The road to the Blank Page did not exist on any map.

Kai had drawn thousands of places in Aethera.

He knew every street.

Every bridge.

Every hidden alley.

But the Blank Page was different.

It was not a location.

It was the space between locations.

A place that existed outside the rules of the comic world.

Kai, Veyron, and Lyra walked through a dark forest where the trees had no leaves.

The sky above them was completely white.

There was no sun.

No moon.

No stars.

Just endless white.

Kai looked around.

“How much farther?”

Veyron continued walking.

“Not far.”

“You said that an hour ago.”

“I said it because it was true.”

Kai stopped.

“Veyron.”

The warrior stopped too.

Kai looked at him.

“How long have you known about the Blank Page?”

Veyron didn’t answer.

“Veyron.”

“Since the beginning.”

Kai’s expression hardened.

“And you never told me?”

“You never asked.”

“I didn’t even know it existed!”

“Exactly.”

Kai shook his head.

“Everyone keeps doing this.”

Lyra looked at him.

“Doing what?”

“Hiding things from me.”

Veyron turned.

“We were trying to protect you.”

“From what?”

“The truth.”

Kai laughed bitterly.

“Everyone says that.”

Veyron stepped closer.

“The truth can destroy people.”

Kai looked at him.

“I’m already being hunted by a monster who wants to merge with me.”

He pointed toward the sky.

“I’ve discovered that I’m a character.”

Then he pointed at the comic.

“I’ve learned that the person I thought was my enemy may actually be part of me.”

He took a breath.

“So trust me.”

Kai’s eyes became serious.

“I can handle the truth.”

Veyron remained silent.

Finally, he nodded.

“Then I’ll tell you everything.”

Lyra looked worried.

“Veyron…”

“No.”

He looked at Kai.

“He deserves to know.”

Veyron sat beneath one of the strange trees.

Kai and Lyra sat across from him.

Veyron removed his mask.

Kai had never seen his face before.

He was younger than Kai expected.

Maybe twenty years old.

There was a scar across his left cheek.

Kai stared.

“Why did you hide your face?”

Veyron looked down.

“Because this face doesn’t belong to me.”

Kai frowned.

“What?”

Veyron touched his cheek.

“The face you gave me wasn’t my original face.”

Kai’s eyes widened.

“I don’t understand.”

“When you first drew me, I had no face.”

Kai remembered.

The first sketches of Veyron.

A shadow.

A sword.

A black coat.

Nothing else.

Veyron continued.

“You created my face later.”

Kai looked at him.

“Why?”

“Because you wanted someone you could trust.”

The words hit Kai.

Veyron smiled sadly.

“You didn’t want a hero.”

Kai whispered.

“What did I want?”

“An older brother.”

Kai couldn’t speak.

Veyron looked away.

“You were lonely.”

Kai remembered the author saying the same thing.

But hearing it from Veyron felt different.

Veyron wasn’t explaining Kai’s past.

He was remembering it.

“You created me to protect you.”

Kai’s eyes became wet.

“But you’re real.”

“Yes.”

“Then how can you remember something I don’t?”

Veyron looked at him.

“Because you gave me your memories.”

Kai froze.

“What?”

“When you were a child, you couldn’t carry the pain.”

Veyron placed a hand against his chest.

“So you put it inside me.”

Kai’s breathing stopped.

“Your loneliness.”

“Your fear.”

“Your anger.”

“Your memories.”

Veyron pointed toward himself.

“They all became part of me.”

Kai stared at him.

“That’s why you know so much.”

Veyron nodded.

“I remember everything you forgot.”

Kai lowered his head.

For years, he had believed his childhood was simply empty.

Now he understood why.

The memories had not disappeared.

He had given them away.

To Veyron.

Kai looked at him.

“Then tell me about the First Page.”

Veyron’s expression became serious.

“The First Page is where your story began.”

“Who wrote it?”

“I don’t know.”

“The author?”

“No.”

“The Hollow King?”

“No.”

“Then who?”

Veyron looked at the white sky.

“You.”

Kai frowned.

“Me?”

“Before you were born.”

Silence.

Kai slowly stood.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

Veyron continued.

“The First Page existed before you entered the real world.”

Kai stared.

“You mean…”

“Your life was written before you lived it.”

Kai felt cold.

“Then I’m not real.”

Veyron shook his head.

“That’s not what I said.”

“Then what am I?”

Veyron looked at him.

“You’re a story that became a person.”

Kai didn’t know how to respond.

Lyra suddenly stood.

“We’re here.”

Kai turned.

Ahead of them was a door.

It was completely white.

No handle.

