Elias's hands still trembled long after the fight.
He hadn't just defended himself—he had overpowered Leon Vargas, the reincarnation of Leonidas.
That should have been impossible.
And yet, he had felt something inside him—not fear, not hesitation, but certainty.
The others had looked at him differently after that. No longer with scorn, but with recognition.
The thought made his stomach twist.
"What am I?"
The answer haunted him, lingering at the edge of his mind.
But before he could dwell on it, Nathaniel had ordered another gathering.
And this time, Elias would see something even more terrifying than his own power.
The Chamber of Echoes
The chamber they entered was different from the last. It was older, its walls lined with stone tablets and faded murals. A faint, golden glow emanated from its very core—a pedestal where a massive, ancient book rested.
Elias felt an odd pull toward it.
"What is this place?" he asked.
Lillian Karras adjusted her glasses, the lenses catching the flickering torchlight.
"The Chamber of Echoes," she said. "It holds one of the most sacred relics of the Ancestrals."
Elias frowned.
"Sacred relic? You mean that book?"
Nathaniel stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
"This is the Codex of Rebirth," he said.
The room fell silent.
Nathaniel placed a hand on the book, and suddenly—it moved.
Golden light rippled across the pages, shifting the text as if it were alive.
Elias took an involuntary step back.
"What the hell—?"
"It records us," Nathaniel explained. "Every reincarnated soul in this era. Every warrior, scholar, ruler, and legend reborn. Their names appear within these pages the moment their past awakens."
Elias stared at the shifting text, a chill creeping down his spine.
"So, you're telling me… whenever someone remembers their past life, their name gets written in that thing?"
Lillian nodded.
"It's how we know who we are. How we find others like us."
Elias exhaled sharply.
"So, my name's in there now?"
Nathaniel's lips curled into a small smile.
"Would you like to see for yourself?"
Elias hesitated, but his feet moved anyway.
The closer he got, the heavier the air felt.
And then, there it was—his name.
Elias Carter.
Beneath it, ancient letters burned into the parchment, shifting before settling into a single name.
Gilgamesh.
The moment he saw it, something inside him lurched.
Memories flickered—not full visions, but sensations.
Heat.
Sand.
The weight of a crown.
The sound of a voice—familiar, aching, calling out to him across time.
"Elias?"
Lillian's voice snapped him back to the present.
He was gripping the pedestal, his knuckles white.
He forced himself to step back.
"So it's real," he muttered.
"It was never in question," Nathaniel said smoothly.
Elias looked around at the others.
Some regarded him with newfound respect. Others with unease.
Leon, now recovered from their fight, crossed his arms.
"So, now that we know it's true, what happens next?"
Nathaniel's gaze never left Elias.
"We prepare him."
A Heavy Crown
Elias was silent as they walked through the corridors.
Nathaniel had given him time to process everything, but he knew there would be no escaping it now.
The Ancestrals expected him to step into a role he wasn't sure he wanted.
And worse—a part of him wanted to.
"You look like you're going to be sick," Lillian commented beside him.
"Great observation."
She smirked but didn't press.
Elias exhaled. "It's just… a lot. That book. The fight. Everything."
Lillian adjusted her glasses.
"You're thinking about what it means."
He glanced at her.
"Aren't you?"
"Of course. The return of Gilgamesh is not something small. He was the first great hero. The first demigod. His existence changed history."
Elias tensed.
"And now I'm supposed to be that?"
Lillian gave him a long look.
"I don't know yet," she admitted. "You're certainly not what I expected."
"Gee, thanks."
"That wasn't an insult," she mused.
Elias shook his head.
"What if I don't want any of this?"
Lillian's expression turned more serious.
"Then you need to decide that soon. Because whether you want it or not, the world will react to your presence. And not everyone will be as welcoming as we are."
Elias frowned.
"I thought we were on the same side."
"We are," she said. "But the Ancestrals are not a monolith. There are those who see history as something to be preserved. Others believe it should be rewritten."
Elias's stomach twisted.
"And which side am I on?"
Lillian didn't answer.
Instead, she simply looked ahead.
"That's something only you can decide."
A Silent Watcher
Unbeknownst to them, Nathaniel Graves stood in the shadows of the corridor, listening.
His sharp eyes remained on Elias, studying him—not just his words, but his hesitation.
Gilgamesh had returned.
But what kind of king would he become?
That answer was still unwritten.