Chapter 34: The Priest Who Chose Demons

The darkness lasted only three seconds.

But to Rin... It felt like an eternity.

The voice of the World still echoed inside his head.

He is ready.

Rin didn’t understand what it meant. Ready for what?

His power? His memories? The truth? Or something far worse?

The darkness suddenly disappeared.

Every candle in the council chamber ignited simultaneously.

Blue flames.

Then—

Gold.

Then black.

The three colors twisted together above the table.

Everyone stared. Sol was the first to react.

"Rin."

"I’m fine."

"You aren’t."

"I know."

Rin looked down at his hands.

Something was moving beneath his skin. Not blood. Light.

Thin silver lines traveled from his fingertips toward his wrists.

He could feel something inside him.

Something enormous. Something ancient. Something that had been sleeping for a very long time.

Rin swallowed.

"Is this supposed to happen?"

Sol slowly shook his head.

"Not yet."

"That’s comforting."

"I wasn’t trying to comfort you."

"I know."

The silver light moved higher. Rin gasped. The room disappeared. He was standing in a field.

Golden flowers stretched endlessly beneath a white sky.

There was no sun. No moon. Yet everything was bright.

Rin looked around.

"Hello?"

His voice echoed.

Then—

Footsteps.

A woman appeared at the end of the field.

Long black hair. A white dress. A silver pendant around her neck. Rin stopped breathing.

"Mom?"

She smiled. But this time... She wasn’t a memory. She looked directly at him.

"Hello, my son."

Rin’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

"You know who I am."

"I always have."

"Where are you?"

She looked around the empty field.

"Somewhere between worlds."

"Are you dead?"

She smiled sadly.

"That depends on what you believe death means."

Rin almost laughed.

"Everyone in this family answers questions like that."

His mother laughed softly.

The sound broke something inside him. He hadn’t heard it before. Not really.

Not in his current life. But somehow... He remembered it.

A kitchen. Rain against windows. A warm hand touching his hair.

A woman singing while cooking. A little boy laughing. And another child—

Silver hair. Red eyes. Noctis. Rin’s eyes widened.

"You knew Noctis when he was young."

His mother nodded.

"He was already a prince when I met him."

"Why were you with him?"

"Because I was assigned to teach him."

"Teach him?"

"About humans."

Rin frowned.

"Why?"

"Because the Demon Empire and the human kingdoms were preparing for war."

She looked toward the horizon.

"And the God wanted peace."

Rin’s heart tightened.

"The God?"

"At that time..."

She paused.

"...he was not what he became."

Rin stared.

"He wasn’t evil?"

"No."

"Then what happened?"

His mother looked at him.

"You."

Rin froze.

"Me?"

"You were his favorite."

Rin couldn’t speak.

"The God watched humanity from above. He saw many people. Kings. Warriors. Mages. Priests."

Her voice softened.

"But he saw you differently."

"Why?"

"Because you had something none of the others possessed."

"What?"

"Compassion without weakness."

Rin looked down.

"He wanted me to become a priest."

"Yes."

The word echoed. A priest. Rin suddenly saw another memory.

A cathedral. White robes. Golden light. People kneeling.

A young Rin standing before a massive altar. A golden crown being placed upon his head. The God watching from above.

Proud. Loving. Possessive.

Rin gasped.

"I..."

His mother nodded.

"You were chosen."

"For what?"

"To become the first human capable of carrying the God’s divine authority."

Rin stared at her.

"And I refused?"

"You never received the chance."

"Why?"

His mother smiled sadly.

"Because you met Noctis."

Rin’s heart stopped. The field disappeared. He was standing in another place. A garden.

An enormous garden surrounding a palace. Noctis was younger. Much younger. His silver hair reached his waist.

A golden crown rested against his forehead. He looked like a prince. Not the mysterious demon Rin had met in the present.

Not the demon who carried centuries of grief.

A real prince.

Elegant.

Beautiful.

And completely alone. Then someone entered the garden.

Rin.

Not the Rin standing there now. The First Rin.

He was wearing white priest robes. Rin watched them meet. The First Rin smiled. Noctis frowned.

"You shouldn’t be here."

"Why?"

"Because you’re human."

"And you’re a demon."

"Exactly."

The First Rin smiled.

"Then we’re both dangerous."

Noctis stared at him.

Then... He laughed. The vision changed. Days became weeks. Weeks became months.

The two of them met secretly. They talked. They argued. They laughed. They shared food. They watched the stars.

