Scarlett and I bolted toward the ruins, the outline of the forgotten city emerging starkly against the bleak horizon. Countless years had passed since anyone deemed this place safe enough to enter, let alone habitable. But something told me answers lay hidden here—answers about my past, about Nyxia, and the strange power that stirred restlessly beneath my skin.
The further we fled from the spot of my resurrection, the heavier a sense of dread settled over us. It wasn't just the Dracus we were running from anymore. Now, Ren himself pursued us, the very being even those monstrous hunters feared.
I glanced at Scarlett from the corner of my eye, noticing the tightness around her mouth, the rigid way she held herself. She had to be wondering if helping me had been the biggest mistake she'd ever made. Guilt gnawed at me. I couldn't blame her if she did regret it. But that guilt hardened into determination: no matter what happened, I'd keep her alive. I owed her at least that much.
We slowed as we finally stepped inside the boundaries of the crumbling city. Almost immediately, something shifted within me. Emotions surged—nostalgia, grief, and fear intertwining into a chaotic storm beneath my rib cage. My vision blurred briefly, overtaken by flashes of fragmented memories.
I saw it again: a devastating surge of energy tearing through the land. The earth itself shattered beneath the force, the sky ripped open with flames hotter than any I'd ever felt. This city had been caught in the edges of that blast, damaged but not entirely obliterated. But why had Nyxia chosen this place to break through to me? What was so important that she'd risk everything to speak to me again?
A sharp pressure on my shoulder snapped me from my thoughts. Scarlett was staring at me with visible worry etched into her brow. "I don't know what's going on with you, but we need to blend in. Right now," she urged quietly. "They'll find us if we don't."
I blinked rapidly, snapping out of the vision-induced trance, heart hammering in my chest. Sweat dampened my forehead, my breath coming fast and uneven. "Sorry," I muttered. "You're right—let's move."
Together, we pressed deeper into the heart of the city, scanning carefully for anything that might help us either escape or confront the growing danger at our backs.
As we moved deeper into the forgotten city, memories surged through my mind like echoes of a past I couldn't fully grasp. They came in fragments—flashes of destruction, voices whispering my name, fleeting glimpses of something I once knew. But I shoved them aside, forcing myself to focus. Now wasn't the time to get lost in ghosts of the past.
We navigated through the maze of shattered buildings, stepping over cracked stone and rusted debris, until we arrived at something that stood out among the ruins—a pair of golden doors, embedded into the ground like the entrance to a buried cellar. They didn't belong in a place like this, not after all these years.
Scarlett and I exchanged glances before I moved to pull them open, only to find them locked. But this wasn't any ordinary lock. A faint pulse of energy radiated from it, unnatural and deliberate, as if it was placed here to keep something—or someone—out.
I turned to Scarlett. "Can you use Null to open this?"
She shook her head without hesitation. "If I do, I'll light up like a beacon. We'd have Dracus on us in seconds—and Ren."
"Figures," I muttered, exhaling sharply.
I placed my hands on the lock, and immediately, a strange hum filled my ears. It wasn't just a vibration—it was a rhythm, a pulse, something alive. Instinct took over, and before I could even think about it, the word rolled off my tongue:
"Release."
The lock unlatched with a sharp click, sliding open on its own
Scarlett and I locked eyes, the shock between us palpable, but we didn't waste time questioning it. We pushed open the cellar doors, slipping inside and sealing them shut behind us before descending into the darkness below.
The air inside was different—sterile, untouched by time. As we moved down the passage, sleek metallic walls replaced the rough stone of the ruins above. This place was advanced, far beyond anything that should exist here. Energy hummed softly from the walls, flowing like an unseen current, making the entire space feel alive.
Scarlett's fingers trailed along the smooth metal, her brows furrowed. "This doesn't match the era of the city above. It's... too modern. Too intact."
I nodded but said nothing, my instincts screaming that we were walking straight into something far greater than us. And then—
We reached the end of the passage.
A massive golden slab stood before us, untouched by time, its surface shimmering as ancient runes flickered to life, one by one. They pulsed with deep purple light before shaping into a name—
Voidscar.
I took a step closer, the runes shifting and reordering, forming a full inscription. As the words seared into my mind, something deep inside me recognized them—as if they had been written for me.
"Beneath this stone lies the blade of the forsaken—
Forged in the abyss, tempered by the souls of the fallen.
Voidscar, harbinger of the Grim, bane of scaled tyrants.
Its edge carves not flesh, but fate—erasing those unworthy of existence.
Only the son of Grim may wield its wrath.
Only he who has died and returned may claim its power.
Lesser hands shall find only ruin."
A sharp chill ran down my spine. Was this left here for me? Was this why Nyxia had broken through her silence, guiding me here?
Scarlett's voice broke through my thoughts. "Interlogue."
I turned to see a glowing holographic interface hovering in front of her, scanning the slab with digital precision. She frowned at the runes. "I can't read any of this. I don't know what warning it's giving, but I'd think twice before touching whatever's inside."
