Chapter 124: Heaven, Gods, two souls.

The world screamed. Not with a voice, with everything.

The ground shook beneath Rin’s feet as the ancient connection between his soul and Kaelith’s erupted into light. The gods immediately stepped backward.

Even the faceless one raised an arm to shield itself from the sudden force. Rin stood at the center of it all.

His silver aura spread through the ruined chamber, touching the walls, the broken floor, and even the darkness surrounding them.

Kaelith stared at him.

"Rin..."

Rin didn’t answer. He was looking at the thread between them.

It wasn’t merely connecting two souls anymore. It was moving.

Stretching through the darkness. Through the ruined city. Through Heaven. Through places Rin had never seen.

Everywhere it passed, fragments of memories appeared.

Aelion. Kaelion. Rin. Kaelith. Different names. Different faces.Different worlds but the same connection. The same two souls, that they try to find each other all the time...

The goddess stared at the thread.

"This is impossible."

Rin finally looked at her.

"No."

His voice was calm.

"You just never wanted to accept it."

The goddess’s expression hardened.

"You don’t understand what you’re doing."

"I understand."

"You are destabilizing the boundary."

"Then maybe the boundary was wrong."

The gods fell silent. Kaelith looked at Rin. There was something different about him.

Not stronger, not more powerful, more certain.

Rin had spent so long asking everyone else who he was. Now, for the first time, he didn’t need them to answer. He will not accept this anymore.

The faceless god stepped forward.

"You believe freedom means choosing without consequences?"

Rin shook his head.

"No."

He looked toward Kaelith.

"Freedom means accepting the consequences of my own choice."

Kaelith’s expression softened. The vessel stood behind Rin, watching silently.

The goddess raised her hand.

"You cannot simply reject the order of the worlds. This is not normal."

Rin looked at her.

"Why not?"

"Because it will destroy everything."

"Maybe."

Rin didn’t deny it.

"But you don’t know that either. All of you just open the eyes and tell me who is wrong here."

The goddess stared at him.

Rin continued.

"You erased people because you were afraid of what might happen. You erased memories because you couldn’t control what people would choose. You created someone to love me because you were afraid I would choose someone you couldn’t control."

His voice grew stronger.

"And now you’re asking me to choose which person you should erase."

Rin shook his head.

"No."

The silver aura around him intensified.

"You’ve had enough choices. If you still do this, then...DIE!"

The gods suddenly attacked.

Seven divine powers descended at once. Kaelith moved instantly.

Black magic exploded outward. Sol’s wind struck from the opposite direction. Lucien pulled Kaan and the other Divine Knights behind the remaining stone walls.

The vessel raised his hand. A barrier appeared around Rin. The first divine attack collided with it.

BOOM!

The entire chamber shook. Rin stumbled.

Kaelith immediately caught him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"Stay behind me."

Rin looked at him.

"No."

Kaelith blinked. Rin stepped forward.

"This time, I’m fighting too."

Kaelith stared. Then a small smile appeared.

"Finally."

Rin raised his hand. Silver energy gathered around his fingers.

He didn’t know how to use it, he didn’t know where it came from, but his body knew.

The energy formed into a blade of light.

Rin stared at it.

"I didn’t know I could do this."

Kaelith glanced at it.

"You didn’t."

"What?"

"You remembered."

Another divine attack came. Rin raised his hand. The silver blade cut through it.

The attack dissolved. Everyone froze. Even the gods.

The goddess whispered:

"Aelion..."

Rin looked at her.

"Stop calling me like you own that name."

"You don’t understand what you are."

"Then I’ll figure it out myself."

Rin moved forward. The silver light followed him. Kaelith stayed beside him.

The two of them advanced together. For the first time, the gods began retreating.

Lucien stared.

"I never thought I’d see this."

Kaan looked at him.

"What?"

"Gods afraid of two people."

Sol laughed.

"I’ve seen stranger things."

Kaan looked toward the battlefield.

"Have you?"

Sol paused.

"...Actually, yes."

The vessel watched Rin. His expression was unreadable. He slowly lowered his hand, he wasn’t fighting anymore.

Rin noticed.

"Why did you stop?"

The vessel looked at him.

"Because this isn’t my battle."

Rin frowned.

"What?"

"You made your choice."

"I haven’t chosen anyone."

"Exactly."

The vessel smiled.

"And that’s why I can’t interfere."

Rin looked at him. For the first time, the vessel seemed peaceful.

Not happy, not sad, just relieved.

"You don’t have to disappear," Rin said.

The vessel looked at him.

