The golden key pulsed once more, now inscribed with the word "Promise."
Arin stared at Evelyn, still bound in chains, her fingers trembling slightly. It was progress—but not enough.
"One memory isn't enough to break the curse."
He clenched his fist. He needed more.
And the key would show him the way.
---
[New Quest: Unlock Evelyn's Second Memory]
The moment Arin focused on the key, another golden pathway formed, leading toward the ruins of a cathedral at the heart of the Forgotten Kingdom.
It was massive, its broken spires reaching for the sky like skeletal fingers. The air around it felt… heavy.
As if the place itself mourned.
Seraphina stepped beside him. "This place… it's filled with sorrow."
Lilith shivered. "And something else. Something watching us."
Arin didn't hesitate.
He walked forward.
The past was waiting.
---
The Ruined Cathedral – Echoes of the Past
The golden door appeared once again.
Arin lifted the key.
CLICK!
Light consumed him—
And he was no longer in ruins.
---
[Memory Fragment Unlocked!]
The cathedral was whole.
Tall stained-glass windows shimmered in the afternoon sun. Soft music echoed in the air, a melody of peace and devotion.
At the altar—
Evelyn stood in a wedding gown.
But she wasn't alone.
Dozens of nobles, warriors, and mages gathered around her.
This was her wedding day.
But—
Arin wasn't the groom.
---
"Do you, Evelyn Astra, take Prince Darius to be your husband?"
The priest's voice rang through the cathedral.
Evelyn's hands trembled.
She looked… heartbroken.
"No…" Arin thought.
"This wasn't supposed to happen."
His past self stood at the entrance of the cathedral. A sword in hand.
Eyes burning with rage.
"Evelyn!" he shouted.
Gasps filled the room. Nobles turned in shock.
But Evelyn…
She only smiled.
"You're late, Arin."
Before anyone could react, a voice boomed.
"SEIZE HIM!"
The so-called groom—Prince Darius—stood from the altar, his golden armor gleaming.
"You dare interrupt a royal wedding?"
Arin's past self raised his sword.
"She doesn't belong to you!"
The entire room erupted into chaos.
Knights rushed forward. Magic crackled in the air.
And then—
The ground shook.
A dark tear split through reality.
And from it—
They emerged.
Shadowed figures with glowing red eyes, their bodies made of swirling darkness.
> [New Entities Identified: The Forgotten Wraiths]
Status: Cursed Manifestations
Threat Level: Catastrophic
Screams filled the cathedral as the creatures devoured everything in sight.
The wedding was a trap.
And Arin had walked right into it.
---
The Fall of the Kingdom
The memory blurred.
Flames.
Destruction.
The once-beautiful cathedral now burned, its stained glass shattered, its people slaughtered.
Evelyn, covered in blood, staggered toward Arin.
"I never wanted this," she whispered.
"I just wanted… to be with you."
But before Arin could reach her—
A golden chain wrapped around her.
The same chains that bound her now.
A curse.
Her body was pulled away into the darkness.
Her final words echoed—
"Find me again, Arin."
The memory shattered.
---
[Second Memory Restored!]
Arin gasped as he returned to the present.
The cathedral was once again in ruins.
But this time—
Evelyn's eyes snapped open.
They locked onto him.
And for the first time—
She spoke.
"You… you came back."
Arin's heart pounded.
She was remembering.
But it wasn't over yet.
Because now, he had one final memory to unlock.
TO BE CONTINUED…