I opened my eyes and saw that I was in an enclosed space. My body felt unusually heavy, weighed down by exhaustion. I was tired—more than I had ever been. As my memories slowly returned, one thought echoed in my mind: how did I get here?
With effort, I stood up, every movement aching. There, stuck carefully into the ground, was the Lamenting Edge. Nearby, I heard the faint crackle of fire—someone human must have helped me. I walked through the narrow cave passages, unsteady, until I saw her.
A lady sat resting against the wall. Her hair was black, just like her armor. But her armor was broken, its design intricate but worn. It looked too damaged to be a Chronicle.
"Who are you?" I asked, cautiously.
She looked at me with eyes filled with sorrow. Something about them warned me. I needed to choose my words carefully, or I wouldn't live long.
"...Thank you for saving me."
She turned away without a word, stood up, and walked off. Still, I could feel it—the sorrow buried deep inside her. It reminded me of myself. Of how I once wanted to give up but couldn't. Who was she, to carry such pain?
The days after were hard. My injuries were many, and I often thought of using the Black Flame. It crossed my mind often, but so did the fear. I was scared of it—not of its power, but of what it might do to me. I feared it would consume me, not heal me.
She never spoke. She always kept her strange black blade close—not out of fear, but something else. Something like attachment.
Then the days turned to weeks. A month passed, yet I found no way out. One night, the sorrow I had buried began to rise. I heard a voice.
"Night, you thought everything was going right… but don't forget. You're nothing but a curse. You're weak, just like before—and always will be. You think forgetting changes anything? No. It doesn't. Nothing will change the fact that you're—"
I woke up suddenly, my heart pounding. A warm hand was on me.
It was her.
That single touch broke me. The tears came without warning, and the sorrow spilled out. I couldn't hold it back. I ran from her. I left the cave, hoping the air outside would help, but it only made things worse.
Something kept whispering, urging me to remember. I tried—but every time I got close, something pulled me back. Something was hiding it.
What secret lies buried in my heart?
Who am I?