Chapter 189: The Other Denzel
Denzel couldn’t breathe.
He stared at the figure standing beyond the seventh gate.
His face.
His eyes.
His crown.
Everything about it was wrong.
Not because it looked unfamiliar.
Because it didn’t.
It looked exactly like him.
The same silver eyes.
The same sharp features.
Even the faint scar beneath its left eye was there.
A scar Denzel had received years ago.
Except the thing standing before him looked older.
Not by much.
Maybe five years.
Maybe ten.
But enough to make the difference terrifying.
Denzel slowly rose to his feet.
His father remained beside him, weapon raised.
"You know him."
It wasn’t a question.
His father didn’t answer.
Denzel glanced toward him.
"You know what that thing is."
Still nothing.
"Of course you do."
The other Denzel smiled.
"You’ve always been impatient."
Denzel’s fingers tightened around his dagger.
"Who the hell are you?"
The figure tilted its head.
"You."
"Wrong answer."
"Is it?"
The creature stepped forward.
Its foot crossed the threshold of the seventh gate.
The entire chamber trembled.
Denzel instinctively raised his dagger.
His father moved in front of him.
"Stay behind me."
Denzel stared at his back.
"You’re really doing that?"
"What?"
"Protective father act."
His father glanced over his shoulder.
"This isn’t the time."
"Funny. You disappeared for most of my life. Now suddenly you’re interested in keeping me alive."
His father’s expression tightened.
"I never stopped."
Denzel’s jaw clenched.
He wanted to respond.
But the other Denzel laughed.
A quiet laugh.
Almost identical to his own.
"He’s telling the truth."
Denzel’s head snapped toward him.
"What?"
"He never stopped watching you."
The figure took another step.
"He just couldn’t reach you."
Denzel looked at his father.
"Is that true?"
His father didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
Denzel’s eyes narrowed.
"So you were watching me?"
"I had no choice."
"Everyone seems to have an excuse."
His father lowered his weapon slightly.
"Denzel, listen to me."
"No."
Denzel stepped around him.
"You’ve spent enough time telling me what I can’t know."
The other Denzel smiled.
"Good."
His father immediately raised his weapon again.
"Don’t listen to him."
"Why?"
"Because he knows exactly what to say."
Denzel looked at the figure.
"Then let’s hear it."
The creature’s smile widened.
"Do you remember the night your mother disappeared?"
Denzel froze.
A memory flashed.
Rain.
A wooden door.
His mother standing in front of him.
Her hands trembling.
"Don’t be afraid."
Another flash.
Her face.
She was crying.
But smiling.
"Whatever happens, remember that I loved you."
Denzel’s breathing became uneven.
"No."
The figure continued.
"You were six."
Denzel’s head throbbed.
"You were six years old when they came for her."
"Stop."
"Your father fought them."
"Stop."
"He killed three royal guards."
"Shut up."
"He almost died."
Denzel’s vision blurred.
His mother screamed.
His father was covered in blood.
A black crown appeared above the house.
Then—
Nothing.
The memory vanished.
Denzel staggered.
His father grabbed him.
"Enough."
Denzel shoved him away.
"You knew."
His father remained silent.
"You knew this happened."
"I did."
"And you never told me."
"You weren’t ready."
Denzel laughed bitterly.
"Apparently I’m never ready."
The other Denzel watched them.
Then he spoke again.
"Because the truth isn’t that your mother disappeared."
Denzel looked toward him.
"She was taken."
His father immediately interrupted.
"Don’t."
The figure smiled.
"She was taken by the people who feared what you would become."
Denzel’s eyes narrowed.
"What was I supposed to become?"
The figure pointed toward the black mark beneath Denzel’s collarbone.
"That."
The seven circles began glowing.
Denzel looked down.
The mark had changed.
There was now a thin line connecting each circle.
Seven gates.
Seven seals.
Seven pieces of something he didn’t understand.
[Bloodline Synchronization: 18%.]
Denzel’s eyes widened.
"What the hell is happening?"
