Chapter 42: The One Who Created the Curse

The laughter continued for only a few seconds.

Then it stopped. The forest became silent again.

Rin remained on his knees, staring at the faint symbol on his palm.

Three interlocking circles. He had seen it before. On his mother’s pendant. In Sol’s memories.

On the silver ring belonging to the man beyond the World Gate.

And now...on himself.

Rin slowly looked up at Eryon.

"You said you know who created the curse."

Eryon didn’t answer. Rin stood.

"Then tell me."

Eryon’s expression remained unreadable.

"No."

Rin stared at him.

"You can’t keep doing that!"

"Doing what?"

"Knowing everything and telling me nothing."

"I don’t know everything."

"You know enough."

"Unfortunately."

Rin crossed his arms.

"Then tell me what you know."

Eryon looked at the others. Kaelith was still watching the place where the World Gate had disappeared. Noctis stood beside him, his silver hair moving gently in the wind. Sol was staring at his own hands. Seraphine looked terrified.

Eryon sighed.

"The thing that reached through the Gate..."

He paused.

"...wasn’t the creator."

Rin frowned.

"Then what was it?"

"A servant."

The word made the air feel colder.

"A servant of the one who created the curse."

Rin’s eyes narrowed.

"Who?"

Eryon looked at the symbol on Rin’s palm.

"Someone who shouldn’t exist."

Sol finally looked up.

"That’s impossible."

Eryon smiled faintly.

"Normally."

Sol stepped closer.

"If they shouldn’t exist, how did they create the curse?"

"That’s the problem."

Eryon’s expression became serious.

"The curse wasn’t created by a God."

Rin froze.

"Then what?"

"A concept."

Nobody spoke. Eryon continued.

"Something older than gods. Older than worlds."

Rin stared.

"You’re telling me a concept cursed me?"

"No."

Eryon looked directly at him.

"I’m telling you that someone gave that concept a will."

Rin’s stomach tightened.

"Who?"

Eryon shook his head.

"Not yet."

Rin groaned.

"Eryon!"

"I know. You promised to protect me."

"I did."

"Then protect me by actually answering my questions."

Eryon smiled.

"You sound exactly like you did before."

Rin stopped.

"Before?"

Eryon didn’t respond. Rin stepped closer Eryon’s eyes softened.

"I remember enough to know that some memories should return naturally."

"Why?"

"Because if I force them open..."

He glanced at the symbol.

"...the curse will notice."

Rin looked down.

"The curse itself can notice?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Because it isn’t simply attached to your soul."

Eryon paused.

"It’s connected to it."

Rin’s expression darkened.

"Like a chain."

"Exactly."

Noctis finally spoke.

"Then why hasn’t it activated completely?"

Eryon looked at him.

"Because someone has been holding it back."

Noctis’s eyes narrowed.

"Who?"

Eryon’s gaze shifted toward Seraphine. She looked away. Rin noticed.

"Mom?"

Seraphine closed her eyes.

"I’ve been weakening it."

Rin stared.

"All these years?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"The blood of the Goddess of Time allows me to interfere with the curse’s timing."

Sol’s eyes widened.

"You’ve been delaying it."

"Yes."

"That’s why it never activated completely."

Seraphine nodded.

"But I can’t stop it forever."

Rin looked at the symbol on his hand.

"And now?"

"The seal is weakening."

Rin frowned.

"Because I awakened my powers."

"Yes."

"And because I opened the World Gate."

"Yes."

"And because someone found us."

Seraphine nodded. Rin sighed.

"Wonderful."

Kaelith finally lowered his sword.

"Then we should leave."

Rin looked at him.

"Leave?"

"This place is no longer safe."

Noctis nodded.

"He’s right."

Eryon looked toward the mountains.

"You don’t have much time."

Rin frowned.

"How much?"

Eryon didn’t answer. That was enough.

"Fine."

Rin turned toward his mother.

"Where do we go?"

Seraphine looked at him.

"There is a place the God cannot enter."

"Where?"

She hesitated.

"The old Demon Realm."

Noctis’s expression changed.

"The Lost Realm?"

Seraphine nodded.

"It still exists?"

"Parts of it."

Noctis looked toward the distant mountains.

"If we can reach it...The God won’t be able to follow."

Rin looked between them.

"Why?"

Noctis answered.

"Because the Lost Realm existed before this world’s current divine order."

Kaelith nodded.

"Even Heaven has limited authority there."

Rin sighed.

"So we’re going to another dangerous place."

Sol raised his hand.

"Technically, we’ve been doing that since the beginning."

Rin looked at him.

"Not helping."

"I wasn’t trying to."

For the first time since the Gate closed, Rin smiled.

Then the System appeared.

[NEW OBJECTIVE.]

Rin stared.

"No."

The window remained.

[SURVIVE.]

Rin pointed at it.

"That’s not an objective."

Sol shrugged.

"Simple instructions."

Another line appeared.

[REACH THE LOST REALM.]

Rin looked at his brother.

"You already knew?"

"No."

The System changed.

[WARNING.]

[HOST MUST NOT CROSS THE WORLD GATE AGAIN.]

Rin frowned.

"Why?"

Sol’s expression changed.

"Because..."

He read the next line.

[THE NEXT CROSSING WILL ATTRACT THE CURSE’S CREATOR.]

Silence.

Rin slowly lowered his hand.

"So we don’t go back."

Eryon nodded.

"Not yet."

Rin looked toward the place where the Gate had vanished.

"Then we find another way."

They left the Moon Forest before sunset. Seraphine remained behind. Rin stopped at the edge of the trees.