And slowly... They fell in love. Rin felt his chest ache. He already knew the ending.

The God appeared. The garden burned.

Noctis screamed. The First Rin stood between them.

And the God said:

"You were chosen for me."

The First Rin answered:

"I choose him."

The vision shattered. Rin fell to his knees.

"No..."

His mother’s voice came from behind him.

"That was the beginning."

Rin turned.

"The curse?"

She nodded.

"The God could not accept your choice."

"But he loved me."

"He did."

"Then why curse me?"

"Because love became possession."

Rin’s mother walked closer.

"He believed that if he made you forget Noctis... He could make you love him again."

Rin’s voice trembled.

"But I kept remembering."

"Not consciously."

She touched his cheek.

"But your soul remembered."

"So he made me die."

"Yes."

"Again and again."

"Yes."

"Every time I found Noctis..."

"The curse activated."

Rin’s fists clenched.

"And Noctis remembered everything."

His mother nodded.

"That was his punishment."

Rin’s eyes filled with tears.

"He had to watch me fall in love with him...or another people..."

"Again and again."

"And then watch me die."

"Yes."

Rin looked away.

The pain suddenly became unbearable.

"Why would you let this happen?"

His mother closed her eyes.

"I tried to stop it."

"How?"

"I broke the God’s command."

"What did you do?"

"I hid your true power."

Rin looked at her.

"You?"

"Yes."

"What power?"

She smiled.

"The power the God feared more than anything."

Rin waited.

"The power to reject divine authority."

Silence.

"You weren’t created to serve the God."

His mother placed a hand over his heart.

"You were born with the ability to stand outside his control."

Rin’s breath caught.

"That’s why he wanted me as a priest."

"Yes."

"If I became one..."

"He could use your power."

"And if I refused?"

"He couldn’t control you."

Rin understood. The God hadn’t merely wanted his love. He wanted his power.

But there was something else. Something his mother hadn’t explained.

"What changed?"

"What?"

"Why is my power awakening now?"

His mother looked toward the sky.

"Because you have done something the previous versions of you never did."

"What?"

"You remembered."

Rin froze.

"Not everything."

"Enough."

"You remembered Noctis."

"Yes."

"And I chose him."

"Yes."

Rin swallowed.

"But this time..."

His mother’s smile became warmer.

"...you chose Kaelith too."

Rin stared.

"That’s why the God is attacking them."

"Yes."

"Because I love two demons."

"No."

His mother shook her head.

"Because you chose freely."

Rin’s eyes widened.

"The number doesn’t matter."

"Then what does?"

"That nobody told you whom to love."

The field began disappearing. Rin panicked.

"Wait!"

His mother smiled.

"You must wake up."

"Mom!"

"There is one thing you need to know."

"What?"

"The power inside you has never belonged to the God."

Rin stared.

"It belongs to the World."

The vision shattered.

Rin opened his eyes.

He was back in the council chamber. Everyone was staring at him. Kaelith was holding his shoulders.

"Rin."

Rin blinked.

"Kaelith?"

"You disappeared."

"For how long?"

"Two seconds."

Rin breathed out.

"Felt longer."

Noctis approached. His expression was tense.

"What did you see?"

Rin looked at him.

"You."

Noctis froze.

"Me?"

"When you were young."

Noctis’s face changed. Rin stepped closer.

"You were a prince."

Noctis said nothing.

"The Demon Prince."

The room became silent. Kaelith looked at Noctis.

"Is that true?"

Noctis slowly nodded.

"I was."

Vorak stared.

"You were royalty?"

Noctis sighed.

"Once."

Lucien leaned forward.

"Why was it erased?"

Noctis looked toward Rin.

"Because the God erased my kingdom."

Rin’s expression darkened.

"And because I chosed you."

Noctis looked at him. The words were simple. But they carried centuries of pain.

Rin reached for his hand. Noctis hesitated. Then allowed Rin to hold it.

Kaelith watched them. There was no anger in his eyes.

Only understanding.

Then—

The windows shattered.

Golden light flooded the chamber. Kaelith immediately moved.

"DOWN!"

A golden spear pierced the wall. Noctis pushed Rin aside. The spear struck him.

"Noctis!"

He fell. Blood appeared across his chest. Rin screamed.

"No!"

Kaelith charged toward the window. Another spear appeared. It targeted him.

Rin saw it. Time slowed. He knew what was going to happen. The God had chosen his targets.

Noctis.

