Chapter 134: Run!

Rin fell through the darkness.

He couldn’t see anything.

He couldn’t tell where the ground was or how far they had fallen.

The only thing he could feel was Eryndor’s hand around his.

"Don’t let go!"

"I won’t!"

Their voices disappeared into the darkness.

Then—

Rin hit something hard.

Pain shot through his back.

He rolled across cold stone and stopped.

For several seconds, he couldn’t move.

Then he heard Eryndor.

"Rin!"

Rin opened his eyes.

Eryndor was kneeling beside him.

"Are you hurt?"

"My back."

"Can you stand?"

"I think so."

Eryndor helped him up.

Rin looked around.

They weren’t in the chamber anymore.

They stood inside a massive underground tunnel.

The walls were covered with strange carvings.

There was no light.

Yet the symbols on the walls gave off a faint blue glow.

Eryndor looked upward.

Nothing but darkness.

"We fell a long way."

Rin nodded.

"Too far."

Eryndor looked toward the tunnel.

"Which way?"

Rin studied both directions.

Aelion’s voice came quietly inside his mind.

Left.

Rin immediately looked toward the left tunnel.

Eryndor noticed.

"You think we should go that way?"

Rin hesitated.

"Yes."

He couldn’t explain why.

He couldn’t tell Eryndor that Aelion had told him.

So he simply pointed.

"There’s something there."

Eryndor nodded.

"Then let’s go."

They began walking.

Their footsteps echoed through the tunnel.

The deeper they went, the colder it became.

After several minutes, Rin noticed something strange.

There were doors carved into the walls.

Dozens of them.

Each door had a name.

Some were so old that the letters had almost disappeared.

Eryndor stopped beside one.

"This place was inhabited."

Rin looked at the doors.

"Maybe."

"By who?"

"I don’t know."

They continued.

Then Eryndor stopped.

"Rin."

Rin turned.

Eryndor was staring at one of the doors.

There were two names carved into it.

AELION

And beneath it—

ERYNDOR

Rin’s heart stopped.

He walked closer.

The carving was ancient.

Much older than House Valen.

Much older than the village above.

Eryndor touched his own name.

"Why are our names here?"

Rin didn’t answer.

He couldn’t.

Inside his mind, Aelion was silent.

Rin looked at the carving.

Do you know this place?

Aelion didn’t answer.

You brought me here. You must know something.

Still nothing.

Rin frowned.

Eryndor looked at him.

"Aelion?"

Rin immediately turned.

"I’m here."

Eryndor smiled slightly.

"You looked distracted."

"I’m just thinking."

"About the names?"

"Yes."

Eryndor looked at the door again.

"Maybe this place belonged to your family."

Rin shook his head.

"No."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

Eryndor accepted the answer.

He had no reason to doubt Aelion.

As far as Eryndor knew, the person standing beside him was his childhood friend.

Aelion.

The young master of House Valen.

The boy he had grown up beside.

The person he had trusted his entire life.

He had no idea that Rin was someone else entirely.

And Rin intended to keep it that way.

They opened the door.

Inside was a small room.

There were shelves along the walls.

Most were empty.

But a few old scrolls remained.

Eryndor picked one up.

"Can you read this?"

Rin opened it.

The writing was ancient.

He recognized only a few symbols.

"No."

Eryndor sighed.

"Then we’re not getting much from this."

Rin looked at the walls.

Something felt familiar.

Aelion spoke again.

There is another room.

Rin looked toward the back wall.

There was a small crack between two stones.

He pressed against it.

A hidden door opened.

Eryndor stared.

"How did you know?"

Rin froze.

"I guessed."

"You guessed correctly."

"Lucky."

Eryndor laughed.

"You’ve been lucky a lot lately."

Rin smiled.

They entered.

The hidden room was much larger.

And unlike the first room, it had been preserved.

Books filled the walls.

Maps covered a large table.

At the center stood a stone pedestal.

On it was a small crystal.

Rin approached.

The moment he touched it—

The room changed.

Light filled the walls.

Images appeared.

A city.

A beautiful city.

Golden towers.

White bridges.

Thousands of people walking through enormous streets.

Eryndor stared.

"What is this?"

Rin watched silently.

The city looked peaceful.

Then the image changed.

The sky became black.

People began running.

Buildings collapsed.

A huge shadow appeared above the city.

Rin’s breathing became shallow.

The image changed again.

A young man stood in the center of the ruined city.

Aelion.

Rin recognized him immediately.

The young Aelion was holding someone’s hand.

Eryndor.

But Eryndor looked different.

He wore armor.

Not servant’s clothing.

Armor.

He stood beside Aelion like a knight.

Rin stared.

Eryndor stepped closer.

"That’s me."

"Yes."

"But..."

He touched the crystal.

The image changed.

Aelion placed his hand against Eryndor’s chest.

A black symbol appeared.

The same symbol that currently marked Eryndor.

Eryndor stepped backward.

"That..."

Rin looked at him.

"It’s your mark."

"But why would I have it?"

"I don’t know."

The image continued.

Aelion looked terrified.

Eryndor seemed to be saying something.

Then the entire image turned black.

The crystal went dark.

Eryndor stared at it.

"What happened?"

Rin shook his head.

"I don’t know."

Inside his mind, Aelion whispered.

I gave it to him.

Rin’s heart tightened.

Why?

Silence.

Why did you give Eryndor the mark?

Aelion didn’t answer.

Rin looked at Eryndor.

He was still staring at the crystal.

He had no idea what Rin was hearing.

And Rin couldn’t tell him.

Not yet.

They continued deeper into the hidden chamber.

At the far end was a large stone door.

There was no handle.

Only a symbol.

