The First Fragment’s Awakening

The moment Hesperia's eyes closed, she was no longer in the dungeon.

She was somewhere else.

Somewhere familiar.

The hum of an engine vibrated beneath her fingertips. A faint glow from streetlights flickered through the windshield. The rhythmic sound of tires rolling over asphalt filled the silence.

She knew this place.

She knew this moment.

And she knew what came next.

She sat strapped into the backseat seat of a car. The dashboard screen glowed faintly, displaying the time—9:43 PM.

Her hands curled into fists.

Her father was driving. She could see the outline of his face, faintly illuminated by the city's glow. Her mother was sitting in the passanger.

They were talking.

The words were muffled, indistinct.

Her ears buzzed.

This wasn't right.

She had already lived this night.

And she had already lost it.

The seatbelt pressed against her chest.

The road ahead was dark, stretching endlessly.

A shadow flickered at the edge of her vision. A trick of the streetlights—no, not a trick.

A warning.

A blinding light flooded the windshield.

A scream—her mother's? Her own? She couldn't tell.

Then—

Impact.

Metal twisted, shrieking. Glass shattered. The world flipped. Once, twice.

Then silence.

A deep, suffocating silence.

Hesperia's body ached. Her head pounded. The scent of gasoline, blood, something burning filled the air.

She gasped for breath.

The seatbelt held her in place, crushing her lungs.

Her vision swam as she turned her head—and then she saw him.

A boy.

Small. Curled up against the seat beside her.

His face—

Blurry.

Her chest tightened.

Why? Why couldn't she see his face?

She knew him. She knew he was supposed to be there.

But the image wouldn't come.

Her body screamed at her to move, to reach for him.

But she couldn't.

Because she had already lived this.

And she already knew how it ended.

A flicker of motion.

Beyond the shattered windshield.

Something outside.

It wasn't a rescuer. It wasn't human.

Something stood there, watching.

Its shape was indistinct, blending into the night. Not just hidden—unnatural, like a presence that did not belong.

Hesperia's breath caught in her throat.

The memory itself glitched. The scene flickered, colors shifting—like a broken recording.

Her fingers clenched, nails digging into her palms.

This wasn't just a nightmare.

Something was inside this memory with her.

Then—

[Chronos Fragment Activated]

[First Awakening: Echo of the Past]

The entire world collapsed inward.

The wreckage. The pain. The blurred boy. The shadow.

Everything shattered—

And she woke up.

Hesperia bolted upright.

The cave walls. The dim glow of runes. The distant sound of Mara's quiet breathing nearby.

Reality.

Her fingers trembled as she pressed them to her forehead.

Her heart was still racing.

That wasn't a dream.

She had been there. Inside that memory.

And she had seen him.

Kai.

But she couldn't see his face.

Because she had forgotten.

The air felt different.

Not just around her—but inside her.

She opened her system menu with a thought. The familiar translucent interface blinked into view.

And then she saw it.

[New Ability Acquired: Chronos Fragment – Echo of the Past]

[Effect: User may now choose which memory is erased after a rewind.]

Her stomach twisted.

So that was the price.

To control what she lost, she had to relive the worst moment of her life.

Her fingers curled into fists.

And yet…

That wasn't the part that disturbed her the most.

It was the fact that Kai had been there.

And she had never remembered until now.

What else had she lost?

How much of her past was truly hers?

A quiet shuffling sound drew her attention.

Denzel stirred, pushing his glasses up as he sat up. "You're awake early."

Hesperia nodded. "Didn't sleep much."

Ren groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Ugh. Can't believe we actually slept in this creepy dungeon."

Mara stretched, yawning. "Yeah, yeah. We lived. We move on."

Denzel studied her, gaze sharp. "Something's wrong."

She hesitated.

Then she exhaled, choosing her words carefully.

"Couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind."

That was true.

But not the whole truth.

Denzel studied her for a long moment, but nodded. He didn't push.

Mara pulled out another ration bar. "Let's just be happy we didn't get eaten in our sleep."

Ren shot her a look. "You're so comforting."

Denzel adjusted his bag. "We should move soon."

Hesperia nodded. The conversation shifted naturally, but the unease remained.

She didn't miss the way Denzel's gaze lingered on her.

But for now, he wouldn't ask.

And for now, she wouldn't tell.

As they packed up and prepared to move, Hesperia's mind kept circling back.

The accident. The blurred face. The shadow outside the wreck.

And the question that refused to leave her.

What had really happened that night?

Because for the first time…

She wasn't sure the memory she had always known was the truth.