Kael stood frozen.
The voice coming from the Last Core was his own.
But it wasn't his voice now.
It was older.
Tired.
Almost broken.
"If you're hearing this…"
The entire universe became silent.
"…then everything has already gone wrong."
Kael slowly approached the Last Core.
"Who are you?"
The voice didn't answer immediately.
Then it spoke again.
"I'm you."
Kael's eyes widened.
Eryx stepped beside him.
"Another version?"
"No."
The voice sounded different this time.
"The version that remembers everything."
Kael stopped.
The silver-eyed Kael watched silently.
Kael looked at him.
"You knew about this."
"Yes."
"Then explain."
The silver-eyed Kael shook his head.
"This isn't my message to explain."
The Last Core began glowing.
Images appeared above it.
Kael saw himself.
But not the Kael he knew.
This version was standing in a ruined universe.
His clothes were torn.
Blood covered his body.
Behind him were billions of dead stars.
Eryx stood beside him.
But Eryx was already dead.
Kael's breathing became heavier.
The recording continued.
"I tried to stop them."
The image changed.
The Firstborn appeared.
Then the laboratories.
Then thousands of versions of Kael.
"Every universe was another attempt."
Kael clenched his fists.
"They wanted to create something that could replace the Origin."
The Origin.
Kael remembered the ancient force.
The being that had ruled creation and destruction.
The being he had challenged.
The voice continued.
"But they made a mistake."
The image showed the First Hunger.
Black energy erupted from Kael's body.
"They gave me the ability to consume."
Kael whispered:
"The Hunger…"
"I created it because I needed something that could destroy the experiment."
The silver-eyed Kael finally spoke.
"And that's where you failed."
Kael turned toward him.
"You're saying the Hunger wasn't created by accident?"
"No."
The silver-eyed Kael looked toward the recording.
"You created it intentionally."
Kael stared at the image.
"But why don't I remember?"
The recording answered.
"Because I erased the memory."
Kael's heart stopped.
The image changed again.
He saw himself standing in front of the Last Core.
Beside him was Eryx.
And behind them was the First Hunger.
Kael's older version looked directly at the recording.
"I knew they would eventually find us."
He looked at Eryx.
"So I made a plan."
The image showed Eryx entering the Boundary.
Kael shouted:
"Wait!"
He already knew what happened next.
Eryx sacrificed himself.
The first universe collapsed.
But the recording continued.
"Eryx wasn't supposed to die."
Kael froze.
Eryx's expression changed.
"What?"
The older Kael continued.
"His death was part of the experiment."
Silence.
Eryx slowly looked at Kael.
"They used me?"
Kael couldn't answer.
The recording showed countless observers watching Eryx.
Studying him.
Measuring his reaction.
"They wanted to see what I would do if I lost him."
Kael's hands began shaking.
"They wanted to test my emotions."
"Yes."
The silver-eyed Kael spoke quietly.
"They wanted to see whether love could become a source of power."
Kael looked at him.
"And did it?"
The silver-eyed Kael smiled.
"Yes."
The Last Core suddenly released a massive wave of energy.
Kael saw his past self screaming.
The Hunger appeared.
The entire universe shook.
Then the older Kael looked directly at the recording.
"If you've reached this point, then you have already reunited with Eryx."
Kael looked at Eryx.
The older Kael continued.
"And that means the experiment is complete."
The laboratory appeared again.
The observers disappeared.
Every chamber opened.
Thousands of Kaels woke up.
Thousands of Eryx's opened their eyes.
And thousands of Hungers began moving.
Kael stared in horror.
"No…"
The recording continued.
"But there is one thing they never understood."
The older Kael smiled.
For the first time, he looked peaceful.
"I was never trying to become the Origin."
The recording suddenly distorted.
The creature from before appeared behind him.
The same faceless being.
The same presence from before creation.
The voice became quieter.
"I was trying to create something that could kill the Origin."
Kael's eyes widened.
The Origin.
The creature they had been created to replace…
wasn't their true target.
The voice continued.
"And I succeeded."
The recording ended.
The Last Core went dark.
No one spoke.
Then the faceless creature stepped forward.
Kael felt the Hunger inside him tremble.
The creature raised one hand.
"Your first Kael failed."
Kael stared at it.
"Then why are you still here?"
The creature tilted its head.
"Because he didn't fail completely."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
The creature pointed at Kael.
"You are the result."
Kael felt the Last Core inside his chest suddenly crack.
A white light erupted from his body.
Then black.
Then silver.
Creation.
Destruction.
Transformation.
All three forces began spinning together.
Eryx stepped back.
"Kael…"
Kael couldn't answer.
Something was changing inside him.
The Hunger screamed.
Aetherion shouted inside his mind.
"STOP IT!"
Kael struggled to control the energy.
"I can't!"
The silver-eyed Kael suddenly smiled.
"Finally."
Kael looked at him.
"What?"
The silver-eyed Kael pointed toward the sky.
The thousands of sleeping universes had begun disappearing.
One by one.
The stars went dark.
The galaxies vanished.
The laboratories disappeared.
Everything was being erased.
Not destroyed.
Removed.
The faceless creature looked toward the darkness.
"They've begun the final test."
Kael clenched his fists.
"Who?"
The creature answered.
"The creators."
Kael stared into the darkness.
For the first time, he understood.
The experiment hadn't ended.
The experiment had just begun.
And somewhere beyond all the universes…
something was watching him.
Something that had been watching him since the beginning.
Then a voice echoed across reality.
"Subject Kael."
Kael looked up.
"Final evaluation begins now."
The universe went completely black.
TO BE CONTINUED...