Chapter 09 – The Voices of the Forgotten

Prologue

In the darkness of the cell, silence is deceptive. The stones seem to whisper forgotten names, and the chains groan as if burdened by the weight of fallen souls. Arashi, leaning against a rough wall, traces the word "Akeru" in his dried blood with a trembling finger. Beside him, Kaede absentmindedly strokes the red thread tied around her wrist—this thread, the last gift from her mother, is more than just a memory; it is the symbol of her fight for freedom.

A shiver runs through the air when, suddenly, a voice rises—not as a distant echo, but directly within Kaede's mind:

— "Do you hear them, Kaede? They are not dead. They are here… inside us."

Kaede closes her eyes for a moment, trying to gather her strength.

— "I know, Arashi… They speak to me, they beg me not to forget who we are," she replies, her voice hoarse.

Before anyone can respond, a low rumble shakes the very structure of the prison. The northern wall cracks open, releasing a deadly cold. The chains binding their wrists tighten suddenly, sending waves of pain through their limbs. In this moment of chaos, a shadowed figure appears at the threshold of the breach.

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Part I – The Chamber of Echoes

The ground shifts beneath them. Arashi and Kaede find themselves in a vast hall where the dim light fades into thick mist. This place, known as the "Chamber of Echoes" by those who have known it, is haunted by spectral figures. The forgotten souls—victims of the Nine Clans' experiments—wander in silence. Murmurs rise, carried by the cold wind that seems to seep through the very walls.

A clear, insistent voice emerges from the mist:

— "You can hear us, Kaede."

A figure steps forward from the fog. It is a man with pale features and a vertical scar running down his face. His eyes, filled with sorrow yet unwavering determination, lock onto Kaede's.

— "My name is Ginji, the First Forgotten. Once, I was a guardian of this place," he declares, his voice carrying both pain and hope.

Kaede, breathless, replies:

— "Ginji… Why am I the only one who can hear you?"

Ginji tilts his head slightly, his gaze sharpening:

— "Because, Kaede, 'the threads of fate do not weave lives… they strangle them,' as I was once told. You bear the red thread, and as long as it vibrates, our voices will never be completely silent."

A murmur spreads among the shadows, and Ginji continues:

— "We are the shattered souls of the Nine Clans' victims. We do not wish to curse you; we only want you to avenge us… to set us free."

A cold shiver runs down Kaede's spine. She knows she must listen to these voices because they are proof that the past is never truly buried.

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Part II – The Song of Broken Souls

The atmosphere in the Chamber of Echoes grows heavier. The silhouettes of the forgotten draw closer, their features twisted by suffering and time. One of them, a woman whose gaze seems lost in infinity, speaks to Kaede in a tone oscillating between grief and urgency:

— *"Kaede, listen carefully: 'Freedom is not an empty word… It is forged in pain, in blood, and in the memories we refuse to forget.'"

Kaede clenches her fists. She remembers the days when she felt imprisoned by her own fears.

— "I am not your messiah," she replies, her voice trembling. "I am just a survivor trying to find my way through this nightmare."

But another voice, deeper and more authoritative, rises:

— *"Listen, Kaede. We do not want you to curse us. We want you to remember that your past is not a curse, but the source of your strength. Never forget: 'The chains that bind us can only shine if we let them define us.'"

The words resonate through the mist, intertwining with the distant laments. Kaede is overwhelmed by a flood of memories—the laughter of a loving mother, the proud gaze of her father, and the moment the red thread was tied around her wrist, a symbol of all she had lost. A torrent of emotions crashes over her, and she falls to her knees, eyes shut, as if drawing strength from the voices of the forgotten.

— "Rise, Kaede," Ginji whispers. "You must set us free so we can finally rest in peace."

A tear rolls down her cheek. Her heart pounds, and for a moment, she feels that all the suffering she has endured could become her weapon.

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Part III – The Awakening of the Enemy

The air suddenly fills with an ominous presence. As the voices of the forgotten grow more insistent, a new force makes itself known. The Chamber of Echoes falls silent. A figure detaches from the darkness, moving toward Kaede with a graceful yet menacing stride.

Draped in black, its eyes—two abyssal voids—fix upon Kaede with a piercing intensity.

— "Do you hear them, Kaede?" the entity speaks, its voice tolling like a funeral bell. "You have the chance to break free from your chains, but to do so, you must accept that you are shaped by pain."

The enemy, calling itself the Primordial Shadow, slides its voice into Kaede's mind:

— "Come with me, or remain here forever, shackled to your memories."

Kaede, heart pounding, breathes:

— "I will never be a mere specter of my past. I am more than that."

The Primordial Shadow chuckles softly, its laughter mingling with the echoes of the wandering souls.

— "If you do not submit, then you will be broken… and your thread, that red thread, will be corrupted until it can no longer protect you."

Kaede tightens her grip on the thread around her wrist. She raises her gaze, filled with newfound determination:

— "I refuse to let you control me. I was not born to be a puppet!"

The Shadow replies, its voice turning cold:

— *"You have always been a puppet, Kaede. Look around you—your friends, your past, they all dictate who you must be. Never forget: 'The threads of fate do not weave lives… they strangle them.'"

Kaede grits her teeth. Her gaze hardens as she responds with an intensity that makes the air itself tremble:

— "I will not let my past define me! I will shape my future myself."

Slowly, the Shadow retreats, momentarily startled by her defiance. The wooden witnesses—silent spectators of this battle—seem to hesitate, suspended in the outcome of this psychic duel.

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Part IV – Kaede's Choice

Silence returns to the Chamber of Echoes, broken only by the steady beating of Kaede's heart. She stands, breathless but resolute. Her eyes drift toward the horizon, where the voices of the forgotten continue their chorus of pain and hope.

— "I must decide," she murmurs to herself, the red thread faintly glowing against her bruised skin. "If I yield to this Shadow, I will become what they want—a tool for their revenge. But if I resist…"

She closes her eyes, recalling every word her mother once whispered to her before vanishing into oblivion:

— *"My child, always remember: 'The thread that binds you to us is your strength, not your weakness.'"

Kaede's eyes snap open. The Chamber of Echoes holds its breath. She clutches the red thread and lets memories flood her mind.

— "I will not be what you want me to be," she declares. "I will be the master of my own fate."

The thread ignites—not with corruption, but with inner fire. Her veins pulse with newfound energy, every heartbeat transforming pain into power.

And thus, the echoes of her words carry through the dark corridors, borne by the wind of rebellion about to set the prison ablaze.