Chapter 59: The Dream That Wasn’t Mine

Rin didn’t speak much on the way back. The others noticed.

Vorak noticed first. He walked backward in front of Rin for several minutes, staring at him.

Rin finally sighed.

"What?"

"You are quiet."

"I’m thinking."

"Again?"

"Yes."

Vorak frowned.

"That’s dangerous."

Rin pointed at him.

"Sol already used that joke."

"Then he’s correct."

Rin laughed despite himself.

"You’re impossible."

"I know."

A few steps behind them, Selena smiled. Lucien shook his head.

"Some things never change."

Kaelith walked beside Rin. He hadn’t said much since they left the ruins. Rin glanced at him.

"You okay?"

Kaelith looked at him.

"Yes."

The bell didn’t ring. Rin believed him.

"Good."

Kaelith looked forward again.

"But you aren’t."

Rin smiled faintly.

"I’m thinking about the painting."

"I know."

"The two people."

Kaelith nodded.

"You saw yourself."

"And someone else."

"Yes."

Rin hesitated.

"I couldn’t see their face."

Kaelith was quiet.

"Neither could I."

Rin looked at him.

"You saw it too?"

"I saw enough."

Neither spoke for a moment. Then Kaelith said:

"Don’t force yourself to remember."

Rin smiled.

"You said that already."

"I’ll keep saying it."

"Why?"

"Because you don’t listen."

Rin laughed.

"Fair."

By the time they reached the fortress, the sun had disappeared. Everyone separated to rest.

Rin returned to his room. He placed the old record on his desk.

The chosen one will ascend after betrayal.

He stared at the sentence. It bothered him.

Not because it was frightening, because it felt incomplete.

The God had told him that someone had betrayed him before he became Aelion. The ruins confirmed that the betrayal had something to do with his ascension, but there was still one question...

Why?

Why would betrayal cause someone to become the God of Love? It made no sense.

Unless...the curse wasn’t created to punish him. Maybe it had been created to change him.

Rin immediately shook his head.

"No."

He didn’t have enough information. He couldn’t guess. He had already learned that his memories couldn’t be trusted completely.

Facts first. Answers later. He closed the book. Then he noticed something. The silver ring he’d found earlier was glowing.

Rin froze. He hadn’t touched it. The ring floated slightly above the table. A faint golden light spread across the room.

Rin stood.

"What are you doing?"

The ring didn’t answer.

Obviously.

Then—

the room disappeared.

Rin was standing somewhere else. He knew immediately that this was a memory but this time, something was different.

He wasn’t watching from outside. He was inside it. He could feel the ground beneath his feet.

He could feel the wind. He could smell smoke. He looked down.

He wasn’t wearing the clothes he wore now. He was younger. Much younger.

Human. Not divine. His hands were trembling.

Someone was standing in front of him. Rin couldn’t see their face but he knew them.

He felt it.

A connection deeper than memory. The person reached toward him.

Rin heard his own voice.

"Are you sure?"

The other person answered.

"Yes."

"Then don’t leave."

"I won’t."

Rin’s heart tightened. The memory shifted.

The two were standing beneath a huge tree. Rin was smiling. The other person was holding his hand.

Then Rin heard himself laugh.

"You promised."

"I did."

"I’ll remember."

"You won’t."

Rin froze. The memory flickered.

"What?"

The person looked at him.

"You won’t remember me."

Rin shook his head.

"I will."

"You won’t."

"Why?"

The person didn’t answer. The world began breaking apart. Rin reached for them.

"Wait!"

The memory shattered. Rin woke up on the floor.

He gasped. The silver ring was lying beside him. His heart was pounding.

He pushed himself upright.

"What was that?"

The System appeared.

[MEMORY FRAGMENT ACCESSED.]

Rin stared.

"Was it real?"

The System remained silent.

"Answer me."

[MEMORY STATUS: UNVERIFIED.]

Rin’s stomach dropped. Unverified. Even the System couldn’t confirm it.

He stared at the ring. The memory had felt real. Too real but that didn’t mean it was.

He remembered the person’s hand.

Their voice. The promise.

You won’t remember me.

Why would someone say that? Who were they? And why had Rin trusted them so completely?

Rin closed his eyes. A faint ache appeared in his chest. Not because he remembered the betrayal.

He didn’t. Because he remembered trust. He remembered believing someone wouldn’t leave him.

