Chapter 121: The Gods Who Came for Aelion

The words echoed through the ruined city.

"AELION HAS AWAKENED."

Rin stood completely still. For a few seconds, he couldn’t hear anything else.

Not the wind. Not the crumbling stone. Not even the voices of the gods descending from the white light above. Only his own heartbeat.

Aelion. The name felt different now. Before, it had been nothing more than a strange piece of information.

A forgotten name. A fragment of another identity.

But now—

it felt like something inside him had answered.

Not completely. Not enough to remember everything but enough to know that the name belonged to him.

Rin slowly looked at his hands. They were trembling. Kaelith noticed immediately.

"Rin."

Rin looked up.

Kaelith was standing beside him. His expression was calm, but Rin could see the tension in his eyes.

"They know..."

Rin nodded.

"They do."

"They know your name."

"Yes."

"They know you’re here."

"Yes."

Kaelith stepped closer.

"Then stay behind me."

Rin almost smiled.

"You really haven’t learned anything."

Kaelith frowned.

"What?"

"I don’t always need you standing in front of me."

"I know."

"Then why do you keep doing it?"

"Because I want to."

Rin stared at him. Kaelith didn’t look away.

"I’ve spent too long watching you disappear."

His voice was quiet.

"I won’t stand there and watch it happen again."

Rin’s expression softened.

"I won’t disappear."

Kaelith’s eyes darkened.

"You don’t know that."

"I know I don’t want to."

"That isn’t the same thing."

Before Rin could answer, another bell rang.

DONG.

The sound shook the entire city. The gods above them began descending. There were seven.

Each one carried a different divine aura. One was surrounded by flames. Another by silver light. Another by an endless veil of darkness.

The remaining four were impossible to identify. But all seven were staring at Rin.

The first god stepped forward.

"Aelion."

Rin swallowed.

"I’ve told you. My name is Rin."

The god shook his head.

"Not anymore."

Rin’s eyes narrowed.

"You don’t get to decide that."

The god’s expression remained cold.

"You don’t understand what is happening."

"Then explain it."

"We cannot."

"Why?"

"Because remembering everything at once would destroy you."

Rin’s heart skipped.

Kaelith immediately stepped forward.

"You’re lying."

The god looked at him.

"You don’t know that."

"I know you."

Kaelith’s voice was cold.

"You always speak like you’re protecting someone when you’re actually protecting yourselves."

The god’s expression hardened.

"You were not invited into this conversation."

Kaelith smiled.

"I was never invited anywhere."

Black magic gathered around his hand.

"But somehow, I always end up exactly where I need to be."

Rin touched his arm.

"Kaelith."

The magic faded slightly. The god looked between them. Then he sighed.

"You still choose him."

Rin frowned.

"What does that mean?"

The god didn’t answer. Instead, one of the other gods spoke.

"You were never supposed to choose anyone."

Rin’s eyes widened.

"Why?"

"Because your soul was too unstable."

Lucien stepped forward.

"That’s enough."

The gods looked at him. Lucien’s expression was cold.

"You experimented on us."

One of the gods answered:

"We preserved you."

Kaan’s hands clenched.

"You destroyed our lives."

"We prevented something worse."

"You turned us into children!"

"We contained the contamination."

Kaan stepped forward.

"What contamination?"

The god looked at him.

"You."

Silence. Kaan froze. Rin immediately moved toward him.

"Don’t listen to them."

The god continued.

"You were Divine Knights blessed by multiple gods. Your souls became unstable after the attack on Heaven."

Lucien’s expression changed.

"That isn’t what happened."

"You don’t remember everything."

"I remember enough."

"No."

The god looked at Lucien.

"You remember what World allowed you to remember."

Rin’s chest tightened.

World. Again. Always World. Always the same invisible force behind everything.

Rin looked at the gods.

"So World erased our memories."

The god remained silent. That silence was answer enough. Rin’s expression hardened.

"You did it too."

"We obeyed."

"Why?"

"Because there was no other way."

"There is always another way."

The god shook his head.

"Not when the existence of one soul threatens the structure of multiple worlds."

Rin froze.

"You mean me."

"Yes."

Kaelith stepped forward.

"Then why didn’t you kill him?"

The god looked at him.

"Because we couldn’t."

Kaelith’s eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

The god hesitated.

Then:

"Because Aelion cannot be destroyed."

Silence.

Rin’s breathing stopped.

"What?"

"Your soul exists outside the normal cycle."

The god looked at him.

"You can be erased."

"You can be renamed."

"Your memories can be removed."

"But your soul returns."

Rin felt cold.

"Every time?"

"Yes."

Kaelith’s face became unreadable.

The gods continued.

"And every time you return..."

His eyes moved toward Kaelith.

"...you find him."

Kaelith said nothing. Rin looked at him. The god’s voice became quieter.

"That is the problem."

Rin’s eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

"Because Kaelith, the freak... was never supposed to survive."

Kaelith froze. The name struck something deep inside him.

Kaelith’s hand trembled.

The god’s expression changed.

"Interesting."

Kaelith’s magic exploded. The ground cracked beneath his feet. Rin grabbed his arm.

"Kaelith!"

"I told them not to."

His voice shook.

"Don’t call me that."

Rin looked at him.

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

Kaelith closed his eyes. His breathing became heavier.

"But something inside me..."

He pressed a hand against his chest.

"...knows that name."

Rin stood beside him.

"Then we’ll figure it out."

The gods watched them. One of them whispered:

"That is exactly what we cannot allow."

