Chapter 98 – The One Who Existed Before Aeterna
Nobody moved.
Cr-Hook's final words remained hanging in the Archive.
"To bring someone back."
Evetyl stared at him.
"Who?"
Cr-Hook didn't answer immediately.
His eyes were fixed on the space behind her.
Kai followed his gaze.
There was nothing there.
At least...
nothing he could see.
The Curator slowly stepped closer.
"Cr-Hook."
Cr-Hook looked at him.
"What?"
"What did you see in that memory?"
Cr-Hook swallowed.
"Aeterna."
"You said she was trying to bring someone back."
"Yes."
"Who?"
Cr-Hook's face became pale.
"I don't know their name."
The First Thought suddenly spoke.
"Then describe them."
Cr-Hook looked toward the darkness.
"A person."
"That tells us nothing."
"They looked human."
"Male or female?"
"Neither."
The First Thought became silent.
Cr-Hook continued.
"They looked like someone who hadn't decided what they were yet."
Kai frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know."
Cr-Hook rubbed his forehead.
"I just remember Aeterna standing in front of them."
"What did she say?"
Cr-Hook closed his eyes.
The memory returned.
Aeterna stood in a vast white field.
No sky.
No ground.
No stars.
Just endless white.
Across from her stood a figure.
Its face was impossible to remember.
Aeterna was holding the First Key.
Cr-Hook stood behind her.
Aeterna spoke:
"You were here before me."
The figure answered:
"I was here before there was a word for here."
Cr-Hook opened his eyes.
"That was the voice."
Evetyl's heart began beating faster.
"What did Aeterna want?"
Cr-Hook looked at her.
"She wanted them to return."
"Why?"
"Because she believed they could stop the ending."
Kai asked:
"Did they agree?"
Cr-Hook shook his head.
"No."
"Why?"
"They said something."
"What?"
Cr-Hook looked toward the First Door.
"They said…"
He paused.
"…'You already replaced me.'"
Evetyl froze.
The shadow smiled.
The Archive trembled.
A low sound came from behind Evetyl.
Like breathing.
She turned.
Nothing.
She looked again.
Still nothing.
Kai moved beside her.
"Evetyl."
"I know."
"You heard it too?"
"Yes."
Cr-Hook raised his weapon.
"Everyone back."
The Curator immediately pulled out his golden key.
The Eye appeared above them.
The Warden's chains began moving.
The First Thought stared into the darkness.
"What is that?"
The Eye answered:
"I cannot see it."
Cr-Hook looked at it.
"You can't see it?"
"No."
"Then how do you know it's there?"
The Eye remained silent.
The Warden suddenly spoke.
"I can feel it."
Kai looked at him.
"What does it feel like?"
The Warden's chains tightened.
"Like something is standing behind reality."
The Curator whispered:
"That shouldn't be possible."
Cr-Hook gave him a tired look.
"Nothing here should be possible."
A small sound came from behind Evetyl.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Three knocks.
Evetyl turned around.
The Second Door was closed.
But the sound wasn't coming from it.
It was coming from the wall.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
A thin black line appeared.
Then another.
A door slowly formed.
Kai stepped backward.
"No."
Cr-Hook looked at him.
"You recognize it?"
Kai nodded.
"That wasn't here before."
The First Thought whispered:
"It isn't a door."
The line expanded.
A circular opening appeared.
Beyond it was darkness.
Then a voice came through.
"Evetyl."
She froze.
It was her own voice.
But older.
Much older.
"Don't open it."
Evetyl stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
The voice answered:
"You."
Evetyl's face became pale.
Kai grabbed her wrist.
"Don't."
She looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because every time something says it's you, something terrible happens."
Cr-Hook nodded.
"That's actually a pretty good rule."
Evetyl almost smiled.
Then the voice spoke again.
"Evetyl."
The smile vanished.
"If you open the door…"
A pause.
"…you will remember why you created the first world."
Evetyl stared.
"Why?"
The voice answered:
"Because you were afraid of the person you used to be."
Silence.
Kai looked at Evetyl.
"You knew."
"I didn't."
"You must have."
"I don't remember."
Cr-Hook stepped closer.
"That's the point."
Everyone looked at him.
He pointed at the new door.
"Someone erased your memories."
