The manor doors groaned shut behind them, dust falling like ash. Aurel scanned the dark hall, the cold marble floor cracked with age. The once–grand chandeliers hung like skeletons, and every shadow felt alive — as if the walls themselves remembered every whisper spoken inside them.
Lyra leaned against the molding, catching her breath. The escape from the library left her exhausted, but she still forced a smirk. "You know… for once, can we hide somewhere nice? A cottage? Flowers? A bakery?"
Aurel forced a shallow laugh. "Next time I'll pick somewhere with cookies."
But the humor didn't hide the truth.
Something was wrong here.
Not just with the world outside — the sky stuck between night and day — but here, inside the manor. Aurel could feel eyes watching them, though the hall was empty.
"We should rest," he said, though he knew sleep wouldn't come. "Just for a moment."
Lyra nodded and pushed open the next door — a grand dining room with an enormous table covered in faded lace. When she stepped forward, she froze.
"Aurel."
There were footprints in the dust.
Not old — fresh.
Someone had walked across this room minutes ago.
Aurel drew the glowing sword slowly. "We're not alone."
Lyra whispered, "Where? I don't see anyone."
They moved carefully, following the footprints — across the carpet, up the broken stairs, and toward a wide corridor lined with tall windows and torn curtains. Halfway down the corridor, the footprints suddenly stopped, as if the person vanished into air.
"That's impossible," Lyra murmured.
Aurel crouched and touched the dusty floor — and something unusual caught his eye. Under the dust, faint lines — circular carvings — like engravings on stone.
He wiped more.
A symbol emerged. Not random.
A sigil from the age of gods.
One only he should've known — though he didn't understand why he knew.
"It's a seal," he whispered. "A memory seal."
Lyra frowned. "Like the one that erased your identity?"
"No." Aurel traced the lines with his fingers, and the floor vibrated faintly. "This one hides… a place. A room beneath the manor."
He pressed his palm flat.
The sigil ignited.
The floor rumbled.
And the entire corridor split open, stone sliding apart like a puzzle.
Lyra stumbled back, eyes wide. "Aurel—"
A staircase formed, spiraling into darkness.
Aurel stepped back, sword raised. "Someone already opened it before us. That's why the footprints end here."
That meant someone was down there now.
Lyra swallowed hard. "We have to follow, don't we?"
Aurel nodded.
They descended the spiral steps — each one carved with ancient writing that flickered alive as Aurel passed. He didn't understand the language, yet he knew exactly what every word meant.
Lyra whispered, "You're remembering things."
He didn't answer.
The stairs opened into a vast circular chamber. The walls were carved with murals — battles, gods, stars — and in the center rested a stone table covered with glowing fragments of crystal and dusty scrolls.
And someone sat in front of the table — back facing them.
Aurel tightened his grip. "Turn around."
The person didn't move at first.
Then slowly, they rose — a tall figure in a tattered cloak. When they turned, Lyra gasped.
It was a young man — pale, sharp-eyed, maybe a little older than Aurel, and holding a golden staff. His expression was calm. Too calm.
"I was waiting for you, Aurel."
Aurel exchanged a glance with Lyra. "Who are you?"
The young man smiled — a quiet, almost gentle smile that didn't match the tension in the air.
"I've been called many names. But for you… call me Caelum."
Lyra whispered, "Are you a god?"
He shook his head. "I'm worse than a god."
He walked toward the stone table and placed a hand on a cracked scroll.
"You don't remember anything."
Not mocking — stating.
Aurel stepped closer. "Why do you know me?"
Caelum didn't look up. "Because I'm the reason your memories were taken."
Lyra reached for her dagger — but Caelum raised two fingers and the blade flew from her grip.
"Don't react with fear," Caelum said softly. "The truth will hurt more than I ever can."
He unrolled the scroll — revealing an ancient image:
Aurel, seated on a massive throne of crystal towers… and Caelum standing beside him.
Lyra staggered. "You ruled together?"
Caelum nodded. "We weren't enemies. We were brothers."
Aurel clenched his jaw — disbelief, fear, rage tangled together. "If that's true, why betray me?"
Caelum finally met his eyes — and for the first time, pain flickered.
"Because you were never meant to exist. You possessed the power to remind the world of everything gods wanted erased. Your very existence was taboo. The gods ordered you erased… and I obeyed."
Lyra took a step closer to Aurel, defensive. "And now you're sorry?"
Caelum laughed — humorless, hollow. "No. I came to finish what I began."
The chamber trembled — runes glowing across the walls.
Lyra grabbed Aurel's arm, whispering, "It's a trap—"
But Aurel didn't move. He stared straight at Caelum.
