Chapter 21: THE AWAKENING OF THE ABYSS II
The moment the golden light faded, Kaito stood alone in the vast, unyielding darkness of the Hall of Memory, his body trembling with the weight of what he had just unleashed.
His hands, still glowing faintly with the energy of the chains, hovered before him. His past self—the warrior who had sealed this power away—stood in front of him, his expression unreadable.
The air around them hummed, thick with the remnants of an ancient force now stirred. Kaito could feel it within him, a slow, steady pulse, as though his very blood had been replaced with something far older, far darker.
Kaito's heart raced. His past self, now more of a specter than a person, raised his head slightly, his golden eyes reflecting a sadness that Kaito had never seen before.
"You have taken it," the figure whispered, his voice heavy with the weight of centuries. "You have taken the very essence of what you were, and in doing so, you have awakened the thing that cannot be forgotten."
Kaito's throat tightened. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice barely more than a rasp.
The past Kaito lifted his hand slowly, pointing to the endless, shifting chains that hovered around them, glowing with that same eerie, golden light.
"You think you've simply reclaimed your memories, your power. But you've done more than that. You've stirred something far worse."
The chains began to tremble, and Kaito felt it—an unnatural chill that crawled beneath his skin, sinking deep into his bones. The air shifted, thickening as if something unseen was pressing against the walls of the hall.
He took a step back, his fingers curling into fists. "What is this? What did I awaken?"
His past self lowered his gaze, the golden light in his eyes dimming to a cold, almost regretful hue.