Chapter 191: Smile
Denzel couldn’t move.
The notification remained suspended before his eyes.
[Primary Objective Updated.]
[Remember who you are.]
[Failure Condition: Unknown.]
[Reward: Royal Authority.]
He stared at it.
Then at his parents and the other version of himself.
None of them looked surprised anymore. That was almost worse.
"You knew."
His father lowered his weapon.
"Denzel—"
"You knew."
His voice carried across the chamber. His mother said nothing.
"You all knew."
His chest burned.
[Royal Authority: 34%.]
"I spent my entire life thinking I was just..." He stopped.
His mother had erased his memories.
His father had helped.
And the person standing across from him claimed he was the original.
"What did you do to me?"
His father looked down.
"We gave you a life."
"You erased it."
"We had to."
"You keep saying that. Nobody has told me why."
His mother moved.
"Denzel."
He raised his dagger.
"Don’t."
Her eyes softened.
"You don’t understand."
"No."
His voice shook.
"I don’t."
He pointed at the other Denzel.
"So explain him."
The other Denzel smiled faintly.
"You want the truth?"
"I want something."
"Then ask him."
He nodded toward Denzel’s father.
"He was there when they made you."
Denzel’s gaze snapped toward his father.
"Made me?"
"Not like that."
"Then how?"
His father finally looked at him.
"You were born."
"Don’t play with me."
"I’m not."
"Then tell me what he meant."
His father glanced toward the other Denzel, hatred flickering across his expression.
"He was born before you."
Denzel froze.
The other Denzel smiled.
"Finally."
"Before me?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
"Seven years."
Denzel’s stomach tightened.
"If you’re older... how are we the same person?"
The other Denzel’s smile faded.
"We aren’t."
The answer hit harder than expected.
"Then why do you look like me?"
"Because you were made from me."
The chamber trembled.
A chunk of stone fell from the ceiling.
"We need to leave," his father said.
"Not until I get answers."
"We’re out of time."
"Then start talking faster."
His father stared at him.
"The Crown chose him first."
He pointed toward the other Denzel.
"He was the original bearer."
"The Royal Crown?"
"Yes."
Denzel looked down at the mark beneath his collarbone.
Seven circles.
Seven seals.
"Then why do I have it?"
"Because the Crown rejected him."
The other Denzel’s expression went cold.
"That’s not what happened."
His father ignored him.
"The Crown was unstable. Its power was too much for his body."
Denzel frowned.
"So you made me?"
"We tried to create a vessel."
His father’s voice lowered.
"A body capable of carrying what he couldn’t."
Denzel’s fingers went numb.
"So I’m a replacement."
"No."
"A container."
"No."
"A backup."
His father stepped forward.
"Denzel, you’re my son."
"Then why did you erase my memories?"
His father stopped.
His mother answered instead.
"Because he was waking up."
Denzel turned.
"Who?"
She looked at the other Denzel.
"Him."
The other Denzel smiled.
"I told you."
"When he began recovering his consciousness, the Crown reacted," she continued.
Denzel looked at the black crown floating above the other Denzel’s palm.
"So you erased me to stop him."
"No. We erased your memories so you wouldn’t become him."
"What does that mean?"
"You were never supposed to inherit his personality."
The other Denzel laughed.
"You call it personality?"
His mother ignored him.
"The Crown doesn’t only contain power. It contains memories, instincts, emotions..."
She hesitated.
"Identity."
Denzel’s face went pale.
"You mean..."
"You were born with your own mind," she said. "But the Crown carried pieces of him."
Denzel glanced toward the other Denzel.
"And if I remembered everything?"
"You would begin to merge."
The other Denzel smiled.
"That’s already happening."
Denzel looked at the notification.
[Royal Authority: 41%.]
The number was climbing.
Too quickly.
"You need to leave," his mother said.
"What?"
"Now."
"Why?"
"Because the seventh seal has fallen."
Another tremor shook the chamber. The floor split nearby, and something black moved beneath the cracks.
His father grabbed his arm.
"We’re leaving."
Denzel pulled away.
"What about him?"
The other Denzel stood completely still.
"He’s coming," his father said.
"Why?"
The other Denzel answered.
"Because the seals were never meant to hold me forever."
The remaining gates began collapsing one after another. The first. The second. Then the third.
Dust filled the chamber.
Denzel covered his face.
His mother moved toward him.
"Stay close."
He stared at her hand.
For a moment, he almost took it.
Then he remembered the memory.
Her voice.
Erase everything.
He stepped back.
"Don’t."
Her hand lowered.
The hurt in her eyes was immediate.
Denzel looked away.
He didn’t know whether she had betrayed him, saved him, or whether the memories inside his head were entirely his.
The fourth gate collapsed.
His father cursed.
"We have seconds."
"Then tell me one thing."
His father waited.
"Did you love me?"
His father froze.
The other Denzel stopped smiling.
Denzel swallowed.
"I don’t care about the Crown. I don’t care about him. I don’t care about any of this."
He looked directly at his father.
"Did you love me?"
His father slowly lowered his weapon.
"Every day."
Denzel’s chest tightened.
"I watched you grow."
