Chapter 188: Watcher’s Paths End

The golden light beneath Noah’s shadow pulsed once.

THUMP.

The chamber shook.

Dead Zone’s voice echoed through Noah’s mind.

Don’t let it wake.

Noah gritted his teeth.

"What happens if it does?"

I don’t know.

The golden light pulsed again.

THUMP.

This time, the six subjects staggered.

Subject Six stopped moving.

The enormous creature beneath the chamber lowered its head.

Even it seemed afraid.

Noah looked down.

A thin golden crack had appeared beneath his feet.

Something was trying to rise through his shadow.

He planted Shadowfang into the stone.

"Stay down."

The crack widened.

CRACK.

A golden eye appeared.

Noah’s entire body locked.

Then the Watcher screamed.

Not from the chamber.

From everywhere.

Its voice flooded Hrafnvier.

"STOP."

The walls shattered.

Crimson light poured through the cracks.

Noah looked upward.

The Watcher descended through the collapsing ceiling.

Its body was barely holding together.

Three eyes.

Broken crimson flesh.

Hundreds of memory fragments orbiting its body.

But it wasn’t looking at Noah.

It was looking at the golden eye beneath him.

"THAT MEMORY WAS SEALED."

Subject Six turned toward it.

"You failed."

The Watcher ignored him.

"THE RECORD WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO REACH HIM."

Noah’s expression hardened.

"What record?"

The Watcher looked directly at him.

For the first time, there was no hostility in its voice.

Only urgency.

"The one where you died."

Silence.

Laura stared.

"What?"

Noah’s face went cold.

The Watcher continued.

"The first Noah Blackwood died."

Dead Zone went silent.

Noah’s breathing became shallow.

The Watcher raised one hand.

A memory appeared.

A white room.

A child lying motionless inside the sixth chair.

Noah.

A golden light leaving his body.

Five figures standing around him.

Roana was there.

Younger.

Terrified.

The White-Eyed Figure stood beside her.

The Black-Eyed Figure stood farther behind.

And Subject Six was watching from the doorway.

The memory continued.

A voice spoke.

"Subject Seven has failed."

Roana covered her mouth.

"No..."

The Watcher looked at her.

"You witnessed it."

Roana’s eyes filled with horror.

"I didn’t remember."

"You were made not to."

Noah stared at the memory.

The child on the chair wasn’t moving.

Then another body appeared.

A second Noah.

Standing beside the chair.

Alive.

The Watcher spoke.

"They didn’t revive him."

The memory showed golden chains wrapping around the second Noah.

"They replaced him."

Noah’s heart stopped.

Dead Zone finally whispered:

That’s why.

Noah looked inward.

Why what?

Why I don’t remember being born.

The memory shattered.

Noah staggered.

Laura caught his arm.

"Noah!"

He looked at her.

"I think..."

He swallowed.

"...I was made."

The Watcher suddenly screamed.

"NO!"

Its entire body ruptured.

Crimson energy exploded across the chamber.

The Watcher lunged toward Noah.

Noah raised Shadowfang.

But the Watcher didn’t attack him.

It grabbed his shoulder.

Its three eyes stared into his.

"RUN."

Noah froze.

"What?"

The Watcher looked toward Subject Six.

"He’s not trying to merge with you."

Subject Six remained still.

The Watcher continued.

"He’s trying to return what was removed."

The golden eye beneath Noah opened wider.

A wave of energy erupted.

The Watcher was thrown backward.

Roana screamed.

"NOAH!"

Noah’s shadow expanded.

Something began pulling itself from it.

Dead Zone took control.

Noah’s crimson eye ignited.

"Not yet."

The shadow stopped.

Dead Zone forced it down.

Noah and Dead Zone fought together, both pushing against whatever was trying to awaken.

Subject Six watched.

Then it spoke softly.

"You still don’t understand."

Noah glared at it.

"Understand what?"

"You keep calling me Subject Six."

The figure stepped forward.

"I was the one who stayed."

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

"Stayed where?"

"In the room."

The faceless head tilted.

