Chapter 133: Again?

The white-clothed stranger was gone. For several seconds, Rin remained completely still. The forest had returned to silence.

Only the sound of the horse breathing nervously broke the quiet. Rin slowly lowered his hand.

The strange symbol on his palm was still there. It glowed faintly beneath his skin before disappearing again.

Eryndor stared at it. Then at Rin.

"Does it hurt?"

Rin shook his head.

"No."

Eryndor reached for his own hand. His mark was still visible. Unlike Rin’s, it looked darker, almost burned into his skin.

"The stranger said you have the same mark."

"Not exactly."

Eryndor frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Rin hesitated. He couldn’t tell him. Not about Aelion. Not about the voice that had been speaking inside his mind since he arrived in this world.

No one could know. So Rin simply looked at his palm.

"I don’t think mine is the same."

Eryndor watched him carefully.

"Then what is it?"

"I don’t know."

That answer was true. At least partly. Inside his mind, Aelion was silent. Rin could feel that he was listening. Waiting. Rin lowered his hand.

You know something, what are you doing?

Aelion didn’t answer.

You heard what he said, so why you do not tell me the true?

Still nothing.

Rin clenched his fingers.

Tell me, I need to know so we can save him, and also I wish to save you too...

After several seconds, Aelion finally spoke.

The mark on your hand is not the original.

Rin’s heart skipped.

Then what is it?

A reflection.

Rin frowned.

Reflection of what?

Aelion’s voice became quieter.

Mine.

Rin’s eyes widened. He immediately looked toward Eryndor. The boy was still examining his own mark.

He hadn’t noticed anything. Good. Rin forced himself to remain calm.

"What is it?" Eryndor asked.

Rin shook his head.

"I think we need to leave."

"Why?"

"Because whoever that person was, they knew about us."

Eryndor looked toward the road.

"And they said the Gods wrote our fate."

Rin nodded.

"That too."

Eryndor was silent. Then he asked,

"Where do we go now?"

Rin looked east. The mountains stretched across the horizon like a wall. He remembered the ancient records in House Valen. The strange symbol. The Bearer of Calamity. The ruined kingdoms and now this mark. There had to be an answer somewhere.

"We find the origin of the mark."

Eryndor looked at him.

"Where?"

"I don’t know yet, but I think we can find a way."

Aelion spoke inside Rin’s mind.

The Sanctuary of First Light.

Rin’s eyes moved slightly. He remembered that name. He had never heard it spoken aloud in this life.

Yet somehow, he knew it.

Where is it?

Beyond the eastern mountains.

Rin stared toward them. The image came suddenly. White stone, golden trees, a massive gate.

And two children standing beneath it.

One was Aelion.

The other—

Rin couldn’t see his face. The vision disappeared. Eryndor noticed his expression.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"You looked like you saw a ghost."

Rin forced a small smile.

"I’m just tired."

Eryndor clearly didn’t believe him,but he didn’t push, but he keep check if he will still lie. They began traveling again.

They left the road behind and moved through the forest. The journey was quiet. Rin kept thinking about the stranger’s words.

I am the first person who tried to change his fate.

I failed.

Who was that person and how could someone from this era know about changing fate?

More importantly—

How did they know about Rin? By sunset, they reached an abandoned village.

There were no people. No lights. No voices. Only empty houses and broken fences. Eryndor slowed the horse.

"This place feels wrong."

Rin looked around. He felt it too. There were signs that people had lived here recently. A wooden bucket beside a well.

Fresh ashes in one of the fireplaces. Footprints in the mud.

"They didn’t leave long ago."

Eryndor dismounted.

"Then where are they?"

Rin stepped down from the horse.

"I don’t know."

They walked through the village. Every house was empty. Every door was open. It looked as though everyone had simply vanished.

Then Rin noticed something. A small white building stood at the center of the village.

Unlike the other structures, it had no damage.

Above the entrance was an ancient symbol. Rin froze. It was the same symbol as the one on his hand. Eryndor came to stand beside him.

"That can’t be a coincidence."

"No."

Rin approached the building. The moment he touched the stone door, his mark glowed. Eryndor’s mark responded. Both symbols illuminated at the same time.

A deep sound echoed beneath them. Then the door opened. Behind it was a staircase descending into darkness.

Eryndor looked down.

