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.
"You awakened the Abyss. The same thing that I fought, the thing that I was forced to seal away. It is the hunger that devours worlds, the shadow that feeds on all things. It was never meant to be unleashed, but now… it stirs."
Kaito's heart skipped a beat. "The Abyss? Is that what I fought before? Is that what the rift was?"
The past Kaito nodded slowly, his voice bitter.
"Yes. The rift was but a doorway, a crack in the veil between our world and the one beyond. The Abyss was always there, waiting. And when I sealed my memories, I sealed the power that could hold it back. But I also trapped the key—the only thing capable of destroying it—for myself."
The truth slammed into Kaito's chest like a freight train. The memories he had fought so hard to reclaim were no longer just fragments of his identity. They were the remnants of a war, a battle against a force beyond comprehension.
A force that was now waking.
"How long… how long have I been gone?" Kaito asked, barely able to voice the question.
His past self's lips curled into a faint, regretful smile.
"Longer than you think. The Abyss has been sleeping for centuries, but it stirs now because you are here. The moment you unlocked the chains, you opened the doorway again. And now, it is coming for you."
Kaito's stomach churned. "Why me? Why not anyone else?"
The past Kaito's gaze softened, and for a brief moment, there was something human in his eyes—something that seemed to remember the man he had once been.
"Because you are the last who can stop it," he said quietly. "The Abyss is tied to your power, to your blood. It has always been within you, dormant, but now it is awakening. The chains were my only means of keeping it at bay. And now you must decide if you can end it, or if you will become the very thing you fear."
Kaito's hands shook at his sides. He was the key. He had always been the key. It was his power that had once sealed the Abyss away, but now that same power was threatening to unleash it.
He felt the weight of it pressing down on him, like an invisible hand gripping his chest, suffocating him. Every heartbeat was a reminder of the destruction he was about to face. But there was something else, something deeper, that gnawed at him—an unbearable urgency.
The Abyss was coming. He had to act.
"How do I stop it?" Kaito's voice was hoarse, strained. He knew the answer wouldn't be simple, but he needed to know. He needed to fight.
His past self's eyes narrowed, and for the first time, a flicker of fear crossed his face.
"There is no simple answer. The Abyss cannot be destroyed by mere strength, no matter how powerful you have become. It is beyond that. It is an infection—a plague of the mind and soul. To destroy it, you must be willing to sacrifice everything… even your humanity."
Kaito's breath hitched. "Sacrifice everything? You mean—"
The past Kaito cut him off.
"Yes. You will need to confront the very thing you fear most—the part of yourself that you sealed away. The Abyss is born of that fear. To stop it, you must embrace it. You must become one with the darkness in order to end it."
A cold shiver ran down Kaito's spine. The thought of embracing the very thing he had spent his entire life trying to forget made his stomach churn. But there was no other choice. The Abyss was already waking, spreading its corruption through the realm.
The weight of his decision loomed large before him. Could he truly accept the darkness within him? Could he become the very thing he had once feared?
Kaito's past self stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You must choose. But remember this—the moment you embrace it, you are no longer the person you once were. You will carry the Abyss within you. And the choice you make will decide the fate of the world."
Kaito stood motionless, his mind racing. Embrace the Abyss? Or destroy it? He had already rejected the past once. Could he truly accept it now, knowing what it might cost him?
He looked around the Hall of Memory, where the chains still hovered, waiting for his decision. There was no turning back now. The world would either fall into the Abyss, or he would.
And Kaito knew one thing for certain: he couldn't allow that to happen.
He took a deep breath and stepped forward, his hand stretching out toward the chains.
"I'll end this," Kaito whispered to himself, his voice low but resolute. "I'll end it."
As his fingers brushed against the chain, the golden energy surged once more, engulfing him in a wave of power and pain. The Abyss was awakening, but this time, he would control it.
The light burned brighter, the chains shattered into nothingness, and Kaito's mind was filled with an overwhelming sense of purpose. He had accepted his fate, embraced the darkness. But now, there was no turning back.
The Abyss was no longer just a threat. It was his burden to bear.
And Kaito would bear it, no matter the cost.