His father’s voice was rough.
"I watched you take your first steps. I watched you fall. I watched you cry when you thought nobody could hear you."
Denzel’s eyes burned.
"I was there. Even when I couldn’t be."
"Then why didn’t you come back?"
"Because if I did, they would’ve found you."
His father continued.
"They were searching for the Crown. They would’ve killed you to get it."
Denzel looked toward his mother.
"Is that true?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
"Then why did you stay away?"
His father looked down.
"Because I had already failed one son."
The other Denzel’s amusement disappeared. Only something tired remained.
"You failed me?"
His father looked at him.
"I couldn’t save him."
The other Denzel looked away.
Another tremor shook the chamber.
The fifth gate collapsed. His father grabbed Denzel’s shoulder.
"Now."
They ran.
His mother followed.
The other Denzel remained behind.
Denzel glanced over his shoulder.
"He’s not coming."
"He will."
"How?"
His father didn’t answer.
They reached the sixth gate.
The massive stone doors were already cracking.
Heat suddenly spread through Denzel’s chest.
[Royal Authority: 52%.]
He stopped.
His father turned.
"Denzel!"
The seven circles beneath his collarbone were glowing.
Somewhere behind the final gate, something answered.
A pulse.
Then another, like a heartbeat.
"Do you hear that?"
His father went pale.
"Don’t."
"What?"
"Don’t listen."
But Denzel already could.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The sound wasn’t coming from the chamber.
It was coming from inside him.
His vision blurred.
A voice whispered through his mind.
Not his mother’s. Not his father’s. His own.
Except it wasn’t.
’Open it.’
Denzel stumbled backward.
"Get out of my head."
His father grabbed him.
"What did you hear?"
"Someone told me to open the gate."
"Who?"
Denzel didn’t answer.
Because he already knew.
The seventh gate.
The final seal.
The other Denzel.
His father pulled him toward the exit.
"Don’t listen to him."
"Why?"
"Because if you open that gate, you won’t be able to separate yourself from him."
Denzel looked back.
The seventh gate was almost completely gone.
Only a thin wall remained.
Behind it was darkness.
And two silver eyes.
Staring at him.
The other Denzel raised one hand.
"Come."
Denzel’s heartbeat accelerated.
His father pulled harder.
"Denzel!"
He looked at his father, then his mother. She was crying now.
She didn’t tell him to stay or come. She simply looked at him.
Like she already knew what he was about to choose.
Denzel took a slow breath.
Then stepped backward.
His father froze.
"Denzel?"
"I’m sorry."
He pulled his arm free.
Then walked toward the seventh gate.
"Denzel!"
His father moved after him.
His mother grabbed his arm.
"Don’t."
His father turned.
"What are you doing?"
She shook her head.
"Let him."
His mother wiped the tears from her face.
"For once..." She smiled sadly. "Let him choose."
Denzel stared at her, then turned toward the seventh gate.
The last piece of stone collapsed.
The other Denzel stood directly on the other side.
The older Denzel extended his hand.
"Do you want to know the truth?"
Denzel looked at his hand.
"Yes."
"Then take it."
Denzel hesitated.
His system flickered.
[Warning.]
[Foreign Royal Signature Detected.]
[Compatibility: 67%.]
[Integration recommended.]
Denzel’s eyes narrowed.
"Integration?"
The other Denzel smiled.
"Now you understand."
"What happens if I take your hand?"
"You’ll remember everything."
"And you?"
"I’ll remember too."
"So we’ll become one?"
The other Denzel shook his head.
"No."
He smiled.
"One of us will become the other."
Denzel’s heart stopped.
"Which one?"
The other Denzel’s eyes gleamed.
"That’s what we’re about to find out."
Denzel raised his hand. His fingers moved closer, then stopped.
He looked back at his father, who was shaking his head.
"No."
Then his mother. She said nothing.
Finally, he looked at himself beyond the gate.
Denzel lowered his hand.
"No."
The other Denzel’s smile disappeared.
"What?"
"I’m not taking your hand."
Denzel stepped forward.
"If you really are the original..."
He tightened his grip around his dagger.
"Then prove it."
The other Denzel stared at him.
"How?"
"Fight me."
His father shouted.
"Denzel!"
But Denzel didn’t look back.
The other Denzel slowly smiled. Not the playful smile from before, but something sharper. Genuine.
"Finally."
Black energy erupted around him.
The remaining darkness behind the gate exploded outward.
Denzel raised his dagger.
The mark on his chest burned.
[Royal Authority: 61%.]
The system appeared again.
[Host has rejected forced integration.]
[Alternative synchronization path detected.]
[Condition met.]
[Royal Crown Trial initiated.]
Denzel’s eyes widened.
[Trial Objective:]
[Defeat the Original.]
He stared at the words.
Then at the man standing across from him.
The other Denzel’s black crown expanded above his head.
His silver eyes burned.
"Let’s see..."
He took one step forward.
"...which one of us deserves the name."
Denzel raised his dagger.
For the first time since entering the chamber, he smiled.
It wasn’t a happy smile.
It was the kind of smile that came when fear finally stopped mattering.
"Come find out."