Chapter 67: Home Isn’t Always the Same

Rin didn’t sleep.

Again. At this point, he was beginning to suspect that sleep had personally declared war on him.

He sat beside the window, staring at the darkness outside. The forest was quiet.

Too quiet. Somewhere beyond those trees was the strange doorway he’d discovered.

A doorway that had spoken to him. A doorway that had called him—

my child.

Rin rubbed his eyes.

"That’s not helpful."

He looked toward the desk. The silver key was sitting there. It had opened the doorway or rather, it had awakened it.

And whatever was behind that doorway clearly knew something about him.

But Rin wasn’t going back yet. Not tonight.

He had learned his lesson. When something ancient suddenly appeared and started speaking to him, charging toward it without preparation was usually a terrible idea.

He needed information first and there was one person he could ask.

Someone who knew more about Rin’s existence than almost anyone else.

His mother. She was the one who had found him after everything had gone wrong.

The one who had helped save him. The one who had helped give him the body he possessed now.

The one who knew about the God. The curse. The reincarnations. The deaths.

The countless times Rin had returned to the world only to lose everything again.

And she could see the future. If anyone could tell him whether the strange doorway was connected to something dangerous... it was her. Rin stood.

"I should visit her."

He found Sol in one of the lower training halls. Sol wasn’t practicing with a sword.

He was sitting on the floor surrounded by several magical components. Rin stopped at the entrance.

"What are you doing?"

Sol didn’t look up.

"Trying to understand why the fortress barrier keeps losing three percent of its power every night."

Rin blinked.

"Three percent?"

"Exactly three."

Noctis was standing beside the barrier control panel.

"I told him to leave it alone."

Sol pointed at him.

"And I told you that ignoring it won’t make it disappear."

Noctis crossed his arms.

"It hasn’t attacked anyone."

"Yet."

Rin smiled.

"You two are arguing about the fortress again?"

Sol finally looked at him.

"Not arguing."

Noctis immediately said:

"Arguing."

Sol glared. Noctis smiled. Rin laughed. Then Sol noticed Rin’s expression.

"You didn’t sleep."

Rin sighed.

"Why does everyone know?"

"Because you look terrible."

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

Rin walked inside.

"I’m going to see her."

Sol’s expression changed.

" Who?"

"Our mother, we need answers..."

"Now?"

Rin nodded.

"I need to ask her about the doorway."

Noctis straightened.

"I’m coming."

Rin looked at him.

"You don’t have to."

"I know."

"Then why?"

Noctis picked up his coat.

"Because whatever you found in that forest has already started reacting to you."

Rin became quiet. Sol stood.

"I’m coming too."

Rin looked at him.

"You have the barrier."

Sol looked at the components.

"It can wait."

Noctis raised an eyebrow.

"You’re finally learning."

Sol gave him a look.

"Don’t start."

Rin smiled.

"Fine. Let’s go."

Sol carefully put the magical components away. Then he looked at the barrier.

"I’ll fix it when we return."

Noctis nodded.

"And if something happens while we’re gone?"

Sol smiled.

"Then you’ll deal with it."

Noctis stared at him.

"You’re very trusting."

"Unfortunately."

Rin laughed.

"Come on."

The three of them left the fortress shortly after sunrise. The road was familiar to Rin, but he still felt strange walking it. He had traveled countless places. He had lived countless lives.

Yet there were still places in this world that felt more familiar than memories. Sol walked beside him. Noctis followed behind.

For a while, nobody spoke. Then Sol asked:

"What are you going to ask her?"

"The doorway."

"Anything else?"

Rin thought.

"The curse."

Sol became quiet. Noctis looked at Rin.

"The same curse from the crystal?"

"Yes."

"The one that wasn’t meant for you?"

"Yes."

Rin frowned.

"I still don’t understand that."

Sol looked ahead.

"Maybe she does."

"That’s why we’re going."

Noctis nodded.

"But don’t expect her to know everything."

Rin glanced at him.

"I know."

Noctis smiled.

"Good."

Rin laughed.

"You sound like Kaelith."

"That’s insulting."

Sol smiled.

"I agree."

Noctis looked between them.

"Both of you are annoying."

Rin laughed.

"Now you really sound like Kaelith."

They reached the house before noon. Rin stopped outside. He hadn’t visited in a while.

The house looked peaceful. Almost too peaceful for someone who knew as much about Rin’s existence as she did.

Sol looked at him.

"Ready?"

Rin nodded. Noctis opened the gate.

"Let’s get this over with."

Rin laughed.

"You make it sound like we’re going to war."

Noctis looked at the house.

"With your history, I wouldn’t be surprised."

They approached the door. Rin knocked.

A few seconds passed. The door opened.

She stood there. Their mother.

She looked at Rin first. Then Sol. Then Noctis and immediately smiled.

