Chapter 23: Memories That Never Were – The Man Who Forgot Naruto
Scene: The Skyhold Sanctuary – A Realm Between Worlds
A floating island of crystal and silence.
Time does not flow here. Wind doesn't blow. The stars are locked in place, as if the universe is holding its breath.
Ben awakens, alone.
No armor. No Riftborne corruption. Just… emptiness.
He sits up, glancing at his reflection in a shallow pool.
He recognizes himself.
But not where he is. Not how he got here.
And worst of all—there's a gap in his soul.
A hollow ache.
He walks.
Skyhold shifts around him like a memory that refuses to settle.
Echoes whisper from the corners—voices he can't place.
"Don't forget."
"He fought for you."
"You knew him."
But every time he tries to grasp the face, the name, the bond—
it slips.
Ben clenches his fists.
"I don't understand," he growls. "Why does it feel like I lost something?"
A wind stirs.
A single flower blooms in the dust.
Elsewhere – Naruto's Recovery
Back in Earth 11-D, Naruto sits silently on a rooftop in Konoha.
Kokugen lays across his knees, dulled by loss.
Sakura brings him tea.
"You haven't slept in three days," she says.
"I can't," Naruto answers.
She hesitates.
"He doesn't remember you, does he?"
Naruto shakes his head.
"No. But he's alive. That has to be enough."
He looks toward the stars—toward Skyhold, though he can't see it.
"I just hope he finds his way back…"
Cutaway – Ben Explores Skyhold
He finds a library filled with books that write themselves.
On one page:
A boy with blonde hair, smiling beside him.
Ben stares at it for hours.
"Who are you…?"
The ink fades before he can read the name.
Flashback – Inside Ben's Mind (A Locked Memory)
Buried deep in his subconscious…
A memory tries to surface.
Laughter.
Firelight.
Training in the void.
"You're not alone, idiot. I'm here."
Ben clutches his head.
It hurts.
A voice echoes, not his own:
"You forgot me. But I didn't forget you."
A single tear falls down his cheek.
He doesn't know why.
Scene Shift – Obsidian's Fortress
The Rift coils, unsettled.
Obsidian watches a sphere of memory twisting.
"The bond was broken," the Heir says.
"But the soul endures," Obsidian mutters.
He turns to a new player entering the stage—The Architect, an ancient multiversal forger.
"Prepare the next reality fracture.
We'll pull Ben into the next cycle… and see who he becomes without Naruto."
Scene: Skyhold Cracks
Ben is meditating when a ripple shatters the calm.
A portal tears open.
Out steps a girl cloaked in silver flame—Lunaria, a Seer of Forgotten Truths.
"Your presence here disrupts the balance," she says.
Ben stands, confused. "Who are you?"
She smiles sadly. "Not who you need. But maybe… who you'll trust."
"Do you want to remember him?"
Ben blinks.
And for a split second—he sees Naruto.
Bloodied. Smiling. Standing defiant in the Rift.
The vision fades.
"…Yes," Ben whispers.
Final Scene – The Deal
Lunaria extends a crystal fragment.
"Touch this, and your memories may return. But memories cost more than time. They change who you are."
Ben stares at the shard.
His hand hovers.
"Do I really want to know what I lost?"
[CHAPTER END | NEXT: Fractured Realities – Ben's Choice and the Rise of the Architect]