The Curator shook his head.
"No."
Cr-Hook looked at him.
"What?"
"The records don't show that."
"Then the records are wrong."
The Curator's expression hardened.
"My records have preserved every major event since Crosshaven began."
Cr-Hook answered:
"And who created those records?"
The Curator stopped.
Cr-Hook continued.
"Exactly."
The Curator looked down at his golden key.
For the first time...
he looked uncertain.
Evetyl approached the strange door.
Kai followed.
Cr-Hook followed them.
The Curator remained behind.
"Cr-Hook."
Cr-Hook turned.
"If you remember something dangerous…"
"I'll tell you."
"You promise?"
Cr-Hook smiled faintly.
"I've lied to gods."
The Curator stared.
"That's not reassuring."
"I know."
Cr-Hook turned back.
Evetyl placed her hand against the door.
It opened.
No explosion.
No darkness.
No monster.
Just a room.
A very small room.
A wooden table.
Two chairs.
And a mirror.
Evetyl stepped inside.
Kai followed.
Cr-Hook entered last.
The door closed.
The mirror was old.
Cracked.
But it still reflected them.
Evetyl looked at herself.
Kai stood beside her.
Cr-Hook stood behind them.
Then the reflection changed.
Evetyl disappeared.
Kai disappeared.
Cr-Hook disappeared.
Only one person remained.
A young girl.
She looked about six years old.
She was standing alone in darkness.
Cr-Hook's expression changed.
"That's…"
Kai whispered:
"Evetyl?"
"No."
Cr-Hook shook his head.
"That's before Evetyl."
The girl looked into the mirror.
Then she smiled.
"I've been waiting."
Kai stepped closer.
"Who are you?"
The girl looked at him.
"You."
Kai froze.
"No."
She smiled.
"Not your body."
"Not your memories."
"Not your future."
"I am the reason you exist."
Kai couldn't speak.
Evetyl looked at the girl.
"Who are you?"
The girl turned toward her.
"I am what you forgot."
Evetyl's breathing stopped.
"What did I forget?"
The girl smiled.
"Me."
Cr-Hook stepped forward.
"Enough riddles."
The girl looked at him.
"Cr-Hook."
He froze.
"You remember me."
"I remember everything."
"Then tell me what happened."
The girl looked at him.
"You opened the First Door."
"I know."
"No."
She shook her head.
"You opened it because I asked you to."
Cr-Hook's eyes widened.
"You?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I was trapped."
"Where?"
The girl pointed toward the mirror.
"Inside you."
Cr-Hook stepped backward.
"What?"
The girl continued.
"Before you became Cr-Hook, you were a container."
"For what?"
"For me."
Cr-Hook stared at his own reflection.
"No."
"You carried me through the first world."
"You carried my memories."
"You carried my name."
"And when the world ended…"
She smiled.
"…you forgot me."
Cr-Hook's hand began shaking.
"Then why do I feel like I knew Aeterna?"
"Because she knew me too."
Evetyl stepped forward.
"What was your name?"
The girl looked at her.
Then the mirror cracked.
CRACK.
A single word appeared across the glass.
AETER.
Evetyl stared.
"Aeter?"
The girl smiled.
"Close."
The room began shaking.
The word changed.
AETERNA.
Then it changed again.
EVE.
Then again.
EVETYL.
Evetyl stumbled backward.
"No…"
The girl looked at her.
"Aeterna wasn't your first name."
Kai stared at Evetyl.
"Then what was it?"
The girl answered:
"Evetyl."
Silence.
Evetyl shook her head.
"But that's my name now."
"It was your name first."
"Then why did I become Aeterna?"
"Because you wanted to forget yourself."
"Why?"
The girl looked toward Kai.
"Because you couldn't forgive yourself for what you did to him."
Kai looked confused.
"What did she do?"
The girl smiled.
"She created you."
Kai's eyes widened.
"But she said—"
"She found you."
The girl interrupted.
"That is also true."
"How?"
"She didn't create your body."
"She created your existence."
Kai stepped backward.
"What does that mean?"
The girl looked at him.
"You were a possibility."
"Aeterna gave that possibility a name."
"Kai."
Kai became completely still.
"And then…"
The girl looked at Evetyl.
"…she made the world where you could exist."
