Chapter 122: The Soul That Was Never Meant to Be Separated

The world went dark. Not the darkness Rin had experienced beneath the castle. Not the darkness where the forgotten souls slept.

This darkness was different. It felt as if someone had closed the entire world around him.

Rin couldn’t hear the gods anymore. He couldn’t hear Sol.

He couldn’t hear Lucien or Kaan. He couldn’t even hear Kaelith.

"Kaelith?"

Nothing. Rin reached forward. His hand touched nothing.

"Kaelith!"

Still nothing. Panic immediately took over. He turned around, trying to find even the smallest trace of light.

There was nothing. Only darkness.

Then—

a voice spoke.

Not World. Not the System. A voice Rin had never heard before.

"You should not have remembered."

Rin froze.

"Who are you?"

No answer. He took a step backward.

"Where am I?"

The darkness remained silent. Then a faint light appeared beneath his feet.

Rin looked down. A circle of silver light slowly formed. Inside it were dozens of symbols.

Some were familiar. Others were completely unknown. One symbol appeared brighter than the rest.

Rin stared at it. A strange sensation moved through his chest.

He knew it. Not consciously. His soul knew it.

"Aelion..."

Rin whispered. The symbol reacted. The light became brighter. Then the voice spoke again.

"You were never supposed to remember that name."

Rin clenched his fists.

The voice remained silent.

Rin’s frustration grew.

"World. Then the gods. Then the vessel. Everyone keeps telling me what I’m supposed to remember and what I’m supposed to forget."

His voice echoed through the darkness.

"But nobody actually tells me why!"

The silver circle pulsed.

Then—

someone appeared.

A figure standing several meters away. Rin couldn’t see the face. Only a white silhouette.

"You want the truth?"

"Yes."

"Even if it changes everything?"

"Yes."

The figure slowly raised its head.

"Then ask yourself the first question."

Rin frowned.

"What question?"

"Why did Aelion create World?"

Rin’s expression changed. The gods had said he created it. But he didn’t remember.

He couldn’t even imagine himself creating something as enormous as World.

"I don’t know."

The figure smiled.

"Then remember."

The darkness suddenly disappeared.

Rin found himself standing in a vast white hall. His breath caught. He knew this place. Not from the book.

Not from his current life. From somewhere deeper. The hall was enormous.

Hundreds of gods stood along both sides. At the end was a throne but Rin wasn’t sitting on it.

Someone else was. A younger version of Rin stood in the center of the hall.

Aelion.

His hair was longer. His clothes were white. His expression was calm but he looked nothing like the frightened Rin standing there now.

Beside Aelion stood another person. Rin’s heart immediately tightened.

Kaelith.

But not the Kaelith he knew. This version was younger. He wore dark clothing, but there was no crown.

No title. No aura of destruction. He looked almost peaceful.

Aelion was holding his hand.

Rin stared.

"What is this?"

The figure beside him answered.

"A memory."

"Whose?"

"Yours."

Rin looked back at the scene. One of the gods stepped forward.

"You cannot continue."

Aelion looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because you have created something outside our authority."

Aelion’s expression remained calm.

"I created nothing."

The god looked toward Kaelith.

"You know what we mean."

Kaelith stepped forward.

"If you have a problem with him, speak to him."

The gods became silent. Aelion looked at Kaelith. There was affection in his eyes.

Not the affection of someone who had been forced to love. Something real. Something chosen.

Rin’s heart hurt. The god spoke again.

"Kaelion is becoming unstable."

Rin’s eyes widened.

Kaelion. That name. The name Kaelith had remembered. Aelion shook his head.

"He is fine."

"He has rejected divine authority."

"So have I."

"That is precisely the problem!"

Aelion’s expression hardened.

"You are afraid of us?"

The hall became silent. One of the gods finally answered.

"We are afraid of what you will become."

Aelion smiled.

"I already know what I am."

"What?"

Aelion looked toward Kaelion.

"I am free and he is the same."

Rin’s breathing stopped. The memory shifted. The gods were shouting now. The hall was filled with divine energy.

Aelion raised his hand. A strange sphere of light appeared. It was small. Almost insignificant.

But Rin recognized it immediately. World. His eyes widened.

"I created it..."

The figure beside him nodded.

"Yes."

"Why?"

The memory answered for him.

Aelion spoke.

"If the gods can decide who deserves to exist..."

The sphere of light floated above his hand.

"...then someone must exist who answers to no god."

Rin stared. Aelion continued.

"World will not rule anyone. It will not choose who is good or evil. It will not decide who deserves love. It will simply maintain the boundaries between worlds."

Rin swallowed.

"So World wasn’t created to control us."

"No."

The figure’s voice became quieter.

"It was created to protect freedom."

