**Umar, the Mystery and the Memories**

Well, Umar kept mumbling in her ward prison.

Classic *"Who am I?"* monologue, like she just got out of a bad soap opera dream or something.

I didn't get too close at first—I mean, bro, she *did* come from a flaming green rock, with shackles, goo, and a dark aura Firehair nearly BBQ'd on sight.

Still, I was nice. I gave her food.

"Hello. How are you?" I said.

She looked up like a tired puppy.

"Well… I guess I'm fine? I don't know. My head hurts."

She didn't even remember she was scary before. Just a woman with long black hair, violet eyes that dimmed like a flickering candle, and more mystery than a lost chapter in the library.

"Yeah, well, I don't blame you. You crash-landed inside a meteor wrapped in green fire and chains. That'll ruin anyone's Monday."

I told her the truth:

"We don't think you're a criminal, but those enchanted shackles weren't exactly... uh, friendship bracelets. So we're keeping them on for a while. Safety first. We're weird, not stupid."

She nodded silently and ate. Like, properly ate. No screaming, no tentacle explosions, no sudden spells. Just chewing rice like a normal citizen. Weirdly wholesome.

---

**Weeks Later…**

Umar seemed stable—no dark magic explosions, no evil chanting—so I gave her supervised freedom within the city.

To walk around Aethonix—WITH a guard, obviously. We're not *that* trusting. Chains still on, like magical bling. At this point, the chains were more fashion than prison Not because we didn't trust her…

Okay yeah, we exactly didn't trust her. Plus, the chains were enchanted with containment runes, energy suppressors, and... okay, I don't know. Ask the High Rune-Master.

I just know they glow sometimes and make weird humming noises

Meanwhile, Cronus was being Cronus.

Bro invented a self-heating cooking pot powered by micro-Griorite Particles .

A Griorite-powered mini-turbine that could power ten homes.

Train engines that ran on vibranium-sphere cores instead of coal.

An experimental glider suit made from Linuar fabric—he broke both ankles testing it. We clapped anyway.

And something called the "Auto-Cart", a carriage that moves without Arsu beasts. It worked… until it crashed into the bakery. Again.

He also made automatic scroll-writers—basically early printers—and a bird drone that delivers messages. He named it "Skreepost." I wanted "BirdoMail," but I got outvoted.

Democracy hurts sometimes.

——

My dad? Still casually slamming mountain-sized beasts left and right like he's on a mythological gym plan. The man punches harder than a continent shifts. When he yawns, trees fall.

The last beast he fought was a six-headed panther with acid breath. He came back carrying it like groceries and asked, "Dinner?"

—

The Council? Busy. Too many new villages. Too many babies. It's like the people of Aethonix discovered how fun it is to multiply.

My mom? Struggling with the twins. Aetheria keeps vanishing at the forest. Terraka tried to eat a whole rock thinking it was "warrior food." Chaos.

"Well, basically, they're 14—now literal teenagers. Like, how was I so different when I was 14? I was literally fighting monsters for months. Is this what they call favoritism???"

Me? I'm inventing *martial arts*.

Yes, finally. No more "swing sword and pray."

We're talking stances, pressure points, parrying, momentum control, rhythm. It's called "Auroraku" (working title). Might change it to something cooler later.

---

**Umar's Glow Up**

Months passed. Umar was smiling now. Literally. Like, *actual smiles*. She started gardening. Kids loved her. She made flower crowns and told bedtime stories she didn't remember learning. It was kinda wholesome.

They'd run up yelling, "Miss Umar!" and she'd laugh and hand out cookies she baked with town chefs.

Eventually, we removed the shackles.

Firehair wasn't around to scream "NOOOO!" so I took the risk.

Nothing happened. No dark explosion. No ancient prophecy activated. Just… nothing.

I thought maybe it would trigger her memories, but nope. Still a blank slate. Just a really pretty, polite blank slate who liked sunflowers.

One afternoon, I asked her,

"How are you feeling? You seem happier these days."

She smiled. "Yeah. I guess I'm healing. Thank you… for everything."

Brushing her fingers through a sunflower.

"I don't know who I am… but for the first time in a long time, I feel… happy. Peaceful. Like I'm finally safe."

I smiled back. "You're welcome here, Umar. I hope this place brings you even more happiness."

My Aurorian heart melted like cheese under the summer sun.

"You deserve peace."

---

**FLASHBACK TIME: Who is Umar… REALLY?**

Long, long ago in a dimension made of raw magic and chaos... Umar was born with her twin brother—yup—*Dormammu.* Big red head, fiery attitude, ego the size of a galaxy.

They were Faltine. Not even born, more like... *manifested.* Beings of pure energy and fire, like living stars with attitude. But Umar was... different. She was more curious, more emotional.

As centuries passed, she left their realm during a war. She got stuck in a physical form—flesh, blood, hair, regrets. She couldn't return to being energy anymore. That hurt. Imagine losing your real self and being trapped in a lesser version of you forever.

To survive in another war, she agreed to Fake marry a sorcerer named *Tiboro* (guy had a goatee and terrible fashion sense). They created a daughter—not the old-fashioned way, but magically.

But right after their wedding, tragedy struck. A killer showed up. Not just any killer—*a multiversal version of Stephen Strange* turned evil. Bro was OP. He injured them both, stole their daughter, and vanished.

Umar was broken. She lost her child, her magic, her identity.

She snapped. She attacked Dormammu in rage, but lost, and he banished her to float in darkness. No body. No memories. Just echoes of pain… until she landed here.

---

**End of Flashback. Present Day.**

So now she's here. Smiling. Tending flowers. Feeding birds.

She has no idea who she was. Maybe that's a good thing.

Maybe she's getting a second chance.

I watched her play with the village kids, laughing.

And I wondered…

What happens when she *does* remember?

Well sometimes… I catch her staring at the stars with tears in her eyes, whispering names she doesn't recognize.

**To be continued…**

What would Firehair think if she returns and sees me walking by the river with Umar?

Oh no.

This is gonna get dramatic.