Kai had always believed that a story was something a person controlled.

You created the characters.

You decided where they went.

You chose who lived and who died.

And most importantly, you decided how the story ended.

But as Kai stood in his destroyed bedroom with Veyron beside him, he realized that everything he believed about stories was wrong.

The black tower in the distance continued to rise above Aethera.

Dark clouds circled its peak.

Lightning flashed inside them.

The entire city had fallen into chaos.

People ran through the streets.

Flying vehicles crashed into buildings.

Emergency alarms screamed from every direction.

And somewhere inside that darkness, the Hollow King was waiting.

Kai stared through the broken window.

“What do we do now?”

Veyron didn’t answer.

Kai turned toward him.

“Veyron?”

The masked warrior was staring at the comic in Kai’s hands.

More specifically, he was staring at the final page.

The page was changing.

New drawings appeared by themselves.

A street.

A bridge.

A giant clock tower.

Then three words appeared across the top.

THE CITY BEHIND THE PAGE.

Kai swallowed.

“What is that?”

Veyron’s expression changed.

“That’s where we have to go.”

Kai looked at him.

“Where?”

“Inside your comic.”

Kai stared at him.

“You want me to go inside my own comic?”

“No.”

Veyron looked toward the black tower.

“I want you to go back.”

Kai’s heart stopped.

“Back?”

“You’ve been there before.”

Kai shook his head.

“I’ve never been inside a comic.”

Veyron stepped closer.

“Not in this life.”

The room suddenly became silent.

Kai felt a strange pressure in his chest.

“What does that mean?”

Veyron didn’t answer.

Instead, he took the comic from Kai’s hands.

He opened the first page.

The drawing showed a small boy standing beneath a giant tree.

Kai recognized the image immediately.

He had drawn it years ago.

It was the first page of his unfinished comic.

But there was something he had never noticed.

The boy in the drawing was wearing the same clothes Kai had been wearing when he was seven years old.

Kai’s face went pale.

“That’s me.”

Veyron nodded.

“You drew yourself into the story.”

“No.”

Kai grabbed the comic.

“I never did that.”

“You did.”

“I would remember!”

“Your memories were removed.”

Kai stared at him.

“By who?”

Veyron looked toward the black tower.

“The Hollow King.”

A cold wind entered through the broken window.

Kai stepped back.

“Why would he erase my memories?”

“Because you discovered the truth.”

“What truth?”

Veyron’s eyes became darker.

“That he isn’t your creation.”

Kai froze.

The words echoed inside his mind.

“Then what is he?”

Veyron closed the comic.

“The Hollow King existed before you ever picked up a pencil.”

Kai felt a chill run down his spine.

“Then how did I draw him?”

“Because he wanted you to.”

Suddenly, a loud crash came from downstairs.

Veyron pulled out his sword.

“Someone’s here.”

Kai looked toward the door.

“Who?”

The door slowly opened.

A girl stood on the other side.

She appeared to be around seventeen years old.

Her long silver hair fell over one shoulder.

She wore a red jacket, black boots, and a strange golden symbol around her neck.

Kai had seen her before.

Thousands of times.

She was one of his favorite characters.

His hand trembled.

“You’re…”

The girl smiled.

“Surprised?”

Kai couldn’t speak.

Veyron lowered his sword.

“Lyra.”

Kai stared at the girl.

“Lyra Vale.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“So you remember me.”

“I created you.”

Lyra’s smile disappeared.

“No.”

Kai’s heart sank.

“Not you too.”

Lyra walked into the room.

“You didn’t create me, Kai.”

“Then who did?”

She looked at Veyron.

He remained silent.

Lyra sighed.

“You only opened the door.”

Kai looked between them.

“What door?”

“The door between imagination and reality.”

Lyra pointed at the comic.

“That book isn’t a comic.”

Kai looked down.

“It looks like one.”

“It’s a prison.”

The words made Kai’s stomach tighten.

“For who?”

Lyra looked directly into his eyes.

“For all of us.”

Before Kai could respond, the entire building shook.

A massive shadow appeared outside the window.

Veyron immediately grabbed Kai.

“Move!”

