Chapter 123: The Ones Who Created the Vessel

Rin barely had time to understand what the vessel had said.

"They found us."

The words echoed through the collapsing space. Rin looked around. The darkness was breaking apart.

Pieces of white light were falling from above, while cracks spread across the invisible ground beneath their feet. Kaelith was still on the other side of the shattered barrier.

"Rin!"

"I’m here!"

The vessel grabbed Rin’s arm.

"We have to move."

Rin immediately pulled away.

"Where?"

"Anywhere but here."

"Why?"

The vessel looked toward the darkness.

"They are coming."

"Who?"

The vessel’s expression changed.

"The gods who made me."

Rin froze.

"You said they couldn’t control you."

"They can’t."

"Then why are you afraid?"

The vessel didn’t answer. Kaelith reached them. Black magic surrounded him as he stepped through the remaining fragments of the barrier. He immediately moved between Rin and the vessel.

"Get away from him."

The vessel stared at Kaelith.

"You still don’t trust me?"

"No."

Kaelith didn’t hesitate.

"I don’t."

Rin looked between them.

"Stop."

Neither moved. Rin stepped forward.

"We don’t have time for this."

Kaelith looked at him.

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Kaelith’s eyes moved toward the vessel.

"What did he do?"

"Nothing."

The vessel looked at Rin.

"You need to leave."

Kaelith’s expression darkened.

"He doesn’t tell you what to do."

The vessel’s eyes narrowed.

"I know."

"Then stop acting like you own him."

"I don’t."

The vessel’s voice became quiet.

"I was created for him. That doesn’t mean I own him."

Rin looked at him.

For a moment, the vessel looked almost uncertain.

Then—

the entire space shook.

A deep sound echoed from above. Not a bell. Not an explosion. Footsteps.

Someone was walking through the collapsing space. Slowly. Deliberately. Rin looked upward.

Three figures appeared through the white cracks. The first was a woman covered in silver light.

The second was a tall man surrounded by golden flames.

The third—

Rin’s blood ran cold. He couldn’t see the third figure clearly. It was as though reality itself refused to show him the face.

The vessel immediately stepped backward. Kaelith noticed.

"You know them."

The vessel didn’t answer. The silver-haired goddess looked down at them. Her expression was cold.

"Come back."

The vessel shook his head.

"No."

"You were created for one purpose."

"I know."

"Then fulfill it."

The vessel’s eyes hardened.

"I have fulfilled it."

The goddess looked toward Rin.

"You have failed."

Rin stepped forward.

"Don’t talk about him like he’s an object."

The goddess looked at him.

"Aelion."

Rin clenched his fists.

"I’m Rin."

The goddess smiled.

"You still insist on that name?"

"Because it is mine."

"No."

Her voice became colder.

"It was given to you."

Rin froze. Kaelith immediately stepped forward.

"Don’t listen to her."

The goddess ignored him.

"Aelion was your original identity."

"I know."

"You were never meant to remain Rin."

Rin stared at her.

"Why?"

"Because Rin was created after your first disappearance."

"By whom?"

The goddess said nothing.

Rin’s eyes narrowed.

"By World?"

"No."

The answer surprised him.

"Then who?"

The goddess looked toward the third figure. The faceless one. Rin felt a strange pressure in his chest.

The figure finally spoke. Its voice was impossible to describe. Neither male nor female.

Neither young nor old. It sounded like several voices layered together.

"We did."

Rin’s heart dropped.

"You created Rin?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Aelion had become dangerous."

Rin’s expression hardened.

"I was dangerous?"

"You were uncontrollable."

"That isn’t the same thing."

"It was to us."

Kaelith’s magic began gathering.

"You erased him."

The faceless figure turned toward Kaelith.

"We saved him."

"You erased his memories."

"We preserved his soul."

"You separated him from me."

The figure paused.

"That was necessary."

Kaelith’s eyes became completely black.

"No."

The goddess raised her hand.

"Kaelion."

Kaelith froze. Rin noticed immediately. The name affected him.

Again. The goddess continued.

"You have always been emotional."

Kaelith’s magic exploded.

"Don’t call me that!"

The space shook. Rin grabbed his arm.

"Kaelith!"

His breathing was heavy. The vessel stared at him. The goddess didn’t react.

"You see?"

She looked at Rin.

"This is why we separated you."

Rin stared.

"He remembers too much."

"No."

The goddess corrected him.

"He feels too much."

Rin’s expression hardened.

"And you think that’s a reason to erase someone?"

"It was the only way to prevent another collapse."

"What collapse?"

The goddess looked at the vessel.

"He knows."

Rin turned toward him. The vessel looked away.

"Tell me."

The vessel remained silent.

"Tell me!"

The vessel finally whispered:

"The first time Aelion chose me, the world began breaking."

Rin froze. Kaelith looked at him.

"What does that mean?"

The vessel swallowed.

"The gods created me to be your perfect companion."

Rin nodded slowly.

"I know."

"But you didn’t choose me."

Rin’s eyes widened.

"What?"

The vessel looked directly at him.

"You chose someone else."

Silence. Kaelith stopped breathing. Rin looked at him. The vessel continued.

"You chose Kaelion."

Kaelith’s face went blank.

"And that choice caused the first fracture."

