Darkness swallowed the chamber.
For one heartbeat, no one moved.
Then General Atreyu shouted.
“LIGHT!”
A spark flashed.
One torch.
Then another.
The soldiers hurried to relight the sconces lining the walls.
Fire returned to the chamber in trembling waves.
Lexander wished it hadn’t.
The man was still standing in the doorway.
Waiting.
He looked exactly like Lexander.
Not similar.
Not related.
Exactly.
The same face stared back at him.
The same dark hair.
The same scar near his eyebrow.
Even the same expression Lexander wore whenever he was trying to understand something and failing terribly.
There were only two differences.
This man wore an eyepatch.
And he looked as though he had lived a thousand years.
Blood covered his hands.
Io stood frozen.
The stranger looked at her again.
“Io.”
She flinched.
Lexander noticed.
Something inside him twisted.
“Don’t.”
The stranger looked toward him.
Lexander stepped forward.
“Don’t say her name like you know her.”
The man stared.
Then a strange expression crossed his face.
Sadness.
“You always were possessive.”
“I have no idea who you are.”
“No.”
The stranger smiled faintly.
“You don’t.”
Io finally found her voice.
“Lexander.”
The stranger’s eyes returned to her.
She took one step forward.
“No.”
Lexander grabbed her arm.
She looked at him.
Not angrily.
Not even surprised.
Terrified.
“I know him.”
The words landed heavily.
Lexander’s grip tightened.
“You know me.”
Io shook her head.
“I know—”
She stopped.
Her eyes moved between them.
“I remember him.”
The chamber became silent.
The stranger’s smile disappeared.
Io whispered—
“The first.”
Lexander felt cold.
The First Grave.
The First Life.
The original beginning.
The man in the doorway slowly nodded.
“Yes.”
Io began to cry.
“No.”
Her voice cracked.
“No, you’re dead.”
The stranger looked at the blood on his hands.
“Yes.”
Mara raised her sword.
“I’m going to need someone to explain that.”
Atreyu didn’t lower his weapon.
“Stay where you are.”
The stranger looked toward the General.
“You were not here.”
Atreyu frowned.
“I would remember.”
“No.”
The man turned his attention back to Io.
“You wouldn’t.”
Lexander stepped in front of her.
“Enough.”
The stranger’s eyes moved to him.
For the first time, his expression hardened.
Lexander felt something answer inside him.
A pressure.
A memory.
A thousand voices trying to speak at once.
He staggered.
Io immediately caught him.
“Lexander.”
The stranger watched.
“Careful.”
Lexander looked up.
“Why?”
“Because if you remember too quickly…”
The stranger’s gaze drifted toward the darkness behind the chamber.
“…he will notice.”
Nobody spoke.
Mara slowly looked toward Atreyu.
“Who is he talking about?”
Atreyu’s jaw tightened.
“I don’t know.”
The stranger smiled.
“Good.”
Lexander pushed himself upright.
“I am getting very tired of that answer.”
The man laughed.
And Lexander hated that sound.
Not because it was cruel.
Because it sounded familiar.
Too familiar.
The stranger stepped out of the doorway.
The soldiers immediately raised their weapons.
He stopped.
“Relax.”
Mara pointed her sword at his chest.
“I don’t know you.”
“Yes, you do.”
“I don’t.”
“You killed me once.”
Mara paused.
Everyone stared at her.
Mara stared at the stranger.
“What?”
The man considered her.
“Perhaps not you.”
Mara’s expression darkened.
“You’d better hope not.”
Lysandra stepped around Lexander.
“Hello.”
Everyone turned toward her.
Lisbeth immediately grabbed the back of her cloak.
“Absolutely not.”
Lysandra frowned.
“I’m just saying hello.”
“You are not greeting the ancient blood-covered version of your brother.”
The stranger looked at Lysandra.
His face changed.
Lexander noticed immediately.
“What?”
The man approached.
Lexander moved to intercept him.
The stranger stopped.
His gaze remained fixed on Lysandra.
“Her name?”
Lisbeth tightened her grip.
“No.”
Lysandra looked offended.
“Mother.”
The stranger slowly smiled.
“Lysandra.”
Silence.
Lexander’s hand went to the sword at his side.
Except—
He still didn’t have one.
He hated that.
“How do you know her name?”
The stranger looked at him.
“She was named after someone.”
Lisbeth went pale.
Lexander noticed.
“Mother.”
She didn’t answer.
The stranger looked at Lysandra.
“Your name existed before you.”
Lysandra frowned.
“I assumed that was true of most names.”
Despite everything—
Lexander almost laughed.
The stranger smiled.
“There she is.”
Io suddenly stepped forward.
“Stop.”
Everyone turned.
Her voice had changed.
“Stop pretending.”
The stranger’s expression became unreadable.
Io walked toward him.
“Tell us the truth.”
Lexander caught her wrist.
She looked back.
“Io.”
“I have spent seven lives listening to half-truths.”
Her eyes never left the stranger.
“I am done.”
The stranger stared at her for a long time.
Then—
“Seven?”
Io’s expression hardened.
“Yes.”
He looked confused.
Then afraid.
“No.”
Lexander felt the room grow colder.
The stranger looked toward the seven circles carved into the stone door.
Then back at Io.
“How many did you say?”
Her voice became quiet.
“Seven.”
The stranger stepped backward.
“No.”
The torches flickered.
Lexander watched his other self carefully.
