Chapter 101: Stop...

For several seconds, nobody moved. The castle was gone. There was no entrance. No ruins.

No trace of the underground city that had existed only moments ago. The fallen god was gone too. Even the terrifying presence of World had disappeared.

Only the wind remained. Rin stared at the empty land.

"That place..."

His voice was quiet.

"It really disappeared."

Kaan stood nearby, breathing heavily.

"I saw it."

Lucien looked at the ground where the castle had once stood.

"So did I."

Sol’s voice came from behind Rin.

"And yet..."

He paused.

"I don’t remember everything that happened inside."

Rin turned.

"What?"

"I remember entering the castle."

Sol sounded troubled.

"I remember fighting."

"I remember finding you underground."

"But some things are already becoming blurry."

Rin’s stomach tightened. He looked at Kaelith. Kaelith hadn’t moved. He was still staring at him. Not at the vanished castle. Not at Kaan. Not at Lucien. At Rin.

"Kaelith?"

No answer.

"Kaelith?"

He finally blinked.

"I’m here."

"You’ve been staring at me."

"I know."

"Why?"

Kaelith’s expression softened.

"I wanted to make sure you were real."

Rin frowned.

"I’m standing right here."

Kaelith reached for his hand. His fingers closed around Rin’s.

"I know."

But he didn’t let go. Rin glanced at their hands. Kaelith’s grip wasn’t painful.

Just firm. Almost desperate. Like he was afraid that if he released him, Rin would vanish.

Again. Even though Rin had never vanished before. Not in this life. At least, not that he remembered.

Kaan approached them.

"Are you both okay?"

Rin nodded.

"I’m fine."

Kaelith answered at the same time.

"No."

Rin looked at him.

Kaelith’s eyes remained fixed on him.

"You’re not fine."

"I am."

"You nearly got erased."

"I didn’t."

"You almost did."

Rin sighed.

"Kaelith..."

Kaelith finally looked away. Kaan watched them carefully. He had seen something similar before. Not between Rin and Kaelith.

But in the old days. When Divine Knights had returned from battle and someone they cared about had nearly died. That same fear. That same desperate need to keep the person close.

Except Kaelith’s fear was different. Much deeper. Kaan couldn’t understand it. Neither could Rin. Lucien suddenly spoke.

"There is something wrong."

Everyone turned toward him. Lucien was staring at the empty space where the castle had been.

"The castle disappeared."

"Yes," Sol said.

"But the curse didn’t."

Kaan’s expression changed.

"What?"

Lucien pointed toward the ground. A faint black mark had appeared in the dirt. It looked like a symbol.

Rin stepped closer.

"What is that?"

Lucien shook his head.

"I don’t know."

Sol became serious.

"Don’t touch it."

Rin stopped. The symbol suddenly moved. A thin line of light traveled through it.

Then another. And another. Until the entire symbol formed a circle.

The System appeared.

[UNKNOWN OBJECT DETECTED.]

[ORIGIN: UNAVAILABLE.]

[WORLD RECORD: UNAVAILABLE.]

Rin stared.

"Even World doesn’t have a record of it?"

Sol didn’t answer. Kaan stepped backward.

"I don’t like that."

Lucien looked at the symbol.

"I’ve seen it before."

Everyone turned toward him.

"Where?"

Lucien frowned.

"I don’t remember."

Rin’s heart sank. That sentence again.

I don’t remember.

It seemed like the entire world was beginning to lose pieces of what had happened. Except Rin.

And the pale eyes. The eyes. Rin suddenly remembered their final words.

Remember nothing, Rin.

His breathing stopped.

"Wait."

Kaelith immediately looked at him.

"What?"

Rin stared at the symbol.

"The eyes said something to me before they disappeared."

"What did they say?"

Rin hesitated.

"Not to remember."

Kaelith’s expression darkened.

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

He looked at the symbol again.

"But I think they were afraid."

Sol became quiet.

"Afraid of what?"

"World."

The wind stopped. Everyone looked around. Nothing. No voice. No presence. But Rin could feel something.

Watching. Waiting.

Kaelith suddenly moved closer. His magic spread around Rin. Rin looked at him.

"You don’t have to shield me every second."

"Yes, I do."

"Kaelith."

"No."

His voice was unusually firm.

"I don’t know what World wants from you."

He lowered his voice.

"But I know it keeps coming back."

Rin stared at him.

"How do you know?"

Kaelith hesitated.

Then he answered honestly.

"I don’t."

That surprised Rin.

Kaelith looked down.

"I don’t remember the things those eyes were talking about."

His fingers tightened around Rin’s.

"I don’t remember betraying you."

Rin remained silent.

"I don’t remember that timeline."

He raised his eyes.

"But I remember losing you."

Rin’s heart tightened.

"How many times?"

Kaelith didn’t answer.

Rin asked again.

"How many times have you lost me?"

Kaelith’s gaze moved away.

"Too many."

Kaan looked at him. Lucien did too. Sol remained silent. Rin slowly pulled his hand free.

Kaelith immediately looked at him. Rin didn’t step away. He simply stared at him.

"I don’t remember any of it."

"I know."

"I don’t remember loving you before."

Kaelith’s expression softened.

"I know."

"I don’t remember making promises to you."

"I know."

"Then why do you still look at me like I’m someone you waited centuries for?"

Kaelith didn’t answer. For several seconds, he simply watched Rin. Then he whispered:

"Because I did."

Rin couldn’t respond. Kaelith stepped closer.

"I don’t care if you remember."

His voice was quiet.

"I don’t care if you never remember."

His eyes became darker.

"I’ll remember for both of us."

Rin felt a strange ache in his chest. Not a memory. Not recognition. Just something he couldn’t explain.

Then—

The black symbol on the ground disappeared. A voice whispered from behind them.

Not World. Not the fallen god. Not the pale eyes. A completely unfamiliar voice.

"He’s lying."

Everyone turned. There was nobody there. Kaan immediately raised his weapon. Lucien looked around.

Sol summoned the wind. Kaelith’s magic erupted.

"Show yourself."

Nothing. Then the voice whispered again.

"Kaelith doesn’t remember because World didn’t erase his memories."

Rin’s eyes widened.

Kaelith froze.

"What?"

The voice continued.

"Someone else did."

Silence. Sol’s expression became serious. Kaan looked toward Kaelith. Lucien slowly stepped forward. Rin stared at Kaelith.

Kaelith stared back. For the first time, something resembling genuine fear appeared in his eyes. Not because he remembered but because he realized there was something inside his own past that even he had never been allowed to see.

Then the voice whispered one final sentence.

"And the one who erased Kaelith’s memories..."

A pause.

"...was Rin."