Chapter 6: Whispers of the Forgotten

The air trembled. The ancient ruins groaned as an unseen force stirred from its slumber. Light's silver eyes flickered in the dim glow of the carvings etched into the stone walls, their patterns pulsing like veins filled with forgotten power.

The masked woman stood before him, her robes swaying as a deep resonance filled the chamber. "It's awakening," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Light's muscles tensed. The relic—whatever it was—had sensed them.

A low, haunting hum vibrated through the walls as mist coiled around their feet. The shadows seemed to stretch unnaturally, crawling toward them like living things.

Then, the silence shattered.

A violent force erupted from the center of the room, sending shockwaves through the ruins. Cracks split the stone, and from the heart of the chamber, a pedestal rose, cradling a small, obsidian orb. It pulsed with an eerie light, its presence ancient, overwhelming.

The masked woman exhaled, eyes locked onto the relic. "The Eclipse Core…" she whispered.

Light stepped forward, his instincts screaming both in warning and temptation. Power radiated from the orb, dark and infinite, a force that could either elevate him or consume him whole.

But before he could take another step, the air shifted again—this time with the arrival of something far worse.

Boots echoed in the corridor beyond. Voices.

Light clenched his fists. The Light Clan.

The woman turned to him, her masked face unreadable. "They're here for the relic," she said.

Light smirked coldly. "Then they'll leave in pieces."

She hesitated for a fraction of a second. "You can't fight them all."

He met her gaze. "Watch me."

The Clash in the Ruins

The first enemy appeared—a Light Clan warrior clad in golden robes, his spear glowing with condensed Qi. He barely had time to react before Light vanished, his Void Step slicing the distance between them.

A single palm strike landed. Void Devour.

The man gasped as his energy drained in an instant. His body collapsed like a withered husk before Light turned to the others.

More came, their weapons flashing like shooting stars. Light danced between them, his movements fluid, merciless.

But even as he fought, the masked woman made her move. With a swift gesture, she reached for the Eclipse Core—only for a golden chain to lash out, stopping her.

Light Tian.

He stepped into the ruins, his golden eyes gleaming with arrogance. "Still alive, Yin?" His lips curled into a smirk. "No matter. You should have stayed buried."

Light exhaled slowly, suppressing the fury in his chest. "Tian." His voice was colder than the void itself.

The tension cracked like thunder between them. But before either could strike, the Eclipse Core pulsed violently, its dark energy spiraling outward.

The masked woman stumbled back, clutching her chest. A pained gasp escaped her lips.

Light's heart clenched. Without thinking, he moved, catching her before she fell.

Her breath was unsteady, her body trembling. Up close, strands of silver hair peeked from beneath her mask, glowing faintly under the relic's ominous light.

"Stay with me," Light murmured, his voice softer than he intended.

Her fingers curled weakly against his chest. "The core… it's rejecting me."

His grip tightened around her. Then let it take me instead.

With a final glare at Tian, Light made his decision. Ignoring everything else, he reached for the Eclipse Core, his silver eyes burning with determination.

The ruins roared in response, and in that moment, Light knew—his fate had already changed.

The moment Light's fingers brushed against the Eclipse Core, a shockwave rippled through the ruins. The ground trembled beneath him, and for a brief moment, the world turned weightless.

Then—darkness.

Not the comforting kind, nor the void he had come to embrace. This was different. Ancient. Relentless. Alive.

The Eclipse Core pulsed against his palm, sending a surge of raw power through his veins. His vision blurred, and suddenly, he was no longer in the ruins.

A Memory Not His Own

A vast battlefield stretched before him, soaked in blood and illuminated by the light of a shattered sun. Figures clad in celestial armor clashed against shadowed warriors wreathed in abyssal flames.

And at the heart of it all stood a woman.

Her silver hair flowed like liquid moonlight, and her piercing violet eyes held a sorrow far deeper than time itself. She wielded a blade of pure starlight, cutting down foes with a grace that spoke of both power and pain.

Light's breath caught. She looked familiar.

Then, her gaze turned to him. Not through him. At him.

"You… were never meant to awaken this," she whispered.