For the first time, the man looked genuinely terrified.
Io whispered—
“What?”
The stranger looked at Lexander.
Then at the door.
Then at his own blood-covered hands.
“There were only supposed to be six.”
Silence.
Lexander frowned.
“What?”
Io’s face went white.
The stranger slowly turned toward her.
“You remember seven deaths?”
“Yes.”
His voice became almost a whisper.
“Then something changed the Cycle.”
The ground shook.
Everyone drew weapons.
The stranger looked toward the ceiling.
“No.”
Io stepped toward him.
“What do you mean, six?”
He didn’t answer.
Lexander’s anger finally broke.
“ANSWER HER!”
The chamber shook again.
Stone fell from the ceiling.
The stranger stared at him.
And suddenly—
Lexander was somewhere else.
Rain.
He stood on a battlefield.
Bodies covered the ground.
A young woman knelt beside him.
Io.
Not Queen Io.
Not the woman he knew.
But her.
Her hands were covered in blood.
She held his face.
“Stay with me.”
Lexander looked down.
A sword had passed through his chest.
He could feel nothing.
No pain.
Only cold.
The woman was crying.
“I found you.”
Her voice broke.
“I found you.”
Lexander tried to speak.
He knew these words.
He had said them before.
It was worth it.
But this time—
Another voice came from behind them.
“No.”
The battlefield disappeared.
A city burned.
Lexander was running.
He knew where he was going.
A house.
There was a woman inside.
Io.
He reached the door.
Something grabbed him from behind.
He turned.
Darkness.
A hand covered his mouth.
Then—
Nothing.
The sea.
The third life.
Io reached for him.
He remembered.
He almost remembered.
Something beneath the water.
A shadow.
A hand.
It wasn’t dragging him down.
It was pulling him away.
Lexander screamed.
He opened his eyes.
Io was holding him.
Again.
The chamber had returned.
The stranger stood several feet away.
His face was grim.
Lexander gasped for air.
“Someone killed me.”
The stranger didn’t answer.
Lexander looked at Io.
“They killed me.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.”
“In the lives.”
“Yes.”
“Not fate.”
Io couldn’t speak.
The stranger finally did.
“No.”
Lexander turned toward him.
The ancient version of himself looked exhausted.
“Not all of them.”
Atreyu stepped forward.
“Explain.”
The stranger looked at the General.
Then at everyone gathered around him.
Finally, he walked toward the center of the chamber.
The blood on his hands began to move.
Lexander stared.
Thin streams rose from his skin.
They floated upward.
Then became light.
Seven small points of light appeared above them.
The circles carved into the walls began glowing.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
The stranger looked upward.
“This is the Cycle.”
Io stared at the lights.
Her face had gone completely still.
Lexander frowned.
“Seven lives.”
The stranger shook his head.
“No.”
He pointed upward.
“Seven deaths.”
The difference settled heavily into the room.
Io whispered.
“What?”
The stranger looked at her.
“Do you remember the beginning?”
Her face tightened.
“Yes.”
“Clearly?”
Io hesitated.
“No.”
The stranger nodded.
“That is because you were never meant to remember it.”
Lexander stepped forward.
“Then tell us.”
The man looked at him.
“I can’t.”
Lexander’s expression darkened.
“I swear—”
“I can’t.”
The stranger’s voice cracked across the chamber.
The lights trembled.
Lexander stopped.
The man lowered his head.
“Something took it from me.”
Io whispered.
“Who?”
The stranger slowly looked toward the darkness behind the opened doorway.
“He did.”
The torches went out.
Every soldier turned.
Mara raised her sword.
Atreyu stepped in front of Lisbeth and Lysandra.
Nothing emerged.
After several seconds, the flames returned.
The stranger continued.
“The Cycle was created to separate us.”
Lexander frowned.
“Us?”
He looked between himself and Io.
The stranger nodded.
“Not because we were lovers.”
Io flinched.
Lexander felt something painful twist in his chest.
The stranger saw it.
His expression softened.
“I know.”
Io looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
He smiled sadly.
“That part was real.”
Silence.
Lexander looked away.
The stranger continued.
“In the beginning, we were bound.”
Io whispered.
“By whom?”
“I don’t remember.”
The man clenched his fists.
“I remember the result.”
The seven lights shifted.
One floated toward Io.
The remaining six moved toward Lexander.
Lexander stared.
“What is this?”
The stranger looked at the lights.
“You remained whole.”
Io slowly shook her head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
The stranger looked at Lexander.
“But I didn’t.”
Six lights circled him.
“Every time I died, something was taken.”
Lexander stared.
“A piece of me?”
The man nodded.
“Something divided my soul.”
Lysandra whispered.
“Why?”
The stranger looked at her.
“I don’t know.”
Lexander sighed.
“Of course.”
The stranger almost smiled.
“I know. It’s frustrating.”
Lexander glared at him.
“Stop agreeing with me.”
Io stepped forward.
“So every death…”
The stranger nodded.
“Returned a piece.”
“To where?”
The man turned toward the massive stone door.
“The First Grave.”
Lexander looked around.
“This isn’t a grave.”
“No.”
The stranger said.
“It never was.”
The chamber trembled.
The skeleton that had led them here slowly entered through the doorway.
Everyone raised their weapons.
It ignored them.
The ancient warrior walked past Lexander.
Then knelt before the stranger.
“THE FIRST.”
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