No lock.

No frame.

Just a door standing in the middle of nothing.

Veyron walked toward it.

“The Blank Page.”

Kai approached.

“How do we open it?”

Veyron looked at him.

“Draw.”

Kai pulled out his pencil.

He placed the tip against the door.

Nothing happened.

Kai tried again.

Still nothing.

He frowned.

“Why isn’t it working?”

Veyron shook his head.

“You’re thinking like a creator.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’re trying to draw something that doesn’t exist.”

Kai looked at the door.

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

“Remember.”

Kai stared at him.

“Remember what?”

“Your first drawing.”

Kai closed his eyes.

He tried to remember.

A tree.

A boy.

A shadow.

A hero.

Nothing.

Then a voice.

A child’s voice.

His own voice.

Will you be my hero?

Kai opened his eyes.

He knew.

The faceless hero.

Kai placed his pencil against the door.

“I remember you.”

The door opened.

A blinding light filled the world.

Kai stepped inside.

He expected darkness.

Instead, he found a room.

A small room.

A desk.

A chair.

A window.

Kai recognized it immediately.

His childhood bedroom.

But this version was different.

There were no drawings.

No books.

No toys.

Only a single sheet of paper on the desk.

Kai walked toward it.

The paper was blank.

He touched it.

A sentence appeared.

DRAW YOURSELF.

Kai froze.

“What?”

Lyra stood behind him.

“What does it say?”

Kai showed her.

Lyra’s face became pale.

“Don’t.”

Kai looked at her.

“Why?”

“Because that’s what the Hollow King wants.”

Veyron stepped forward.

“No.”

Lyra looked at him.

“Veyron.”

“This isn’t the Hollow King’s trap.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’ve seen this before.”

Kai looked at him.

“When?”

Veyron pointed toward the paper.

“Before you created me.”

Kai stared.

“You were here?”

“Yes.”

“With who?”

Veyron looked at the blank page.

“With you.”

Kai felt his heart stop.

“You mean…”

“Yes.”

“You and me were here together?”

Veyron nodded.

“Seven years ago.”

Kai’s mind raced.

“Then what happened?”

Veyron looked at the paper.

“You drew yourself.”

Kai looked down.

“That’s impossible.”

“No.”

Veyron’s voice became quiet.

“You drew yourself as a child.”

Kai stared.

“Why?”

“Because you wanted to escape.”

“Escape from what?”

Veyron didn’t answer.

The room suddenly became cold.

A shadow appeared behind Kai.

The Hollow King.

Kai turned.

“You.”

The Hollow King smiled.

“Hello again.”

Kai raised his pencil.

“Stay away from me.”

The Hollow King laughed.

“You still don’t understand.”

Kai pointed the pencil at him.

“You’re not touching anyone.”

The Hollow King looked at Veyron.

Then Lyra.

Then Kai.

“I’m not here to fight.”

“Then why are you here?”

“To show you the truth.”

Kai narrowed his eyes.

“I’ve heard that before.”

The Hollow King walked toward the desk.

“Then listen carefully.”

He pointed toward the blank page.

“Draw yourself.”

Kai shook his head.

“No.”

“If you don’t, you will never know who you are.”

“I know who I am.”

“Do you?”

The Hollow King smiled.

“Your name is Kai Ren.”

“Seventeen years old.”

“A comic artist.”

“Son of two people who died in an accident.”

Kai froze.

The Hollow King continued.

“You’ve believed that story your entire life.”

Kai’s face went pale.

“What are you saying?”

“Your parents didn’t die.”

Kai stepped backward.

“Stop.”

“They were erased.”

“Stop!”

“Because they knew the truth.”

Kai’s hands began shaking.

Veyron stepped forward.

“Enough.”

The Hollow King looked at him.

“You remember.”

Veyron froze.

Kai looked at him.

“Veyron?”

The Hollow King smiled.

“Ask him.”

Kai turned toward Veyron.

“Is it true?”

Veyron didn’t answer.

Kai’s voice became louder.

“Is it true?”

Veyron looked down.

“Yes.”

Kai felt as if the world had disappeared.

“My parents…”

“They discovered the First Page.”

Kai shook his head.

“No.”

“The author erased them.”

Kai turned toward the Hollow King.

“Why?”

“Because they tried to destroy the story.”

Kai looked at Veyron.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Veyron’s eyes were filled with sadness.

“Because I promised your mother.”

Kai froze.

“My mother?”

“She knew you would eventually find the truth.”

Veyron reached into his coat.

He pulled out a small photograph.

Kai took it.

His hands trembled.

The photograph showed a young woman.

