Kai couldn’t move.

The white room seemed to have no beginning and no end.

There were no walls.

No ceiling.

No floor.

Everything around him was completely empty.

Except for the desk.

And the person standing behind him.

Kai slowly turned.

A man stood several steps away.

He looked ordinary.

Too ordinary.

He wore a dark gray sweater, black trousers, and round glasses.

His hair was messy.

His face was calm.

But Kai recognized him.

Not from real life.

From somewhere else.

From his own drawings.

Kai’s breathing became uneven.

“No.”

The man smiled.

“Hello, Kai.”

Kai stepped backward.

“You’re…”

“Yes.”

Kai’s voice trembled.

“You’re the author.”

The man nodded.

“That’s what you call me.”

Kai looked around.

“Where am I?”

The man walked toward the desk.

“Between stories.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you’re not in your world anymore.”

Kai stared at him.

“Then where am I?”

The man sat down.

“You’re inside the space between what is written and what is imagined.”

Kai shook his head.

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It will.”

The man picked up the pencil lying on the desk.

Kai immediately recognized it.

His pencil.

The same pencil he had used since childhood.

“Give that back.”

The man looked at it.

“You’ve had this for a long time.”

Kai reached for it.

The man pulled his hand away.

“Do you know where you got it?”

Kai frowned.

“My parents gave it to me.”

“No.”

The man’s answer was quiet.

“They didn’t.”

Kai froze.

“My parents…”

The man smiled.

“Let’s talk about your childhood.”

Kai’s heart began beating faster.

“I don’t want to.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

The white room suddenly changed.

Kai found himself standing inside a small apartment.

He recognized it.

His childhood home.

A younger version of himself was sitting at the desk.

Kai watched from the corner.

His younger self was drawing.

The first character.

The faceless hero.

Kai remembered the scene from the previous chapter.

But this time, something was different.

The author stood behind the young Kai.

Kai stared.

“You were there.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

The author looked at the child.

“Because you were lonely.”

Kai’s expression hardened.

“I wasn’t.”

The author turned toward him.

“Everyone says that.”

Kai looked away.

He remembered his childhood.

The empty house.

The long nights.

The silence.

The drawings.

He had always believed he drew comics because he loved them.

But maybe there had been another reason.

The author continued.

“You wanted someone who would stay.”

Kai looked at the faceless hero.

“That’s why I created him.”

“No.”

The author shook his head.

“You didn’t create him.”

Kai turned.

“Then who did?”

“You.”

Kai frowned.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It does if you understand what you are.”

Kai’s face became serious.

“What am I?”

The author smiled.

“A character.”

The word hit Kai harder than any weapon.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“I am real.”

“Of course you are.”

The author stood.

“Characters can be real.”

Kai shook his head.

“You wrote me.”

“No.”

The author walked toward him.

“Someone else did.”

Kai froze.

“What?”

The author pointed toward the young boy.

“Look.”

Kai watched.

Young Kai suddenly stopped drawing.

He looked toward the empty corner of the room.

“Hello?”

Kai’s heart stopped.

The young boy could see something.

A shadow.

The shadow slowly took shape.

It was the Hollow King.

But he looked different.

He wasn’t wearing armor.

He looked like a normal boy.

Young Kai stared at him.

“Who are you?”

The Hollow King smiled.

“I’m you.”

Young Kai shook his head.

“No, you’re not.”

“I could be.”

The shadow stepped closer.

“You don’t have anyone.”

Young Kai looked down.

The Hollow King continued.

“But I can stay.”

Kai watched the memory.

He finally understood.

The Hollow King had not forced his way into the story.

Kai had invited him.

The author spoke.

“The Hollow King was born from your loneliness.”

Kai turned toward him.

“Then why does he hate me?”

“Because you tried to erase him.”

Kai remembered.

The blank pages.

The missing memories.

The feeling that something important had been taken from him.

The author continued.

