Chapter 6 – Code of the Forgotten
The ancient door groaned open like it hadn't moved in centuries.
Kairo stepped through, the echoes of the chamber still whispering his name. Behind him, the Throne of Echoes pulsed once—then fell silent, as if acknowledging the awakening of its master.
Beyond the threshold lay a hallway of impossible design—walls shifting subtly, symbols flickering across the stone like lines of living code. Each step felt like walking deeper into the layers of a program he'd written… and then forgotten.
But something was different now.
This wasn't just a world based on his imagination—it had grown on its own, evolved beyond the limits of his intent. And someone—or something—had taken control of it.
A distorted voice crackled through the air like corrupted data:
> "You should not be here, Kairo."
He paused.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
The air flickered, and a figure materialized. Not flesh, not shadow—but code. Glitching. Twisting. Wearing a face Kairo almost recognized.
A reflection of himself.
But wrong.
> "I am the Echo. The fail-safe. I was created the moment you abandoned this world."
> "You left it unfinished. And I… completed it."
Kairo's fists clenched. "You twisted it."
The Echo's eyes glowed blue. "No. I perfected it. You created chaos. I brought order. You fled your creation. I became it."
Rage flared in Kairo's chest. "Then why am I here?"
The Echo smiled. "Because something brought you back. Something stronger than code. And now… everything will unravel."
Suddenly, the hallway fractured—walls cracking like shattered glass. A wave of energy surged toward Kairo, hurling him backward. He crashed into the floor, the air knocked from his lungs.
But before the darkness could take him, a voice—calm and clear—whispered in his mind:
> "Wake up, Kairo. You're not done yet."
His eyes snapped open.
The hallway was gone.
He lay in a field of floating shards, each one reflecting a memory—some his, some foreign.
A system message blinked above his head:
> [System Reboot: Reality Layer Access Unlocked]
> Path Chosen: Reclaimer]
Kairo rose, breathing hard.
If this world had twisted his story…
Then he would write it all over again.
With fire.