The light swallowed them. Arjun expected another universe. Another battlefield. Another impossible revelation. Instead, he opened his eyes to sunlight. Real sunlight. Warm. Soft. Almost ordinary. He was standing in a small garden. There was a wooden house behind him. A narrow road stretched beyond the garden gate. Birds were singing. Somewhere nearby, a child was laughing. Nox opened his eyes beside him. He looked around. “Dad?” Arjun smiled. “We're still here.” Eli appeared a few steps away. He stared at the house. “Is this the world from before?” Arjun shook his head. “No.” Elias stepped through the light behind them. He looked at the house for several seconds. Then his expression changed. “I know this place.” Arjun turned. “You've been here?” “No.” Elias looked confused. “I remember it.” Arjun frowned. “Those aren't the same thing.” “I know.” Elias walked toward the house. “This is a memory.” Nox followed. “Whose?” Elias didn't answer. Arjun

The path continued beneath a quiet morning sky. Arjun walked ahead. Nox stayed beside him. Eli followed quietly, while Elias remained a few steps behind. No one spoke. For once, there was no destination waiting for them. No prophecy. No System. No countdown. Just a road. Nox finally broke the silence. “Dad.” Arjun looked at him. “Yes?” “Do you remember everything?” Arjun thought about the question. “Not everything.” Nox smiled. “Good.” “Why?” “Because remembering everything sounds exhausting.” Arjun laughed. “You're probably right.” They continued walking. After some time, Eli stopped. Arjun turned. “What happened?” Eli was staring at the ground. “There are footprints.” Arjun looked down. Several footprints crossed the road. They were small. Barefoot. And they disappeared into the trees. Nox crouched beside them. “Someone was here.” Elias looked toward the forest. “Recently.” Arjun studied the footprints. Something about them felt familiar. Not b

The golden light hovered above the table.Arjun stared at it.A face slowly formed inside the light.A young man.Dark hair.Sharp eyes.A familiar expression.Arjun's breath caught.He knew that face.Not from a memory.Not from another version of himself.From somewhere deeper.Elias stepped backward.“No…”Nox looked at him.“You know him?”Elias didn't answer.The face became clearer.The young man looked directly at Arjun.Then he spoke.“Do you remember me?”Arjun's mind went blank.“No.”The young man's expression softened.“That's what they wanted.”Arjun stepped closer.“Who are you?”The light flickered.The young man looked toward Elias.Elias finally spoke.“His name was Kael.”Arjun turned.“Was?”Elias swallowed.“Kael was the first person who discovered the memory layer.”Nox frowned.“What memory layer?”“The place where forgotten possibilities remain.”Arjun stared at the face.“Then why don't I remember him?”Elias looked at him.“Because your mother asked me to make

The message remained suspended in the darkness.FIRST DEATH: SELF-CAUSED.PURPOSE: UNKNOWN.Arjun stared at it.He had faced dying before.He had faced monsters, collapsing worlds, ancient civilizations, creators, observers, and versions of himself.But this was different.If the message was true, then the first death of his life had not been caused by an enemy.It had been caused by himself.Nox stood beside him.“Dad…”Arjun didn't answer.Elias looked away.Kael's face remained visible inside the golden light.Arjun finally spoke.“What does self-caused mean?”Kael was silent for several seconds.“It means you were there.”“That doesn't answer me.”“It means the person who caused your first death looked like you.”Arjun's eyes narrowed.“My older self.”Kael nodded.“The version you saw.”Nox stepped forward.“Why would Dad kill himself?”Kael shook his head.“He didn't.”Arjun looked confused.“You just said my first death was self-caused.”“Your death was.”Kael's voice became qu