Chapter 135: Darkness

The voice disappeared. For several seconds, Rin heard nothing except his own breathing.

Eryndor stood a few steps below him, staring into the darkness of the staircase.

"How does it know my name?"

Rin looked at him.

He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t tell Eryndor that he wasn’t truly Aelion. He couldn’t explain the voice inside his mind, either. Aelion was the only one who knew the truth, and now even he was silent.

Rin closed his eyes.

Aelion?

Nothing.

Aelion, answer me.

Still nothing. That frightened Rin more than the mysterious voice had.

Usually, Aelion always responded, even if all he had to offer was a warning or a memory. Now there was only silence.

"Rin?"

Eryndor’s voice pulled him back.

"I’m fine."

"You don’t look fine."

"I just don’t understand this place."

Eryndor glanced down the staircase.

"Neither do I."

He hesitated before continuing downward.

"We should keep going."

Rin followed. The staircase became colder as they descended. The stone walls changed too. The carvings from the upper levels disappeared, replaced by smooth black stone that reflected their silhouettes.

Rin noticed something strange. His reflection wasn’t moving correctly. He stopped. Eryndor continued for another step before turning around.

"What happened?"

Rin stared at the wall. His reflection was standing still. Then it slowly raised its head. Its eyes were closed.

Rin stepped backward. The reflection opened its eyes. They were completely white.

Rin blinked. Everything returned to normal.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

Eryndor looked at the wall, then back at Rin.

"You’re hiding something."

Rin forced a smile.

"I’m hiding the fact that I really want to get out of here."

Eryndor almost smiled.

"Fair enough."

They continued. After several more minutes, the staircase finally ended. A circular chamber opened before them.

There were no statues, no windows, and no furniture. Only a massive stone door stood at the opposite end.

It had two symbols carved into it. The first was the symbol that had appeared on Rin’s hand. The second was the black mark carried by Eryndor.

Eryndor stepped closer.

"Why are those here?"

"I don’t know."

The moment Rin approached, both symbols began to glow. Eryndor’s mark burned. He grabbed his arm.

"It’s hot."

Rin looked at his own hand. His mark was glowing too, but it didn’t hurt. Instead, warmth spread through his fingers.

A line of ancient writing appeared across the door. Rin couldn’t read the language. Yet somehow he understood it.

Two who should never have met.

The words disappeared. Another sentence appeared.

Two who were never meant to remain together.

Eryndor stared at it.

"What does that mean?"

Rin didn’t answer. A third sentence appeared.

One remembers.

Then another.

One does not.

Eryndor looked at Rin.

"Which one am I?"

Rin’s chest tightened.

"You don’t remember anything about this place."

"No."

Rin looked at the glowing symbols.

"Then maybe you don’t."

Eryndor frowned. Before he could ask anything else, the door opened. A cold wind passed through the chamber.

Beyond it was another room. They entered. The room was much smaller. Hundreds of stone shelves covered the walls. On them were objects: rings, pendants, broken weapons, pieces of cloth, children’s toys, dried flowers.

It looked like a collection of memories. Eryndor reached toward a small wooden pendant. The moment his fingers touched it, an image appeared.

Two children were running through a bright city. One was Aelion. The other was Eryndor. They were laughing. The vision lasted only a few seconds before disappearing.

Eryndor pulled his hand away.

"I saw us."

Rin’s heart skipped.

"You did?"

"Yes."

He looked at Rin.

"We were younger."

Rin nodded slowly.

"Maybe this place records memories."

"Whose?"

"I don’t know."

They continued deeper into the room. Rin noticed that the objects were arranged carefully. Some belonged to families. Some to warriors. Some to children.

And at the far end was a nearly empty section.

Only three objects remained there. A cracked white pendant. A silver ring. And a piece of black cloth.

Rin stopped. Something inside him reacted immediately.

Aelion?

Silence. He reached toward the pendant. The moment his fingers were a breath away from it, Aelion finally spoke.

Don’t touch it.

Rin froze.

You’re awake.

I was never asleep.

Then why didn’t you answer me?

A long pause.

Because I remembered this place.

Rin’s heart tightened.

What is it?

I don’t know.

You just said you remember it.

I remember being afraid here.

Rin stared at the pendant.

Afraid of what?

