Echoes of the Past

The ruins trembled as the whispers intensified, reverberating through the air like distant echoes of forgotten voices. Evelyn instinctively stepped back, her pulse quickening. The shadowed figure held out the fragment of light, its swirling energy pulsating with an unseen force.

Elias hesitated, his fingers twitching at his side. "What happens if I take it?"

Dorian's voice was grave. "Memories buried by time don't resurface without a cost. Whatever is in there, it's something someone wanted to forget."

Lucien scoffed, gripping his blade tightly. "Well, we don't have many choices, do we? We either find a way out or stay stuck in this limbo forever."

Elias exhaled sharply, then reached forward. The moment his fingers brushed the fragment, a powerful force pulled him inward. Evelyn gasped as she and the others were drawn into the light, their surroundings dissolving into a blur.

When the world settled again, they found themselves in the middle of a grand ballroom, its golden chandeliers flickering with warm candlelight. Elegantly dressed figures waltzed across the polished marble floors, laughter and music filling the air.

Elias staggered, his breath hitching. "This… this is my family's estate. From years ago."

Evelyn looked around, mesmerized by the sight. "But how are we here?"

Dorian adjusted his cuffs, watching the dancers with narrowed eyes. "We're not. We're in a memory. A powerful one."

A familiar figure emerged from the crowd—a younger version of Elias, his posture rigid, his face unreadable. He was speaking with an older man, whose resemblance to Elias was striking. His father.

"You must uphold the Everhart legacy," the man said, his voice cold and authoritative. "Duty comes before all else."

Elias's past self clenched his jaw. "And what of love? Of personal choice?"

His father scoffed. "Those are luxuries for those who have nothing to lose."

Elias's breath hitched beside Evelyn. "I remember this night," he murmured. "This was the night I…"

Before he could finish, the memory distorted. Shadows crept in from the corners, consuming the dancers, the walls, the chandeliers. The light dimmed, and the once-lively ballroom became a hollow shell of its former self. The shadowed figure from before reappeared, its whispers like tendrils reaching out.

"The past cannot be undone, but it must be faced."

The floor beneath them cracked, and the memory shattered like glass. The group was thrown back into darkness, the ruins of the Forgotten Path reappearing around them.

Elias fell to his knees, panting. His face was pale, haunted.

Evelyn knelt beside him. "Elias, what was that? What did you remember?"

His hands curled into fists. "A mistake that changed everything."