Chapter 106: The First Crack in the Cycle

Morning arrived without warmth.

The sun rose above the mountains, but the light felt strangely weak, as if even the sky was afraid to shine too brightly.

Rin had barely slept he sat outside the old sanctuary, staring at the horizon he hadn’t told anyone about the voice.

Not Sol. Not Kaan. Not Lucien. And certainly not Kaelith. Especially not this Kaelith.

My love...

The words continued to echo inside his mind. Rin rubbed his eyes.

"I don’t even know who you are."

He whispered it so quietly that no one could hear.

"You called me Ael..."

His fingers tightened around the fabric of his clothes.

"And somehow I knew your voice."

That was the part he couldn’t explain. He didn’t remember the man. He didn’t remember loving anyone before this life.

He didn’t remember being Ael. His memories began with Earth. Everything before that was simply empty.

And yet... His soul seemed to recognize something his mind couldn’t.

A soft sound came from behind him.

"You’re awake early."

Rin turned. Kaelith stood there. Rin immediately straightened.

"You too?"

Kaelith walked closer. His eyes studied Rin’s face.

"You didn’t sleep."

Rin looked away.

"I’m fine."

Kaelith sat beside him.

"You always say that when you’re not."

Rin sighed.

"You’re becoming annoying."

"I know."

"You’re not even denying it."

"No."

Rin couldn’t help smiling slightly. For a moment, neither spoke. Then Kaelith quietly asked:

"Did you dream?"

Rin froze.

"No."

It wasn’t exactly a lie. He hadn’t dreamed. He had heard a voice.

Kaelith watched him carefully.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Kaelith didn’t push. But Rin could tell he didn’t believe him. That was another thing about Kaelith.

He noticed everything. Every hesitation. Every change in Rin’s expression. Every time Rin looked toward something he couldn’t explain.

It was almost as if Kaelith was constantly trying to prevent something from happening.

Something only he feared. Before Rin could ask, Kaan came running from the sanctuary.

"Rin!"

Rin stood.

"What happened?"

Kaan was holding a piece of old parchment.

"I found something."

Sol appeared behind him.

"You found mold. It was a very suspicious mold."

Rin sighed.

"What did you actually find?"

Kaan held out the parchment.

"It was hidden beneath the floor."

Lucien followed him outside.

"It’s written in an old Divine language."

Rin looked at the symbols. He couldn’t understand them but one symbol immediately caught his attention.

A circle surrounded by three lines. The same symbol he had seen before the castle disappeared.

"Where did you find this?"

"Under the sanctuary."

Kaan pointed toward the ground.

"There was a sealed chamber underneath."

Kaelith immediately stood.

"Then we’re going down."

Rin looked at him.

"You’re coming?"

"Obviously."

"You don’t have to."

"I know."

Kaelith walked past him.

"I’m still coming."

Sol laughed.

"Of course he is."

They entered the sanctuary. Kaan led them toward the back of the building. He moved one of the old stone tiles.

A staircase appeared. Cold air rose from below. Rin stared into the darkness. For some reason, his chest tightened. Something about that place felt familiar.

Not like a memory. More like a warning. They descended. The deeper they went, the older the walls became.

Lucien ran his fingers across the stone.

"This was built before the Divine Knights existed."

Kaan stopped.

"How do you know?"

"I don’t know."

Lucien frowned.

"I just know."

Rin looked at him. That was happening again. Fragments. Knowledge without memories. They reached the bottom.

A massive door stood before them. There was no handle.

No lock, only the same symbol. Kaan stepped forward.

The moment his hand touched it—

The door opened. Everyone froze.

Sol whispered:

"That wasn’t supposed to happen."

Rin looked at Kaelith.

Kaelith was staring at the doorway. His expression was tense.

"Don’t go in."

Rin frowned.

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

Rin stepped toward the entrance. Kaelith immediately caught his wrist.

"Rin."

Rin looked down at his hand. Kaelith released him.

"Sorry."

"You’re afraid?"

Kaelith didn’t answer. Rin studied him.

"What are you afraid of?"

Kaelith looked into the darkness.

"Losing you."

Rin’s expression softened.

"You’re not going to."

Kaelith looked at him.

"You can’t promise that."

Rin didn’t know what to say. They entered.

Inside was a circular chamber. The walls were covered in ancient writing. At the center stood a stone pedestal.

And on it—

A name.

Rin stopped breathing. The writing was damaged. Only a few letters remained.

AEL—

The rest was missing. Rin stepped closer. His vision blurred.

His chest hurt. He reached toward the inscription. Kaelith immediately grabbed his hand.

"Don’t touch it."

Rin looked at him.

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

Again. That answer. Rin slowly lowered his hand. Then the chamber changed. The walls lit up.

Ancient images appeared. A man standing before a vast white light. Chains. World. A figure kneeling. And another figure reaching toward him.

Rin stared.

The image was too distorted to identify but he recognized the feeling.

Love. Desperation. Loss.

And then—

The image of a man being dragged away in chains.

Rin’s heart clenched.

He whispered:

"That’s him."

Kaelith looked at him.

"Who?"

Rin realized what he had said. He immediately shook his head.

"No one."

Kaelith’s eyes narrowed.

"Rin."

"I said no one."

Kaelith didn’t force him but his gaze remained fixed on Rin.

Sol approached the pedestal.

"There’s more writing."

Kaan looked over his shoulder.

"What does it say?"

Sol became silent.

Then he read:

"When the first name is remembered, World will awaken."

Lucien’s face became pale.

"The first name..."

Everyone looked toward Rin. Rin stepped backward.

"No."

Kaelith immediately moved beside him. The chamber trembled. A crack appeared across the pedestal.

Then another and from somewhere deep beneath the sanctuary—

A chain rattled. Once. Twice. Rin’s blood ran cold.

He heard the voice again. Only him.

My love...

Rin closed his eyes. The voice continued.

Don’t remember yet.

His eyes snapped open. Kaelith was watching him.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

Again, Rin lied but this time, Kaelith knew.

He didn’t ask. He simply moved closer. His magic surrounded Rin.

And beneath the sanctuary, something ancient began pulling against its chains.

Far away, beyond the borders of the world, the chained man opened his eyes.

World appeared before him.

"He found the name."

The man smiled faintly.

"No."

World’s presence darkened.

"He is remembering."

The man looked toward the darkness.

"He heard me."

"You will not reach him."

The man’s smile remained.

"I don’t need to."

A faint crack appeared across one of his enormous chains.

"He is already coming."

World’s presence erupted with fury and in the sanctuary, Rin suddenly saw a single word appear beneath the damaged name.

Not Ael. Not Rin. Something else.

A name he had never seen before. Yet the moment he looked at it, tears filled his eyes.

Because somewhere inside him... He already knew it.