Chapter 63: The Woman in the Memory

Rin barely slept. The sentence he’d found in his book kept repeating in his mind.

THE WOMAN WAS NOT THE ENEMY.

And beneath it:

SHE WAS TRYING TO BREAK THE CURSE.

Rin sat at his desk, staring at the words.

"If that’s true..."

He tapped the page.

"...then everything I assumed about that memory could be wrong."

The woman hadn’t necessarily been trying to stop him because she hated the person he’d chosen.

Maybe she had known something Rin didn’t maybe she had been trying to save him but there was another problem.

Rin had no idea who she was. He leaned back.

"Wonderful."

A knock came. Rin quickly closed the book.

"Come in."

Kaelith opened the door.

"You’ve been awake all night."

Rin blinked.

"How do you know?"

"You weren’t in bed when I passed by."

"Maybe I like walking around at night."

Kaelith looked at the papers covering Rin’s desk.

"You’re investigating."

"Maybe."

Kaelith walked closer.

"Anything new?"

Rin hesitated. Then he nodded.

"Something."

He showed him the sentence. Kaelith read it carefully. His expression became serious.

"The woman wasn’t the enemy?"

"Apparently."

"And she was trying to break the curse?"

"Yes."

Kaelith looked at Rin.

"Then maybe she knew what was happening."

"That’s what I think."

"Do you remember her?"

"No."

"Her voice?"

"Only one sentence."

"What did she say?"

Rin looked at him.

"You cannot choose him."

He didn’t say it aloud. Not because he wanted to hide it from Kaelith. He simply didn’t know why saying those words made his chest hurt.

"I only remember that she was angry."

Kaelith nodded.

"Perhaps she was afraid."

Rin looked at him.

"That’s what I thought."

Silence. Then Kaelith said:

"There’s something else."

"What?"

"The symbol."

Rin frowned.

"What symbol?"

"The one from the ruins."

Kaelith pulled a small piece of parchment from his coat.

"I copied it."

Rin took it. The gold-and-red circle.

"Why?"

"I couldn’t stop thinking about it."

Rin stared.

"Me neither."

Kaelith sat beside him.

"I asked Selena to search the old records."

"And?"

"She found something."

Rin immediately became interested.

"What?"

Kaelith handed him another page. It contained a single line.

The golden half belongs to the chosen soul.

Rin’s eyes widened.

"And the red?"

Kaelith shook his head.

"The record was damaged."

Rin looked at the symbol.

Gold. Red. Two halves. Two people. Two souls.

He remembered the painting. The two figures and the same colors.

His chest tightened.

"Maybe the symbol represents the two people."

Kaelith nodded.

"Maybe."

Rin looked at him.

"Do you think you’re the red?"

Kaelith raised an eyebrow.

"Why me?"

"Because you’re a demon."

Kaelith laughed.

"That’s your reasoning?"

"It’s logical."

"Very."

Rin smiled.

"You’re not denying it."

"I’m not confirming it either."

Rin narrowed his eyes.

"You’ve become difficult."

"You started it."

Later that morning, the entire group gathered in the library. Lucien brought the old records. Selena brought maps. Vorak brought food. Rin stared at the pile.

"Why did you bring food?"

Vorak looked offended.

"Investigation requires energy."

Selena sighed.

"He’s not wrong."

Lucien placed a map on the table.

"We found three ruins connected to the same symbol."

Rin leaned forward.

"Three?"

"Yes."

"The northern ruins were one."

Lucien pointed.

"The second is here."

Then another location.

"And the third?"

Lucien’s finger moved farther east.

"Here."

Rin stared. The third location was close to the territory where his mother lived. His expression changed. Selena noticed.

"You know this place?"

Rin nodded slowly.

"My mother used to live near there."

The room became quiet. Kaelith looked at him.

"Then we should investigate it."

Rin nodded.

"Yes."

Vorak raised his hand.

"Can I come?"

Rin stared.

"Why?"

"Because there might be mushrooms."

"Of course."

Lucien sighed.

"We’re bringing him."

Selena smiled.

"Someone has to make sure he doesn’t eat anything poisonous."

Vorak looked offended.

"I know what I’m doing."

Everyone stared at him.

Vorak sighed.

"...Mostly."

Before leaving, Rin returned to his room. He wanted to see the message again. The page still contained the sentence.

THE WOMAN WAS NOT THE ENEMY.

But something had changed. There was another faint mark beneath it.

Rin touched the paper. A tiny golden line appeared. Then words slowly formed.

SHE WAS HIS MOTHER.

Rin froze. His breath caught.

"My mother?"

His mother had been the woman, the woman from the ancient memory and also the woman who had said:

You cannot choose him.

His mother had known about the curse. She had been trying to break it.

Rin’s mind raced. Then another line appeared.

SHE CURSED THE ONE HE CHOSE.

Rin stopped breathing. The sentence disappeared. The page returned to normal. Rin stood completely still.

His mother had cursed someone. The person Rin had chosen.