“You created him.”

Kai shook his head.

“No.”

“You gave him a purpose.”

“What purpose?”

The author looked directly into his eyes.

“To make sure you were never alone.”

Kai’s expression changed.

The Hollow King had wanted to stay with him.

But Kai had grown up.

He had forgotten.

He had created Veyron.

He had created Lyra.

He had created an entire world.

And the Hollow King had become jealous.

Kai whispered.

“That’s why he wants to destroy everything.”

“Yes.”

“Because he thinks I’m replacing him.”

“Exactly.”

Kai looked at the author.

“Then why don’t you stop him?”

The author smiled.

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t control the story anymore.”

Kai froze.

“What?”

The author placed the pencil on the desk.

“The story escaped.”

Kai stared.

“How?”

“Because you gave your characters free will.”

Kai remembered Veyron.

The way he had questioned him.

The way he had refused to obey.

The way he had protected him.

Kai suddenly understood.

Veyron wasn’t his creation anymore.

None of them were.

They were alive.

The author continued.

“Once a character begins making choices that weren’t written, the story becomes independent.”

Kai looked around.

“So the comic world…”

“Is alive.”

“And the Hollow King?”

“Alive.”

“Veyron?”

“Alive.”

“Lyra?”

“Alive.”

Kai looked at himself.

“And me?”

The author became silent.

Kai’s voice grew louder.

“Am I alive?”

The author didn’t answer.

“Tell me!”

The white room began shaking.

Kai grabbed the desk.

“Am I real?”

The author looked at him.

“More real than you think.”

Kai stopped.

The author pointed behind him.

A door appeared.

Beyond it was a city.

A real city.

A modern city.

Cars.

Buildings.

People.

Kai recognized it.

Aethera.

But it wasn’t the Aethera from his comic.

This was the original.

The real world.

The world where Kai had grown up.

The author spoke.

“Your world and mine are connected.”

Kai stared.

“How?”

“Through you.”

The door opened.

Kai stepped toward it.

“What happens if I go through?”

“You’ll find the truth.”

“What truth?”

The author looked at him.

“Why you were created.”

Kai’s blood ran cold.

“I wasn’t created.”

The author smiled.

“Everyone says that.”

Kai stepped through the door.

Suddenly, he was back in Aethera.

But something was wrong.

The city was empty.

No people.

No vehicles.

No sound.

Only Veyron stood in the middle of the street.

Kai ran toward him.

“Veyron!”

Veyron looked up.

“Kai.”

“Where’s Lyra?”

“She’s gone.”

Kai stopped.

“What?”

“The Hollow King took her.”

Kai’s face changed.

“Where?”

Veyron pointed toward the horizon.

The black tower had grown.

It now covered half the sky.

Kai clenched his fists.

“We have to save her.”

Veyron grabbed his arm.

“Wait.”

Kai looked at him.

“What?”

“You can’t go there.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s what he wants.”

Kai pulled away.

“I don’t care.”

“You should.”

Veyron’s voice became serious.

“The Hollow King isn’t trying to kill you.”

Kai froze.

“Then what does he want?”

Veyron looked at the black tower.

“He wants you to join him.”

Kai’s expression changed.

“Why?”

“Because he believes the two of you can become one.”

Kai felt a cold wave move through him.

“What does that mean?”

Veyron looked at him.

“You are the Creator.”

“The Hollow King is the Destroyer.”

“Together, you control everything.”

Kai shook his head.

“No.”

Veyron stepped closer.

“Think about it.”

Kai looked at his pencil.

“If I can create…”

“Then he can destroy.”

“If I draw something…”

“He can erase it.”

Kai understood.

The Hollow King didn’t want to kill him.

He wanted his power.

Suddenly, the sky turned black.

A voice echoed through the city.

“KAI.”

Kai looked upward.

The Hollow King appeared above the tower.

And beside him stood Lyra.