The wall exploded.

Kai flew across the room.

Veyron and Lyra jumped through the opening as pieces of concrete fell around them.

Kai landed hard on the floor.

He looked up.

A gigantic creature stood outside.

It had six arms.

Its body was covered in black armor.

Its face was hidden behind a cracked white mask.

Kai recognized it instantly.

“The Page Eater.”

Lyra looked at him.

“You know what that is?”

Kai slowly stood.

“I drew it.”

The creature roared.

Veyron attacked.

His sword struck the monster’s armor.

The impact sent a shockwave through the room.

Lyra raised her hand.

A golden circle appeared in the air.

“Veyron! Get Kai out!”

“I won’t leave him!”

“Then you’ll both die!”

The Page Eater opened its mouth.

Black energy gathered inside.

Kai suddenly remembered something.

A drawing.

A weakness.

His mind raced.

“Wait!”

Veyron turned.

“What?”

Kai grabbed his pencil.

“The left eye!”

Veyron looked at the creature.

“What?”

“The left eye! That’s its weakness!”

Veyron understood.

He rushed forward.

The Page Eater attacked.

Veyron disappeared into the shadows.

A second later, he appeared behind the monster.

His sword flashed.

The creature screamed.

Its left eye exploded into black smoke.

The monster collapsed.

Kai stared.

He had remembered the story.

The Page Eater had been one of his earliest creations.

He had drawn it as a monster that could consume fictional worlds.

But now it was real.

Lyra grabbed Kai’s arm.

“We have to go.”

“Where?”

“To the portal.”

“What portal?”

She pointed toward the comic.

The page was glowing.

A circular doorway had appeared in the center of the paper.

Kai stared.

The image showed a city.

Not Aethera.

Another city.

A city he knew better than any place in the real world.

His comic city.

“That’s…”

“Yes,” Lyra said.

“Your world.”

Kai looked at Veyron.

“You’re coming with us?”

Veyron nodded.

“We have no choice.”

“Why?”

“Because the Hollow King is already inside Aethera.”

Kai looked toward the distant black tower.

The truth suddenly hit him.

The enemy wasn’t trying to enter his world.

He was already there.

The war had already begun.

Kai held the pencil tightly.

“Let’s go.”

Veyron looked surprised.

“You sure?”

“No.”

Kai stepped toward the portal.

“But I’m going anyway.”

Lyra smiled.

“That’s the spirit.”

Kai touched the glowing page.

The world disappeared.

For one second, he felt weightless.

Then he fell.

Kai screamed.

He landed on something soft.

“Ouch!”

“Get off me!”

Kai opened his eyes.

Lyra was beneath him.

Kai immediately jumped away.

“Sorry!”

Lyra stood up and brushed dust from her jacket.

Veyron landed nearby.

Kai looked around.

His mouth slowly opened.

He knew this place.

He had drawn every street.

Every building.

Every bridge.

Every shop.

He had spent thousands of hours imagining this city.

But seeing it in reality was completely different.

The sky was purple.

Massive islands floated above the city.

Buildings were connected by glowing bridges.

People with supernatural abilities walked through crowded streets.

A giant dragon flew between skyscrapers.

Kai stared in disbelief.

“This is…”

“Welcome home,” Veyron said.

Kai looked at him.

“Home?”

Veyron nodded.

“You created this place.”

Kai slowly turned around.

For the first time, he noticed something strange.

People were staring at him.

Whispering.

Pointing.

A young boy ran toward him.

He stopped in front of Kai.

Then he smiled.

“The Creator.”

Kai froze.

More people began gathering.

“The Creator has returned!”

“The Creator is alive!”

“Tell the Guardians!”

Kai stepped backward.

“Why are they calling me that?”

Lyra’s expression became serious.

“Because they remember you.”

Kai looked at her.

“I don’t remember them.”

“They remember you.”

“Why?”

Lyra lowered her voice.

“Because you didn’t just draw this world.”

Kai’s heart began beating faster.

“What did I do?”

Veyron looked toward the black tower.

“You saved it.”

Kai stared at him.

“When?”

“Seven years ago.”

Kai’s face became pale.