But why?

Was she trying to protect Rin? Was the curse meant to stop something? Or had the curse itself been the thing that caused everything to go wrong?

Rin didn’t know. And he wasn’t going to guess. He folded the paper carefully.

Then someone knocked.

"Rin?"

Kaelith.

Rin looked at the door. He couldn’t tell him.

Not now. Not until he understood what the message actually meant.

He opened the door. Kaelith looked at him.

"Ready?"

Rin smiled.

"Yes."

Kaelith studied him.

"You look strange."

"I’m thinking."

"About your mother?"

Rin’s heart skipped.

"Why?"

"Because you looked at the map differently when Lucien mentioned the location."

Rin smiled faintly.

"You notice too much."

Kaelith shrugged.

"I notice you."

Rin became quiet. That simple sentence affected him more than it should have. He looked away.

"Let’s go."

Kaelith smiled.

"Alright."

The journey toward Rin’s mother’s old territory took most of the day. The landscape slowly changed. The forests became denser. The air became warmer.

Rin remembered this place. Not from his ancient memories. From his current life. His mother’s home was nearby. A place where he had always felt strangely safe.

And now...he was beginning to wonder how many secrets she had kept from him. They reached the edge of the forest before sunset.

Rin stopped.

"I know this place."

Lucien looked at him.

"Have you been here recently?"

"Yes."

Rin stared ahead.

"With my mother."

Kaelith walked beside him.

"Then perhaps she left something behind."

Rin nodded.

"Maybe."

They entered the forest. After several minutes, Rin saw something carved into a tree. The gold-and-red symbol.

He froze.

"Again."

Selena approached.

"Another one?"

Rin nodded. Kaelith touched the bark. Nothing happened.

Rin did the same. The symbol immediately glowed.

Everyone stepped back. Rin’s eyes widened. The tree split open.

Behind it was a small hidden chamber. Inside stood an old stone altar.

And on the altar...was a black crystal.

Rin recognized it immediately. The same kind of crystal from the fortress.

He approached slowly. The System appeared.

[DIVINE MEMORY ANCHOR DETECTED.]

Rin stared.

"A memory anchor?"

[YES.]

"What does it do?"

The System flickered.

[PRESERVES MEMORIES THAT THE CURSE CANNOT ALTER.]

Rin’s heart began racing. This was different.

If the crystal really preserved memories that couldn’t be altered...then this could finally give him something he could trust.

He reached toward it. Kaelith caught his wrist.

"Wait."

Rin looked at him.

"Why?"

"We don’t know what it will show you."

Rin smiled.

"I know."

"And you’re still going to touch it?"

"Yes."

Kaelith sighed.

"Fine..."

Rin gently placed his hand on the crystal. Light exploded through the chamber.

The world disappeared. And this time...the memory was clear.

A woman stood before Rin. His mother. She was crying. Rin was younger. Human.

And standing beside him... was someone whose face Rin still couldn’t see.

His mother reached toward Rin.

"Please."

Rin shook his head.

"I love him."

His mother’s expression broke.

"I know."

"Then why?"

"Because if you choose him..."

She looked toward the other person.

"...you will lose everything."

Rin shook his head.

"I don’t care."

His mother whispered:

"I do."

The memory trembled. Then she said something that Rin had never heard before.

"The curse is already inside him."

Rin froze. The other person stepped forward. His face remained hidden.

Rin’s mother raised her hand. A dark light appeared.

"I have to stop it."

Rin shouted:

"No!"

The memory shattered. Rin woke on the ground. Kaelith was beside him.

"Rin!"

Rin gasped. His hands were shaking.

"The curse..."

Kaelith looked at him.

"What did you see?"

Rin stared at the crystal. Then at his hands.

"My mother."

"What did she do?"

Rin swallowed.

"She knew."

"Knew what?"

"That the person I chose was already cursed."

Kaelith’s expression changed. Rin continued:

"She wasn’t trying to hurt me."

He looked at the crystal.

"She was trying to stop the curse."

Silence filled the chamber. For the first time, one piece of the mystery finally made sense.

Rin’s mother hadn’t cursed the person because she hated him. She had cursed him because she was trying to stop something already inside him but that raised an even bigger question.

What was the curse?

And why had it eventually forced Rin to become the God of Love?

Rin slowly stood. He looked at Kaelith. Something strange passed through his eyes.

Not recognition. Not memory. Only a feeling he couldn’t explain.

Kaelith noticed.

"Are you alright?"

Rin nodded.

"Yes."

Kaelith stepped closer.

"Then let’s find the rest."

Rin smiled.

"Together?"

Kaelith nodded.

"Together."

Rin looked at their hands. Then at him. He smiled.

"Okay."

Neither noticed the faint red light beneath Kaelith’s skin.

Neither noticed the crystal flickering again.

And neither saw the final message appear inside it:

THE CURSE WAS NEVER MEANT FOR RIN.HE TOOK IT.

Then the crystal went dark.