Chapter 3:The Forgotten Memories Still Linger

Lorien's breath remained ragged as the remnants of the vision faded, leaving him trembling atop the cold stone altar. His body was his own again, but the weight of what he had witnessed lingered like a phantom.

Azemir.

The golden-eyed king.

A man who had once stood across from the First Sovereign—not as an enemy, but as an ally.

And yet, in the end, he was devoured by chaos.

Lorien clenched his fists.

What had gone wrong?

Why had the First Sovereign—his predecessor—succumbed?

Before he could gather his thoughts, the system's notification pulsed again.

[Memory Fragment Unlocked.]

[New Skill Acquired: Sovereign's Eclipse – The blade that consumes all. Call upon it in times of despair, but beware—each use brings you closer to oblivion.]

A sharp pain lanced through his skull as an image burned itself into his mind.

A blade of pure darkness.

It wasn't just black—it was absence, a void where even light itself was devoured. It pulsed in his thoughts, alive and restless, as though eager to be wielded.

Lorien exhaled, forcing the image away. He wasn't ready for this. Not yet.

Instead, he focused on his surroundings.

The altar chamber was dim, the air thick with dust and decay. The trial had dragged him into a vision, but in the real world, no time seemed to have passed. The ruins remained silent, untouched by the chaos he had glimpsed in the past.

He needed to leave.

As he pushed himself up, his vision blurred. The exhaustion from the trial was setting in, the weight of the chaos pressing down on him like a suffocating tide.

[Warning: Your body is experiencing Sovereign Fatigue. Recovery is recommended before engaging in further trials.]

Lorien scoffed under his breath. "No kidding."

His limbs felt like lead, but he forced himself to move. Step by step, he navigated the crumbling temple, the silence pressing against his ears.

And then—

A sound.

A whisper.

Lorien froze.

He wasn't alone.

The air shifted, a presence stirring at the temple's entrance. A faint glow flickered in the darkness, followed by the soft rustle of fabric.

A figure emerged from the shadows.

A woman.

Her silver hair cascaded down her back, the moonlight catching in the strands like woven starlight. Her features were sharp yet delicate, her gaze unreadable. But it was her eyes that held him still—deep violet, luminous and haunting.

Lorien's pulse quickened.

He had never seen her before.

And yet…

Something about her felt familiar.

The woman studied him, her expression unreadable. Then, she tilted her head slightly.

"You survived."

Her voice was soft, yet it carried weight.

Lorien swallowed, steadying his breath. "Who are you?"

For a moment, she said nothing. Then, she stepped closer.

And when she spoke again, her words sent a chill down his spine.

"You wield the chaos."

His blood ran cold.

She knew.

How?

Before he could react, she reached out, her fingers barely grazing the air between them.

And in that moment—

A pulse of energy surged through the space between them.

Lorien staggered back, his mind flashing with brief, fragmented images—

A battlefield drenched in blood.

A throne of shattered obsidian.

A woman standing at the precipice of divinity, her violet eyes glowing with unearthly power.

Lorien gasped, the vision vanishing as quickly as it came.

The woman stepped back, her expression unreadable. "You don't understand it yet, do you?"

His jaw tightened. "Understand what?"

She studied him for a long moment. Then, almost too softly to hear, she whispered:

"The weight of what you are."

And just like that, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the ruins.

Lorien stood frozen, his mind racing.

Who was she?

And why did it feel as though he had just glimpsed a future he wasn't meant to see?

Lorien remained motionless long after the woman had disappeared.

His heart pounded in his chest, not from fear, but from something far more unsettling—recognition.

He had never seen her before. Not in this life. Not in the visions of the past.

And yet, the moment their eyes met, something inside him knew her.

The system remained silent. No warnings. No messages. As if it, too, was uncertain.

Lorien clenched his fists.

He couldn't afford to hesitate. He needed answers.

His body protested as he forced himself forward, pushing past the lingering fatigue from the trial. His steps were slow at first, then faster, until he was running—his eyes locked on the crumbling path ahead, where the woman had vanished.

He reached the temple's entrance.

Nothing.

The ruins stretched into the darkness, empty and untouched. The air was still, the silence heavy. No sign of her.

Lorien exhaled sharply.

She was gone.

Had she been real? Or another trick of the chaos?

His thoughts swirled, but before he could dwell further, a faint notification flickered in his vision.

[New Objective Added: Seek the One Who Remembers.]

His brow furrowed. "The one who remembers…?"

The system offered no further clarification.

Lorien exhaled, forcing himself to move. He had more immediate concerns. The temple had served its purpose—his trial was complete, and his body couldn't handle another confrontation in this state.

He needed to leave.

---

The forest beyond the ruins was eerily quiet.

Lorien's steps were slow and measured as he navigated the overgrown path, his senses on high alert.

The encounter with the woman had unsettled him, but something else was wrong. The air was different—too thick, too still.

Then, he heard it.

A rustling sound, faint but deliberate.

Lorien didn't stop walking, but his fingers curled slightly, preparing to summon Sovereign's Grasp at a moment's notice.

The rustling grew closer. Shadows flickered between the trees.

And then—

A figure stepped into his path.

Not the woman.

A man.

Cloaked, hood drawn low. His posture was relaxed, but his presence carried weight. He was waiting.

Lorien's steps slowed. "Who are you?"

The stranger didn't answer. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, as if studying him.

Then, he spoke.

"You reek of something old."

Lorien stiffened.

His mind immediately flashed to the system's recent words: The one who remembers.

Was this him?

The stranger stepped closer. "The power you carry… it's a relic. An echo of something that should not exist."

Lorien's pulse quickened. "And what do you know about it?"

A low chuckle. "Enough to tell you that the gods will not ignore you much longer."

Lorien's breath caught.

The gods?

His body tensed, but the stranger merely raised a hand in mock surrender. "Don't be so quick to act. I didn't come to fight."

"Then why did you come?"

"To offer a warning."

Lorien didn't speak, waiting.

The stranger's voice lowered.

"You are standing at the edge of something vast. And whether you realize it or not, you are not the only one who seeks the chaos."

Lorien's mind raced.

Others?

The chaos had been lost to history—buried beneath myths and fear. If there were others seeking it, then—

The stranger turned, beginning to walk away. "Your trials are only beginning, Sovereign."

Lorien moved before he could stop himself. "Wait."

The cloaked man paused.

"Who are you?"

A long silence. Then, without turning, the man answered.

"Someone who once failed."

And just like that, he vanished into the trees.

---

Lorien remained standing long after the stranger had gone.

The weight of his words lingered.

You are not the only one who seeks the chaos.

The gods will not ignore you much longer.

His grip tightened.

He had thought the trials would be his greatest obstacle. That if he could endure, if he could grow stronger, he would find the answers he needed.

But now, it was clear.

Something far bigger was moving in the shadows.

And he had only just begun to understand his place in it.

---End of Chapter 3---