“I was ten.”

“Exactly.”

Suddenly, a bell rang across the city.

Everyone stopped moving.

Veyron’s expression changed.

“No.”

Kai looked at him.

“What?”

Veyron drew his sword.

“The Hollow King knows you’re here.”

The sky turned black.

The floating islands began falling.

People screamed.

A massive shadow appeared above the city.

Then a voice echoed through every street.

“MY CREATOR.”

Kai looked upward.

The Hollow King appeared in the clouds.

His body was covered in dark armor.

His eyes burned red.

And his face…

looked exactly like Kai’s.

Kai couldn’t move.

The Hollow King smiled.

“You finally came back.”

Kai’s hand trembled around the pencil.

“Why do you look like me?”

The Hollow King laughed.

“Because you drew me from your own soul.”

Kai shook his head.

“You’re lying.”

“Am I?”

The Hollow King raised his hand.

A giant image appeared in the sky.

Kai saw himself as a child.

He was sitting beneath the giant tree from his first drawing.

A younger Kai was crying.

Beside him stood the Hollow King.

Kai watched the memory.

The child spoke.

“I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

The Hollow King knelt beside him.

“Then create someone who will never leave you.”

Young Kai picked up a pencil.

And began drawing.

Kai watched in horror.

Veyron.

Lyra.

The entire city.

Everything had been created from the loneliness of a child.

Then Kai saw something else.

The Hollow King had been there from the beginning.

He hadn’t been created.

He had been invited.

The memory ended.

Kai fell to his knees.

“No…”

The Hollow King smiled.

“Now you remember.”

Kai looked down at his pencil.

His hands were shaking.

“Why did I forget?”

“Because you were afraid of me.”

The Hollow King raised his hand.

The entire city began to collapse.

Veyron grabbed Kai.

“Run!”

Kai stood.

“Where?”

“Anywhere!”

The ground cracked beneath them.

Lyra grabbed Kai’s other arm.

They ran through the streets as buildings exploded behind them.

Kai looked back.

The Hollow King was following.

Slowly.

Calmly.

Like he knew the ending already.

Kai suddenly stopped.

Veyron shouted.

“Kai!”

Kai looked at the pencil in his hand.

Then he looked at the collapsing city.

A thought entered his mind.

He could change the story.

He could draw a new ending.

Kai opened his comic.

He placed the pencil against the page.

And began to draw.

The Hollow King stopped.

For the first time, his smile disappeared.

“Don’t.”

Kai continued.

Veyron stared.

“What are you drawing?”

Kai didn’t answer.

He drew a door.

A simple door.

Then he drew a lock.

Then a key.

The ink began glowing.

A massive door appeared in the middle of the city.

The Hollow King screamed.

“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!”

Kai looked up.

“No.”

He smiled.

“But I’m learning.”

The Hollow King raised his hand.

Dark energy rushed toward him.

Kai finished the drawing.

The door opened.

A powerful force pulled the Hollow King backward.

His body began disappearing into darkness.

But before he vanished, he looked directly at Kai.

“This story has only one ending.”

Kai tightened his grip on the pencil.

“Then I’ll draw another.”

The door slammed shut.

Silence filled the city.

Kai stood frozen.

Veyron slowly approached him.

“You just trapped him.”

Kai looked at the door.

“Did I?”

Veyron didn’t answer.

Lyra walked toward them.

Her face was pale.

“Kai…”

“What?”

She pointed at the comic.

Kai looked down.

The page had changed again.

A new sentence appeared.

THE HOLLOW KING CANNOT BE DEFEATED BY THE CREATOR.

Kai’s heart sank.

Another sentence appeared beneath it.

BECAUSE THE CREATOR IS THE ONE WHO CREATED HIM.

Kai slowly looked up.

The door began shaking.

Something was trying to escape.

Veyron raised his sword.

Lyra stepped backward.

Kai stared at the locked door.

Then the Hollow King’s voice whispered from behind it.

“Come find me, Kai.”

The door cracked.

“Before I find you.”

The page went black.

And somewhere deep inside the comic world, a new chapter had begun.

But this time…

Kai was not the only one writing the story.