Memory Unlocked

Richard's boots crunched softly on the earth as he stepped onto the familiar ground beside the lake where the squad had last stayed.

The memories, faint and fractured, assaulted him all at once, flooding his mind with images that didn't belong to him.

He could almost hear the sound of Riezekiel's voice, calling to Richmond, the fleeting images of the team preparing to leave, the warmth of the campfire still vivid in his mind despite never having been there.

His chest tightened as he tried to suppress the rush of emotions that surged through him.

The Night Owls Squad's last mission had been a failure, but until now, he had never questioned the details.

He had been told that they had lost their way, that the mission had ended in disaster and tragedy, Riezekiel's death and Richmond's disappearance, two stories with no clear answers.

And yet, standing here, where everything had started to go wrong, a gnawing doubt began to consume him.