"If you wanted to kill me," Aurel said, "you would have done it already."
"I don't want to kill you," Caelum replied. "I want you to remember."
He lifted his staff and slammed it into the ground.
The runes flashed — and a circular section of the floor lifted into the air, revealing a glowing mirror-like surface — not glass, not water — memory made visible.
Aurel saw images begin to form:
— himself leading armies of forgotten gods
— Lyra somewhere beside him… not a soldier, not a mortal
— Caelum kneeling as a sworn brother
— Aurel sitting on a throne of memory, feared by all
— and Aurel holding something in his hand — a girl — a face blurred — a kiss — a promise —
Aurel staggered back, gripping his head. "Stop— I can't—"
Lyra called his name and tried to pull him away — but Caelum lifted his hand and the chamber sealed her away behind a barrier.
"Let him remember," Caelum said.
Lyra slammed her fists against the barrier. "You're killing him!"
Caelum didn't even look at her. "He needs to see who he really is. And then he will choose."
Aurel gasped as the mirror showed more:
— Aurel refusing to erase memories of mortals who loved each other
— Gods demanding obedience
— Caelum pleading with him
— Aurel choosing mortals over gods
— And then—
Caelum stabbing Aurel through the heart.
Aurel fell to his knees.
Lyra screamed his name.
Caelum lowered the mirror, breathing hard — sweat on his brow.
"You see now why the gods erased you?" Caelum whispered. "Because you challenged them. You loved mortals. You believed memory mattered. You believed the forgotten deserved justice."
He walked to Aurel and leaned close.
"The gods are preparing to destroy the world again. Because too many mortals remember things they shouldn't. And the only one who can stop them… is you."
Lyra froze. "You're… helping us?"
Caelum turned, eyes wet with something like exhaustion. "I betrayed him once. I won't do it again."
Aurel forced himself up, trembling. "Then remove the seal completely. Restore everything."
Caelum hesitated.
"I can," he said slowly, "but the price is—"
The entire chamber exploded with divine lightning before he could finish.
Caelum was thrown across the room. The barrier shattering freed Lyra, who rushed to Aurel. Another gate of blinding light burst open.
And someone stepped through.
Not a Guardian.
Not a god.
A woman — tall, dressed in ceremonial armor, eyes glowing with golden authority.
Lyra gasped. "High Judge Seraphine of the Pantheon…"
Aurel didn't know her — but his body reacted with instinctive fear.
Caelum coughed blood. "No… no, not her…"
Seraphine's voice echoed like a verdict. "Caelum, you have violated the divine decree by awakening the Erased One."
She raised her palm — and Caelum was lifted choking into the air.
Lyra ran toward him — but Seraphine froze her in mid-step.
"Let the traitor die."
She tightened her grip — Caelum screamed.
Aurel roared, swinging his sword — a wave of memory energy tearing across the hall. Seraphine dropped Caelum and blocked the attack with her shield effortlessly.
"You are not awakened enough to face me."
Her eyes turned to Aurel — emotionless, merciless.
"You must never remember. The world already trembles at your partial awakening. If you reclaim everything… reality will collapse."
She raised a spear of judgment — aimed not at Aurel…
…but at Lyra.
Caelum pushed up desperately, blood pouring from his mouth. "Aurel — don't save her! It's what she wants!"
Aurel froze.
Lyra's eyes widened in horror — "NO! Aurel, don't listen to him!"
Caelum shouted, voice cracking, "She is not who you think she is! There is something she hasn't told you! She—"
But Seraphine struck him unconscious with a wave of divine energy before he could finish.
And then Aurel made the mistake of hesitating.
Seraphine used that second.
She grabbed Lyra by the throat and opened a radiant rift.
Lyra struggled, tears streaming. "Aurel… please—"
Aurel sprinted — reaching out — fingertips inches from hers —
The rift closed.
Lyra vanished.
Aurel collapsed to his knees.
Seraphine wiped blood off her spear calmly. "One warning, Erased One: If you awaken fully, she dies. If you resist your past, she lives."
She stepped through a portal of light and disappeared — taking Lyra with her.
The chamber fell silent.
Dust settled.
Then Caelum stirred — blood pooling beneath him — staring at Aurel with hollow eyes.
"Aurel… listen to me…"
Aurel didn't look up.
Caelum whispered, voice shaking, "The Pantheon did not take Lyra to kill her."
Aurel's fist clenched.
Caelum forced the last word through his cracked lips —
"They took her… because she is the key to destroying you."
The torches blew out.
Darkness swallowed the chamber.
