Chapter 62: Blades in the Mist
The Forest of Dead Time erupted into chaos. Mist churned, and the silver-eyed figures advanced, their feet gliding across the ground unnaturally—silent, predatory.
Elias stood at the front, the mark on his hand burning hot after absorbing the First Echo Seal. His sword shimmered, infused with raw memory.
"Don't let them separate us," he shouted.
The four of them stood back-to-back, weapons drawn. The mist figures surrounded them, cloaks fluttering as they moved in, not with anger—but with purpose.
"They're not alive," Arin growled. "They're remnants—echoes."
"Echoes of what?" Kael asked, already dodging a silent blade.
"Of those who failed," Elias whispered, remembering the flickers of memory from the seal. "They're the shadows of those who lost to time."
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The Battle Begins
A figure lunged at Elias—he blocked the strike, but the force behind it felt like years compressed into one blow. Another came from the side, and he barely deflected it before Sera whirled beside him, her twin daggers flashing like dancing starlight.
Kael unleashed his brute strength, smashing through the spectral blades with thunderous force. Arin's precise movements allowed him to counter and slip between attackers, striking at the strange bindings beneath their robes—runes that faded with each hit.
"They're not infinite!" Arin shouted. "The runes fuel them—break those, and they fall!"
But they kept coming.
Elias's pulse pounded in his ears. He could feel it—the weight of the First Seal urging him, calling out to the mist itself. He closed his eyes for a split second and raised his hand.
The mark flared.
A ripple of golden light surged out, pushing the mist back.
The echoes froze, their heads slowly tilting toward Elias… and then, they knelt.
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The Chosen and the Forgotten
A voice echoed through the forest—not from the shadows, but from deep within the trees:
"You carry the memory of the First Keeper. The seal recognizes your lineage."
From the mist stepped an elder, cloaked in gray with a mask shaped like an hourglass. Their voice was layered—male and female, old and young.
"You're not ready… but you carry what was lost."
Elias narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The masked one lifted a hand, and the echoes dispersed like smoke.
"A Sentinel of the Forgotten Order. We protect what's left behind."
Sera stepped forward. "Then why attack us?"
The Sentinel bowed slightly. "Because not all memories deserve to be awakened."
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A Map of Echoes
From within their robe, the Sentinel drew a small crystal, shaped like a key.
"You've passed the first trial. But two seals remain." They pointed at Elias. "And the more you awaken, the more your true self will surface."
"Who… was I?" Elias asked, his voice low.
The Sentinel didn't answer. Instead, they held out the crystal.
Elias took it, and a map unfolded in his mind—three floating islands drawn in glowing light, each containing a dormant relic.
"The next seal lies in the Forgotten Vale," the Sentinel said. "But beware: the Vale is not kind to those who carry unspoken truths."
Before they could question more, the Sentinel vanished into the mist.
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The Road Ahead
Night fell over the dead forest.
They made camp on a stone outcrop, surrounded by roots and frozen starlight. Kael watched the trees, ever suspicious. Arin sharpened his blade in silence. Sera sat beside Elias, arms wrapped around her knees.
"They knelt to you," she said softly. **"Like they knew you."
Elias looked at his hand, the mark pulsing with a soft golden glow.
"Maybe they did. I just don't remember yet."
She glanced at him. "When the time comes… if your memories return, and you're someone we don't expect…"
"I'll still be Elias," he replied. "No matter who I was."
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A Shadow Watches
Unseen by the group, high above in the forest canopy, a hooded figure watched them.
Their eyes glowed with twin irises—one blue, one gold.
"The boy begins to awaken. The seals won't be enough to hold him forever…"
They turned and vanished into the dark, leaving only a whisper:
"Let the game begin."
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