CHAPTER 28 Echoes of the Forgotten

Echoes of the Forgotten

The shattered Veil rippled like a living entity as Lyra stepped through, her body shuddering at the chilling energy that coursed through her veins. The world beyond was neither light nor dark, but a void caught between time and space. Floating ruins stretched endlessly across a violet sky, broken staircases twisted in unnatural directions, and ethereal fragments of forgotten history drifted like scattered memories.

Her boots touched the ground—or at least, what seemed to be ground. The surface beneath her shimmered like liquid glass, distorting reflections of what might have once been a great celestial city. Every breath felt heavy, as though the very air carried the weight of centuries past.

Alden, Kael, and Selene emerged behind her, their weapons drawn.

"What is this place?" Alden asked, his voice hushed in awe.

Kael's sharp eyes scanned their surroundings. "The Forgotten Realm. A place where time has unraveled."

Lyra turned in a slow circle, her golden celestial mark pulsing faintly against her skin. This was where the voice had called her. Her mother's voice.

"She's here," Lyra whispered, her pulse quickening. "I can feel it."

Selene tightened her grip on her staff. "Then we need to move cautiously. There are things in this realm that do not belong to either the living or the dead."

A cold whisper slithered through the air, causing the torches of ghostly blue flames to flicker.

"Lost… forgotten… forsaken…"

The voice was layered, like a chorus of souls speaking at once.

From the mist, they emerged—wraith-like figures, their hollow eyes glowing with the remnants of long-departed stars. Their bodies flickered, caught between the physical and the immaterial. Some wore the faded remnants of celestial armor, others tattered cloaks, but all of them bore the same expression—emptiness.

Alden instinctively stepped in front of Lyra; his sword drawn. "What are they?"

Selene inhaled sharply. "The Forgotten. Souls bound to this realm, lost between existence and oblivion."

Kael's jaw tensed. "They don't seem hostile… yet."

One of the figures drifted closer, its translucent hand reaching toward Lyra. Before she could react, it passed through her arm—and suddenly, her mind was flooded with visions.

—A battlefield drenched in golden light, celestial warriors falling one by one——A woman, fierce and regal, standing against a faceless enemy——The throne of Eldoris crumbling under an unseen force——And Eryx. His silver eyes burning with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine. But beside him—Queen Valora.

Lyra gasped and stumbled back, breaking free from the vision.

Kael caught her before she collapsed. "What did you see?"

She clutched her chest, her breath uneven. "My mother… she's here." She met their gazes, the weight of the revelation pressing upon her. "Eryx has her."

Alden's hands tightened into fists. "Then we find him."

Selene's expression darkened. "And if she is no longer the person you remember?"

Lyra's eyes burned with determination. "Then I'll save her."

The ground beneath them trembled.

A deafening roar shattered the eerie silence. The mist parted violently, and from the darkness, a colossal figure clads in celestial armor stepped forward. Its eyes burned like twin supernovas; its movements unnaturally smooth as though gliding rather than walking.

Kael's face paled. "A Guardian."

The Guardian raised a massive spear, its energy crackling with ancient power.

"MOVE!" Alden shouted, grabbing Lyra as the ground exploded beneath them.

The battle for the Forgotten Realm had begun.