"You came."

Rin smiled.

"Hi."

She looked at Sol.

"You too."

Sol nodded.

"We were nearby."

She looked at Noctis.

"And you."

Noctis smiled.

"I was invited."

"Then come inside."

They entered. The house wasn’t filled with childhood memories. That was important.

Rin didn’t remember running through these rooms as a child. There were no memories of being raised here.

No memories of his mother teaching him to read no memories of Sol sitting beside him at the dinner table, because that wasn’t their story.

Their connection was something else. Something older. Stranger.

Their mother had found Rin after his life had already been shattered.

She had helped save what remained of him, she had helped give him a body, she had watched his existence continue and she had known about the lives before this one.

She had seen him die.

Again. And again. And again.

She had watched the reincarnations. She had known what the God had done. She had known about the curse. She had even seen possibilities of what might happen next.

She wasn’t the woman who had raised Rin. She was something far more complicated. She was one of the few people who knew what Rin had become.

And perhaps... what he had once been.

They sat in the living room. Their mother poured tea. Sol immediately looked toward the window.

"Something changed."

Rin looked at him.

"What?"

"The barrier around the house."

Noctis stood.

"I felt it too."

Their mother looked at them.

"You noticed."

Sol nodded.

"Someone has been testing it."

Rin frowned.

"Someone?"

She shook her head.

"Not a person."

Noctis’s expression became serious.

"What then?"

She looked toward the forest.

"Something that doesn’t belong here."

Rin immediately thought about the doorway.

"Is it connected to me?"

She looked at him.

"Possibly."

Sol stood.

"Let me check the barrier."

Noctis followed him.

"I’ll come."

Rin watched them leave. His mother smiled faintly.

"They’ve changed."

Rin looked at her.

"You knew them before."

"Yes."

"But not like this."

"No."

She looked toward the doorway.

"Sol’s existence was complicated."

Rin nodded.

"He was a System."

"Yes."

"A System under a curse."

"Yes."

Rin looked at her.

"And you helped him too."

She smiled.

"I helped where I could."

Rin didn’t ask more. Once Sol and Noctis were outside, Rin leaned forward.

"Mom."

"Yes?"

"I found a doorway."

Her expression changed. Not fear. Recognition.

Rin noticed.

"You know something?"

She shook her head.

"I know of it."

Rin leaned closer.

"What is it?"

"I don’t know."

"But you’ve seen it before?"

"Not personally."

"Then how do you know about it?"

She looked at him.

"Because I saw it in the future."

Rin froze.

"Your visions?"

"Yes."

Rin’s expression changed.

"You saw me standing there?"

"Many times."

His heart beat faster.

"What happens?"

She looked down.

"I don’t know."

Rin frowned.

"You said you saw it."

"I saw possibilities."

"Which ones?"

Her eyes became distant.

"In some, you enter."

Rin waited.

"In others, you walk away."

"And?"

"In one..."

She stopped. Rin waited.

"What?"

Her expression became serious.

"You never come back."

Rin went quiet.

The bell didn’t ring. She was telling the truth.

"But that’s only one future?"

"Yes."

Rin exhaled. She looked at him.

"You shouldn’t be afraid of that vision."

"Why?"

"Because it hasn’t happened."

Rin nodded.

"Then I won’t let it happen."

She smiled faintly.

"That’s the Rin I remember."

Rin looked down.

"Do you remember all my lives?"

She shook her head.

"No."

"Some?"

"Many."

"How many?"

"I couldn’t tell you."

"Because there were too many?"

"Because some were lost."

Rin frowned.

"Lost?"

"Some lives disappear from the flow of memory."

"Why?"

She looked at him.

"I don’t know."

Rin accepted the answer. Then he asked:

"Do you remember when the God forced me into this body?"

Her expression became sad.

"Yes."

"You were there."

"Yes."

"You knew what he was doing."

"Yes."

"Could you stop him?"

She looked down.

"No."

Rin waited.

"Could you save me?"

"Yes."

That answer came immediately.

Rin swallowed.

"How?"

"I couldn’t stop what was happening."

She looked at him.

"But I could keep you from disappearing completely."

Rin’s chest tightened.

"So you gave me this body."

"Yes."

"You saved me."

"I tried."

Rin smiled sadly.

"You succeeded."

Her eyes softened.

"Partially."

Rin frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"Your soul survived."

She paused.

"But survival isn’t the same as being whole."

Rin became silent. That sentence stayed with him. Sol and Noctis returned.

Sol looked annoyed.

"The barrier is fine."

Noctis shook his head.

"No, it isn’t."

Sol looked at him.

"What did you find?"

"A gap."

Rin turned.

"What kind of gap?"

Noctis looked toward their mother. She already knew.

"Something passed through it."

Sol nodded.