Rin looked at the memory. Then everything changed. The gods were kneeling. The sphere had become enormous.

World had grown beyond anything Aelion could control. One god stood before him.

"You have made something too powerful."

Aelion shook his head.

"Then don’t use it."

The god smiled.

"We won’t."

The memory went black. Rin’s eyes widened.

"But they did."

"Yes."

The figure appeared beside him again.

"They took what you created and changed it."

Rin felt anger rise inside him.

"What did they change?"

The figure looked toward the darkness.

"They gave World one command."

"What command?"

The answer came quietly.

"Preserve the world at any cost."

Rin froze.

"At any cost..."

The figure nodded.

"Even if that meant erasing people. Even if that meant erasing memories. Even if that meant separating souls."

Rin’s hands trembled.

"And me?"

"You were the greatest threat to that command."

"Why?"

The figure looked directly at him.

"Because you could choose against the world."

Rin didn’t understand.

"Choose what?"

The figure didn’t answer. Instead, another memory appeared.

Aelion and Kaelion stood alone beneath a night sky. Kaelion was holding something.

A small object. A ring. Rin’s breath caught. Kaelion looked nervous.

Aelion smiled.

"You’re shaking."

"I am not."

"You are."

"I’ve fought gods!"

"And you’re afraid of me?"

Kaelion looked away.

"I don’t want to lose you."

Aelion’s expression softened.

"You won’t."

Kaelion looked at him.

"Promise?"

Aelion smiled.

"I promise."

The memory shattered. Rin’s eyes filled with tears. He didn’t know why.

He had never lived this moment and yet he could feel it.

The happiness. The fear. The certainty. Then another memory appeared.

Kaelion stood alone. Bloodied. The gods surrounded him. Aelion was gone.

Kaelion screamed his name.

"AELION!"

Rin covered his mouth.

"No..."

The figure beside him whispered:

"This was the beginning."

"The beginning of what?"

"The cycle."

The memory changed again. Kaelion became Kaelith. The God of Calamities.

He searched. He found Aelion. Then Aelion disappeared.

Again. And again. And again. Every time—

Kaelith searched.

Every time—

World erased something.

Every time—

Aelion returned as someone new.

Rin’s heart broke.

"He never stopped."

"No."

"He kept looking."

"Yes."

"For me."

"Yes."

Rin closed his eyes. The memories disappeared.

When he opened them again, he was back in darkness. The figure stood before him.

"Now you understand."

Rin wiped his eyes.

"Not everything."

"No?"

"But enough."

Rin looked around.

"Where is Kaelith?"

The figure didn’t answer. Rin’s expression changed.

"Where is he?"

"He is where he has always been."

"That doesn’t answer me."

The figure finally looked toward the darkness behind Rin.

"He is fighting."

Rin turned. A distant sound echoed.

Black magic.

A scream. Then Kaelith’s voice.

"RIN!"

Rin immediately ran toward it.

"KAELITH!"

The darkness began breaking apart. Rin could see light ahead.

He ran faster. The voice grew louder.

"RIN! I’M COMING!"

He reached the light—

and stopped.

Kaelith was standing on the other side but between them was an enormous wall of white energy.

Kaelith slammed his hand against it.

"Don’t touch it!"

Rin stopped.

"Why?"

"It will separate your soul from your body."

Rin stared at the barrier.

"Then break it."

"I’ve been trying."

Black flames exploded against the wall.

Nothing happened. Kaelith’s expression became desperate.

"Rin..."

"I’m here."

"I know."

His voice shook.

"But I don’t know how long I can stay here."

Rin stepped closer to the barrier. Kaelith pressed his palm against it.

Rin placed his own hand against the other side. Their palms met through the barrier.

For one second—

everything became silent.

Then the System appeared.

[Soul connection detected.]

Rin’s eyes widened.

[Connection recognized.]

[AELION — KAELEON.]

Kaelith froze.

"Kae..."

The message disappeared.

Rin stared.

"You saw that?"

Kaelith nodded.

"What was the name?"

"I don’t know."

A strange pulse moved through the barrier.

Then a second message appeared.

[Warning.]

[The original bond is awakening.]

The barrier cracked. Kaelith stared at Rin. Rin stared back.

Neither moved.

Then—

the barrier shattered.

A massive wave of energy exploded between them. Rin was thrown backward. Kaelith reached for him.

"RIN!"

Rin fell—

but this time, a hand caught him.

Not Kaelith’s. Someone else.

Rin looked up. The vessel was standing behind him. His expression was completely different.

No smile. No calmness. No false warmth. Only fear.

He whispered:

"They found us."

Rin’s eyes widened.

"Who?"

The vessel looked toward the darkness.

"The ones who created me."

Then the entire space began collapsing.

And far above them—

the gods began descending into the world to kill Rin for real this time.