Chapter 102 – The Two Cr-Hooks
For several seconds, there was nothing.
No light.
No sound.
No ground beneath Evetyl's feet.
She couldn't even feel her own body.
"Cr-Hook?"
Her voice disappeared into the darkness.
No answer.
"Cr-Hook!"
This time, something answered.
"I'm here."
Evetyl froze.
The voice was Cr-Hook's.
But it came from two directions.
One from her left.
One from her right.
Evetyl slowly turned her head.
Two silhouettes appeared.
Both were standing several meters away.
Both had the same height.
The same face.
The same black hair.
The same eyes.
And both were looking directly at her.
Evetyl's breathing stopped.
"No…"
Kai suddenly appeared beside her.
He was on one knee, holding his chest.
The silver symbol over his heart was glowing faintly.
"Evetyl…"
"I see them."
Kai looked up.
His eyes widened.
"Cr-Hook?"
The two figures stepped forward.
The one on the left raised his hand.
"Evetyl."
The one on the right did the same.
"Evetyl."
Kai slowly stood.
"You're both Cr-Hook."
Neither answered.
Instead, the figure on the left looked at the other.
"You shouldn't be here."
The other Cr-Hook replied,
"Neither should you."
Evetyl stared between them.
"Okay."
She took a slow breath.
"Someone explain this before my brain completely gives up."
Kai almost smiled.
"That's probably the first sensible thing anyone has said."
One of the Cr-Hooks looked at him.
"You are still the same."
Kai frowned.
"Do I know you?"
The Cr-Hook didn't answer.
The other stepped closer.
"You don't remember."
Kai's expression became serious.
"Remember what?"
The Cr-Hook pointed toward Kai's chest.
"That."
The silver symbol suddenly became brighter.
Kai grabbed it.
"What is happening?"
Evetyl stepped between them.
"Stay away from him."
Both Cr-Hooks stopped.
One of them looked at Evetyl with something that almost looked like sadness.
"You still protect him."
Evetyl's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?"
The Cr-Hook on the left answered.
"I am Cr-Hook."
The one on the right said,
"So am I."
Evetyl sighed.
"Fantastic."
Kai looked at her.
"What?"
"We have two Cr-Hooks."
A pause.
Kai nodded.
"Yeah."
Another pause.
"That is not good."
Suddenly, the darkness trembled.
A deep sound came from somewhere beneath them.
THUM.
The two Cr-Hooks immediately turned toward the same direction.
Evetyl noticed their expressions.
Fear.
Real fear.
"What happened?"
Neither answered.
THUM.
The ground finally appeared beneath their feet.
They were standing in the ancient city beneath Crosshaven.
But something was different.
The city was broken.
Buildings that had existed outside history were now covered in cracks.
The streets were glowing with faint silver lines.
And in the center of the city stood the First Door.
Closed.
But shaking.
Kai stared at it.
"The door…"
The original Cr-Hook looked at him.
"It is trying to open again."
Current Cr-Hook stepped forward.
"No."
He placed his hand against his chest.
The First Lock symbol appeared.
"I closed it."
The original Cr-Hook shook his head.
"You closed the door."
He looked at Kai.
"But you didn't close what is behind it."
Evetyl's face became serious.
"The Shadow."
"No."
Both Cr-Hooks answered at the same time.
Evetyl looked at them.
"Then what?"
The original Cr-Hook whispered,
"The thing that created the Shadow."
Silence.
Kai slowly stepped backward.
"The Shadow has a creator?"
The original Cr-Hook nodded.
"The Shadow is not the oldest thing behind that door."
Evetyl looked toward the First Door.
"Then what is?"
The ancient city suddenly became completely silent.
Even the glowing cracks stopped moving.
Then a voice came from behind them.
"Me."
Evetyl froze.
Kai turned around.
Cr-Hook's eyes widened.
Standing at the end of the street was a young boy.
The same boy Kai had seen behind the First Door.
The same boy who looked exactly like Cr-Hook.
But now he was outside the door.
He slowly walked toward them.
Cr-Hook stared at him.
"No…"
The boy stopped.
He smiled.
"Hello, brother."
Cr-Hook didn't move.
Evetyl looked at him.
"Brother?"
The boy tilted his head.
"You really forgot everything."
Cr-Hook stepped forward.
"What are you?"
The boy's smile disappeared.
"I was the first version."
Cr-Hook's eyes narrowed.
"Version?"
The boy nodded.
"Before you became human."
Evetyl stepped forward.
"You mean…"
The boy looked at her.
"You made him."
Evetyl said nothing.
The boy continued.
"You gave him a body."
He looked at Cr-Hook.
"You gave him a name."
Then he looked at Kai.
"And you gave him a purpose."
Kai stared at him.
"What purpose?"
The boy's eyes moved toward the First Door.
"To lock me away."
Cr-Hook suddenly appeared in front of him.
His hand grabbed the boy's shirt.
"Why?"
The boy didn't resist.
"Because you were afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of me."
Cr-Hook's grip tightened.
"I don't remember you."
"I know."
The boy smiled.
"That was the point."
Evetyl stepped forward.
"Cr-Hook."
Cr-Hook didn't look back.
