Chapter 18: The Path to the Keeper
Silence settled over the dimly lit shop. The weight of the old man's words pressed on Kairos like an unseen force.
"Find what I have forgotten?"
Kairos clenched his fists. "What exactly have I forgotten?"
The old man merely smiled. "That is for you to uncover."
Selene huffed. "Cryptic old men and their riddles. Can't you just tell us straight?"
The old man chuckled. "If I did, you would not believe me. Truth must be earned, not given."
Kairos exhaled, rubbing his temples. His system rarely gave clear answers either. It was as if everything about his evolution was wrapped in layers of hidden meaning.
Selene crossed her arms. "Fine. If we can't get direct answers, can you at least point us in the right direction?"
The old man nodded. "There is an ancient ruin beneath this city. Few know of its existence, and fewer still dare enter."
Kairos and Selene exchanged glances.
"Let me guess," Kairos said. "That's where I need to go?"
The old man nodded again. "If you seek the Keeper, then yes. But be warned—once you step inside, there is no turning back."
A chill ran down Kairos' spine.
Selene narrowed her eyes. "What's inside the ruin?"
The old man smiled, but his eyes held no warmth.
"The past."
---
The Underground Ruins
Finding the ruins wasn't easy. The entrance was hidden beneath a rundown chapel at the edge of the city, concealed behind a stone altar that slid open only after Kairos placed his hand against it.
The system guided him.
>[You are ready. Enter the threshold.]
The passage led them deep underground. The air grew thick, charged with an ancient presence. Stone walls stretched endlessly, etched with symbols older than any language Kairos had ever seen.
Selene traced a finger over one of the carvings. "This place is… eerie."
Kairos nodded. "It feels alive."
Their footsteps echoed as they moved deeper. Then—
A low hum vibrated through the walls.
Kairos froze.
Selene tensed beside him, hand on her dagger. "Did you hear that?"
Before Kairos could answer, the carvings along the walls lit up.
A golden glow pulsed from the symbols, spreading like veins of liquid fire. The air grew thick, buzzing with unseen energy.
Then—
A voice.
"You have come."
Kairos' breath hitched.
It wasn't the old man's voice. It wasn't his system's voice either.
It was something else.
Selene's grip tightened on his arm. "Kairos… what the hell is that?"
Kairos swallowed hard. "I think we're about to find out."
The glowing carvings twisted, shifting into a new formation. The air rippled.
Then, without warning, the floor beneath them vanished.
Kairos and Selene plummeted into the abyss.
---
The Trial Begins
Kairos landed hard, rolling instinctively. Selene hit the ground beside him with a sharp curse.
The chamber they fell into was massive, an endless stretch of ancient stone. At its center stood a monolithic door, towering and ominous.
And before it—
A guardian.
It wasn't human.
It wasn't even alive.
A massive figure of shifting obsidian loomed over them, its form barely solid, as if it was made of living darkness.
>[Trial of the Keeper: Initiated]
[Defeat the Guardian to proceed]
Kairos clenched his fists, power surging through his veins.
The first real test had begun.
Selene drew her blade. "Alright, big guy. Let's dance."
The Guardian moved.
Faster than something that size should.
Its arm morphed into a massive blade and swung toward them in a blur.
Kairos reacted.
He dashed forward, magic burning through his limbs. He dodged, twisted—countered.
His fist met solid darkness. A shockwave erupted.
The Guardian barely flinched.
Kairos' stomach dropped.
This thing was on a whole different level.
Selene darted past him, striking low. Her enchanted dagger carved through shadows, leaving a trail of silver light.
The Guardian staggered—but didn't fall.
Instead, it evolved.
The darkness around its body shifted, adjusting, adapting. Its arms elongated, forming new weapons.
Kairos' system flashed a warning.
>[Caution: Guardian possesses adaptive regeneration.]
[Standard attacks will be ineffective.]
Kairos gritted his teeth.
Of course it wasn't going to be that easy.
---
Unlocking the Next Step
As Kairos dodged another attack, something clicked inside him.
A deep pull. A shift.
Like his body was responding to the battle—evolving.
His system pulsed.
>[Evolution threshold reached.]
[New ability unlocked: Reality Severance.]
A surge of power rushed through him.
His hands ignited with crackling energy—not magic, not pure strength, but something beyond both.
Something fundamental.
He didn't question it.
He simply acted.
Kairos lunged, his body moving with newfound clarity. His fist struck the Guardian's core—
And reality itself split.
A jagged tear carved through the Guardian's form.
The entity froze.
Then, with a soundless cry, it shattered.
The chamber trembled. The towering door at the center groaned open.
Kairos staggered back, chest heaving.
Selene blinked at him. "What the hell was that?"
Kairos flexed his fingers, the power fading. He swallowed.
"I think…" He exhaled. "I think I just unlocked something new."
Selene whistled. "You don't say?"
Kairos turned to the open doorway. Beyond it, a staircase descended into darkness.
The system flickered again.
>[Trial complete.]
[Proceed to the Keeper.]
Kairos squared his shoulders.
The real journey was only just beginning.