Eryndor placed his marked hand against it.

Nothing happened.

Rin touched it beside him.

The door opened.

Eryndor stared at him.

"You really are lucky today."

Rin forced a smile.

"Apparently."

The door revealed another chamber.

This one was enormous.

Hundreds of statues stood along the walls.

But they weren’t statues of Gods.

They were people.

Warriors.

Children.

Scholars.

Kings.

All facing toward the center.

And in the center stood a single empty pedestal.

Above it was an inscription.

Rin approached.

He couldn’t read all of it.

But one word was clear.

AELION.

Eryndor stared.

"This place..."

He looked around.

"Was dedicated to you."

Rin swallowed.

"Maybe."

Eryndor smiled.

"That makes sense."

Rin looked at him.

"What does?"

"You were always different."

Rin’s heart tightened.

Eryndor continued.

"Even when we were children."

He smiled faintly.

"You always wanted to know everything."

Rin looked away.

"Maybe I still do."

"You do."

Eryndor stepped beside him.

"And I’ll help you find the answers."

Rin looked at him.

For a moment, he felt guilty.

Eryndor trusted him completely.

He believed Rin was Aelion.

He didn’t know the truth.

And Rin couldn’t bring himself to destroy that trust.

Then—

A sound echoed through the chamber.

A door opening somewhere in the distance.

Eryndor immediately became alert.

"Someone is here."

Rin nodded.

They moved behind one of the statues.

Footsteps approached.

Slow.

Calm.

Someone entered the chamber.

An old woman.

She wore a long gray robe.

Her white hair reached her waist.

She walked toward the empty pedestal.

Then stopped.

She looked directly at Rin.

Her eyes widened.

"Aelion."

Rin froze.

Eryndor stepped out from behind the statue.

"Who are you?"

The woman looked at him.

Then she smiled.

"You brought him back."

Eryndor frowned.

"Of course I did."

The woman looked at Rin again.

"You don’t remember me."

Rin shook his head.

"No."

"That’s unfortunate."

She walked closer.

"I knew you when this city still lived."

Rin’s heart raced.

"What city is this?"

The woman looked around.

"The City of First Light."

Rin’s eyes widened.

"The sanctuary?"

The woman nodded.

"The place where the first choice was made."

Eryndor looked at Rin.

"What first choice?"

The woman answered before Rin could.

"The choice Aelion made."

Eryndor waited.

"What choice?"

The woman looked at Rin.

"To save you."

Eryndor froze.

Rin stared at her.

"What happened?"

The woman smiled sadly.

"You don’t remember."

"No."

"Then perhaps it is better that way."

Rin stepped forward.

"I need to know."

The woman shook her head.

"If you remember too quickly, they will find you."

"Who?"

The woman looked upward.

"The ones who erased this place."

Eryndor’s expression hardened.

"The Gods?"

The woman shook her head.

"No."

Rin felt a chill.

"Then who?"

The woman looked directly at Rin.

"The World."

Silence filled the chamber.

Eryndor looked confused.

"What does the World want with Aelion?"

The woman hesitated.

Then she answered.

"It wants him separated from you."

Eryndor’s face changed.

"Why?"

"Because together..."

The woman looked at both of them.

"...you are dangerous."

Rin’s mark suddenly began glowing.

Eryndor’s mark answered.

The entire chamber illuminated.

The statues started moving.

Not physically.

Their eyes opened.

One by one.

Eryndor stepped backward.

"What is happening?"

The woman looked terrified.

"They found you."

Rin looked upward.

The ceiling trembled.

But this time, no Gods appeared.

Instead, a black crack spread across the stone.

Something was trying to enter.

The woman grabbed Rin’s wrist.

"You cannot stay here."

"Where do we go?"

"Below."

Eryndor stared at her.

"There’s something beneath this city?"

The woman nodded.

"The place where the first mark was created."

Rin looked at Eryndor.

Then at the crack above them.

"We go."

The woman opened a hidden passage beneath the empty pedestal.

A staircase descended into complete darkness.

Eryndor looked at Rin.

"Together?"

Rin smiled faintly.

"Always."

They descended.

Behind them, the chamber began collapsing.

The woman stayed behind.

Rin looked back.

"Come with us!"

She shook her head.

"This is my city."

The ceiling cracked again.

"I’ve waited centuries for you to return."

Rin stopped.

The woman smiled.

"Now I can finally die knowing you found each other again."

The passage door closed.

Rin and Eryndor were alone.

They continued downward.

Neither spoke for several minutes.

Then Eryndor quietly said,

"Aelion."

Rin looked at him.

"Yes?"

"Whatever happened here..."

He hesitated.

"I don’t care."

Rin frowned.

"What?"

"I don’t care what you were in the past."

Rin’s chest tightened.

Eryndor looked at him.

"You’re still you."

Rin couldn’t answer.

He looked away.

Inside his mind, Aelion spoke.

He really hasn’t changed.

Rin swallowed.

No.

Aelion was silent for a moment.

Then—

That’s why I was afraid.

Rin stopped walking.

Afraid of what?

Aelion didn’t answer.

A deep sound suddenly echoed from beneath them.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Eryndor looked downward.

"What was that?"

Rin stared into the darkness.

Something was moving beneath the sanctuary.

Something enormous.

And then a voice rose from below.

Not the voice of a God.

Not the voice of the World.

Something older.

Something that had been waiting beneath the sanctuary for centuries.

"Aelion..."

Rin froze.

The voice continued.

"You finally brought Eryndor back."

Eryndor’s eyes widened.

"How does it know my name?"

Rin couldn’t answer.

Because Aelion was silent.

Completely silent.

And for the first time since Rin had entered this past—

Aelion was afraid to speak