A searing pain tore through his chest, yanking him back to reality.

The Ruins—Present Time

Light gasped as he staggered backward, the Eclipse Core still burning in his hand. The masked woman—now trembling violently—reached for him.

"Light!" Her voice was strained, desperate.

He caught her wrist, steadying her. Why did she sound so concerned? Why did she say his name like that?

Before he could speak, Light Tian's golden spear came crashing down.

Instinct took over. Light twisted, void energy surging around him as he parried with a single, open hand. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the chamber, shattering ancient stone.

"You always get in the way," Tian spat, eyes alight with malice. "You were supposed to be dead, yet here you are—stealing what belongs to me again!"

Light exhaled sharply, his grip tightening around the Eclipse Core. Power thrummed in his veins, chaotic and untamed.

"Funny," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "I was thinking the same thing about you."

With a flick of his wrist, void energy erupted from his palm, forcing Tian back.

The masked woman tugged at his sleeve. "We have to leave. Now."

Light hesitated. He could end Tian here. End the Light Clan's prodigy before he could grow stronger.

But the woman's fingers curled around his arm, her touch grounding him in the chaos.

"Please," she whispered.

For a reason he couldn't understand, those words cut deeper than any blade.

Tch. Damn it.

With a sharp inhale, Light activated Void Step, the shadows swallowing them whole just as the ruins collapsed behind them.

Outside the Ruins—A Moment of Stillness

The wind howled as they emerged into the open air. The city of Blackveil lay in the distance, its lights flickering like dying embers against the night.

Light released the woman's wrist, turning to face her fully. "Who are you?"

She hesitated before reaching up, slowly removing her mask.

A face that stopped his breath.

Silver hair, soft yet untamed. Eyes of deep violet, filled with emotions too complex to name. The woman who had haunted the vision in the Eclipse Core.

"Call me Yue," she said, voice barely above a whisper.

Light's heartbeat stilled.

He had never met her before. And yet, something in his soul recognized her.

Why?

Yue smiled faintly, though it was tinged with sadness. "This… is only the beginning, Yin Light."

As the echoes of the ruins' collapse faded into the night, Light realized one truth.

The past he thought was buried had only just begun to resurface.

Light stood frozen, his breath shallow as he stared at Yue's unveiled face.

The silver hair, the violet eyes… they were the same as the woman in his vision. But how?

The night air was cold against his skin, but Yue's presence sent a different kind of chill down his spine—one laced with an unfamiliar warmth, like a distant memory just out of reach.

His voice came out quieter than he intended. "Who are you really?"

Yue's gaze didn't waver, but something in her eyes flickered—hesitation, pain, or perhaps something deeper.

"I told you," she murmured. "I'm Yue."

Light narrowed his eyes. "That's not what I asked."

She sighed, her fingers curling into the fabric of her robes. "And yet, it's the only answer I can give you… for now."

The cryptic response annoyed him, but before he could press further, Yue swayed unsteadily.

Without thinking, he reached out and caught her, his arm wrapping around her waist. She was warm—too warm, like she was burning from the inside out.

"Tch. You're still affected by the Eclipse Core." His voice was sharp, but there was a hint of concern beneath it.

Yue tried to push away, but her body betrayed her, leaning into him instead. "It's… not that simple," she whispered.

Light clenched his jaw. He didn't like this. Didn't like how seeing her in pain stirred something unfamiliar in him. Something dangerous.

"Then explain it to me," he said, softer this time.

She hesitated, then finally admitted, "The Eclipse Core is tied to my soul."

Light stiffened. "What do you mean?"

Yue lifted a trembling hand and placed it against his chest. "The moment you touched it… a part of me awakened within you."

His pulse quickened. A part of her?

Before he could ask more, Yue's knees buckled completely.

Light acted on instinct, catching her before she could fall. Her head rested against his shoulder, her breathing shallow.

"Yue." His voice was firm, almost demanding.

She didn't answer.

Light cursed under his breath. He could sense her life force—it was stable but weak, as if something was draining her from within.