His father stared at the mark.
"The Crown is recognizing its host."
"The Crown?"
"You."
Denzel looked up.
"I don’t have a crown."
His father shook his head.
"You’ve been carrying it since birth."
The other Denzel chuckled.
"He’s lying again."
Denzel looked between them.
"Which one of you is telling the truth?"
Neither answered.
"Fantastic."
The other Denzel raised a hand.
The darkness behind him moved.
Something massive shifted beyond the gates.
Denzel instinctively stepped back.
The figure spoke.
"You’ve been asking the wrong question."
"What should I ask?"
"Not what the Crown is."
It pointed toward Denzel’s chest.
"Ask who put it there."
Denzel’s heart skipped.
His father’s expression changed.
"Denzel, don’t listen."
"Why?"
"Because you’ll open something you can’t close."
Denzel stared at him.
"You said that before."
His father went still.
"When?"
Denzel frowned.
The memory was already slipping away.
"I don’t know."
The system chimed.
[Foreign Memory Detected.]
[Memory fragment rejected.]
[Reason: Host resistance.]
Denzel stared at the notification.
’Host resistance?’
He hadn’t consciously resisted anything.
Yet something inside him had.
Something that didn’t want him remembering.
The other Denzel smiled.
"See?"
Denzel looked at him.
"What?"
"You’re already fighting yourself."
The figure touched its chest.
A black crown appeared above its palm.
Denzel’s eyes widened.
It was identical to the one from his memory.
The same shape.
The same seven points.
But unlike the memory, this crown wasn’t floating.
It was alive.
Dark energy crawled across it like veins.
Denzel’s own chest burned.
[Royal Authority: 8%.]
[Royal Authority: 12%.]
[Royal Authority: 19%.]
His father stepped backward.
"No."
Denzel looked at him.
"What?"
"The synchronization is happening too quickly."
The other Denzel smiled.
"Because he’s finally awake."
Denzel’s body stiffened.
"Awake?"
The creature nodded.
"You’ve spent your entire life sleeping."
"I’ve been awake my entire life."
"No."
Its smile disappeared.
"That wasn’t you."
Denzel’s stomach dropped.
"What do you mean?"
The figure’s eyes turned cold.
"The person you’ve been calling Denzel isn’t the original."
Silence.
Denzel stared.
His father closed his eyes.
"Denzel..."
"No."
Denzel turned toward him.
"Tell me he’s lying."
His father said nothing.
"Tell me."
Nothing.
Denzel’s hand trembled.
The dagger nearly slipped from his fingers.
"Who am I?"
His father finally opened his eyes.
"You are Denzel."
"That’s not what I asked."
His father’s voice was quiet.
"You are my son."
"Then why does he look like me?"
"Because..."
His father stopped.
The other Denzel answered for him.
"Because he is what you were supposed to become."
Denzel looked back.
The figure slowly approached.
Every step caused the floor beneath it to crack.
"You were created to contain me."
Denzel’s eyes widened.
"What?"
"I was the original."
The figure pointed toward itself.
"You were the vessel."
Denzel’s mind went blank.
A vessel.
Created.
Contain him.
The words didn’t make sense.
His entire life suddenly felt like a story someone else had written.
His childhood.
His memories.
His mother.
His father.
Even his name.
’Then what the hell am I?’
The system suddenly flickered.
[Identity Conflict Detected.]
[Resolving...]
[Warning.]
[Two compatible royal signatures detected.]
Denzel’s breathing stopped.
Two?
The other Denzel smiled.
"Now you understand."
The seventh gate began collapsing.
His father immediately grabbed Denzel’s arm.
"We’re leaving."
Denzel pulled against him.
"No."
"We don’t have time."
"I need answers."
"You’ll die if you stay."
Denzel looked at the other version of himself.
It wasn’t attacking.
It was simply standing there.
Waiting.
Almost patiently.
"Why isn’t he attacking?"
His father didn’t answer.
"Why?"
The other Denzel answered instead.
"Because I don’t need to."
The chamber shook violently.