The sky changed. A massive barrier formed above the city. Sol immediately looked upward.

"They’re sealing the area."

Lucien raised his head.

"Can we break it?"

Sol hesitated.

"Maybe."

Kaelith looked at him.

"Do it."

Sol laughed nervously.

"You say that as if it’s easy."

"I didn’t say it was easy."

"You said it like I could just do it."

"Can you?"

Sol paused.

"...Probably."

"Then do it."

Sol disappeared into the wind. A massive gust exploded upward. The barrier shook.

The gods reacted immediately. One raised a hand. Lightning struck the ground. Lucien pushed Kaan aside.

The Divine Knights scattered. Rin raised his arms instinctively. A protective barrier appeared around him.

He stared at it.

"What..."

The barrier was silver.

Not Kaelith’s magic. Not Sol’s wind. Something else. The gods noticed too. One of them whispered:

"He’s already remembering."

Rin looked at his hands.

"I didn’t do that."

Kaelith stepped closer.

"Apparently you did."

"I don’t know how."

"You don’t have to."

Rin looked at him. Kaelith smiled faintly.

"You’ve always been stronger than you thought."

Rin didn’t answer. He looked at the barrier. Something about it felt natural. Almost instinctive.

Like his soul knew what to do even if his mind didn’t. Then the barrier expanded. A pulse of energy spread through the ruins.

Every god staggered. The sky darkened. Sol’s wind stopped. Everyone looked at Rin.

Rin stared back.

"I..."

He couldn’t explain it. A memory flashed. A white hall. A throne. Hundreds of gods kneeling.

And Rin—

standing before them.

Not as a prisoner. Not as a victim. As someone they feared. A voice echoed through his memory.

If Aelion chooses freely, none of us can control what follows.

Another voice answered:

Then make sure he never remembers.

Rin gasped.

The vision disappeared. Kaelith caught him.

"What did you see?"

Rin looked at him.

"The gods were afraid of me."

Kaelith’s expression changed.

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

Another memory appeared.

This time—

Kaelith.

Or someone who looked like him. Standing beside Rin. Not as the God of Calamities. Not as a demon king. He was wearing white.

A crown rested on his head and Rin was holding his hand.

They were standing together before the gods. Rin’s heart raced. Then he heard his own voice from the memory.

If you touch him, you lose me.

The memory shattered. Rin opened his eyes.

Kaelith was staring at him.

"What happened?"

Rin looked away.

"I saw us."

"Us?"

Kaelith’s breathing stopped.

"What were we doing?"

Rin hesitated.

"We were standing against the gods."

Kaelith’s eyes widened.

"Together?"

"Yes."

Something in Kaelith’s expression broke.

Not completely. Just enough. A tiny smile appeared.

"So I was still beside you."

Rin looked at him.

"Apparently."

Kaelith lowered his head.

"That makes sense."

"What does?"

"I don’t think I ever learned how to stay away from you."

Rin smiled despite himself.

"That’s definitely true."

For a brief moment, the chaos around them disappeared.

Then—

the barrier above the city cracked.

Sol shouted:

"Everyone!"

The barrier shattered. A wave of divine energy crashed downward. Kaelith immediately raised his magic.

Rin’s silver barrier expanded around the group. The impact hit. The entire city shook but the barrier held.

The gods stared at Rin. One of them whispered:

"He has regained the protection."

Another answered:

"Then it’s already too late."

Rin heard them.

"What protection?"

None of them answered. Rin stepped forward.

"I asked you a question."

The oldest-looking god finally spoke.

"The protection Aelion received from the first world."

Rin froze.

"The first world?"

"Yes."

"What was it?"

The god’s expression became grim.

"Freedom from divine authority."

Rin’s eyes widened.

"You mean..."

"You cannot be controlled by gods."

Silence.

"That is why World was created."

Rin stared.

Kaelith’s expression became dark.

"What?"

The god looked at him.

"World was created to regulate what the gods could not."

Rin’s blood ran cold.

"So World wasn’t always..."

"No."

"Then who created World?"

The gods said nothing. Rin waited. Finally, one of them answered.

"Aelion."

Rin froze. The entire world seemed to stop.

"I..."

He couldn’t speak.

"You created World?"

"Yes."

Rin stared at them.

"That doesn’t make sense."

"It will."

The god raised his hand.

"Eventually."

The ground beneath Rin suddenly lit up. A massive circle appeared. Kaelith grabbed him.

"What are they doing?"

The god looked at Rin.

"Returning what belongs to you."

Rin’s eyes widened.

"What?"

The circle exploded with light. And somewhere far away—

the ancient vessel screamed.

Not in anger. Not in fear. In pain.

Rin felt the scream inside his soul. He collapsed. Kaelith caught him.

"RIN!"

The gods watched silently. One of them whispered:

"The vessel is breaking."

Rin looked up in horror.

"Stop!"

Kaelith looked at the gods.

"Stop what?"

Rin grabbed his arm.

"The vessel."

"What about him?"

Rin’s eyes filled with fear.

"He’s connected to me."

Kaelith froze. The god nodded.

"Now you understand."

Rin shook his head.

"No."

The circle beneath him grew brighter.

"He isn’t supposed to die."

The god answered calmly:

"No."

"He is supposed to return."

Rin stared.

"Return where?"

The god’s eyes moved toward him.

"To the soul that created him."

Rin’s face went pale. The connection inside him suddenly tightened.

And somewhere beyond the ruined city—

the vessel opened his eyes.

For the first time, he wasn’t smiling. He whispered one word.

"Aelion."

Then the world went dark.