Without another word, he pulled her onto his back and carried her. The weight of her body against him was unfamiliar, yet strangely natural.

"You're going to tell me everything when you wake up," he muttered, more to himself than to her.

As he stepped into the shadows, vanishing into the night, Light couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter had changed everything.

And that Yue… was someone he could never afford to lose.

The night stretched endlessly as Light carried Yue through the desolate landscape, his steps silent against the uneven ground. The ruins had collapsed behind them, sealing away whatever secrets still remained. But the real mystery lay in his arms—the silver-haired woman who had tied herself to the Eclipse Core… and now, seemingly, to him.

Her breath was faint, her warmth seeping through his robes. Too warm. It wasn't the heat of exhaustion, nor of a fever. It was something unnatural, something tied to the Core.

Light's silver eyes flickered with uncertainty. He had wielded the void, devoured energy, and shattered limits imposed upon him, yet this feeling—the presence of Yue lingering within his very being—was foreign.

"Just who are you…?" he murmured, his grip tightening slightly around her.

Yue stirred weakly, her fingers twitching against his chest. He felt it—a faint pulse of energy, like an echo resonating between them.

Then, her voice, soft and strained.

"I… didn't think it would be you."

Light stilled mid-step. "What?"

Yue's breathing was unsteady. "The one who awakened the Eclipse Core… it wasn't supposed to be you."

His eyes darkened. "Then who?"

She didn't answer. Instead, her fingers curled into the fabric of his robe, as if holding onto something fragile. Or something inevitable.

Light exhaled sharply. He didn't like riddles. He didn't like fate dictating his path. But more than that, he didn't like the way she was breaking apart right in front of him.

He adjusted his hold on her, moving swiftly toward the city of Blackveil.

If answers wouldn't come now, he would force them out later.

But first—he had to keep her alive.

---

Blackveil - The Hidden Sanctuary

The city of Blackveil was alive with flickering lanterns, casting shadows against the damp stone streets. Hidden beneath layers of alleys and abandoned passageways, Light found a secluded haven—an old temple long forgotten by time.

He laid Yue down on a worn-out futon, her breath steady but weak. Moonlight filtered through the broken windows, painting her face in silver hues.

Light sat beside her, watching. Studying.

She was an enigma, wrapped in secrets he wasn't sure he wanted to untangle. Yet, she had risked herself back in the ruins. And that…

That meant something.

Minutes passed. Then an hour.

Just as he was about to lean back, Yue's eyes fluttered open.

Violet met silver. A quiet intensity passed between them.

"You stayed," she murmured.

Light's expression didn't waver. "I have questions."

A faint, tired smile touched her lips. "Of course you do."

He leaned forward slightly, voice low. "The Eclipse Core. The vision. That battlefield. What did I see?"

Yue hesitated, then sighed. "You saw a fragment of the past. A war that should have been forgotten."

Light's fingers twitched. "And the woman in that vision… was she you?"

Yue looked away. "I don't know."

"Liar."

She flinched.

Light wasn't sure why, but seeing her hesitate like that made something twist inside him. He hated deception. But more than that, he hated the look in her eyes—like she was carrying a burden too heavy to bear.

"You said the Core is tied to your soul," he continued. "What does that make me now?"

Yue's gaze softened. "It makes you… someone who shouldn't exist."

Silence.

Then, a smirk tugged at Light's lips. "I've been hearing that a lot lately."

Yue's lips parted slightly, as if to say something, but then she simply closed her eyes, exhaling softly.

There was still so much she wasn't telling him.

But Light knew one thing for sure.

He wasn't letting her go until he found out everything.

And if fate had decided to intertwine th

eir paths—then he would carve his own destiny, just like he always had.

End of Chapter.

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Next Chapter: Echoes of the Eclipse

Light takes Yue to a secluded place to recover, but questions about her past haunt him.

Yue reveals fragments of her connection to the Eclipse Core—but not everything.

The Light Clan begins their pursuit, with Light Tian

more determined than ever.

A moment of unexpected closeness between Light and Yue changes their dynamic.

The power of the Eclipse Core begins to awaken within Light, bringing both strength and danger.