The manor doors groaned shut behind them, dust falling like ash. Aurel scanned the dark hall, the cold marble floor cracked with age. The once–grand chandeliers hung like skeletons, and every shadow felt alive — as if the walls themselves remembered every whisper spoken inside them.
Lyra leaned against the molding, catching her breath. The escape from the library left her exhausted, but she still forced a smirk. "You know… for once, can we hide somewhere nice? A cottage? Flowers? A bakery?"
Aurel forced a shallow laugh. "Next time I'll pick somewhere with cookies."
But the humor didn't hide the truth.
Something was wrong here.
Not just with the world outside — the sky stuck between night and day — but here, inside the manor. Aurel could feel eyes watching them, though the hall was empty.
"We should rest," he said, though he knew sleep wouldn't come. "Just for a moment."
Lyra nodded and pushed open the next door — a grand dining room with an enormous table covered in faded lace. When she stepped forward, she froze.
"Aurel."
There were footprints in the dust.
Not old — fresh.
Someone had walked across this room minutes ago.
Aurel drew the glowing sword slowly. "We're not alone."
Lyra whispered, "Where? I don't see anyone."
They moved carefully, following the footprints — across the carpet, up the broken stairs, and toward a wide corridor lined with tall windows and torn curtains. Halfway down the corridor, the footprints suddenly stopped, as if the person vanished into air.
"That's impossible," Lyra murmured.
Aurel crouched and touched the dusty floor — and something unusual caught his eye. Under the dust, faint lines — circular carvings — like engravings on stone.
He wiped more.
A symbol emerged. Not random.
A sigil from the age of gods.
One only he should've known — though he didn't understand why he knew.
"It's a seal," he whispered. "A memory seal."
Lyra frowned. "Like the one that erased your identity?"
"No." Aurel traced the lines with his fingers, and the floor vibrated faintly. "This one hides… a place. A room beneath the manor."
He pressed his palm flat.
The sigil ignited.
The floor rumbled.
And the entire corridor split open, stone sliding apart like a puzzle.
Lyra stumbled back, eyes wide. "Aurel—"
A staircase formed, spiraling into darkness.
Aurel stepped back, sword raised. "Someone already opened it before us. That's why the footprints end here."
That meant someone was down there now.
Lyra swallowed hard. "We have to follow, don't we?"
Aurel nodded.
They descended the spiral steps — each one carved with ancient writing that flickered alive as Aurel passed. He didn't understand the language, yet he knew exactly what every word meant.
Lyra whispered, "You're remembering things."
He didn't answer.
The stairs opened into a vast circular chamber. The walls were carved with murals — battles, gods, stars — and in the center rested a stone table covered with glowing fragments of crystal and dusty scrolls.
And someone sat in front of the table — back facing them.
Aurel tightened his grip. "Turn around."
The person didn't move at first.
Then slowly, they rose — a tall figure in a tattered cloak. When they turned, Lyra gasped.
It was a young man — pale, sharp-eyed, maybe a little older than Aurel, and holding a golden staff. His expression was calm. Too calm.
"I was waiting for you, Aurel."
Aurel exchanged a glance with Lyra. "Who are you?"
The young man smiled — a quiet, almost gentle smile that didn't match the tension in the air.
"I've been called many names. But for you… call me Caelum."
Lyra whispered, "Are you a god?"
He shook his head. "I'm worse than a god."
He walked toward the stone table and placed a hand on a cracked scroll.
"You don't remember anything."
Not mocking — stating.
Aurel stepped closer. "Why do you know me?"
Caelum didn't look up. "Because I'm the reason your memories were taken."
Lyra reached for her dagger — but Caelum raised two fingers and the blade flew from her grip.
"Don't react with fear," Caelum said softly. "The truth will hurt more than I ever can."
He unrolled the scroll — revealing an ancient image:
Aurel, seated on a massive throne of crystal towers… and Caelum standing beside him.
Lyra staggered. "You ruled together?"
Caelum nodded. "We weren't enemies. We were brothers."
Aurel clenched his jaw — disbelief, fear, rage tangled together. "If that's true, why betray me?"
Caelum finally met his eyes — and for the first time, pain flickered.
"Because you were never meant to exist. You possessed the power to remind the world of everything gods wanted erased. Your very existence was taboo. The gods ordered you erased… and I obeyed."
Lyra took a step closer to Aurel, defensive. "And now you're sorry?"
Caelum laughed — humorless, hollow. "No. I came to finish what I began."
The chamber trembled — runes glowing across the walls.
Lyra grabbed Aurel's arm, whispering, "It's a trap—"
But Aurel didn't move. He stared straight at Caelum.
