Chapter 2684: Story 2685: The White Eyes

The entity stepped backward.

Kael slowly rose.

White light covered his body like armor. His sword floated beside him,

Azael stared.

“Kael?”

Kael turned.

“I can hear every voice.”

“Whose voices?”

Kael looked into the darkness.

“Mine.”

“You became whole.”

Kael shook his head.

“No.”

“I became awake.”

Lena appeared behind him.

A cold wind moved through the chamber, carrying whispers from worlds that Kael had once completely forgotten forever.

Her silver armor was cracked, and darkness crawled across her face.

“Kael...”

“Lena!”

She reached toward him.

“Do not come closer.”

“Why?”

“Because I am changing.”

Kael stepped forward anyway.

The entity raised one hand.

“Stop.”

Kael looked at it.

“You are afraid of me.”

Azael slowly approached.

“Kael, look at its eyes.”

The countless white eyes across the creature’s body were closing.

Kael narrowed his eyes.

“Why is it closing them?”

Azael answered,

“Because something else is looking through them.”

Suddenly, every closed eye reopened.

But they were no longer white.

They were silver.

The entity screamed.

“NO!”

A colossal face appeared across the darkness.

Kael’s face.

Older.

Scarred.

Ancient.

The silver-eyed face opened its mouth.

“Elarion.”

Kael raised his sword.

“Who are you?”

The face smiled.

“I am the memory you buried when you became human.”

Kael felt his heart stop.

Azael stepped backward.

“That cannot be.”

The ancient face looked toward him.

“You were there.”

Azael’s sword fell slightly.

“I remember.”

The white tree appeared again.

But beneath its roots stood an enormous black chamber.

Inside the chamber was a throne.

And on that throne sat Kael.

Not Elarion.

Not Azrael.

Something older.

Something that wore his face without being him.

Lena whispered,

“That is what the First Soul was hiding.”

Kael stared at the ancient version of himself.

“What happened?”

The ancient Kael opened his eyes.

“You asked the First Soul to divide you.”

“Why?”

“To save the worlds.”

Kael shook his head.

“From what?”

Ancient Kael looked beyond him.

The darkness suddenly cracked.

“From yourself.”

Kael’s white eyes widened.

The entity screamed again.

“Do not listen!”

Kael turned.

“You knew.”

“I knew enough to fear you.”

The ancient Kael spoke again.

“You were not the prisoner.”

Kael’s grip tightened.

“Then what was I?”

The throne behind the ancient figure began opening.

A vast white heart appeared.

Within it, Lena was trapped.

Kael stepped forward.

“I will free her.”

Ancient Kael shook his head.

“If you free her, the final seal breaks.”

Kael stopped.

Lena looked directly at him.

“Kael...”

Her voice trembled.

“Choose.”

The chamber fell silent.

Behind Lena, something enormous moved.

Azael raised his sword.

“Brother, whatever you choose, do not choose alone.”

Kael looked at Azael.

Then Lena.

Then the ancient version of himself.

The white fire around his body suddenly turned black.

And Kael whispered,

“I remember why I divided myself.”

The ancient Kael smiled.

“Then remember what you divided away.”

A heartbeat thundered.

Lena screamed.

The throne shattered.

And something wearing Kael’s face stepped out.