"When everyone else was removed."

A crack appeared across its body.

"And I remember what they did to the first Noah."

The Watcher slowly rose.

"Don’t."

Subject Six ignored it.

"They killed him."

Roana closed her eyes.

Noah stared.

Subject Six continued.

"And when they created you..."

The faceless figure pointed at Noah.

"...they put his memories inside me."

Noah’s expression changed.

Dead Zone whispered:

That’s why he feels familiar.

Subject Six extended its hand.

"Come with me."

Noah shook his head.

"No."

"You don’t have to be incomplete."

"No."

"You can remember everything."

Noah tightened his grip on Shadowfang.

"I don’t need everything."

The golden light beneath him surged.

"I just need enough."

The Watcher suddenly moved.

It intercepted Subject Six.

Their bodies collided.

BOOM!

The Watcher wrapped its crimson arms around the faceless figure.

Subject Six struggled.

"What are you doing?"

The Watcher looked toward Noah.

Its three eyes began cracking.

"Finishing the observation."

Noah understood.

"Watcher!"

"RUN."

The Watcher detonated.

Crimson light swallowed the chamber.

Noah grabbed Laura.

Eric grabbed Sophia.

Damien pulled Luna away.

Roana stood frozen.

"Noah..."

He looked at her.

"Move!"

She didn’t.

Her eyes remained on the Watcher.

It was disappearing.

Piece by piece.

Its body dissolved into memories.

The Watcher looked toward Roana one final time.

"You were never the traitor."

Roana’s eyes widened.

"What?"

"You were the witness."

Its middle eye closed.

"Now forget me."

The Watcher vanished.

Roana collapsed.

"No!"

Noah caught her before she hit the ground.

Behind them, Subject Six was gone.

The enormous creature beneath the chamber had disappeared.

The six platforms were collapsing.

Noah looked at the ceiling.

"We’re leaving."

The chamber began falling apart.

Laura grabbed Roana’s other arm.

"Everyone, move!"

They ran.

Behind them, the ancient room collapsed into darkness.

But before Noah reached the staircase, he heard one final voice.

Subject Six.

Not from the chamber.

From inside his mind.

"You can run, Noah."

Noah stopped.

"But when you finally remember your first death..."

A pause.

"...you’ll remember who was holding your hand."

Noah’s crimson eye flickered.

The voice vanished.

And beneath the collapsing earth, something else whispered:

"Watcher terminated."

"Observation incomplete."

The forest was collapsing.

Trees fell behind them as Noah, Laura, Sophia, Luna, Eric, Damien, and Roana fought their way toward the surface.

The earth beneath Hrafnvier groaned like something enormous was turning in its sleep.

"Keep moving!" Noah shouted.

They reached the staircase.

The first steps were already breaking apart.

Eric grabbed Damien’s shoulder.

"Go!"

They sprinted upward.

A section of the ceiling collapsed behind them.

BOOM!

Dust swallowed the staircase.

Noah turned.

Roana was struggling.

Her injured shoulder had begun bleeding again.

Laura caught her.

"Lean on me."

"I’m fine."

"You’re bleeding through your clothes."

Roana looked down.

She didn’t argue this time.

Noah watched them for a moment.

Then Dead Zone spoke.

She’s hiding something.

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

What?

Her heartbeat.

Noah glanced at Roana.

Her breathing was uneven.

But there was something strange about it.

She wasn’t afraid.

She was listening.

"Roana."

She looked at him.

"What?"

"What did the Watcher mean?"

Her expression hardened.

"I don’t know."

"The witness."

"I don’t know."

"You do."

Roana stopped.

The others continued ahead before realizing she wasn’t following.

Noah stood several steps below her.

"You knew about the first Noah."

Roana looked away.

"I knew something."

"That’s not the same answer."

She closed her eyes.

"I was there."

Noah waited.

Roana slowly opened them.

"When they created you, I was in that room."

Laura looked back.

"You saw it?"

Roana nodded.

"I saw the first Noah die."

Silence.

Noah’s expression didn’t change.

"What killed him?"

