The climb up the Silver Mountain was strangely quiet.
No monsters attacked.
No celestial warriors appeared.
Even the wind seemed to avoid the mountain.
Kael walked at the front, with Seraphine and Lyra behind him.
Eclipse remained on his shoulder.
After several hours, they reached a massive silver gate.
Kael stopped.
The gate was covered with ancient writing.
He recognized the language immediately.
It was his own.
> **ONLY THE SOVEREIGN MAY ENTER.**
Kael placed his hand against the gate.
Nothing happened.
He frowned.
Then Seraphine stepped beside him.
The gate immediately began glowing.
Kael looked at her.
"You too?"
Seraphine smiled.
"Apparently."
The gate opened.
Beyond it was a massive underground chamber.
At its center stood a crystal.
Inside the crystal—
was a woman.
Kael stopped breathing.
Long black hair.
Silver eyes.
A peaceful expression.
His mother.
He whispered:
"Mother..."
The woman slowly opened her eyes.
She smiled.
"Kael."
He walked toward the crystal.
For the first time in thousands of years, he didn't feel like the Eternal Sovereign.
He felt like a son who had finally found his mother.
He placed his hand against the crystal.
It shattered.
**CRACK!**
Silver light flooded the chamber.
The woman stepped out.
She looked at Kael for several seconds.
Then she embraced him.
Kael closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
His mother held him tighter.
"You don't have to apologize."
"I left you."
"You saved me."
"I failed."
"No."
She touched his face.
"You survived."
Kael's eyes became wet.
"I remembered."
His mother smiled.
"Then you are finally ready."
Seraphine stood quietly nearby.
Kael's mother looked at her.
"You kept your promise."
Seraphine bowed her head.
"I tried."
"You did more than try."
She stepped toward Seraphine and embraced her.
"Thank you for finding my son."
Seraphine's eyes filled with tears.
"I promised him."
Kael's mother smiled.
"And you kept it."
Lyra watched the reunion quietly.
Then Kael's mother turned toward her.
"And you."
Lyra looked surprised.
"Me?"
"You protected him after his memories returned."
Lyra smiled.
"I only did what felt right."
Kael's mother nodded.
"Then stay close to him."
Lyra glanced at Kael.
"I intend to."
Kael smiled.
His mother noticed.
She said nothing.
But there was a knowing look in her eyes.
Then Eclipse suddenly growled.
The atmosphere changed.
His mother's smile disappeared.
"Eclipse."
The small creature looked at her.
**"Mother."**
Kael froze.
"You know each other?"
His mother nodded.
"I helped create him."
Kael looked confused.
"You created Eclipse?"
"Yes."
"But I thought I created him."
"You gave him his name."
She touched Eclipse's head.
"But I gave him his first breath."
Kael looked between them.
"Why?"
His mother became serious.
"Because I knew what was coming."
She looked toward the ceiling.
"The Primordial War."
Kael's expression hardened.
"What happened?"
His mother sighed.
"Before Heaven existed, there were beings called the Primordials."
"They created the laws of reality."
"But one of them discovered something outside existence."
"The Abyss."
Kael nodded.
"I know."
"No."
His mother shook her head.
"You don't."
"The Abyss wasn't discovered."
"It was **created**."
Silence.
"By whom?"
His mother looked directly at Kael.
"Me."
Kael froze.
Seraphine's eyes widened.
Lyra stared in disbelief.
Even Eclipse went silent.
Kael whispered:
"You created the Abyss?"
His mother nodded.
"I created its first form."
"Why?"
"To protect this universe."
Kael shook his head.
"How can something that destroys worlds protect them?"
"Because I didn't create it to destroy."
She looked toward Eclipse.
"I created it to **consume corruption**."
"But it evolved."
Kael's expression darkened.
"How?"
His mother looked away.
"Because someone changed it."
"Who?"
She hesitated.
Then said:
"The Primordial called **Veyra**."
Kael's system immediately flashed.
> **[Primordial Name detected.]**
>
> **Veyra**
>
> **Classification: Creator-Level Entity**
>
> **Status: Unknown**
>
> **Threat Level: Unmeasurable**
Kael clenched his fist.
"So Veyra turned the Abyss against us."
His mother nodded.
"Yes."
"And where is Veyra now?"
She looked toward the deepest chamber.
"Inside the Abyss."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Alive?"
"Waiting."
A deep tremor shook the mountain.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
His mother looked frightened for the first time.
"It's beginning."
Kael turned.
"What?"
"The seal is breaking."
A black crack appeared across the crystal chamber.
Eclipse's body expanded.
**"Master."**
Kael drew his sword.
"What do we do?"
His mother looked at him.
"Nothing."
Kael frowned.
"What?"
"You cannot fight Veyra yet."
"Why?"
"Because your Sovereign Authority is complete."
Kael nodded.
"Exactly."
She shook her head.
"That's the problem."
Kael froze.
His mother continued:
"Veyra doesn't want your power."
"He wants your **soul**."
Kael's system appeared.
> **[Critical Warning]**
>
> **Primordial Soul Harvest detected.**
>
> **Target: Host**
>
> **Purpose: Unknown**
>
> **Estimated survival probability: 14%**
Kael stared at the message.
His mother stepped closer.
"Kael."
"Yes?"
"If Veyra takes your soul..."
She looked at Eclipse.
"...the Abyss will have a new master."
Kael smiled.
"Then we don't let him take it."
His mother smiled sadly.
"You still sound exactly like your
father."
Kael froze.
"My father?"
For the first time, his mother looked away.
Kael's voice became serious.
"You never told me about him."
She was silent.
Then the mountain shook again.
A deep voice echoed from beneath them.
**"Because your father is the one who imprisoned me."**
Kael turned toward the darkness.
A pair of ancient eyes opened.
His mother's face became pale.
Veyra had awakened.
**To be continued...**