Chapter 2657: Story 2658: The Sixth Piece

The darkness smiled.

Then the voice spoke again.

“Brother.”

Kael gripped his sword.

“Show yourself.”

The crack before them widened.

Crimson light poured through the broken darkness, revealing a vast chamber. Ancient pillars surrounded a circular platform.

Lena stepped closer to Kael.

“That voice...”

Azael looked toward the opening.

“I know it.”

Kael turned.

“You heard it before?”

Azael nodded slowly.

“Not with my ears. In dreams. Before the Witness took my memories.”

The fifth child stared into the chamber.

“It remembers us.”

Elias suddenly screamed.

Golden veins spread across his arms.

An ancient symbol appeared inside the glow.

“No,” Elias whispered.

Kael rushed toward him.

“What is happening?”

Elias looked up, terrified.

“It knows my name.”

The chamber trembled.

A voice came from beneath the platform.

“ELIAS.”

Everyone froze.

The fifth child recoiled.

“That is impossible.”

Another voice followed.

“LENA.”

Her red symbol ignited.

Then—

“AZAEL.”

Azael’s entire body shook.

Finally, the darkness whispered,

“AZRAEL.”

Kael’s mark opened completely.

The eye on his palm became crimson.

The chamber exploded with light.

For a moment, they saw another world.

Five children stood before an enormous throne.

There was no King Before Kings.

No shadow mother.

No ancient kingdom.

Only a woman made of white fire.

She held something small in her arms.

The sixth child.

Kael stared at the vision.

“That was before us.”

The fifth child nodded.

“She was hiding him.”

“From whom?”

The white-fire woman looked directly at Kael.

Fear filled her eyes.

“From the one who has no beginning.”

The vision shattered.

An impact shook the chamber.

Something struck the darkness above them.

Once.

Twice.

Then enormous fingers appeared through the crack.

The faceless darkness forced its way inside.

Azael raised his weapon.

“It followed us.”

The fifth child shook his head.

“No.”

He looked toward Elias.

“It followed him.”

Elias stared at his golden veins.

The pattern was moving toward his heart.

Kael stepped between Elias and the darkness.

“You will not take my brother.”

The faceless creature opened its crimson eye.

“BROTHER?”

Its voice became furious.

“YOU STILL REMEMBER THAT WORD.”

The darkness surged forward.

Lena raised her hand.

Red energy exploded across the chamber.

Azael attacked from the opposite side.

The fifth child spread his black wings.

Elias released a golden wave.

Their powers collided with the creature.

For the first time, it screamed.

Kael saw something inside the darkness.

A child.

Small.

Terrified.

Bound by black chains.

Kael lowered his sword.

“Wait.”

Azael stared.

“What do you see?”

Kael whispered,

“The sixth piece.”

The child lifted his head.

His face was hidden beneath darkness.

But his eyes were silver.

He whispered,

“Brother... help me.”

The darkness tightened around him.

Kael stepped forward.

“I am coming.”

The child smiled.

Then the darkness spoke through his mouth.

“Then come, Azrael.”

The chamber vanished.

Kael, Lena, Azael, Elias, and the fifth child were dragged into the black eye.

And somewhere beyond it, the sixth piece opened his eyes.