Shadows of the Past and the Buried Truth

The wind howled fiercely atop Mount Sambo. The once-dark sky gradually turned into a deep purple, swirling with chaotic energy that shimmered like scattered stars.

Kaelan stood, his breath ragged, his right hand still gripping the glowing sword that was now losing its radiance. His wounds reopened, blood trickling from his temple and the corner of his lips.

Yet, the pain wasn't what disturbed him the most—it was the figure standing before him.

Anya.

Or… was she still Anya?

She stood there, blue flames flickering in her palm, her golden eyes gleaming like two miniature suns piercing through the darkness. The aura surrounding her was no longer that of a human—it was something stronger—something ancient.

Kaelan could feel it.

And it made his skin crawl.

Beside them, Zero smiled in satisfaction.

"At last," he murmured, almost like a whisper. "You have returned."

Anya stared at him expressionlessly. Her eyes were empty, like two voids leading into nothingness.

Kaelan swallowed hard.

Was Anya still herself?

Or had Nasha completely taken over her body?

—

Memories Awakening

Suddenly, something inside Anya's mind began to spin.

Memories that weren't hers.

Fragments of a life she had never lived—yet felt incredibly real.

She saw herself walking through the ruins of an ancient city, beneath a sky filled with golden clouds. Before her, a man stood, gazing at her with an emotion that was difficult to describe.

Zero.

But in that memory, she didn't call him Zero.

She called him Zerachiel.

"I don't want to destroy the world," Zero's voice from the past echoed clearly. "I just want to rebuild something better."

"But by destroying everything?" Nasha—or rather, her own voice—replied coldly.

"This world is already rotten," Zerachiel said. "The gods have failed. I'm just giving the world a second chance."

"But this is not the way, Zerachiel," Nasha shook her head in the memory. "And you know I won't let you do this."

Zero smiled faintly. "I know."

And then, they fought.

It was a battle that destroyed the old world.

—

Anya gasped as she returned to the present. She was still standing on the mountain peak, but now her mind was flooded with images of a past that had long been buried.

She looked at Zero.

She remembered everything.

She remembered who she was.

And more importantly…

She remembered the truth that had been hidden all along.

—

The Lie That Was Unveiled

Anya raised her hand, energy crackling violently around her.

Zero's smile widened. "Good. Use your power, Nasha. And this time, we will change the world—together."

But then, Anya spoke.

"Zerachiel," she said firmly, without hesitation.

Zero froze.

No one had called him that name in a long time. A name he had long abandoned.

"I remember everything," Anya continued. "I remember what really happened in the past."

Kaelan turned to her, holding his breath.

Zero remained silent, but his expression shifted.

"I used to think you were the one who wanted to destroy this world," Anya said. "I thought you were the reason for the ruin."

She paused for a moment, locking eyes with Zero.

"But that was a lie."

Kaelan's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Anya took a deep breath before answering.

"The greatest lie we have ever believed is that Zero was our enemy."

Kaelan was stunned.

"For so long, I thought I sealed Zero away because he wanted to destroy the world," Anya continued. "But in truth… we were the ones who were sealed."

The air around them seemed to freeze.

Kaelan felt his heartbeat stop for a moment. "What…?"

Zero simply smirked. "Finally, you remember."

—

Betrayal From the Past

The true past came crashing back into Anya's mind.

Long ago, before the fall of the old world, Nasha and Zero were not enemies.

They were allies.

They were the rulers of the old world, trying to protect their civilization from a far greater threat.

But that threat did not come from them.

It came from the ancient gods.

The primordial entities who controlled the balance of the world, who feared that Nasha and Zero's power had grown too great.

They were afraid that if these two forces united, they would overthrow the gods themselves.

So, the gods manipulated them.

They made Nasha believe that Zero was the enemy.

And they made Zero believe that the only way to survive was to destroy the old world and rebuild it anew.

In the end, Nasha sacrificed herself.

But that sacrifice was a trap.

She never sealed Zero.

Instead, they were both sealed—both Nasha and Zero, their powers separated, condemned to reincarnate endlessly without remembering the truth.

Until now.

—

Anya looked at Zero, her eyes now filled with newfound awareness.

"I remember," she whispered.

Zero gazed at her in silence.

"I remember who our true enemy is."

Kaelan was still trying to process everything. "So… you're saying we've all been manipulated this entire time?"

Anya nodded. "Yes."

Kaelan turned to Zero with uncertainty. "And you…?"

Zero sighed softly. "I've remembered for a long time."

Anya exhaled deeply. Now, everything made sense.

They had always been pawns in a grand game.

And now, there was only one thing left to do.

They had to fight the real enemy.

The ancient gods.

—

But before they could take another step, the sky above them began to tremble.

A golden light crackled across the horizon, accompanied by a thunderous roar that shook the earth.

Kaelan felt a cold shiver run down his spine. "What is that…?"

Anya stared at the sky, her expression tense.

"They know," she murmured.

Zero grinned. "They finally realized we remember the truth."

And then, the voice came.

A voice that did not belong to this world.

"You have broken the boundaries."

The sky split apart.

From the rift between dimensions, colossal figures began to emerge.

The ancient gods had arrived.