"If you wanted to kill me," Aurel said, "you would have done it already."
"I don't want to kill you," Caelum replied. "I want you to remember."
He lifted his staff and slammed it into the ground.
The runes flashed — and a circular section of the floor lifted into the air, revealing a glowing mirror-like surface — not glass, not water — memory made visible.
Aurel saw images begin to form:
— himself leading armies of forgotten gods
— Lyra somewhere beside him… not a soldier, not a mortal
— Caelum kneeling as a sworn brother
— Aurel sitting on a throne of memory, feared by all
— and Aurel holding something in his hand — a girl — a face blurred — a kiss — a promise —
Aurel staggered back, gripping his head. "Stop— I can't—"
Lyra called his name and tried to pull him away — but Caelum lifted his hand and the chamber sealed her away behind a barrier.
"Let him remember," Caelum said.
Lyra slammed her fists against the barrier. "You're killing him!"
Caelum didn't even look at her. "He needs to see who he really is. And then he will choose."
Aurel gasped as the mirror showed more:
— Aurel refusing to erase memories of mortals who loved each other
— Gods demanding obedience
— Caelum pleading with him
— Aurel choosing mortals over gods
— And then—
Caelum stabbing Aurel through the heart.
Aurel fell to his knees.
Lyra screamed his name.
Caelum lowered the mirror, breathing hard — sweat on his brow.
"You see now why the gods erased you?" Caelum whispered. "Because you challenged them. You loved mortals. You believed memory mattered. You believed the forgotten deserved justice."
He walked to Aurel and leaned close.
"The gods are preparing to destroy the world again. Because too many mortals remember things they shouldn't. And the only one who can stop them… is you."
Lyra froze. "You're… helping us?"
Caelum turned, eyes wet with something like exhaustion. "I betrayed him once. I won't do it again."
Aurel forced himself up, trembling. "Then remove the seal completely. Restore everything."
Caelum hesitated.
"I can," he said slowly, "but the price is—"
The entire chamber exploded with divine lightning before he could finish.
Caelum was thrown across the room. The barrier shattering freed Lyra, who rushed to Aurel. Another gate of blinding light burst open.
And someone stepped through.
Not a Guardian.
Not a god.
A woman — tall, dressed in ceremonial armor, eyes glowing with golden authority.
Lyra gasped. "High Judge Seraphine of the Pantheon…"
Aurel didn't know her — but his body reacted with instinctive fear.
Caelum coughed blood. "No… no, not her…"
Seraphine's voice echoed like a verdict. "Caelum, you have violated the divine decree by awakening the Erased One."
She raised her palm — and Caelum was lifted choking into the air.
Lyra ran toward him — but Seraphine froze her in mid-step.
"Let the traitor die."
She tightened her grip — Caelum screamed.
Aurel roared, swinging his sword — a wave of memory energy tearing across the hall. Seraphine dropped Caelum and blocked the attack with her shield effortlessly.
"You are not awakened enough to face me."
Her eyes turned to Aurel — emotionless, merciless.
"You must never remember. The world already trembles at your partial awakening. If you reclaim everything… reality will collapse."
She raised a spear of judgment — aimed not at Aurel…
…but at Lyra.
Caelum pushed up desperately, blood pouring from his mouth. "Aurel — don't save her! It's what she wants!"
Aurel froze.
Lyra's eyes widened in horror — "NO! Aurel, don't listen to him!"
Caelum shouted, voice cracking, "She is not who you think she is! There is something she hasn't told you! She—"
But Seraphine struck him unconscious with a wave of divine energy before he could finish.
And then Aurel made the mistake of hesitating.
Seraphine used that second.
She grabbed Lyra by the throat and opened a radiant rift.
Lyra struggled, tears streaming. "Aurel… please—"
Aurel sprinted — reaching out — fingertips inches from hers —
The rift closed.
Lyra vanished.
Aurel collapsed to his knees.
Seraphine wiped blood off her spear calmly. "One warning, Erased One: If you awaken fully, she dies. If you resist your past, she lives."
She stepped through a portal of light and disappeared — taking Lyra with her.
The chamber fell silent.
Dust settled.
Then Caelum stirred — blood pooling beneath him — staring at Aurel with hollow eyes.
"Aurel… listen to me…"
Aurel didn't look up.
Caelum whispered, voice shaking, "The Pantheon did not take Lyra to kill her."
Aurel's fist clenched.
Caelum forced the last word through his cracked lips —
"They took her… because she is the key to destroying you."
The torches blew out.
Darkness swallowed the chamber.