Silence.
That was the first thing Arin noticed.
No sound. No wind. Just an endless void stretching in every direction.
He was floating.
Or maybe falling.
His body felt weightless, yet his mind was heavy.
Evelyn's last words echoed inside him.
"Arin… find me again."
His fingers clenched into a fist. Damn it.
She was gone.
Or… was she?
---
[New Objective: Find Evelyn]
The void around him began to shift. Colors bled into existence—gold, violet, deep crimson. The shapes twisted, forming something familiar.
A sky.
A field of white lilies.
And a single figure standing in the distance.
Arin's breath caught.
Evelyn.
She stood there, her silver hair flowing in the wind. But something was wrong.
She wasn't moving.
Her eyes were closed, and a golden chain wrapped around her wrists, binding her in place.
"Evelyn!" Arin ran toward her.
But—
The world shifted.
And suddenly—
She was gone.
In her place stood a familiar shadow.
"Still chasing ghosts, Arin?"
The masked figure.
Arin gritted his teeth. "Where is she?!"
The figure tilted his head, amused. "She's where she's always been."
"Lost in the past."
Arin lunged forward, sword drawn—
CLASH!
Their blades met in a shower of golden sparks.
But something was different.
The masked man's form wavered, like smoke in the wind.
"You're not real," Arin realized.
The masked man chuckled. "Neither are you."
Before Arin could react, the world shattered again.
---
[Location Update: The Forgotten Kingdom]
Arin gasped, his body hitting solid ground.
He was no longer in the void.
Instead, he stood in the ruins of an ancient city.
Massive stone towers stretched toward a dark sky. The streets were cracked and broken, vines crawling over abandoned buildings.
Everything felt familiar.
Yet… wrong.
"This place…" Arin whispered.
He had been here before.
A voice drifted through the air.
"…Arin…"
His heart stopped.
Evelyn.
He turned toward the sound, pushing forward.
Every step felt heavy, like the ground itself resisted him.
But he didn't stop.
Not until he reached the center of the city.
And there—
She stood.
Evelyn.
But her body was wrapped in golden chains, glowing with an eerie light.
Her eyes were open, but—
She didn't see him.
Her expression was blank.
Emotionless.
Arin's breath caught.
"No…"
She wasn't just trapped.
She had forgotten him.
---
[New Quest: Awaken Evelyn's Memories]
Arin took a step forward, but a sudden wave of force knocked him back.
BOOM!
A golden barrier flared around Evelyn, crackling with power.
"She doesn't remember you," a voice whispered.
Arin spun around.
A figure in golden robes stood at the edge of the ruins.
Unlike the masked man, this presence felt calm. Controlled.
"Who are you?" Arin demanded.
The figure stepped forward, their face hidden beneath a hood.
"The Guardian of Lost Souls," they said. "And she… is one of them now."
Arin's heart pounded.
"No. I can bring her back."
The Guardian sighed.
"Memories are fragile things, Arin."
"If you want her to remember… you must show her who you are."
Arin clenched his fists. "How?"
The Guardian raised a hand—
And suddenly—
A golden key appeared before him.
"Find the fragments of her past. Piece them together. Only then will she see you again."
Arin reached for the key—
And the world shifted once more.
---
[New Mission: Gather Evelyn's Lost Memories!]
Arin exhaled, gripping the key tightly.
He had one chance.
He wouldn't fail her.
Not again.
TO BE CONTINUED…