Serian stood before the Council, bowing his head as tradition demanded.
Behind his back, his fingers twitched—counting time. Controlling breath. Hiding nerves.
They praised him for his leadership.
They tasked him with leading the strike team into the Demon Citadel.
They called him their greatest weapon.
> But all he heard was:
"Puppet."
---
A Whispered Doubt
Later, in the empty corridors of the Grand Cathedral, Serian wandered alone.
He pressed his palm to a stained-glass window of the First Hero—supposedly him.
> "This… isn't right."
He clenched his jaw as another whisper echoed in his mind.
> "Do you know what they erased, Serian?"
He saw flashes again—two thrones.
A girl weeping.
A boy smiling as he walked into death.
And then… himself.
Split.
---
Secret Files
He broke into the restricted archives.
Guards outside never heard a sound—he had mastered silence, thanks to years of their training.
But he wasn't theirs.
Not anymore.
> Inside, he found the name.
"Project Twin Soul."
The documents were torn. Burned. But he read enough.
> Two souls.
One body.
Power divided.
Memories sealed.
> And a third presence… hidden even from the gods.
---
The Mask Slips
Serian returned to his room and stared at his reflection.
> "Am I Serian?"
"Or am I something… someone else entirely?"
And then, for the first time—
His reflection smiled before he did.
Just a flicker.
A twitch.
But it was enough.
He stepped back, shaking.
> "I'm being watched."
From within.
---
The Awakening Begins
Across the world, Malveth stirred from her near-death ritual.
She opened her eyes and whispered:
> "He's begun to break."
In the void, the Original Soul grinned from his throne.
> "Good. Soon… they'll both remember."
---