Chapter 56: The Forgotten Truth

Orion tumbled through the abyss, weightless as time and space warped around him. The shattered mirror had become a portal, pulling him into a reality that wasn't his own. Shadows stretched and curled like living tendrils, whispering voices clawing at his mind.

Then—

He landed.

The impact sent a sharp jolt through his body, but as he pushed himself up, his surroundings made his breath catch.

He was in the Astralis Citadel.

But not as he remembered it.

The golden spires were darkened, cracked with age. The once-pristine marble halls were shattered, overgrown with ivy and glowing astral veins pulsating with a strange energy. A sense of déjà vu settled in his bones, yet something in his soul screamed that he didn't belong here.

A voice echoed through the ruins.

"You've finally returned."

Orion spun, his muscles tensing.

His reflection stood before him—not in glass, but as a solid being, identical in every way except for his eyes. The reflection's irises burned silver, shifting like cosmic waves.

"What is this?" Orion demanded, stepping forward. "Another illusion?"

His twin tilted his head. "No, Orion. This is your past."

The air rippled, and suddenly—

The ruins around them restored themselves.

The cracked spires reformed, the ivy disappeared, and the walls of the citadel gleamed once more. Astralis was alive—thriving.

Orion took a step back, heart pounding. This wasn't a vision. It was as if he had been thrown back in time.

And then—

The doors of the great hall swung open.

A younger version of himself strode in, his eyes bright with ambition. But he wasn't alone.

At his side stood another figure draped in royal silver robes—King Altair.

Orion's breath caught. The King of Astralis. His father.

But how?

"This isn't possible," Orion whispered. "My father was—"

"—betrayed," the reflection finished. "And the truth of that betrayal is what you've forgotten."

Orion turned, his pulse hammering. "What do you mean?"

The reflection's eyes darkened. "Watch."

The scene unfolded before Orion's eyes.

His younger self walked with confidence beside King Altair, deep in conversation. Orion leaned forward, listening to their words.

"Father, the Astral Convergence is near," his younger self said. "If we don't act, the Veiled Queen's forces will—"

King Altair held up a hand. "Patience, Orion. The Convergence is not just a war—it's a test of fate. There is a greater force at play."

Orion frowned. This conversation… he didn't remember this.

"But father—"

The doors burst open.

A figure cloaked in shadows stepped inside.

Orion's stomach twisted. The energy radiating from this being was ancient, overwhelming, suffocating.

The Veiled Queen.

"No," Orion breathed. "This isn't how it happened. I remember fighting her later, after—"

"You only remember what you were allowed to remember," his reflection murmured.

The scene continued. The Veiled Queen glided forward, her voice like silk. "Altair, your reign is at an end."

King Altair stood firm. "You cannot command the Astralis bloodline."

A cold laugh echoed through the hall. "I don't need to."

She lifted her hand, and from behind her—stepped a traitor.

Orion's breath caught in his throat.

Standing behind the Veiled Queen, a blade dripping with astral fire in their hand—was Seraphina.

His closest friend.

His most trusted ally.

"No," Orion whispered, his hands trembling. "This isn't real."

The reflection turned to him, his voice cold. "This is the truth, Orion. The truth that was stolen from you."

The younger Orion turned, betrayal raw in his eyes as Seraphina raised her blade. "Seraphina…?"

She didn't speak. She only plunged the blade forward.

The scene froze.

Orion gasped for breath, his mind spiraling. "She—she betrayed me?"

The reflection nodded. "And when the battle ended, your memories were sealed away. You were made to forget the past, to live without knowing the truth. To believe Seraphina was still your ally."

Orion clenched his fists. Everything inside him burned.

Seraphina.

The one he had trusted above all others. The one he had fought beside, believed in—

And she had sided with the enemy?

The reflection stepped forward. "Now that you know the truth… what will you do?"

Orion closed his eyes, anger and sorrow clashing within him. But when he opened them—

His silver irises blazed.

"I'll finish what should have ended long ago."

The reflection smiled. "Then it's time to return."

And with a blinding flash—

The illusion shattered.