Roana’s lips trembled.

"I don’t know."

"Roana."

"I don’t!"

Her voice echoed through the collapsing staircase.

She took a breath.

"I remember the room. I remember the restraints. I remember the White-Eyed Figure standing beside me."

She looked at Noah.

"And I remember someone holding my hand."

Noah froze.

"Who?"

Roana stared at him.

"I don’t know."

Dead Zone went silent.

Roana continued.

"But when the first Noah died..."

She touched her chest.

"...someone whispered that I had to forget."

The staircase shook.

A huge crack appeared between Noah and Roana.

"Jump!"

Noah lunged.

He grabbed Roana’s wrist.

The stone beneath her collapsed.

Roana fell.

Noah caught her with one hand.

"Got you!"

Her eyes widened.

For one brief moment, their positions felt strangely familiar.

Roana stared at Noah’s hand around her wrist.

Then at his face.

Her expression changed.

"No..."

Noah pulled her upward.

"What?"

"You."

"What about me?"

"I remember."

Roana’s breathing stopped.

"You were holding my hand."

Noah froze.

Dead Zone suddenly spoke.

I remember that.

Noah’s eyes widened.

You do?

Yes.

The staircase shook again.

Noah pulled Roana onto solid ground.

"Tell me."

Roana stared at him.

"After the first Noah died, you were standing beside the chair."

Noah’s heartbeat accelerated.

"You?"

She nodded.

"Not you as you are now."

Her voice trembled.

"Something else."

The system appeared.

[MEMORY FRAGMENT DETECTED.]

[RECOVERY: 4.8%.]

Noah stared.

Another line appeared.

[FIRST DEATH: CONFIRMED.]

Then:

[SECOND INSTANCE: CREATED.]

Noah’s blood went cold.

Laura saw the system flicker across his eyes.

"Noah?"

He didn’t answer.

The final line appeared.

[CURRENT HOST: SECOND INSTANCE.]

Noah stared at it.

Dead Zone whispered:

We really were created.

Before Noah could process it, the staircase exploded.

The entire upper section collapsed.

Noah grabbed Laura.

Eric pulled Sophia.

Damien shielded Luna.

Roana was thrown sideways.

A massive piece of stone crashed between them.

"ROANA!"

No answer.

Noah rushed toward the rubble.

"Roana!"

Nothing.

Laura grabbed his arm.

"Noah, stop! The ceiling is still collapsing!"

He pulled away.

"She’s still in there."

"We don’t know that!"

Noah stared at the rubble.

His golden eye flickered.

He could sense a heartbeat.

Weak.

Barely there.

"She’s alive."

He began moving stones.

One.

Two.

Three.

Eric joined him.

Damien followed.

Together they cleared the debris.

They found Roana beneath the fallen stone.

Her eyes were closed.

Blood covered her clothes.

Noah lifted her carefully.

"Roana."

Nothing.

Laura checked her pulse.

"It’s weak."

Noah looked toward the surface.

"We’re getting her out."

They finally reached the forest.

Fresh air hit them.

Hrafnvier was burning behind them.

The underground chamber had collapsed completely.

Noah looked back.

The Watcher was gone.

The sixth room was gone.

The six subjects were gone.

But something remained.

A black symbol had appeared on Noah’s palm.

Seven lines.

One missing.

Dead Zone whispered:

It followed us.

Noah closed his hand.

"We’re not finished."

Laura looked at him.

"With what?"

Noah stared toward the distant road where their transport waited.

"I don’t know yet."

Behind them, Roana’s body was still.

Her breathing was almost impossible to hear.

Noah turned away.

He didn’t see her fingers move.

He didn’t see her eyes open for half a second.

And he didn’t see the tiny black mark beneath her collarbone.

A mark identical to the one on Noah’s palm.

Roana closed her eyes again.

The secret remained buried.

For now.

Above the burning forest, two distant figures watched from beyond the clouds.

One with white eyes.

One with black.

Neither spoke.

And far below Hrafnvier, beneath the ruins of the sixth room, a final system message appeared where nobody could see it.