Her hands were bound by black chains.

“LYRA!”

Kai stepped forward.

The Hollow King smiled.

“Come to me.”

Veyron raised his sword.

“Don’t listen to him.”

The Hollow King laughed.

“You still believe you can protect him?”

Veyron attacked.

A wave of darkness exploded.

Veyron was thrown backward.

Kai ran toward him.

“Veyron!”

“I’m fine.”

The Hollow King looked at Kai.

“You see?”

He pointed toward Veyron.

“Your hero is weak.”

Kai’s eyes narrowed.

“Don’t.”

“You created him to protect you.”

The Hollow King smiled.

“But he can’t.”

Kai clenched his fists.

“Stop.”

“How many more people will die because of you?”

Kai looked around.

The empty city.

The broken buildings.

The ruined streets.

The Hollow King continued.

“Every character you create suffers.”

Kai’s pencil trembled.

“Stop.”

“Every person you love becomes a target.”

Kai looked at Veyron.

Then Lyra.

The Hollow King smiled.

“So why don’t you end the story?”

Kai suddenly understood.

He wasn’t trying to defeat Kai.

He was trying to break him.

Kai looked at the black tower.

Then he smiled.

The Hollow King stopped.

“What?”

Kai raised his pencil.

“You made one mistake.”

The Hollow King narrowed his eyes.

“What mistake?”

“You forgot something.”

Kai opened his comic.

The pages began glowing.

The Hollow King became tense.

Kai looked at him.

“I am the Creator.”

The pencil began shining.

“And creators don’t always have to fight.”

Kai drew a single line.

The world changed.

The black tower cracked.

The chains around Lyra disappeared.

Veyron’s wounds vanished.

The sky became bright.

The Hollow King screamed.

“What did you do?”

Kai smiled.

“I changed the scene.”

The Hollow King attacked.

But Kai drew another line.

A giant wall appeared.

The attack stopped.

The Hollow King stared.

Kai raised the pencil.

“You wanted me to believe I couldn’t control the story.”

Kai stepped forward.

“But you were wrong.”

The Hollow King disappeared into the darkness.

His voice echoed.

“You still don’t know the truth!”

Kai stopped.

“What truth?”

The Hollow King’s voice became louder.

“Ask your author why he never gave you a family.”

Kai froze.

The Hollow King vanished.

Silence returned.

Kai slowly turned toward Veyron.

Veyron looked worried.

“What?”

Kai whispered.

“The author said I was created.”

Veyron’s expression changed.

Kai continued.

“But he never told me who created him.”

Veyron’s eyes widened.

Kai looked at the sky.

The author had said the story escaped.

But perhaps there was another story behind it.

Another author.

Another creator.

Another world.

Kai looked down at his pencil.

A new message appeared on the page.

THE AUTHOR IS NOT THE BEGINNING.

Kai’s heart stopped.

Then another line appeared.

AND YOU ARE NOT THE CREATOR.

Kai stared at the words.

The final message appeared.

FIND THE FIRST PAGE.

Kai looked at Veyron.

“What is the First Page?”

Veyron’s face became pale.

“It’s a place that doesn’t exist.”

Kai frowned.

“Then how do we find it?”

Veyron looked toward the horizon.

“By going somewhere even the Hollow King is afraid to enter.”

Kai tightened his grip on the pencil.

“Where?”

Veyron pointed toward the darkness beyond the city.

“The Blank Page.”

Kai looked at the endless black horizon.

Somewhere beyond it was the truth about his birth.

The truth about the author.

The truth about the Hollow King.

And perhaps the truth about why Kai had been created.

Kai took a step forward.

Behind him, Veyron and Lyra followed.

But none of them noticed the shadow standing on top of a distant building.

The faceless hero.

The first character.

He watched Kai leave.

Then, for the first time in centuries…

he smiled.

And somewhere in the darkness, a voice whispered:

“The Creator is finally going home.”