Chapter 64: The Curse That Wasn’t His

Rin remained in the hidden chamber long after the light from the crystal disappeared.

The words were gone and the vision was gone but the feeling remained.

His mother had known about the curse. She had been afraid and whatever she had done, she had believed she was protecting him.

Rin stared at the dark crystal in his hands.

"Then what exactly happened?"

No answer came. Of course. Apparently, every answer in his life came with another ten questions. Behind him, Kaelith was watching silently.

Rin glanced at him.

"You can say it."

"Say what?"

"That I’m thinking too much."

Kaelith’s mouth curved slightly.

"I wasn’t going to."

"You’re thinking it."

"Maybe."

Rin sighed.

"Everyone has become predictable."

Vorak raised his hand.

"Can I say something?"

Rin looked at him.

"No."

"I wasn’t going to say anything."

"Good."

Vorak lowered his hand.

"...Can I say it now?"

"No."

Selena laughed. Even Lucien smiled. For a moment, the tension disappeared.

Rin looked around at them. His friends were here. He wasn’t alone. That mattered.

"Let’s go home."

The journey back was much quieter than the trip there. Rin kept thinking about the crystal. The message had been very specific.

THE CURSE WAS NEVER MEANT FOR RIN.

That was all. It hadn’t said who the curse belonged to. It hadn’t said who created it and it hadn’t explained why Rin eventually became Aelion.

So Rin refused to make assumptions. He had learned that lesson the hard way.

One clue wasn’t an answer, one memory wasn’t the truth, one strange feeling wasn’t proof.

He needed more. Kaelith walked beside him. After several minutes, he spoke.

"You’re quiet."

"I’m thinking."

"I know."

Rin glanced at him.

"About the crystal."

"Yes."

Kaelith looked ahead.

"Your mother."

Rin nodded.

"She knew something."

"Probably."

Rin looked at him.

"Do you think she was protecting me?"

Kaelith thought for a moment.

"I think she believed she was."

Rin looked at him.

"That’s different."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because someone can believe they’re protecting you and still make the wrong choice."

Rin became quiet. That made sense.

Maybe his mother had been trying to save him, maybe she had failed, maybe the curse had been unavoidable or maybe she had accidentally caused something much worse.

He didn’t know and he wouldn’t blame her without knowing the truth.

They finally reached the fortress. Rin expected to go directly to his room.

Instead, the moment they entered the main hall, Sol appeared. He looked at Rin. Then at the others. Then at the dirt covering everyone’s clothes.

"You went somewhere?"

Rin smiled.

"Maybe."

Sol crossed his arms.

"Where?"

"The northern ruins."

Sol sighed.

"Of course you did."

Rin laughed.

"We found something."

Sol’s expression became serious.

"What?"

Rin hesitated.

"The ruins were connected to my past."

Sol didn’t ask for details. He simply looked at Rin.

"Are you alright?"

Rin nodded.

"Yes."

Rin smiled.

"See? I’m fine."

Sol shook his head.

"You say that too often."

"I am fine."

"That’s what worries me."

Rin laughed.

"You’re impossible."

Sol smiled.

"And you’re exhausting."

They walked inside together. For the first time since returning, Rin felt the strange weight in his chest become lighter, maybe because Sol didn’t ask him to explain, maybe because Sol simply trusted him.

That evening, Rin sat in the library. The ancient record from the ruins was on the table. He had copied the important sentence.

The one who carries the chosen soul shall ascend when the bond is broken.

Rin stared at it.

"Chosen soul."

He circled the words. Then underneath, he wrote:

What does this mean?

He added:

Who was chosen?

Then:

What bond?

Then:

Who broke it?

He stared at the page. Four questions. No answers.

Rin sighed.

"At least it’s organized."

A shadow fell over the table.

Kaelith.

"You’ve made a list."

"Yes."

"How many questions?"

"Four."

Kaelith looked at the paper.

"Only four?"

"Don’t insult me."

Kaelith smiled.

"Sorry."

Rin moved the papers aside.

"Sit."

Kaelith sat across from him. For a moment, they simply looked at each other.

Then Kaelith asked:

"Do you want to talk about the memory?"

Rin hesitated.

"Which one?"

"The one about your mother."

Rin looked down.

"I remember her saying something."

"What?"

"She said the person I chose was already cursed."

Kaelith’s expression changed slightly.

"And she wanted to stop it."

"Do you know who the person was?"

Rin shook his head.

"No."

"Then we shouldn’t assume."

Rin smiled.

"That’s exactly what I told myself."

Kaelith looked at him.

"You’ve become careful."

"I had to."

"Good."

Rin smiled.

"You’re proud of me?"

"Maybe."

Rin laughed.

"You’re terrible at hiding it."

They remained in the library for a while. Rin eventually closed the book.

"I think I need a break."

Kaelith nodded.

"Good."

Rin stood. Then he noticed something. Kaelith had a small cut on his hand.