Rin’s heart pounded.

"What fracture?"

"The boundaries between worlds."

The faceless god finally spoke.

"Aelion’s soul could cross worlds. Kaelion’s soul could follow. When the two of you bonded..."

The space around them trembled.

"...the boundaries weakened."

Rin stared.

"You’re saying our connection caused this?"

"No."

The faceless figure corrected him.

"Your connection revealed something that already existed."

"What?"

"The worlds were never separate."

Rin frowned.

"Then why?"

"Because they were divided."

"By World?"

"Yes."

The answer made Rin go silent. The vessel looked at Rin.

"And when you chose Kaelion, World could no longer keep the boundaries closed."

Kaelith’s expression darkened.

"So they blamed us."

"Yes."

"And created me as a replacement."

The vessel nodded.

"But you didn’t want me."

Rin’s chest tightened.

"I didn’t know you existed."

"I know."

"You couldn’t blame me for that."

The vessel smiled sadly.

"I don’t."

The goddess stepped forward.

"You are wasting time."

Rin turned toward her.

"Why are you here?"

"To retrieve what belongs to us."

"What?"

The goddess looked at the vessel.

"Him."

Rin stepped in front of the vessel.

"No."

The goddess frowned.

"You cannot protect him."

"I can try."

"He is unstable."

"So are half the people here."

Lucien, somewhere behind the collapsing space, shouted:

"I heard that!"

Rin almost laughed. Even now. Even here but then the ground shook again.

The faceless god raised a hand. The collapsing space stopped. Everything froze.

Kaelith immediately raised his magic. The god looked at him.

"Do not interfere."

Kaelith smiled.

"That’s not happening."

The god’s attention shifted to Rin.

"You have a choice."

Rin frowned.

"What choice?"

"Return with us."

"And then?"

"You will remember everything."

Rin froze. Kaelith immediately said:

"No."

Rin looked at him. The god continued.

"You will remember Aelion. You will remember Kaelion. You will remember the first world. You will remember why World was created and you will remember the first time you chose him."

Rin’s heart raced.

"What happens if I refuse?"

The god’s expression didn’t change.

"Then you will continue remembering in fragments."

"And?"

"Eventually, your soul will become unstable."

Rin swallowed.

"And what happens then?"

The god answered:

"You will disappear."

Kaelith stepped forward.

"No."

The god looked at him.

"You cannot stop it."

Kaelith’s magic grew stronger.

"I’ve stopped worse."

The god’s expression changed slightly.

"You destroyed Heaven."

Kaelith said nothing.

"You became the God of Calamities."

Silence.

"You destroyed kingdoms."

Still nothing.

"You spent countless lives searching for him."

Kaelith’s eyes became colder.

"And?"

The god stared at him.

"You would destroy the world again."

Kaelith smiled.

"If that’s what it takes."

Rin immediately turned toward him.

"Kaelith."

Kaelith looked at Rin.

"I mean it."

"No."

"I won’t lose you again. You don’t get to decide that alone."

Kaelith’s expression softened. Rin stepped closer.

"If the world breaks because of us, then we’ll fix it."

Kaelith stared at him.

"Together."

The vessel looked away. The goddess’s expression hardened.

"You still don’t understand."

Rin looked at her.

"Then explain."

She raised her hand. The air changed. A massive image appeared above them.

A world. Then another. Then another. Countless worlds. All connected by thin threads of light.

At the center was Rin.

Aelion.

And beside him—

Kaelith.

Their souls were connected by a single thread. The goddess pointed toward it.

"This is what we were afraid of."

Rin stared.

"What?"

The thread wasn’t ordinary. It passed through every world. Every timeline. Every version of them.

No matter how many times the world changed—

the thread remained.

Kaelith looked at it.

"So that’s why."

The faceless god nodded.

"You cannot be separated."

Rin’s eyes widened.

"Not even by World?"

"Not permanently."

"Not by death?"

"No."

"Not by erasing our memories?"

"No."

The vessel looked at the thread.

"That is why they created me."

Rin slowly turned toward him.

"To break it."

The vessel nodded.

"They believed that if you loved someone else..."

His voice became quiet.

"...the bond would disappear."

Rin stared at him.

"But it didn’t."

"No."

The vessel smiled sadly.

"Because love cannot be assigned."

Kaelith looked at Rin. Rin looked back. The gods suddenly became silent. Then the faceless figure spoke.

"Which is why we must make another decision."

Rin’s expression tightened.

"What decision?"

The figure looked toward the vessel. ℯℯ𝘭.

"Whether to erase him..."

Then toward Kaelith.

"...or erase Kaelion."

Rin’s blood ran cold.

The goddess raised her hand.

The entire chamber began filling with divine light.

"Choose."

Rin stared at them. The vessel stood behind him. Kaelith stood beside him. Two beings connected to the same forgotten history.

And for the first time, Rin realized—

the gods weren’t asking him which one he wanted.

They were testing whether he would finally choose for himself. Rin stepped forward. His silver aura exploded around him.

"I choose neither."

The gods froze. Rin raised his head.

"You don’t get to erase anyone anymore."

The ancient thread between their souls suddenly appeared. Brighter than ever.

And somewhere beyond the boundaries of the world—

World screamed.