"Something small."

Rin frowned.

"Was it dangerous?"

Noctis shook his head.

"I don’t think so."

"Then what was it?"

Noctis looked toward the forest.

"I don’t know."

Sol added:

"But it left a mark."

"What kind?"

Sol took a small piece of bark from his pocket. There was a faint golden symbol carved into it. Rin immediately recognized it.

"The ruins."

His mother looked at the symbol.

Her expression changed. Rin noticed.

"Mom?"

She took the bark. She stared at it for several seconds. Then quietly said:

"I’ve seen this before."

Rin leaned forward.

"Where?"

"In one of your futures."

Rin’s eyes widened.

"Mine?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

She looked at him.

"You were standing beside someone."

Rin’s heart skipped.

"Who?"

She closed her eyes.

"I couldn’t see their face."

Rin exhaled.

"Of course."

"I could only see their hand."

Rin looked at the symbol.

"Was it mine?"

"No."

Rin became still.

"Whose?"

"I don’t know."

Rin looked at Kaelith in his mind. Then immediately pushed the thought away.

Sol placed the bark on the table.

"What does the symbol mean?"

Their mother shook her head.

"I don’t know."

Noctis frowned.

"You saw it in the future."

"Yes."

"But you don’t know what it means?"

"No."

Noctis leaned back.

"That’s frustrating."

Their mother smiled.

"Welcome to future sight."

Rin laughed. Sol did too. The tension eased. Then Sol looked at Rin.

"At least we know the symbol isn’t random."

Rin nodded.

"Yes."

Noctis looked toward the forest.

"And something is definitely watching."

Rin frowned.

"Watching?"

Noctis nodded.

"That gap in the barrier wasn’t an attack."

"Then what was it?"

"An observation."

Rin became quiet. Something had entered their mother’s territory.

Not to attack. Not to steal. Just to look.

At him? At the house? At the future? Rin didn’t know.

And he wasn’t going to chase it yet. Before they left, Rin spoke privately with his mother again.

"Mom."

"Yes?"

"Do you know who my real father is?"

She became quiet. Rin watched her carefully. She truly didn’t know—or couldn’t answer.

After a moment, she said:

"I know who you were told was your father."

Rin frowned.

"That’s not what I asked."

"I know."

"Then?"

She looked at him.

"I don’t have the answer you want."

Rin nodded.

"Okay."

She touched his shoulder.

"Don’t let that question consume you."

"I won’t."

He meant it. For now. They left as the sun began to set.

Sol walked beside Rin. Noctis followed them. Neither spoke for several minutes.

Then Sol asked:

"Did you get answers?"

Rin smiled.

"Some."

"Good."

Noctis glanced at him.

"And more questions."

Rin laughed.

"Obviously."

Sol smiled.

"That’s normal for you."

Rin looked toward the forest. The hidden doorway was somewhere beyond those trees.

His mother had seen it in his possible futures.

She had seen him enter, she had seen him leave, she had even seen a future where he never returned but none of those futures had happened yet.

That meant they weren’t fate. Not yet. Rin touched the key in his pocket.

"We’ll investigate tomorrow."

Sol sighed.

"I knew it."

Noctis smiled.

"I’ll bring supplies."

Rin looked at him.

"What kind?"

"Food."

Rin laughed.

"Why does everyone think every expedition needs food?"

Sol answered immediately:

"Because you forget to eat."

Rin stared at him.

"You’re all impossible."

Noctis smiled.

"And you’re still going."

"Obviously."

They continued walking. Behind them, their mother’s house disappeared among the trees.

She remained at the doorway for a long time.

Watching.

Not because she expected Rin to return. Because she was looking at the future.

Hundreds of possible paths. Thousands... millions... most were dark.

Some ended in loss. some in death, some in separation but one possibility kept appearing.

Rin standing before a door. Someone standing beside him.

A hand reaching toward his. And a voice saying:

"You came back."

She couldn’t see the person’s face, she couldn’t hear the full voice, she couldn’t understand why the future kept returning to that moment, but she knew one thing.

Whatever waited behind that door... it wasn’t something Rin was supposed to discover yet.

Not because he wasn’t ready to fight it but because he wasn’t ready to understand it.

And she would not force the future to reveal itself. She had already learned what happened when people tried to control Rin’s fate.

She closed her eyes.

"Not yet."

Then she turned back inside.

Meanwhile, Rin, Sol, and Noctis continued toward the fortress.

The mystery remained. The curse remained.

The God remained silent. The ancient mother remained buried in Rin’s forgotten memories.

The identity of the person Rin had once chosen remained unknown.

The Witness remained unseen. The World remained beyond their understanding.

And the doorway waited but tonight, Rin wasn’t chasing the past.

He was simply walking home with his brother and his friend.

For now...that was enough.