Fragments of the Self

Aaron's breath was steady, but his mind was not.

The chamber had fallen silent, the echoes of the ritual fading into nothingness. The golden-black energy that had once swirled around him now lay dormant, settled deep within his core.

Orien stood before him whole, solid, real.

The Forgotten One lingered nearby, no longer flickering like a half-remembered dream. Its form had stabilized, its presence undeniable.

It had worked.

But something was wrong.

Aaron clenched his fists. He felt… off. Like a part of him had been carved away, leaving behind an absence he couldn't quite define.

Selene's gaze lingered on him. She had felt it too. "Aaron?"

He met her eyes. "I'm fine."

She didn't look convinced, but she didn't press.

Orien exhaled, flexing his fingers as if testing his own existence. "It shouldn't have been possible," he murmured. "But you did it."

Aaron nodded. "No one gets erased while I'm around."

Orien's crimson gaze softened. "…Thank you."

It was a rare moment of sincerity, but Aaron barely registered it. His mind was still trying to grasp the edges of what had changed.

Then, the Forgotten One spoke.

"You gave up something to bring us back." Its voice was steady, but there was something… unreadable in its tone. "What did you lose?"

Aaron opened his mouth to answer

And realized he didn't know.

A sharp chill ran down his spine.

Selene tensed beside him. "Aaron?"

He shook his head. "I…" He searched his thoughts, his memories—his own self. Something was missing. He knew it, could feel it, but the details were like trying to grasp fog.

His heartbeat quickened.

What had he sacrificed?

Selene stepped forward, her violet eyes dark with concern. "You gave up a memory, didn't you?"

Aaron swallowed hard. "…I think so."

The Forgotten One tilted its head. "Not just a memory. A piece of yourself."

Aaron's fingers twitched. "Then tell me " His voice was quieter than he intended. "What did I forget?"

Silence.

Orien and the Forgotten One exchanged glances. Even Selene hesitated.

Aaron's breath hitched. That hesitation that single moment of uncertainty terrified him.

If they weren't answering, it meant one of two things.

Either they didn't know.

Or…

They knew, but he didn't.

And that was somehow worse.

He took a step back, running a hand over his face. "No. No, this isn't" He clenched his teeth. Think. He just needed to think.

What was missing? What had been carved from his mind?

His past? A name? A face?

The more he reached for it, the more the absence grew, widening into something vast, something unnatural.

Selene touched his shoulder. "Aaron."

He stiffened. Her grip was warm, grounding. "I don't know what's missing," he admitted, voice strained. "I don't even know if I should try to remember."

She exhaled. "Maybe it's better that way."

He shot her a sharp look. "Better?"

Selene hesitated. Then, softer, "Some things are lost for a reason."

Aaron wasn't sure if that was meant to comfort him.

But deep inside, something told him this wasn't over.

Because whatever he had sacrificed…

It had mattered.

And he had no idea what it was.