Chapter 11: The Name That Was Erased
Kael stared at the blade.
The name etched into its surface burned into his mind, its letters twisting, shifting—fighting to be remembered.
A name that belonged to him. A name that defined him.
Yet—
It was slipping away.
The moment he tried to read it, something lashed out from the abyss. Not an enemy. Not a force of nature.
Something inside him.
A pressure, ancient and relentless, crushing his thoughts, twisting his memories into static.
"You were never meant to know."
The voice came from nowhere. From everywhere.
And the next moment—
Pain.
Kael gasped as his skull felt like it was splitting open. His vision blurred, his body seizing up as if something was tearing through his very soul.
Erase it.
The command wasn't spoken.
It was forced into him.
His own mind fought back, instincts screaming as he grasped at the fragments of the name, trying to hold onto it.
But it was vanishing.
Letter by letter.
Burning away like it had never existed.
No.
Kael's teeth clenched. His grip on his sword tightened. His entire being revolted against the erasure.
He wasn't going to let it be taken.
He would carve it back into reality if he had to.
And then—
Something snapped.
A wave of black fire exploded from his body, forcing back the abyssal force that sought to consume him.
Kael roared, the sheer force of his will shaking the battlefield.
His other self—the hollow king upon the throne—reacted instantly.
Steel clashed.
Kael lunged forward, his blade meeting its twin in a burst of violet sparks. The impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield, the force of it warping the very fabric of the abyss.
His other self didn't speak. It didn't need to.
It understood.
This was a duel not just of strength, but of identity.
Either Kael would overcome the abyss and reclaim what was lost…
Or he would become another forgotten king.
The figure struck again, and Kael barely twisted out of the way. His body moved on instinct, memories of forgotten battles surfacing as he fought.
Sword techniques he had never learned—yet knew.
Footwork that felt as natural as breathing.
It was like something buried inside him was awakening.
But even as he pushed forward, the name—his true name—was still slipping away.
He was running out of time.
His other self struck faster, its attacks growing more ruthless, more desperate.
It wasn't fighting to kill him.
It was fighting to erase him.
And Kael knew—if he lost here, he wouldn't just die.
He would cease to exist.
No memories. No past. No throne.
Nothing.
Just another shadow in the abyss.
His opponent raised its sword for a final, decisive strike.
Kael moved first.
In an instant, he let go of everything. The doubt. The hesitation. The fear.
And in that moment—
The name returned.
Completely.
Etched not just into the sword—but into his very soul.
And as his blade pierced through his other self's chest, Kael finally spoke it.
His real name.
And the abyss answered.