15.Shadow of past and present

The air in the dungeon was thick with an unnatural silence. The echoes of the silver-haired woman's parting words still rang in Adrian's mind. Though their mysterious guides had vanished, the weight of the revelations remained. He had regained pieces of his past, enough to realize that his enemies were still lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.

His fists clenched involuntarily. His present-life parents had been murdered because they refused to hand him over. Even as he tried to suppress the burning fury within him, it was a wound that refused to be ignored.

Lila, standing beside him, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We'll figure this out," she said softly. "You're not alone, Adrian."

Her words brought him a small measure of comfort, but he knew this was only the beginning. There were still too many unanswered questions. Who were his past-life betrayers? What did they want now? And how much time did he have before they made their next move?

Maya let out a deep breath, crossing her arms. "So, what now? Do we keep going deeper into this cursed dungeon, or do we take a moment to process?"

Seraphina, leaning against the cold stone wall, studied Adrian carefully. "This dungeon isn't just a test of strength. It's a trial for your soul. Every step forward will bring more of your past to light."

Adrian met her gaze. "Then we have no choice but to move forward."

With a determined nod, he led the group deeper into the dungeon. The walls, once dull and lifeless, now seemed to shift ever so slightly. The labyrinth responded to their presence, twisting and reforming as if it were alive.

The torches flickered, casting elongated shadows that moved unnaturally. The further they walked, the heavier the air became. Then, suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.

An ominous presence loomed ahead.

Adrian instinctively drew his sword, the others following suit. The darkness in the corridor deepened, and a chilling laughter echoed around them. A figure emerged from the abyss, cloaked in shifting tendrils of shadow.

Abyss.

"You are not yet worthy," it intoned, its voice reverberating through their very souls.

Adrian's grip tightened on his weapon. "Worthy of what?"

"To know your own secret," Abyss answered, its form twisting and reforming. "Until you reclaim what you have forgotten, you are incomplete."

Lila stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "And how do we prove we are worthy?"

Abyss chuckled darkly. "Would you truly ask why I am helping you? Do not mistake my guidance for kindness."

Adrian exhaled sharply, his heart pounding. Every fiber of his being screamed that this entity was dangerous. But at the same time, it held answers he needed.

Before he could respond, Abyss raised a hand. The air warped, and suddenly, Adrian and his companions were no longer in the dungeon. They stood in a vast, starry expanse, floating between past and present. Memories swirled around them, shimmering like fragile glass.

Adrian's vision blurred as he saw glimpses of his childhood—his sister's laughter, his parents' warmth. Then, in the next instant, he was on a battlefield, clad in golden armor, standing beside warriors he had once called allies… and enemies.

Seraphina and Maya gasped as their own memories surfaced, intertwining with Adrian's.

Maya's voice trembled. "I… I know you from before. But… were we allies? Or rivals?"

Seraphina's expression darkened. "There's more. Something deeper."

The memories were fragmented, teasing them with half-truths and hidden meanings. And just as quickly as they had arrived, the starry expanse shattered. They were back in the dungeon.

Abyss's presence loomed over them once more. "You are not yet ready. Seek the truth, and when you are prepared, we shall meet again."

With those final words, the entity vanished.

The group stood in silence, the weight of what had just happened pressing down on them. They had caught glimpses of the past, of a time when they had all known each other. But the full truth still eluded them.

Adrian turned to his companions, his voice steady despite the turmoil within. "We move forward. No matter what it takes, we will uncover the truth."

And with that, they pressed on, deeper into the unknown.