She looked like Kai.

Standing beside her was a man.

And behind them…

was the faceless hero.

Kai stared.

“That’s him.”

Veyron nodded.

“Your first guardian.”

Kai looked at the photograph again.

“Why is he with my parents?”

The Hollow King answered.

“Because he wasn’t your first hero.”

Kai looked up.

“He was your father.”

The world went silent.

Kai stared at the faceless figure.

“No.”

The Hollow King continued.

“Your father was not a human.”

Kai couldn’t breathe.

“He was a character.”

Kai looked at Veyron.

“Is that true?”

Veyron closed his eyes.

“Yes.”

Kai dropped the photograph.

The Hollow King smiled.

“Now you understand.”

Kai shook his head.

“My mother was human.”

“Yes.”

“And my father…”

“A character who escaped his story.”

Kai looked at the blank page.

His entire life had been a lie.

His father had been fictional.

His mother had known.

The author had erased them.

And Kai…

Kai was the child born between two worlds.

Human.

And fictional.

Real.

And imagined.

The Hollow King stepped closer.

“That’s why you can control stories.”

Kai looked at him.

“Why?”

“Because you’re not a creator.”

The Hollow King smiled.

“You’re a bridge.”

The blank page suddenly began glowing.

A giant crack appeared across the room.

Something was coming through.

The faceless hero.

Kai’s father.

He stepped into the room.

For the first time, his blank face began changing.

Eyes appeared.

A nose.

A mouth.

Kai stared.

The man looked exactly like him.

Older.

Stronger.

But unmistakably similar.

Kai whispered.

“Dad?”

The man smiled.

His first words were barely audible.

“My son.”

Kai’s eyes filled with tears.

The Hollow King stepped backward.

“No.”

Veyron drew his sword.

Lyra raised her hands.

The faceless hero looked toward the Hollow King.

And suddenly, the entire Blank Page began shaking.

The Hollow King screamed.

“YOU WERE ERASED!”

The hero stepped forward.

“Not anymore.”

The Hollow King attacked.

Darkness exploded across the room.

Kai was thrown backward.

Veyron and Lyra rushed to protect him.

The hero fought the Hollow King.

Their powers collided.

Creation.

Destruction.

Light.

Darkness.

The Blank Page began breaking apart.

Kai looked at his father.

“Wait!”

The hero turned.

Kai ran toward him.

“Why didn’t you find me?”

His father looked at him.

“Because I couldn’t.”

“Why?”

“I was trapped inside the First Page.”

“Who trapped you?”

His father looked toward the Hollow King.

“He did.”

Kai turned.

The Hollow King was kneeling.

His armor was broken.

But he was smiling.

Kai’s father suddenly looked terrified.

“Kai.”

“What?”

“Don’t trust him.”

The Hollow King laughed.

Kai turned toward him.

The Hollow King slowly stood.

“You still don’t understand, little Creator.”

Kai raised his pencil.

“Tell me.”

The Hollow King smiled.

“Your father didn’t escape his story.”

Kai froze.

“He was released.”

“By who?”

The Hollow King pointed toward the ceiling.

A giant black eye opened above them.

The author.

Kai stared.

The Hollow King whispered.

“Your father was released by the person who wrote the entire world.”

The author appeared.

But this time…

he wasn’t alone.

Behind him stood hundreds of figures.

Every character Kai had ever drawn.

Every monster.

Every hero.

Every unfinished creation.

Kai looked around in horror.

The author smiled.

“You finally found the First Page.”

Kai raised his pencil.

“What do you want?”

The author looked at him.

“I want you to finish the story.”

Kai’s grip tightened.

“What happens if I refuse?”

The author smiled.

“Then everyone you love disappears.”

Kai looked at Veyron.

Lyra.

His father.

The Hollow King.

The author raised one hand.

One by one, the characters began turning into blank pages.

Kai screamed.

“No!”

Veyron reached toward him.

“Kai!”

Lyra disappeared.

His father vanished.

Kai’s world was collapsing.

The author looked at him.

“Choose.”

Kai fell to his knees.

The pencil slipped from his hand.

Then he noticed something.

The blank page beneath him.

A single line was written there.

THE ENDING BELONGS TO THE ONE WHO WRITES IT.

Kai slowly picked up the pencil.

He looked at the author.

Then at the Hollow King.

Then at the characters he had loved.

Kai stood.

“No.”

The author frowned.

Kai smiled.

“I’m done playing your story.”

He raised the pencil.

“I’m writing my own.”

The First Page exploded with light.

And somewhere beyond the collapsing worlds…

a new ending began to form.