Evetyl whispered:
"So I created the First World for him."
"Yes."
"Not for everyone."
"No."
"For Kai."
"Yes."
Evetyl closed her eyes.
The truth hurt more than she expected.
Kai slowly approached her.
"Evetyl."
She didn't look at him.
"I built an entire world…"
Her voice shook.
"…because I couldn't let you die."
Kai answered quietly:
"You saved me."
"But everyone else…"
"They lived."
"Because of a lie."
Kai shook his head.
"Maybe."
Evetyl finally looked at him.
"But they were still real."
Kai nodded.
"Yes."
Cr-Hook suddenly spoke.
"Then that's the answer."
Both looked at him.
Cr-Hook pointed toward the mirror.
"The first world and the First World aren't enemies."
Evetyl frowned.
"What?"
"They are both consequences."
"Consequences of what?"
Cr-Hook looked directly at her.
"Your choice."
The girl in the mirror smiled.
"Exactly."
The room suddenly went dark.
The girl disappeared.
The mirror shattered.
Thousands of pieces floated in the air.
Every piece showed a different memory.
Evetyl saw herself.
Kai saw himself.
Cr-Hook saw himself.
One shard showed the Garden.
Another showed Crosshaven.
Another showed the ruined future.
Another showed the First Door.
Then one shard showed something none of them had ever seen.
Aeterna standing beside a little boy.
Cr-Hook.
And behind them...
another figure.
A person with no face.
No name.
No identity.
Just a human-shaped absence.
The shadow was standing behind that figure.
Aeterna said:
"If I create a world, will you come back?"
The faceless figure answered:
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you are trying to replace what you lost."
Aeterna looked at the little Cr-Hook.
"I already lost it."
The figure answered:
"Then stop trying to recreate it."
Aeterna looked at Kai.
"I can't."
The memory ended.
Cr-Hook stared at the floating shard.
"That was before Kai."
Kai looked at him.
"Then who was that person?"
Cr-Hook shook his head.
"I don't know."
The girl's voice echoed through the room.
"Yes, you do."
Cr-Hook turned.
The girl was standing behind him.
She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You just forgot."
Cr-Hook whispered:
"Who was the person?"
The girl leaned closer.
"The person Aeterna was trying to bring back…"
She pointed toward Kai.
"…wasn't someone else."
Kai's eyes widened.
The girl finished:
"It was you."
Silence.
Cr-Hook stared at Kai.
Kai stared back.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It will."
"How?"
The girl smiled.
"When you remember your first name."
Kai's expression changed.
"What was it?"
The girl opened her mouth.
Before she could answer—
The entire room exploded.
A black crack tore through the ceiling.
The shadow forced its way through.
Cr-Hook immediately stepped in front of Kai and Evetyl.
"Stay behind me."
The shadow looked at Cr-Hook.
"You remember too much."
Cr-Hook raised his weapon.
"Not enough."
The shadow smiled.
"You still think you are protecting them."
Cr-Hook tightened his grip.
"I am."
"You don't understand."
"Then explain."
The shadow stepped forward.
"You were never their protector."
Cr-Hook's eyes narrowed.
"You were their prison."
Cr-Hook froze.
Kai stared at him.
Evetyl's eyes widened.
The shadow continued:
"You carried the first existence inside you."
"You carried it through the ending."
"And when Evetyl created the First World…"
The shadow pointed toward Cr-Hook.
"…you became the lock."
Cr-Hook's weapon fell slightly.
"No…"
The shadow smiled.
"And now…"
A black symbol appeared over Cr-Hook's chest.
"…the lock is opening."
Cr-Hook screamed.
The Archive shook violently.
Kai ran toward him.
"CR-HOOK!"
Evetyl reached for him.
"Stop!"
Cr-Hook collapsed.
His eyes turned completely black.
Then—
A second voice came from his mouth.
A voice older than the Archive.
Older than the First Thought.
Older than the First Door.
"I remember."
The shadow stopped.
For the first time...
it looked afraid.
The voice continued:
"I remember who I was."
Cr-Hook slowly stood.
He looked at Evetyl.
Then Kai.
Then the shadow.
And whispered:
"My name was never Cr-Hook."
The Archive went silent.
He smiled.
"My name was the First Lock."
To Be Continued...