8.Echoes of the Past

The air remained thick with unease as Adrian steadied himself. Though the abyss had released its grip, the lingering echoes of their past lives clung to their minds like an unshakable mist. Seraphina and Maya remained eerily silent, their expressions shadowed with something unreadable. Adrian could tell—they had seen something, just as he had.

Lila, still concerned, kept her hand on Adrian's arm. "Are you alright? You looked lost back there."

"I'm fine," Adrian replied, though his mind was anything but settled. He shifted his gaze toward Seraphina and Maya. "What about you two? The abyss didn't just show me things. Did you see something too?"

Seraphina's golden eyes flickered with hesitation. She clenched her fists, as though trying to suppress a flood of emotions. "I saw..." she trailed off, biting her lower lip. "A life that shouldn't exist. A memory I don't remember making, but it felt real."

Maya let out a humorless laugh, arms crossed. "Same here. And let me tell you, it's messing with my head. One moment, I'm me, Maya the sorceress. The next? I'm standing in a grand hall, holding a staff, and yelling at you for underestimating me." She shook her head. "It felt like a dream, but too vivid to be one."

Adrian frowned, his heart pounding. "What did I call you in that memory?"

Maya's expression grew distant. "You called me your rival. And I called you an idiot for holding back against me. We fought, but it wasn't out of anger—it was because we wanted to push each other beyond our limits. It felt like... like we were constantly competing, yet there was respect."

Seraphina nodded slowly. "And I... I saw us on a battlefield. We weren't enemies, but we weren't exactly allies either. I remember you standing before me, your sword raised, and me with my wings spread wide, ready to strike. There was a fire in your eyes, Adrian, as if we had been through countless battles together." Her gaze softened. "But beneath all that, there was something more. A familiarity I can't explain."

The weight of their words settled over the group like an oppressive fog. The realization that they weren't strangers in the grand scheme of things—that their fates had been intertwined long before this moment—made the silence feel deafening.

Lila shifted, deep in thought. "If the abyss forced you all to remember these past connections, then it must mean they hold significance in the present. But why now? Why here?"

Maya clicked her tongue. "I don't know, but I hate not having answers. If these are truly our past lives, then why were they locked away? And why is the abyss forcing them out now?"

Seraphina exhaled, her wings twitching slightly. "There's more. I remember something else. Something about a promise."

Adrian's breath hitched. "A promise?"

She nodded. "It's faint, but I remember standing beneath a starlit sky, my hand on my chest as if I had sworn an oath. And you were there, Adrian. So was Maya. I don't know what we promised each other, but it felt important. It felt... sacred."

Maya's eyes widened slightly, realization dawning upon her. "That's right. There was a promise. A vow we made, long ago." She clenched her hands into fists. "But I can't remember the details. Damn it! It's like the memory is right there, but just out of reach."

Adrian's head throbbed. He, too, could feel that there was more—pieces of a puzzle that were only now being revealed. But the edges were still too blurred to fit together.

Suddenly, a deep voice resonated through the abyss, making the air tremble.

"You are not worthy. Not until you know your own secret."

The group froze, their eyes darting around the shadowy void. Adrian clenched his fists. "Who are you? What do you mean by that?"

A chilling chuckle echoed in response. "Your past holds the key to your strength. You have forgotten too much. Until you reclaim what was lost, you shall never reach your true potential."

Lila stepped forward, her eyes sharp. "Then tell us—how do we become worthy? And why are you even helping us?"

The abyss rumbled, the very walls of the dungeon groaning under the force of its presence. "I do not help. I merely reveal. Seek the truth, and you shall find your worth. Fail, and you shall remain weak."

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the voice faded, leaving only silence.

Adrian exhaled, his mind racing. The abyss hadn't just shown them their past—it had given them a challenge. One they couldn't ignore.

Maya crossed her arms. "Well, that wasn't ominous at all."

Seraphina's wings twitched, her expression grim. "Whether it's telling the truth or not, we don't have time to hesitate. We press forward."

Adrian nodded, determination setting in. "Then let's go. We'll find the answers. No matter what it takes."