Kai stood alone.
The door behind him had vanished.
No Vex.
No Mei.
No Luca.
No Mateo.
No Freya.
Only darkness.
Then—
"Kai…"
He froze.
That voice.
Vex.
Kai turned toward the sound.
"Vex?"
No answer.
He took a careful step forward.
"Kai…"
This time, the voice came from somewhere closer.
Kai's grip tightened around his badge.
"Where are you?"
"Behind you."
Kai spun around.
Nothing.
His heart hammered.
Then a quiet laugh echoed through the darkness.
Kai immediately realized something.
That wasn't Vex.
It was the Game.
The darkness suddenly lit up.
Kai found himself standing in a massive circular chamber. Hundreds of doors covered the walls, each one identical.
Above them, glowing numbers appeared.
01
02
03
04
...
The numbers continued until they reached 100.
A voice echoed from the ceiling.
"WELCOME TO THE MEMORY VAULT."
Kai looked around.
"What is this?"
"EVERY PLAYER HAS A MEMORY THEY FEAR LOSING."
The doors began opening one after another.
Behind each door were scenes.
A childhood home.
A school.
A family.
A familiar street.
Places that should have been comforting.
But something was wrong.
The scenes were completely silent.
Kai approached one door.
Inside, he saw himself walking through a familiar hallway.
He watched himself stop.
Then turn around.
There was nobody there.
Yet the younger version of Kai suddenly whispered:
"You're going to forget them."
Kai stepped back.
"No."
The door slammed shut.
Another opened.
Vex appeared inside.
He was standing alone.
Kai rushed toward the door.
"Vex!"
The moment he touched it—
The scene vanished.
A new message appeared.
MEMORY 01: TRUST
Kai stared at the words.
Then another message appeared.
MEMORY 02: FEAR
MEMORY 03: LOSS
MEMORY 04: BETRAYAL
Kai's expression changed.
"Four."
The fourth.
The Game was showing him exactly what it wanted him to see.
A fifth door opened.
Inside was Mei.
She was standing in the middle of a dark room.
A shadow stood behind her.
Kai immediately reached for the door.
"MEI!"
She turned.
Her eyes widened.
"Kai?"
Kai grabbed the handle.
But the door wouldn't open.
Mei's voice became frantic.
"Kai, don't trust the Guardian!"
Kai froze.
"What?"
The shadow behind her moved closer.
Mei shouted again.
"THE FOURTH IS LYING!"
The room suddenly went black.
Kai stepped away from the door.
"Mei!"
Silence.
Then the Game spoke.
"DO YOU BELIEVE HER?"
Kai stared at the door.
He didn't know.
That was the worst part.
The Game wasn't asking him to fight.
It was asking him to doubt.
Kai closed his eyes.
"I don't have to decide yet."
The chamber became completely silent.
Then—
"INCORRECT."
The floor beneath Kai disappeared.
He fell.
But instead of hitting the ground, he landed inside another memory.
He looked around.
Vex stood several meters away.
Kai ran toward him.
"Vex!"
Vex turned.
"Kai."
Kai stopped.
Something was wrong.
Vex's eyes were glowing faintly red.
"You shouldn't have come here," Vex said.
Kai slowly stepped backward.
"You're not Vex."
Vex smiled.
"No."
The illusion dissolved.
The Fourth Guardian stood in front of Kai.
His red eyes glowed in the darkness.
"You are learning."
Kai raised his badge.
"Where are my friends?"
The Guardian pointed behind him.
A massive door appeared.
"They are waiting."
Kai stared at the door.
"Are they real?"
The Guardian smiled.
"That is the question."
Kai took a deep breath.
He stepped toward the door.
Then stopped.
"If you want me to doubt them..."
He turned back.
"...you've already lost."
The Guardian's smile disappeared.
The chamber shook violently.
For the first time, the Fourth Guardian looked angry.
Kai raised his badge.
Its symbol began glowing brighter than ever.
And from somewhere beyond the walls came a familiar voice.
Not Vex.
Not Mei.
Not the Game.
The First Guardian.
"KAI! DON'T OPEN THE DOOR!"
Kai's eyes widened.
The Fourth Guardian suddenly lunged.
Kai jumped aside.
The Guardian's hand struck the floor, cracking the stone.
Kai rolled away and grabbed the nearest glowing symbol.
The moment he touched it—
FLASH!
The entire Memory Vault disappeared.
Kai was thrown into darkness again.
But this time...
he heard footsteps.
Several pairs.
Running toward him.
"Kai!"
Vex.
"Where are you?!"
Mei.
"KAI!"
Luca.
Kai smiled for the first time.
They were real.
Or at least...
he hoped they were.
The darkness cleared.
His friends stood in front of him.
But there was one problem.
There were six of them.
Kai counted again.
Vex.
Mei.
Luca.
Mateo.
Freya.
And one more figure standing silently at the back.
Kai's smile disappeared.
The figure slowly lifted its head.
It had Kai's face.
And it whispered:
"You forgot me."
To Be Continued...