Chapter 10: The Path Of Forgotten Names.

Ch.No.10

The Path of Forgotten Names

The wind howled through the valley as Errin stared at the narrow path before him. The storyteller's words echoed in his mind, unsettling in their simplicity.

"Your name."

He had spoken his name countless times, introduced himself to strangers, carved his identity into the world. And yet, the weight of her words made him question—had that name always been his? Or was there another, buried beneath layers of time and forgetting?

The storyteller gestured toward the path. "This is where you will find it."

Errin hesitated. "What's at the end of this road?"

She smiled, but there was something unreadable in her expression. "That depends on what you remember."

The answer did little to ease the unease settling in his chest. But he had come this far—running would do him no good now.

With a deep breath, he stepped onto the path.

The storyteller did not follow. She simply watched as he walked into the unknown.

The trail wound upward, climbing through the cliffs that framed the valley like ancient sentinels. The farther he walked, the quieter everything became. No birds. No rustling leaves. Just the sound of his own footsteps, too loud against the silence.

The air grew thinner. The path narrowed. Shadows stretched long and deep as the sun dipped behind the horizon.

Then, without warning, the world shifted.

The valley blurred. The cliffs twisted.

And suddenly, he was somewhere else.

A courtyard of smooth stone. Towering columns lined the edges. A great flame burned at its center, casting golden light over the polished floor.

Errin knew this place.

He had seen it before—in glimpses, in dreams, in the river's reflection.

And now, he stood in it.

A presence stirred behind him.

Slowly, Errin turned.

The man in blue robes stood there, just as he had before—calm, unreadable, his eyes filled with something deeper than time.

"You've come far," the man said.

Errin's throat tightened. "Who are you?"

The man did not answer. Instead, he took a step forward. "You are standing at the threshold of remembrance. But before you cross it, you must answer one question."

Errin's hands clenched at his sides. "What question?"

The man's gaze sharpened.

"What is your true name?"

Errin's breath caught. The name rose, unspoken, a whisper at the edge of his mind.

He could feel it.

Waiting.

Just beyond reach.

His heart pounded.

The world around him trembled.

And then—

A single word formed on his lips.

A name.

His name.

And as he spoke it aloud, the past came rushing back.