"I know."

Rin’s eyes widened.

"What?"

"I finally understand."

He looked toward the gods.

"They didn’t create me to love you."

Rin froze.

"They created me to make you believe you had no other choice."

The vessel smiled.

"But you always had one."

Rin’s chest tightened.

"Yourself."

The vessel stepped backward. The silver light surrounding him began fading. Rin immediately reached toward him.

"Wait."

The vessel stopped.

"You don’t have to go."

"I know."

"Then stay."

The vessel smiled.

"I want to."

He looked at Rin.

"But I also want to know who I am without someone else’s purpose."

Rin stared at him and for the first time, he understood.

The vessel wasn’t asking to remain Rin’s lover. He was asking to become his own person.

Rin nodded.

"Then go."

The vessel smiled.

"Thank you."

Kaelith looked at him. Neither spoke. Then Kaelith said quietly:

"Find your own name."

The vessel looked surprised.

Then he smiled.

"I will."

He stepped backward. The divine light around him disappeared. The gods looked at him in shock. The goddess raised her hand.

"You cannot abandon your purpose."

The vessel looked at her.

"I can."

"You were created for Aelion."

"No."

He looked toward Rin.

"I was created because of Aelion."

The distinction was small but it changed everything.

"I don’t belong to him."

The goddess stared. The vessel smiled.

"And I don’t belong to you either."

His body dissolved into light. Rin watched silently.

Kaelith stepped closer.

"You’re sad."

"A little."

"He’ll be alright."

Rin nodded.

"I hope so."

Then the faceless god suddenly attacked. Kaelith reacted instantly. Black magic collided with divine power. The impact threw both of them backward.

Rin rushed forward.

"Kaelith!"

Kaelith caught himself.

"I’m fine."

The faceless god raised his hand. The entire chamber began collapsing.

"This has gone too far."

Rin looked around.

"What are you doing?"

"Correcting the mistake."

"What mistake?"

"You."

Rin froze. The god pointed toward him.

"You were never supposed to become Aelion again."

Rin’s silver aura erupted.

"Then maybe you should have tried harder."

The god disappeared.

Rin’s eyes widened.

"Where did he—"

A hand emerged from behind him. Kaelith grabbed Rin and pulled him away.

The god’s attack missed. Kaelith’s expression became furious.

"Don’t touch him."

The god turned.

"You cannot protect him forever."

Kaelith smiled.

"I don’t need forever."

He raised his hand.

"Just long enough."

Black flames exploded. The faceless god was thrown through the chamber wall. The remaining gods attacked simultaneously.

Sol’s wind intercepted one. Lucien’s divine power stopped another. The former Divine Knights moved together.

Kaan stood in the center. His body suddenly glowed. Rin looked at him.

"Kaan?"

Kaan stared at his hands. Something was changing. His childlike body began glowing with divine energy.

The others reacted the same way. One after another, their forms began shifting.

Rin’s eyes widened.

"It’s working!"

Kaan stared at his own hands.

"Our bodies..."

The curse was breaking. The gods looked horrified. The Fallen God’s curse was finally beginning to disappear.

Kaan’s body grew. His appearance changed. The others followed.

One by one, the twelve former Divine Knights returned to the forms they had possessed before the experiments.

Kaan looked at himself. Then at Rin.

"I..."

He laughed.

Then he started crying.

"I forgot what it felt like to be this tall."

Lucien laughed.

"Welcome back."

Rin smiled.

For the first time in a long while—

something had actually changed.

The curse was breaking. The gods were losing control and the people who had been trapped for centuries were finally free.

But then—

Kaan froze.

His expression changed. Rin noticed immediately.

"What happened?"

Kaan looked toward the ruined wall.

"I remember."

Everyone went silent.

"Remember what?"

Kaan’s face became pale.

"The thirteenth Divine Knight."

Rin’s heart dropped. Lucien stepped closer.

"What about him?"

Kaan slowly looked at Rin.

"I remember his face."

"Who was he?"

Kaan’s lips trembled.

"He wasn’t a Divine Knight."

Rin’s expression changed.

"Then what was he?"

Kaan looked toward the darkness where the gods had disappeared.

"He was the first person created to protect Aelion."

Rin froze. Kaelith’s expression changed. Kaan continued.

"And he wasn’t the vessel we just met."

Silence. Rin’s blood ran cold.

"Then who was he?"

Kaan looked directly at Kaelith.

"He was created..."

Kaan swallowed.

"...before Kaelion."

Kaelith went completely still.

And somewhere deep beneath the world—

something opened its eyes.