That was all and somehow, that hurt more. A knock came at the door.

Rin quickly picked up the ring.

"Come in."

Kaelith entered. He stopped when he saw Rin sitting on the floor.

"What happened?"

"I fell."

Kaelith stared at him.

"You fell?"

"Yes."

"From where?"

"The floor."

Kaelith sighed.

"You’re terrible."

Rin laughed.

"Maybe."

Kaelith walked over and offered his hand. Rin took it.

Kaelith pulled him up. For a moment, they stood close. Rin looked at him. Something about Kaelith’s expression was strange.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing."

The bell didn’t ring.

"Are you sure?"

Kaelith nodded.

"I had a strange dream."

Rin froze.

"What kind?"

Kaelith hesitated.

"An old one."

"Tell me."

Kaelith looked at him.

"I don’t know if I should."

"Why?"

"Because it involved you."

Rin’s heart skipped.

"What happened?"

Kaelith looked toward the window.

"We were under a tree."

Rin went completely still.

"Did I say anything?"

"Yes."

"What?"

Kaelith’s expression changed.

"You said you’d remember me."

Rin’s breath stopped.

"And?"

Kaelith looked at him.

"I told you that you wouldn’t."

Rin stared. The room suddenly felt too small.

It was the same memory, the same tree, the same words but Kaelith had seen it from the other side.

Neither of them spoke. Finally, Rin whispered:

"How?"

"I don’t know."

"Do you remember anything else?"

Kaelith shook his head.

"No."

The bell didn’t ring. Kaelith genuinely didn’t know. Rin slowly sat on the edge of the bed.

"This is getting strange."

Kaelith nodded.

"Very."

Rin looked at him.

"Do you think we knew each other?"

"In that memory?"

"Before."

Kaelith was silent.

"I don’t know."

Rin looked down.

"I don’t either."

Neither tried to force an answer. They simply sat there. Two people holding pieces of the same forgotten memory.

Neither knew what it meant. After a while, Kaelith stood.

"You should sleep."

Rin smiled.

"You’re obsessed with making me sleep."

"You need it."

"I’ll try."

Kaelith walked toward the door. Then Rin called:

"Kaelith."

He turned.

"Yes?"

Rin hesitated.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For telling me."

Kaelith smiled.

"You’re welcome."

He left. Rin stared at the closed door. Then looked at the ring. The ancient memory had connected them.

That much was certain but it didn’t tell Rin why. It didn’t tell him what happened afterward and most importantly... it didn’t tell him whether the person in the memory was Kaelith in the life Rin had once lived.

Rin refused to assume. He wouldn’t turn a fragment into a conclusion. Not anymore...

The next morning, something unexpected happened. Selena found Rin in the library.

She was carrying several documents.

"You need to see this."

Rin looked up.

"What?"

"These are from the northern ruins."

She placed them on the table.

"I was reviewing the records we brought back."

Rin opened the first document. Nothing.

Second. Nothing.

Third. A drawing.

Rin froze.

It was the same symbol from the ancient chamber but underneath it was a name.

Only one part was readable.

AEL...

Rin’s heart raced.

Selena noticed.

"You recognize it."

"I think so."

"Do you know what it means?"

"No."

Rin turned the page. There was another drawing.

Two figures.

One surrounded by golden light. The other surrounded by red.

Rin stared. He couldn’t see their faces but the image felt painfully familiar.

At the bottom was another sentence.

When they meet again, the forgotten choice will awaken.

Rin’s fingers tightened. Selena read it too.

"What does that mean?"

"I don’t know."

Then Rin heard a voice behind them.

"Neither do I."

They turned. Kaelith stood at the doorway.

He looked at the drawing. Something flickered across his face.

Confusion. Then pain even was only for a second Rin noticed.

"Kaelith?"

"I’m fine."

Kaelith looked at the drawing again.

"I’ve seen that before..."

Rin’s heart skipped.

"Where?"

Kaelith shook his head.

"I don’t know."

Rin slowly closed the document. The mystery was becoming larger, but this time, Rin didn’t feel afraid.

He had learned something important. He didn’t need to know everything today.

He only needed to keep moving. One memory. One clue. One truth at a time.

And somewhere inside the forgotten past... two people who had once known each other were slowly beginning to remember.

The part where they had trusted each other.

And for now... that was enough.