Cracks spread across the ceiling.
The first gate collapsed.
Then the second.
Denzel stared.
"What happens now?"
His father tightened his grip.
"The seals are failing."
"And him?"
The other Denzel smiled.
"He’ll come with us."
Denzel frowned.
"Where?"
"Home."
The word echoed through the chamber.
Home.
Denzel didn’t know why.
But something inside his chest reacted.
A strange warmth.
A feeling of recognition.
Then—
A woman’s voice echoed through the chamber.
"Denzel."
His father froze.
Denzel’s eyes widened.
He knew that voice.
Even though he hadn’t heard it in years.
"Mom?"
The darkness behind the first gate shifted.
A figure appeared.
A woman.
Long dark hair.
Pale skin.
Blood covering her white dress.
She looked older than the woman in Denzel’s memories.
But there was no mistaking her.
His mother.
She looked directly at him.
And smiled.
"My baby."
Denzel’s entire body went rigid.
His father whispered,
"No..."
His mother raised one hand.
"Don’t listen to him."
Denzel stared.
"Mom..."
"Come to me."
The other Denzel’s expression suddenly changed.
For the first time, the confidence disappeared.
He looked afraid.
"Don’t."
Denzel turned toward him.
"What?"
"Don’t go to her."
His mother smiled.
"Why wouldn’t he?"
The chamber fell silent.
Denzel looked between them.
His father.
The other Denzel.
His mother.
Three people who apparently knew the truth.
Three people who had lied to him.
The system chimed again.
[Foreign Memory Detected.]
[Source identified.]
[Royal Mother.]
[Memory restoration forced.]
Denzel’s vision blurred.
A memory appeared.
His mother holding him as a baby.
His father standing beside her.
Seven people kneeling before them.
A crown floating above Denzel’s infant body.
Then his mother whispered something.
Denzel couldn’t hear it.
The memory distorted.
Another scene appeared.
His mother standing over the other Denzel.
He was older.
Blood covered his hands.
She was crying.
"You were never supposed to wake up."
The other Denzel smiled.
"You knew this day would come."
Then the memory changed again.
His father holding Denzel.
His mother screaming.
"Erase everything."
His father hesitated.
"Even his identity?"
"Everything."
"Then he’ll forget us."
His mother closed her eyes.
"That’s the point."
Denzel’s eyes snapped open.
He gasped.
His mother was still standing beyond the gate.
The other Denzel was staring at him.
His father looked broken.
Denzel slowly lowered his dagger.
"Mom..."
She smiled.
"Yes?"
His voice trembled.
"You erased me."
Her smile vanished.
The entire chamber went silent.
Denzel stared at her.
"You erased my memories."
His mother didn’t deny it.
She simply looked at him.
"I saved you."
Denzel laughed.
A small, broken sound.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
His chest burned.
[Royal Authority: 31%.]
His eyes turned silver.
His mother took a step forward.
"Denzel."
He raised his dagger.
"Don’t come any closer."
She stopped.
For the first time, fear appeared in her eyes.
Not fear of him.
Fear for him.
That frightened Denzel even more.
Because whatever had happened before...
Whatever he had forgotten...
His mother wasn’t afraid of what he would do to her.
She was afraid of what he would become.
Behind her, the seventh gate began collapsing completely.
The other Denzel looked at him.
"Now you remember enough."
Denzel’s gaze hardened.
"Enough for what?"
The figure smiled.
"To choose."
The system chimed.
[Royal Memory Restoration: 100%.]
[Restoration complete.]
[All sealed memories have been recovered.]
Denzel froze.
Then a final notification appeared.
[Primary Objective Updated.]
[Remember who you are.]
[Failure Condition: Unknown.]
[Reward: Royal Authority.]
Denzel stared at the words.
Then slowly looked at the three people standing before him.
His father.
His mother.
And himself.
For the first time in his life, he realized something.
He had spent years trying to discover who he was.
But perhaps that had been the wrong question all along.
The real question was—
Who had he been before they made him forget?