Chapter 2688: Story 2689: The Crimson Brother

Kael stood before the white throne.

The stranger sitting upon it looked exactly like him.

But his eyes burned crimson.

Kael slowly raised his sword.

“Who are you?”

The stranger smiled.

“You know me.”

“No.”

“You have forgotten me more times than you can remember.”

“Azael!”

No answer.

“Lena!”

Silence.

Only the stranger remained.

“Where are they?”

“Inside you.”

The ninth heart pulsed beneath Kael’s chest.

Once.

Twice.

Then a third heartbeat answered from the throne.

Kael stared.

“You are the ninth heart.”

“I am what the ninth heart protected.”

“What?”

“Your original consciousness.”

“Elarion?”

The stranger smiled.

“Elarion was the name you carried after the first division.”

“Then what was I before that?”

The white throne cracked.

“You were whole.”

Kael saw Lena chained to a gigantic white heart.

Azael stood nearby, trapped inside black chains.

Kael stepped forward.

“I will free them.”

The stranger raised one hand.

“You cannot free one without awakening the other.”

“Awakening what?”

“The original enemy.”

“The thing inside the First Soul?”

“Yes.”

“Then why are you here?”

“To stop you from making the same mistake.”

“What mistake?”

“Last time, you divided yourself to imprison it.”

Kael’s expression hardened.

“And this time?”

“You are trying to become whole.”

“I need my strength.”

“No.”

The stranger touched Kael’s chest.

“You need your memory.”

Memories flooded through him.

He saw himself standing before the King Before Kings.

Azael stood beside him.

Lena and Elias were children.

The fifth and sixth children stood beneath the white tree.

The Forgotten Child watched silently.

And behind them stood the crimson-eyed stranger.

Not as an enemy.

As a guardian.

“You protected us.”

“Yes.”

“Then why did you let the King divide me?”

“I did not.”

The King Before Kings raised his sword.

A shadow with countless white eyes stood behind him.

It whispered,

“Divide Elarion, or all worlds will fall.”

“You were afraid of that thing.”

The stranger nodded.

“It manipulated the King.”

“Who was it?”

The white realm began cracking.

“You already know.”

A gigantic crimson eye opened beyond the throne.

Kael raised his sword.

The eye spoke.

“Elarion.”

The stranger turned toward it.

“No.”

The eye widened.

“Come home.”

The throne shattered.

Black chains wrapped around Kael.

He fought desperately.

The stranger grabbed his arm.

“Do not resist!”

“Why?”

“Because this time, it is not trying to imprison you.”

The crimson eye moved closer.

“It is trying to remember you.”

Kael stopped struggling.

A voice whispered inside his heart.

“Brother...”

Azael.

Then Lena.

Then Elias.

Their voices merged.

The ninth heart began beating faster.

The stranger whispered,

“Remember your true name.”

Kael closed his eyes.

A forgotten word rose from his soul.

“Elarion.”

The entire realm exploded.

When Kael opened his eyes, the crimson-eyed stranger was kneeling before him.

“Welcome back, brother.”

Kael looked at the throne, then at the endless darkness surrounding them.

For the first time, he understood that remembering was more dangerous than forgetting.

Behind him, the crimson eye opened completely across every world.