Chapter 2675: Story 2676: The Forgotten Child

The door vanished behind them.

Kael stood in complete silence.

There was no ground beneath his feet. White mist surrounded him, carrying whispers.

Lena remained beside him, gripping his hand.

“Where are we?”

Kael looked ahead.

“Inside the memory.”

Azael, Elias, the fifth child, sixth child, and First Father appeared behind them.

Kael turned.

“Father?”

The First Father stared into the mist.

“I remember this place.”

A deep sound echoed.

A heartbeat.

Boom.

The mist trembled.

Boom.

The crimson-eyed child stepped forward.

“This is where everything began.”

The white mist disappeared.

They stood before an enormous white tree.

Its branches stretched beyond sight, covered with silver leaves.

Seven children stood around its trunk.

But now Kael saw the truth.

There was an eighth.

The silver-eyed child stood apart.

Kael walked toward him.

“Who are you?”

The child smiled sadly.

“You already know.”

“I don’t.”

“You erased me.”

Kael stopped.

The child’s face changed.

He looked exactly like Kael.

Then Elarion.

Then Azrael.

Then a stranger.

Kael froze.

“You are all my memories.”

“No.”

The child touched his chest.

“I am the memory before your memories.”

The First Father shouted.

“Don’t touch him!”

Kael turned.

“Why?”

“Because he remembers what you became before you were Elarion.”

Lena stepped closer.

“What was he?”

The Father looked toward the white tree.

“The first guardian.”

Kael’s eyes widened.

“But I was Elarion.”

The eighth child shook his head.

“Elarion was only the name they gave you after the first division.”

A crack appeared across the sky.

The black creature’s voice thundered through the memory.

“ENOUGH.”

The white tree began burning.

The children screamed.

The eighth child remained calm.

He reached for Kael’s hand.

“Listen carefully.”

Kael moved closer.

“What?”

“You were not created to guard the door.”

The world shook.

“You were created to be the door.”

Kael froze.

Behind him, the seventh mark returned, glowing like a white star.

The crimson-eyed child gasped.

“No...”

Lena tightened her grip.

“What is happening?”

The eighth child looked directly into Kael’s eyes.

“The thing outside isn’t trying to enter.”

The black sky split open.

“It is trying to escape.”

A massive white eye appeared.

The First Father raised his sword.

“It found us.”

Kael looked upward.

“What is it?”

The eighth child whispered,

“The prisoner.”

A scream crossed the world.

Then the white tree opened like an enormous eye.

Inside it was a throne.

And someone was sitting upon it.

Kael recognized the face.

His own.

But older.

Older.

The figure opened silver eyes.

“Elarion.”

Kael stepped forward.

“Who are you?”

The ancient version of himself smiled.

“I am the first one who failed.”

The throne cracked.

Black chains wrapped around his body.

And from behind him came a voice older than creation.

“Now you remember why you ran.”

Kael raised his sword.

The forgotten child whispered one final warning.

“Brother... if he wakes, the prison will open.”

Kael stood.

And every world outside the memory began to tremble.