed.

“The Guardian has chosen his family.”

The Beginning opened its enormous heart.

A voice came from inside it.

“Father...”

Kael froze.

The eyes turned toward the darkness.

Something else was waking.

And somewhere beyond the Beginning, an ancient father opened his eyes.

Again.