Chapter 69 – The Last Memory
Night settled gently over Crosshaven.
The floating lanterns drifted through the sky like tiny stars that had decided to leave the heavens behind. Music from the evening market slowly faded as shops closed one by one.
Yet despite the peaceful atmosphere...
Very few of the ancient beings could relax.
The Eye remained high above the city, silently watching the countless threads of reality.
Something had changed.
It could feel it.
But no matter how carefully it searched...
There was a blank space.
A gap.
Not a broken timeline.
Not a destroyed future.
Simply...
An absence.
As if reality itself had decided to keep a secret.
---
Inside the old inn, everyone had finally gone to bed.
Everyone except Kai.
He sat alone on the wooden balcony outside his room, staring at the stars.
Sleep refused to come.
His thoughts kept returning to the hooded woman.
"Not yet."
"We'll meet for the first time."
He sighed.
"What kind of future are you from...?"
The night answered only with silence.
A moment later, the balcony door opened.
Evetyl stepped outside, carrying two mugs.
"I had a feeling you'd still be awake."
Kai smiled.
"You've started copying me."
"I learned from the best."
She handed him one of the mugs.
Warm chocolate.
Kai blinked.
"Where did you even find this?"
Evetyl grinned.
"I asked nicely."
"I should try that more often."
"You definitely should."
They laughed quietly.
For a few minutes, neither spoke.
Sometimes...
Silence between friends said more than words ever could.
---
"You looked worried today," Evetyl finally said.
Kai nodded.
"I was."
"Because of the woman?"
"Partly."
He looked toward the distant skyline.
"But mostly because of everyone else."
Evetyl tilted her head.
"What do you mean?"
Kai rested his arms on the railing.
"We've defeated impossible enemies."
"The Outer King."
"The Curator."
"So many things that should've destroyed us."
He smiled faintly.
"But somehow..."
"...every new answer creates two new questions."
Evetyl laughed.
"That's actually true."
Kai looked at her.
"I don't mind mysteries."
"I just don't want one of them to cost us someone."
Evetyl's smile slowly faded.
She understood.
More than anyone.
---
Far beneath Crosshaven...
The Forgotten One stood before the glowing crystal.
The ancient chamber remained silent.
Hundreds of candles burned without producing smoke.
The crystal pulsed once.
Soft.
Gentle.
Almost like a heartbeat.
The Forgotten One slowly reached toward it.
Its fingers stopped only inches away.
"I erased every record."
It whispered.
"I removed every name."
"I destroyed every memory."
The crystal answered with another pulse.
A tiny voice echoed from within.
"...You tried..."
The Forgotten One closed its eyes.
"I had no choice."
"...Everyone suffered."
"...Including you."
The chamber trembled.
Golden light spread across the floor, forming countless symbols that had not been seen since the earliest age of existence.
The Forgotten One took a slow step back.
"It really is happening..."
---
Above the chamber...
The First Thought rapidly turned page after page.
Blank pages continued filling themselves.
Without ink.
Without a writer.
Words simply...
Appeared.
The First Thought had recorded existence since the beginning.
Nothing had ever written inside its books without permission.
Until now.
It stopped at a newly written sentence.
Memory comes before history.
The First Thought whispered,
"So that's why..."
"If memory changes..."
"...history follows."
For the first time...
It realized the terrifying truth.
Someone wasn't changing the future.
Someone...
Was changing the past.
---
The Eye suddenly appeared beside it.
"You've discovered something."
The First Thought nodded slowly.
"The hidden timeline."
The Eye waited.
"It's older than Crosshaven."
Silence.
"It's older than the First Anomaly."
More silence.
The Eye's countless pupils narrowed.
"How old?"
The First Thought looked at the glowing words.
Its voice became barely audible.
"...Older than me."
---
Neither spoke.
Because neither wanted to accept what that meant.
---
The next morning...
Crosshaven once again filled with life.
Cr-Hook stretched his arms as he walked into the dining hall.
"I slept like a king."
The First Anomaly looked up from breakfast.
"You snore like one too."
"I do not."
"You absolutely do."
The Warden quietly sat beside them.
Still carrying the small yellow flower.
Cr-Hook blinked.
"You're keeping it?"
The Warden looked at the flower for a long moment.
"...Yes."
"I was given responsibility."
Cr-Hook smiled.
"I think it's called a gift."
The Warden considered the word carefully.
"...Gift."
It repeated it as though learning something entirely new.
---
Kai and Evetyl entered a few moments later.
The owner greeted them with her usual cheerful smile.
"Morning!"
Kai yawned.
"Is it really morning already?"
"You slept three hours."
"I knew something felt wrong."
Everyone laughed.
For just a little while...
The impossible burdens they carried became lighter.
---
Suddenly...
The inn's front door burst open.
A young messenger rushed inside, breathing heavily.
"Is..."
"Is anyone here from the Council?"
The room immediately became quiet.
Noah stood.
"What happened?"
The messenger swallowed.
"There..."
He struggled to catch his breath.
"...There's a new gate."
Everyone exchanged confused looks.
Noah frowned.
"Crosshaven gains gates all the time."
The messenger shook his head violently.
"No."
"Not like this."
"It wasn't built."
"It wasn't opened."
His face had become pale.
"It..."
"...appeared."
---
Minutes later...
The group arrived at the city's eastern district.
Hundreds of people had already gathered.
Even experienced travelers looked uneasy.
Standing in the middle of an empty plaza...
Was a doorway.
It had no frame.
No walls.
No magical symbols.
It simply stood there.
A doorway made entirely of pale white light.
The Curator slowly approached.
His golden key began vibrating.
Without touching the doorway...
He whispered,
"I've never seen this before."
The Eye examined it.
"I cannot see beyond it."
The First Thought frowned.
"It doesn't exist in any record."
The Warden gripped its chains.
The former Outer King narrowed his eyes.
Even the First Thing...
Looked uncertain.
Kai stepped closer.
"What happens if someone walks through?"
No one answered.
Because...
No one knew.
---
As everyone stared at the mysterious doorway...
A small voice spoke behind them.
"You're finally here."
The group turned.
Standing at the edge of the crowd...
Was a little girl.
She couldn't have been older than ten.
She wore a simple white dress.
Her silver hair reached her waist.
Her bright blue eyes calmly met Evetyl's.
Then Kai's.
Finally...
She smiled.
"I've been waiting a very long time."
Kai frowned.
"Who are you?"
The little girl tilted her head innocently.
"You really don't remember me?"
Silence filled the plaza.
Kai slowly shook his head.
"I'm sorry..."
"I've never met you."
The little girl's smile became strangely sad.
"You have."
She gently placed a hand over her heart.
"It just..."
"...hasn't happened yet."
At that exact moment...
The pale doorway behind her slowly began to open.
And from within the endless white light...
Someone stepped out.
The moment the figure's foot touched Crosshaven...
Every ancient being froze.
The First Thing whispered only three words.
"...It can't be."
To Be Continued...