Aelion didn’t answer. The three objects suddenly lifted from the shelves. Eryndor stepped backward.

"What is happening?"

The pendant, ring, and black cloth floated toward the center of the room. Light spread across the floor.

A woman appeared. She wore long white robes, but her face was blurred, as though the memory couldn’t preserve it.

She looked directly at Rin.

"Aelion."

Rin’s heart stopped. Eryndor stepped forward.

"Who are you?"

The woman didn’t answer him.

"You came back."

Rin swallowed.

"Why do you know that name?"

"You were not supposed to return."

Eryndor looked between them.

"What is she talking about?"

Rin couldn’t answer. The woman finally looked at Eryndor. Her expression became sad.

"And you came with him."

"How do you know me?"

"Because I watched your name being written."

Eryndor frowned.

"My name?"

The woman nodded.

"Eryndor was not the first name they gave you."

Rin felt a chill. Eryndor stared at her.

"Then what was?"

The image began to fade. Before disappearing, the woman whispered:

"The name they chose was meant to bind you to him."

Then she vanished. Silence returned. Eryndor stood completely still.

"What did she mean?"

Rin shook his head.

"I don’t know."

"You really don’t?"

"No."

That was true. At least, partly. Rin knew something had happened between Aelion and Eryndor in this place.

But he didn’t know what and he couldn’t ask Aelion now.

The room suddenly trembled. A hidden door opened in the wall. Eryndor entered first.

Rin followed. There was almost nothing inside. Only a stone wall covered in names.

Hundreds of them. Most had been crossed out. Some were almost completely erased. But two names remained untouched.

AELION.

ERYNDOR.

Rin stared. Eryndor slowly approached.

"Why are our names here?"

"I don’t know."

He looked at the empty space beneath them.

"There was another name."

Rin’s eyes narrowed. He could see the faint outline. Someone had deliberately removed it.

Eryndor reached toward the empty space. The moment his fingers touched the stone, the entire room went silent.

Then a single word appeared.

KAELITH.

Rin’s breath caught. The name vanished almost immediately. Eryndor stared at the wall.

"Did you see that?"

Rin hesitated.

"No."

It was another lie. The name burned inside Rin’s mind.

Kaelith.

The name of the person waiting for him in the future. The person he had promised to return to but Eryndor knew nothing about that future.

To him, he was only Eryndor. Rin turned away before his expression betrayed him. Then the door slammed shut.

Eryndor immediately tried the handle. It wouldn’t move.

The names on the wall began to glow. A voice echoed through the chamber.

"Only one of you was meant to leave."

Eryndor stepped in front of Rin.

"No."

The stone beneath them cracked. A narrow passage opened behind the wall. Darkness waited beyond it. The voice spoke again.

"Choose."

Rin’s blood ran cold. Eryndor looked at him.

"Choose what?"

No answer came. Rin closed his eyes.

Aelion?

This time, the response came immediately.

Don’t choose.

Why?

Aelion’s voice was barely a whisper.

Because I already did once.

Rin opened his eyes. Before he could ask what Aelion meant, footsteps echoed from the passage.

Someone was approaching. Slowly. One step at a time. Eryndor moved closer to Rin.

"Stay behind me."

Rin nodded. The footsteps stopped. A figure remained hidden in the darkness. Then a calm voice spoke.

"You finally found the room."

Eryndor raised his chin.

"Who are you?"

The figure did not answer immediately. Instead, the voice said:

"Someone who remembers what Aelion forgot."

Rin’s heart began to pound. Inside his mind, Aelion whispered:

Rin.

What?

Do not let him see you.

Rin stared into the darkness.

"Why?"

Aelion answered with a fear Rin had never heard from him before.

Because he was there when I lost everything.

The figure took one final step forward and the darkness revealed a pair of yellow eyes.

The stranger remained motionless, watching them without speaking. Rin felt Eryndor tense beside him, ready to defend them both, and find the true.

Yet Rin couldn’t move. Those yellow eyes felt strangely familiar, as though he had seen them somewhere beyond this forgotten city. He searched his memories, but found nothing.

Inside his mind, Aelion had gone silent again. That silence was different now. It was not fear alone. It was recognition.

Rin slowly curled his fingers into fists. Whatever waited beyond the passage had known Aelion before Rin ever arrived. And somehow, it had been waiting for Eryndor too.