I clenched my jaw. "I can read it."
She raised an eyebrow as I repeated the inscription aloud. When I finished, she crossed her arms. "Son of Grim? That's a new one. You think that's someone from the past?"
"Maybe," I muttered. "But if Ren is after this thing, I'd rather not let him get his hands on it."
My gut told me I had to claim this weapon—before it was too late.
I reached out, fingers brushing against the dagger's hilt.
The moment I touched it—everything changed.
A violent surge of energy shot through my arm, tearing through my veins like liquid fire. My knees buckled, my breath hitched. All of my Essence—everything inside me—was being drained.
Scarlett's voice barely cut through the chaos. "Matte—let go of it!"
"I... I can't!"
A blinding darkness swallowed me whole. And just like that—
I was back in the Void.
The weightless abyss stretched endlessly around me, the air thick with silence. And then—
A familiar presence.
I turned my head—and there she was. Nyxia.
She stood before me, flickering like a dying ember, her form barely stable. Relief washed over her face as she exhaled.
"Matte, thank the stars—you're okay."
I stared at her, breathless. "Nyxia."
She paused, scanning me from head to toe. Then, for the first time since I had met her, her face turned red.
She averted her gaze quickly, crossing her arms. "So... you finally remember my name."
"That's right," I murmured, my voice laced with certainty. But beyond her name, everything else was still fragmented, slipping through my grasp. "But I don't remember much more."
She sighed, her expression softening. "That's expected. But listen—we don't have much time."
Her gaze darkened, urgency threading her words. "The dagger you found—it's yours. It always has been. You forged it."
The words hit like a shockwave. I was the creator of Voidscar?
She stepped closer, her violet eyes searching mine. "This weapon is the key to controlling your Essence. To unlocking your memories. With it, you can finally begin piecing everything back together."
I gripped my fists, trying to steady my breath. "Then what do I do now?"
Nyxia's expression softened, though her voice remained firm.
"Now?" She placed a hand against my chest, a pulse of energy flowing between us. "You go back. And when the time comes... we'll be reunited again."
Darkness rushed over me. My body felt weightless, pulled away by unseen forces. The last thing I saw was Nyxia's face, fading into the void—
And then—
A sharp gasp tore from my throat as I jolted awake, the weight of the world crashing back onto me.
Scarlett was hovering over me, her crimson eyes narrowed in frustration.
"Finally," she muttered. "Now get up, dumbass. We need to get out of here... NOW."
Before I could say a word, a voice rang out above us—cold, cruel, and unmistakable.
Ren.
"I know you're here somewhere," he called out, his voice slithering through the ruins like a predator playing with its food. "There's no point in hiding. GET UP HERE NOW, SCARLETT, AND FACE YOUR PUNISHMENT."
Scarlett froze beside me.
Her breathing turned sharp and uneven, her body trembling like a wire pulled too tight. Sweat beaded along her brow, and for the first time since I met her, I saw something in her that terrified me—not anger, not frustration, but pure, raw fear.
She was breaking. Ren had broken her before.
I nudged her shoulder gently, lowering my voice. "Hey, listen to me." She didn't respond. "Listen to me. He doesn't know we're down here. And even if he did, he can't get in. That lock won't let him."
Her eyes darted to mine, wide and desperate. "What if he breaks through the doors? What if he burrows down here—MATTE, WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY OUT. PLEASE."
Above us, Ren let out a dark chuckle.
"Stop STALLING, Scarlett, and come out NOW—" his voice turned sharp, venomous, "—or the only punishment will be a long, slow, and painful death."
Scarlett went rigid.
She wasn't hearing me anymore. Her mind was somewhere else—somewhere he had dragged her before.
I didn't have time to argue with her. Words wouldn't bring her out of this. Actions would.
I grabbed her wrist and shoved Voidscar into her palm.
She gasped the moment her fingers wrapped around the hilt. A jolt of energy surged through her, and she staggered back like she'd been struck by lightning.
Her wide, stunned eyes snapped to mine. "What the hell was that?!"
"You felt it, didn't you?" I asked, watching her reaction carefully.
She opened her mouth—then shut it. Her grip tightened around the dagger, her breath shaky. She had felt it.
"This dagger—Voidscar—it's not just a weapon," I said, my voice steady. "It's our way out."
Scarlett stared at me, still rattled. "You're not serious."
I met her gaze, unwavering. "I'm dead serious. But we have one shot. So listen to me—listen well."
I laid out the plan, my voice firm, every detail precise. Scarlett clenched her jaw, swallowing back whatever fear remained.
The moment I finished, I exhaled slowly.
"All that's left now…" I looked toward the ceiling, where Ren's shadow loomed above. "…is execution."
Scarlett adjusted her face, her expression hardening. No more hesitation. No more fear.
We had no room for failure.
We either made it out of here—or we died trying.