Kaelith.

Both.

Because Rin had chosen them. Something inside Rin broke. Not emotionally.

Literally. A sound like glass shattering echoed through the chamber. The air stopped. Everyone froze.

Rin stood in the center. His eyes changed. The color disappeared from them.

They became silver. The golden spear stopped inches from Kaelith’s chest.

Rin raised one hand. The spear dissolved. Not blocked. Not destroyed.

Simply... Unmade.

Kaelith stared.

"What..."

Rin turned toward Noctis. The spear inside his chest vanished too. The wound closed.

Noctis slowly stood. He stared at Rin.

"What are you?"

Rin didn’t know. But he could feel it. Everything.

The air.

The floor.

The magic.

The souls.

The timelines.

The World.

They were all connected. He could see threads.

Thousands.

Millions.

Some golden.

Some black.

Some silver.

One thread connected him to Noctis. Another connected him to Kaelith. Another to Sol.

Another stretched into the sky. Toward the God.

Rin reached for it.

Sol shouted.

"Don’t!"

Rin stopped.

"Why?"

"Because that’s divine authority."

"So?"

"If you touch it..."

Sol’s voice trembled.

"...you’ll become visible to him."

Rin smiled.

"He already sees me."

Then he pulled. The golden thread snapped. The entire fortress shook.

Far above the clouds... The God screamed.

"NO!"

Rin looked upward. His voice echoed beyond the physical world.

"You don’t get to decide anymore."

The golden eye appeared.

"You were meant to be mine!"

Rin’s expression hardened.

"I was never yours."

The God trembled.

"I chose you!"

"And I chose someone else."

The God looked toward Noctis. Then Kaelith.

"Two demons."

His voice became filled with hatred.

"You would throw away divinity for demons?"

Rin stepped forward.

"Yes."

The God screamed.

"They are monsters!"

Noctis’s eyes darkened. Kaelith drew his sword. Rin stood between them.

"They’re people."

"They are demons!"

"They’re people."

The God fell silent. Rin’s silver eyes glowed.

"And I chose them."

The words echoed across the fortress. Noctis stared at him. Kaelith did too.

Rin’s power exploded. The fortress walls shook.

The mountains answered. The sky turned silver.

The World itself seemed to awaken.

The God finally understood.

This wasn’t the same Rin.

This wasn’t the priest he had once chosen.

This wasn’t the frightened young man who had died repeatedly.

This Rin remembered. This Rin had chosen. And this Rin could no longer be controlled.

The God whispered:

"You will regret this."

Rin smiled.

"Maybe."

He reached for Noctis’s hand. Then Kaelith’s.

"But at least the regret will be mine."

The golden eye disappeared. Silence returned.

Noctis stared at their joined hands. Then quietly laughed.

"What?"

Rin asked.

"Nothing."

"You’re smiling."

"I’ve waited a very long time to hear you say that."

Rin’s expression softened. Kaelith looked at them. Then at Rin.

"You’re impossible."

Rin smiled.

"You knew that already."

Sol walked toward them. His expression was exhausted.

"Congratulations."

Rin looked at him.

"For what?"

"You’ve officially broken the divine system."

Rin blinked.

"Is that bad?"

Sol thought about it.

"Extremely."

"...Great."

"But..."

Sol smiled.

"...also probably necessary."

A blue window appeared. This time, the System looked different.

The familiar interface had transformed. The old mission panel was gone. The achievement list was gone. The romantic quests were gone.

Only one message remained.

[NEW STATUS UNLOCKED.]

[HOLY PRIEST — REJECTED.]

Rin stared.

Then another appeared.

[DIVINE SERVANT — REJECTED.]

Another.

[GOD’S CHOSEN — REJECTED.]

And finally—

[WORLD’S CHOSEN — ACCEPTED.]

Rin stared at the screen.

"What does that mean?"

Sol smiled.

"It means you’re finally free."

Rin looked toward Noctis. Then Kaelith.

For the first time... The future didn’t feel like a story written for him.

It felt like something he could write himself.

But deep beneath the fortress...

Something ancient awakened. Something that had been waiting since the First Timeline.

A voice whispered through the darkness.

"The God’s chosen has rejected heaven."

Another voice answered.

"Then let heaven fall."

And somewhere far beyond the world...

The God opened his eyes.

For the first time in eternity... He was afraid.

Because the boy he had once wanted to place upon a holy throne...

Had chosen two demons instead.

And now... The boy had awakened.