"What did I do?"
The boy answered before Evetyl could.
"You sacrificed yourself."
Cr-Hook froze.
"You became the First Lock."
The boy placed his hand over Cr-Hook's.
"And I became what the lock was built to contain."
The First Door shook violently.
CRACK.
A thin line appeared across its surface.
Kai's silver symbol suddenly burned bright.
"AH!"
Kai fell to his knees.
Evetyl rushed toward him.
"Kai!"
The symbol on his chest began forming a shape.
A key.
The same shape that had appeared in the ancient chamber.
The original Cr-Hook looked at Kai.
"The key is waking up."
Evetyl looked at him.
"What happens if it fully wakes?"
He answered quietly.
"The First Door will open."
"And then?"
The boy looked at Evetyl.
"The first world comes back."
Evetyl's face went pale.
"But that would destroy this world."
"Yes."
Kai forced himself to stand.
"Then we stop it."
The boy looked at him.
"You always say that."
Kai froze.
"What?"
The boy walked closer.
"You always try to save everyone."
Kai's expression softened.
"Who are you?"
The boy stared at him for a long moment.
Then he smiled.
"You called me something once."
Kai shook his head.
"I don't remember."
"You called me…"
The boy leaned closer.
"…Little Brother."
Kai gasped.
Something inside his mind suddenly broke open.
A flash.
A burning city.
A child running through falling buildings.
Lyra screaming.
A younger Evetyl reaching toward him.
Cr-Hook standing in front of a giant door.
And beside him—
the boy.
Kai grabbed his head.
"I remember…"
Evetyl held his shoulder.
"What do you remember?"
Kai looked at her.
His eyes were filled with tears.
"You weren't there."
Evetyl froze.
"What?"
Kai's voice trembled.
"In the first world…"
He looked toward the ancient city.
"You came later."
Evetyl's heart sank.
"Then who saved me?"
Kai slowly turned toward the boy.
The boy's expression became strangely gentle.
"He did."
Kai looked at Cr-Hook.
Cr-Hook looked confused.
"I…"
The boy continued.
"Cr-Hook saved Kai."
Evetyl stared at Cr-Hook.
"But I remember saving him."
The boy smiled.
"You did."
Evetyl's eyes widened.
"Then how can both be true?"
The boy pointed toward the First Door.
"Because you saved him after the world ended."
He pointed toward Cr-Hook.
"And he saved him before it ended."
Nobody spoke.
Two different moments.
Two different rescues.
Two different versions of the same history.
Evetyl whispered,
"So the first world…"
The boy nodded.
"Never happened the way you remember it."
Cr-Hook released his grip.
He stepped backward.
"No."
The boy looked at him.
"You don't have to accept it."
Cr-Hook shook his head.
"No."
His voice became stronger.
"I remember."
The First Lock symbol on his chest erupted with light.
"I remember the city."
He looked at the boy.
"I remember my mother."
He looked at Kai.
"I remember him."
Then he looked at Evetyl.
"And I remember you."
Evetyl's eyes filled with tears.
Cr-Hook continued.
"I remember standing beside the First Door."
His voice cracked.
"I remember being told that someone had to stay behind."
The boy lowered his head.
Cr-Hook's eyes widened.
"And I remember choosing to stay."
The boy whispered,
"Yes."
Cr-Hook looked at him.
"Why did you come back?"
The boy slowly smiled.
"Because you opened the door."
Cr-Hook's expression changed.
"I didn't."
The boy looked toward Kai.
"No."
He pointed at the silver symbol.
"He did."
Kai stepped back.
"I opened it?"
"Not intentionally."
The boy's voice became colder.
"But the key always opens the lock eventually."
Suddenly—
the First Door opened one inch.
A black light appeared between its edges.
Everyone froze.
The Shadow's voice came from inside.
"Finally."
Evetyl stepped forward.
"No."
The Shadow laughed.
"You finally understand."
Cr-Hook raised his hand.
The First Lock symbol burned brighter.
"Stay inside."
The Shadow replied,
"I can't."
Cr-Hook's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
A long silence followed.
Then the Shadow whispered,
"Because something else is coming."
The entire ancient city shook.
The boy's face suddenly lost all color.
Cr-Hook noticed.
"What?"
The boy looked toward the sky.
"There is something above the city."
Evetyl looked up.
There was no sky.
Only darkness.
Then—
a massive eye opened above them.
Kai stopped breathing.
The Shadow went silent.
Even the two Cr-Hooks looked terrified.
The Eye stared down at the ancient city.
But this was not the Eye they knew.
This one was older.
Much older.
And behind it appeared a second eye.
Then a third.
The boy whispered,
"They found us."
Evetyl looked at him.
"Who?"
The boy turned toward her.
"The ones who existed before the first world."
The First Door suddenly opened wider.
The Shadow screamed.
The ancient city began collapsing.
Cr-Hook grabbed Kai.
Evetyl reached for them.
And from behind the door came a voice that sounded exactly like Evetyl's.
"Don't let me come back."
Evetyl froze.
She recognized the voice.
It was hers.
But older.
And terrified.
The darkness above them opened completely.
And something began descending.
To be continued…