Kael woke beneath a dead tree.
He had no memory of lying down.
The tree shouldn’t have existed.
Neither should the grey sky above it.
For the first time since entering the Abyss, Kael saw something that resembled a world.
Grass.
Clouds.
Mountains.
A ruined city in the distance.
He stared.
“That’s impossible.” Shade stood beside him.
“The Abyss remembers.” “Remembers what?” “Worlds.” Kael walked toward the ruined city.
Every building was empty.
Every street was covered in black ash.
At the centre stood a statue.
A man holding a broken sword.
Kael stopped.
The statue’s face was his.
His breathing stopped.
“No.” He approached.
At the statue’s feet was a stone inscription.
**KAEL — THE ONE WHO CHOSE.** His hand trembled.
“What does this mean?” Shade didn’t answer.
Kael touched the statue.
Memory exploded through him.
He was standing in a burning city.
Cairos was beside him.
People were screaming.
A massive gate had opened above the city.
Something was coming through.
Kael remembered himself raising a sword.
He remembered Cairos grabbing his shoulder.
“You can’t stop it.” “I can.” “You’ll die.” “I know.” Then Cairos said something else.
Something Kael had forgotten.
“If you go through that gate, everyone will forget you.” Kael’s eyes widened.
The memory shattered.
He fell to his knees.
Shade caught him.
“It wasn’t Cairos.” Kael looked up.
“What?” “He didn’t kill you.” Kael stared.
“Then who did?” Shade looked toward the ruined city.
“You did.” Silence.
Kael slowly stood.
“What?” “You chose death.” The mark on Kael’s palm burned.
A second symbol appeared beneath the first.
The Abyssal Mark.
A system-like message appeared in his vision: **ABYSSAL AUTHORITY: 1%** **MEMORY RESTORATION: 7%** **PRICE: UNKNOWN** Kael stared at the words.
Then laughed quietly.
“So that’s the game.” He looked toward the ruined city.
“Fine.” His eyes hardened.
“Let’s remember everything.” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Okikiayo_Fadiji This is the chapter where the title starts to mean something.
Kael’s past is no longer just a mystery—his own choice may be the reason everything happened.
And that 1% is going to matter.