"I suppose we’re going there."

Rin nodded.

"We need answers."

"You say that like you’re not terrified."

"I am terrified."

Eryndor laughed quietly.

"At least you’re honest."

They descended. The stairs were old. Dust covered every step. The deeper they went, the colder the air became. After several minutes, they reached a large underground chamber.

Twelve stone statues surrounded the room. Each represented a different figure. Warriors. Kings. Priests.

And at the very end—

Gods.

Rin slowly walked past them. His eyes stopped on one particular statue.

A young man with long hair stood beneath a carved tree. There was something familiar about the face.

Aelion spoke again.

Don’t touch that one.

Rin immediately stopped.

Why?

I don’t remember.

Rin stared at the statue. That answer disturbed him. Aelion remembered very little about his own past but whenever he said he didn’t remember something, Rin felt that there was always something darker underneath.

Eryndor walked toward another statue.

"This place must have belonged to a temple."

Rin nodded.

"Probably."

At the center of the chamber stood a stone pedestal. An ancient book rested upon it. Rin approached slowly. The cover was black. There was no title. He opened it.

Most of the pages were damaged. Some had been torn out completely but one page remained intact.

There was a drawing. Two figures stood beneath a white tree. One was a young man with silver hair. The other was a boy wearing simple servant’s clothes.

Rin’s breathing stopped. Eryndor stepped closer.

"What is that?"

Rin didn’t answer. He couldn’t. The two figures looked exactly like them.

Not similar. Exactly. Eryndor stared at the drawing.

"That..."

His voice faded. Rin turned the page. There was writing underneath.

The Bearer of Calamity shall awaken when the chosen soul returns.

Eryndor’s face became pale.

"Chosen soul?"

Rin continued reading. Another line appeared beneath it.

The mark shall bind the vessel to the one who was never meant to survive.

Rin’s heart began pounding.

"What does that mean?"

Eryndor shook his head.

"I don’t know."

Suddenly, the chamber became cold. The candles surrounding the room lit by themselves. Rin stepped backward.

A voice came from somewhere in the darkness.

"You arrived sooner than expected."

Eryndor immediately turned.

"Who’s there?"

No answer. Then footsteps echoed across the stone floor. Slow. Measured. Someone emerged from behind the statues.

It was the white-clothed stranger. The same silver eyes. The same calm expression. Eryndor immediately moved in front of Rin.

"You followed us."

The stranger smiled.

"No."

He looked toward Rin.

"You followed me."

Rin’s eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?"

The stranger didn’t answer. Instead, his gaze fell upon Rin’s palm.

"That mark should not exist."

Rin looked at his hand.

"What is it?"

"A mistake."

Eryndor’s expression hardened.

"What did you do to him?"

The stranger looked at Eryndor.

"I did nothing."

"Then who did?"

The stranger’s eyes returned to Rin.

"Someone who should have been erased."

Rin felt cold.

"Who?"

The stranger remained silent. Inside Rin’s mind, Aelion suddenly spoke.

We need to leave.

Rin’s heart tightened.

Why?

Because he remembers me.

Rin’s eyes widened. The stranger suddenly spoke.

"Aelion."

Eryndor looked at Rin.

Rin froze. He forced himself to remain calm. The stranger smiled faintly.

"So you truly returned."

Eryndor looked between them.

"What does he mean?"

Rin didn’t answer immediately. He didn’t know what to say. The stranger walked closer.

"The Gods believed they could erase you."

Rin stared at him.

"They failed."

The stranger’s silver eyes moved toward Eryndor.

"And they failed because of him."

Eryndor’s mark suddenly burned. He grabbed his arm.

"Ah—!"

Rin immediately caught him.

"Eryndor!"

The mark on Rin’s hand began glowing as well. Light connected the two symbols. The stranger watched without surprise.

"That is the beginning."

Rin stared at the glowing thread.

"The beginning of what?"

The stranger smiled.

"The story the Gods tried to bury."

Then every statue in the chamber cracked at once. Stone fell from their faces. The underground temple shook.

And somewhere far above them—

A bell began to ring. Once. Twice. Three times.

Eryndor looked toward the ceiling.

"What is that?"

The stranger’s expression finally changed. For the first time, he looked afraid.

"The Gods."

Rin’s blood ran cold. The bell rang again and this time, the entire mountain answered.