Chapter 23: Chapter 20: The Hidden Author
The weight of that single syllable—"Za"—hung between them, like a drop of ink on parchment that refused to dry.
Klein kept his breathing steady, resisting the instinct to look over his shoulder. The feeling of being watched had faded, but it had left behind a lingering unease, like static in the air after a lightning strike.
Yeaia's expression had turned thoughtful, their mismatched eyes narrowing as they slowly tilted their head.
"If even a single sound of that name reacted so violently," they murmured, "then imagine what would happen if we pieced the whole thing together."
Klein exhaled, still feeling the faint ache in his temples from the backlash.
"It's not just about remembering it," he said. "The world itself is actively fighting against us learning it."
And that meant…
"Something is still erasing it."
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The Pages That Refuse to Burn
Yeaia tapped a finger against their temple, thinking.
"Back in the ruins, that book managed to leave a message for me." They paused. "That means someone wrote it down."
Klein followed the train of thought.
"If we can find more traces of that writing—more instances where it slipped through—"
"Then we might be able to reconstruct what was lost," Yeaia finished, their lips curling into a grin.
The problem was where to look.
Most forbidden knowledge left behind scars in reality. The Fool Pathway had long been intertwined with secrets that should not be known, and Klein had learned to recognize the places where the world tried too hard to hide something.
It was always in the inconsistencies.
The blind spots of history.
The stories that didn't add up.
And then—
An idea struck him.
His gaze sharpened.
"The City of Miracles."
Yeaia raised an eyebrow.
"That place is a labyrinth of illusions and hidden truths," Klein explained. "And it was created by a Visionary."
A pathway that specialized in rewriting reality itself.
If there was anywhere that a forgotten god might have left behind an imprint…
It would be there.
Yeaia's smile widened, but there was something in their expression that Klein couldn't quite place.
"I've heard about it before," they mused.
Klein frowned.
"You have?"
Yeaia's gaze flickered.
"It's just a feeling," they admitted. "Like I've been there before."
That gave Klein pause.
It was too specific to be a coincidence.
If Yeaia had memories that weren't theirs…
Then it was possible the Hidden Author had left something inside them.
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A Journey Into the Impossible
Yeaia stretched lazily, their posture returning to something more relaxed, but Klein could see the glint of excitement in their eyes.
"The City of Miracles, huh?" They grinned. "Sounds like fun."
Klein didn't return the smile.
Because he knew better than anyone that miracles always had a price.
And something—someone—was waiting for them there.
Not just watching.
Waiting.
And this time, they wouldn't be forgotten.
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End of Chapter 20
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