"When did that happen?"

Kaelith looked down.

"During the ruins."

"You didn’t tell me."

"It’s nothing."

Rin frowned.

"Give me your hand."

Kaelith hesitated.

"It’s fine."

"Kaelith."

He sighed and held out his hand. Rin carefully examined the cut.

"It’s not deep."

"I told you."

"That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat it."

Rin pulled a small bandage from the medical supplies. Kaelith watched him.

"You carry those?"

"Sol insists."

"Smart."

"Yes."

Rin wrapped the bandage around Kaelith’s hand. Their fingers touched. A strange warmth passed through Rin.

He froze. For one tiny second, he saw—

A hand. His own. Holding someone else’s. A completely different time.

A voice saying:

"You always worry too much."

Rin blinked.

The vision disappeared. Kaelith was still there.

"Rin?"

"I’m okay.".

Rin finished tying the bandage.

"There."

"Thank you."

Rin smiled.

"You’re welcome."

Neither moved their hands immediately. Then Kaelith quietly said:

"You’ve done this before."

Rin looked up.

"What?"

"Wrapped my hand."

Rin’s heart skipped.

"How do you know?"

"I don’t."

Kaelith looked genuinely confused.

"I just had the feeling."

Rin stared at him. Then slowly smiled.

"Maybe I have."

"Maybe."

Later that night, Rin stood outside beneath the stars. He couldn’t stop thinking about the feeling that him and Kaelith kept finding pieces of the same forgotten past.

But nothing was clear enough to explain. And that was okay.

He didn’t need to know yet. Maybe some answers were meant to take time.

Kaelith stepped outside.

"You again."

Rin smiled.

"You’re starting to sound annoyed."

"I’m not."

Kaelith stood beside him. Rin looked at the sky.

"Do you ever think our lives are strange?"

"Constantly."

"Good."

Rin laughed softly. Then he became serious.

"I don’t know what happened in my past."

"I know."

"I don’t know who I chose."

"I know."

"I don’t know why I became Aelion."

"I know."

Rin looked at him.

"But I know one thing."

"What?"

"I don’t want my past deciding everything about my future."

Kaelith nodded.

"Then don’t let it."

Rin smiled.

"Simple."

"Not easy."

"True."

They stood quietly. Then Rin held out his hand. Kaelith looked at it.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Rin smiled.

"Just..."

He hesitated.

"...stay."

Kaelith took his hand.

"I will."

Rin’s heart warmed and for once, Rin was happy with that.

Rin didn’t let go of Kaelith’s hand immediately. Neither did Kaelith.

The night wind moved gently through the balcony, carrying the scent of the gardens below.

Rin looked at their hands. It felt strangely natural., so natural.

He couldn’t explain it, he had known Kaelith for only a part of his current life, yet sometimes being beside him felt like returning somewhere he had forgotten.

Rin smiled faintly.

"Do you ever wonder why I trust you?"

Kaelith looked at him.

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

Rin laughed softly.

"That’s the problem. I don’t know anything about the past."

Kaelith looked at their hands.

"Maybe you don’t need to."

Rin raised an eyebrow.

"That’s becoming your favorite sentence."

"Because you keep trying to solve everything at once."

"Someone has to."

"Not tonight."

Rin looked at him.

"Then what should I do tonight?"

Kaelith thought for a moment.

"Rest."

Rin groaned.

"Of course."

Kaelith laughed. Rin leaned against the railing.

For a while, they simply watched the stars. Then Rin quietly said:

"Whatever happened before... I don’t want it to decide who I am now."

Kaelith nodded.

"Then it won’t."

"You sound very sure."

"I am."

Rin smiled.

"How?"

Kaelith looked at him.

"Because you’re stubborn."

Rin laughed.

"That’s your reason?"

"It’s a very good reason."

Rin shook his head.

"You’re impossible."

"And you’re still holding my hand."

Rin froze. He looked down.

Their fingers were still intertwined. He immediately became embarrassed.

"I forgot."

Kaelith smiled.

"Sure."

"Don’t make fun of me."

"I’m not."

Rin looked away, trying to hide his smile. For once, there were no answers waiting for him.

No ancient memories. No mysterious voices. No System warnings.

Only the quiet night...and someone beside him who made the unknown future feel a little less frightening.

But deep inside the ruins, the crystal remained dark but something had changed.

The message that had appeared earlier was no longer there. Instead, one tiny word had appeared.

Not a name. Not an answer.

Just:

WAIT FOR ME MY LOVE!

And somewhere far away, beyond the forests and mountains, someone was watching.

The Witness remained silent. The World remained unknown.

The truth about Rin’s father remained hidden. The identity of the person Rin had once chosen remained buried.

And the God still carried secrets he hadn’t told Rin but Rin didn’t know any of that yet.

For now, Rin had only one mystery to solve.

What was the curse?

And perhaps...that was exactly where he should begin...