The Past

The days following Kaelion's encounter with Ardyn were filled with a strange sense of urgency. It felt as though the world around him was shifting, pulling him deeper into a web of secrets and forgotten deals. He couldn't shake the feeling that the answers he sought were just beyond his reach, taunting him like a distant star in an inky sky. The more he tried to grasp them, the further they seemed to slip away.

Ardyn had been strangely silent since their conversation, his mysterious demeanor growing even more elusive. Kaelion had come to realize that the shadow mage's silence wasn't just a tactic—it was part of his strategy. Ardyn wasn't going to hand him answers on a silver platter. No, Kaelion would have to earn them, piece by piece, through his actions.

It was early evening when Ardyn summoned Kaelion to a hidden meeting place—a crumbling building on the outskirts of the city. It had once been a mansion, but now, only remnants of its former grandeur remained. The air was thick with dust, and the silence was oppressive.

As Kaelion stepped through the broken door, he found Ardyn standing in the center of the room, his back to him, his hands clasped behind his back. The flickering light from a dying candle cast long shadows on the walls, creating an eerie atmosphere.

"You've been thinking about it, haven't you?" Ardyn's voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it carried an undeniable weight.

Kaelion stepped forward cautiously, his boots making a soft echo on the stone floor. "About what?"

"About your past," Ardyn said, turning slowly to face him. "About the choice you made. The one you can't remember."

Kaelion's heart skipped a beat. How could Ardyn know what he'd been struggling with? Had he been watching him more closely than Kaelion had realized?

"I don't understand what you're talking about," Kaelion said, his voice tense. "I don't remember any deal. I don't remember making any choice."

Ardyn smiled faintly, his eyes glinting with something Kaelion couldn't quite place. "And yet, the effects of that choice are all around you. They've shaped the course of your life, your path, and even your destiny."

Kaelion's mind was racing. There were so many pieces of the puzzle, but they didn't fit together. It was as if Ardyn was speaking in riddles, and Kaelion was too lost to find the key.

Ardyn took a step toward him, his expression shifting to one of seriousness. "I can give you the answers you seek, Kaelion. But you must be willing to confront the truth. The truth of who you were before and who you've become since."

Kaelion swallowed hard. There was something in Ardyn's words that stirred a deep unease in him. The idea of confronting his past—of facing a version of himself he didn't even remember—was both terrifying and compelling. He had been running from the truth for so long, and now, it seemed it was time to stop hiding.

"Tell me," Kaelion said, his voice more resolute than he felt. "Tell me what I need to know."

Ardyn's smile deepened, but this time it held no trace of amusement. It was a smile born from the knowledge of secrets, of things far older and more dangerous than Kaelion could comprehend.

"You were part of something, Kaelion," Ardyn began, his tone turning darker. "Something ancient. A group of powerful beings—mages, warriors, and kings—who shaped the course of history. You were one of them. And in your past life, you made a choice that bound you to me."

Kaelion's mind reeled. "What do you mean? What group? Who was I?"

Ardyn paused, his gaze fixed on Kaelion as though weighing how much to reveal. "You were a prince," he said softly, as though testing the weight of the words. "A ruler, a leader of men. And in that life, you made an alliance with me—a pact that connected our fates. You were willing to sacrifice everything to keep a power that you didn't fully understand."

Kaelion's breath caught in his throat. "I was a prince? I don't—"

"You don't remember," Ardyn interrupted, his voice tinged with something like regret. "But the power you wield, the magic that courses through your veins, is a direct result of that decision. The magic is tied to you, just as I am. And now, both of us are bound to the consequences."

The silence between them felt suffocating as Kaelion tried to process the revelation. A prince? A leader? How could he have been so different, so removed from the person he was now?

"You were part of a royal bloodline," Ardyn continued, his eyes never leaving Kaelion. "But that bloodline was destroyed. Purged, erased from history. You were the last of your kind, and in the end, you chose to sacrifice everything—your kingdom, your family—to protect something far greater."

Kaelion's mind was racing. "What was so important? What was I protecting?"

Ardyn's gaze flickered, and for the briefest moment, something dangerous passed through his eyes. "A power that should never have existed. A power that threatens the balance of the world itself."

The words hung in the air, heavy with implication. Kaelion could feel his heart pounding in his chest. The past he didn't remember was more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. And as much as he feared what lay ahead, he knew one thing for certain: he couldn't back away now.

"Then I have to stop it," Kaelion said, his voice filled with determination.

Ardyn nodded, a look of approval crossing his features. "Yes, but you must understand one thing. The power you seek to destroy—the power you once protected—is still out there, waiting for you to unleash it. And there are others who will stop at nothing to make sure that happens."

Kaelion's resolve only hardened. "Then I'll fight. I'll do whatever it takes to stop them."

Ardyn studied him for a moment before speaking again, his voice a low murmur. "Good. But remember this, Kaelion: the closer you get to the truth, the more you'll risk losing yourself. And when it's all over, you may not be the person you think you are."

The weight of Ardyn's words pressed on Kaelion's chest, but he knew there was no turning back. His past, his future, his very identity—it was all intertwined in this war. And he was ready to fight.