"You’re not coming?"

She shook her head.

"I can’t."

"Why?"

"My presence will make the God suspicious."

Rin frowned.

"But you’re my mother."

"Exactly."

She smiled sadly.

"If I travel with you, he will know where you are."

Rin looked at Sol.

"And him?"

"I’ll stay with you."

Sol stepped forward.

Seraphine reached out and touched his face.

"My little star."

Sol froze. His eyes widened. It was the same name from the memory. He slowly placed his hand over hers.

"Why did Dad call me that?"

Seraphine smiled.

"Because you were always the brightest thing in the dark."

Sol looked away.

"That’s embarrassing."

She laughed softly.

"You’ve always been embarrassed by affection."

"Because it’s uncomfortable."

"You’re still my child."

"I know."

She hugged him. Sol hesitated. Then hugged her back.

Rin watched quietly. For a moment, he felt something strange.

A young Sol sleeping in his mother’s arms. A man standing nearby. His father. The man was smiling. Then he leaned down and whispered:

"Take care of your brother."

The memory vanished. Rin blinked. Sol looked at him.

"You saw something."

"Yes."

"What?"

"Our father."

Sol’s eyes widened.

"What did you see?"

"He told you to protect me."

Sol smiled faintly.

"Sounds like him."

Rin looked at Seraphine.

She had heard.

Her eyes were filled with tears.

"You remember more."

"A little."

"That’s dangerous."

"I know."

She stepped toward him. Then hugged him. Rin froze. He slowly wrapped his arms around her.

"I missed you."

She whispered. Rin closed his eyes.

"I think I missed you too."

Even if he couldn’t remember it. Somewhere inside him, that feeling had always existed. They traveled for two days.

The mountains grew darker. The snow became heavier. The normal forest disappeared.

Noctis led them. He knew the path. Rin walked beside him.

"You’ve been here before?"

"Once."

"When?"

"A long time ago."

"Before the curse?"

Noctis nodded.

"Before the First War."

Rin glanced at him.

"Was the Lost Realm your kingdom?"

"No."

Noctis looked toward the mountains.

"My kingdom was beyond it."

"Was?"

Noctis smiled sadly.

"It doesn’t exist anymore."

Rin didn’t ask further. Some things didn’t need to be forced open. Kaelith walked several steps behind them.

Sol stayed near Rin. Eryon had disappeared after they left the forest. As usual.

Rin sighed.

"He does that a lot."

Sol nodded.

"He’s mysterious."

"Annoyingly."

"Very."

Noctis smiled.

"He has always been like that."

Rin looked at him.

"You remember him too?"

"Yes."

"Before me?"

Noctis hesitated.

"Yes."

Rin waited.

Noctis continued walking.

"He was already strange."

"That’s not an answer."

"It’s the only one you’re getting."

Rin laughed.

"Fine."

For a while, they continued silently. Then Rin stopped. Everyone turned.

"What?"

Rin looked ahead. There was a massive stone arch buried beneath the snow. Three circles were carved into it.

The same symbol. Rin stepped closer. The mark on his palm began glowing.

Sol’s System appeared.

[WORLD BOUNDARY DETECTED.]

Rin stared.

"Is this it?"

Noctis nodded.

"The entrance to the Lost Realm."

Kaelith drew his sword.

"Something’s wrong."

Rin looked around.

"What?"

"No guards."

Noctis frowned.

"That’s impossible."

"Why?"

"The Lost Realm is protected."

"By who?"

Noctis didn’t answer.

Then the stone arch began to glow. A voice echoed from beyond it.

"Prince Noctis."

Noctis froze. Rin looked at him.

"You know that voice."

Noctis’s expression became unreadable.

"Yes."

The gate opened. Beyond it was a vast ruined city.

Black towers. Broken bridges. A palace in the distance.

And hundreds of figures standing silently in the streets. All of them turned toward Noctis.

Then one by one... they bowed. Rin stared.

"Noctis?"

Noctis didn’t move. An elderly demon stepped forward. He lowered himself to one knee.

"My prince."

Rin’s eyes widened. Noctis closed his eyes.

"I told you."

"Told us what?"

"That my kingdom was gone."

Rin looked at the city.

"It isn’t."

Noctis opened his eyes.

"No."

His voice was barely audible.

"It was waiting."

Suddenly, the System appeared.

[HISTORICAL RECORD DETECTED.]

[NOCTIS — ORIGINAL TITLE: DEMON PRINCE.]

[STATUS: DECEASED.]

[ERROR.]

[STATUS CONFLICT.]

Rin stared.

"Deceased?"

Noctis looked at him.

"I died."

"Then how are you here?"

Noctis didn’t answer. The elderly demon raised his head.

"Because the Prince never truly died."

Rin’s heart skipped.

"What does that mean?"

The demon looked at him. Then his expression changed. He bowed even lower.

"Not only has the Prince returned..."

His eyes widened.

"...but the God of Love has returned with him."

Silence. Rin froze. Noctis’s expression became alarmed. Kaelith immediately stepped between Rin and the demons.

Sol’s System began flashing.

[IDENTITY EXPOSURE DETECTED.]

[DIVINE SIGNATURE: RECOGNIZED.]

[HOST IDENTITY COMPROMISED.]

Rin looked at his palm. The three-circle symbol was glowing brighter than ever.

And somewhere far beyond the mountains... the God opened his eyes.

He had felt it not Rin’s power not the World Gate. Something much worse.

A kingdom had recognized its lost prince. And with him... it had recognized the forgotten God who had once stood beside him.

The God whispered one sentence.

"No."

Then the heavens began to crack.