I felt like I was falling rapidly into an endless void.
Falling and falling… the descent never stopped.
As my wounds slowly closed, the pain was unbearable, yet I couldn't move a single finger.
I had no energy. No magic. I was completely drained.
Suddenly, I heard a voice inside my mind. I wondered who it could be.
Could it be the woman I heard when I fought the angel?
No… it wasn't her. This time, it was a male voice.
I asked myself that question, and the voice replied:
—"Hey… where are Mom and Dad? Tell me."
I didn't know what to say. Mom? Dad?
I couldn't remember anyone I would call that.
I tried to recall something from my past… anything. But nothing came.
Ever since I woke up that day in that dark place, I've had no memories of anything before.
Did I lose my memory? —I asked myself again.
The voice spoke once more:
—"You don't remember Mom and Dad? Why did you forget them?
You swore you never would.
Have you also forgotten your promises?
Tell me… do you even know who you are anymore?"
—"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… but I forgot everything! Absolutely everything!
I have no memories of my past.
I have no memories of anything!
If only I knew who I was!"
—"That answer lies within you," the voice replied.
"You know who you are and everything you've been through.
What happened a hundred years ago is the scar you've tried so hard to erase—the one you refuse to remember.
But you must remember. Only then can you keep fighting.
That determination of yours… it comes from the past."
—"Tell me! Tell me who I am!"
—"It's in your mind.
Search carefully and listen to Vitae.
She is the key.
Listen to your heart, and you'll know the truth:
How this massacre began… the secrets of the universe… and everything around you…
because you are the—"
In that precise instant, I woke up, a sharp pain stabbing through my head.
My brothers were by my side. All of them… except Iko.
He was nowhere to be seen.
I tried to stand up, but my legs didn't respond.
I collapsed instantly.
My brothers caught me before I hit the ground and gently propped me up against the wall of the cave. They said I needed to rest a bit more before we began the climb out of the rift.
Daichi approached, placed his hand on my shoulder, and sat beside me.
He was trembling… but I didn't know if it was from pain, fear… or guilt.
—"It's okay," he said in a soft voice. "Don't try to get up yet. Stay seated a while.
We'll go look for Iko. Maybe he's waiting for us with the king up there.
I figure it'll take us about twelve hours to get out of this rift, so… just rest, alright?
If necessary… I'll carry you."
—"Alright, brother. I'll just… sleep a little more.
I still have no magic. I can't move properly.
My whole body hurts… haha, damn it… we were too overconfident.
We didn't fight with everything we had.
We're such damn idiots…"
I couldn't accept what had happened.
We had lost.
And while we were stuck down here, in this damned rift, the citizens of the human kingdom…
were probably already all dead.
I tried to stand again.
I collapsed once more.
And out of nowhere… I felt a sharp blow to my neck.
Everything went black.
---
[While Kurayami's brothers and sisters prepared for the climb, in the Realm of the Heavens, the gods gathered to decide the fate of the human heroes.]