Fragments of Oblivion: Lost Memories

The fracture pulsed, its surface rippling like the skin of a living thing. Elias stood frozen, his breath caught in his throat, as the shifting form loomed closer. Whispers swirled around him, their cadence alternating between soothing murmurs and harsh, jagged accusations.

"You let them take me."

The voice struck like a blade, slicing through his thoughts. There is was again—the voice he couldn't remember, yet it filled a void he couldn't place.

"No," he whispered, his fists clenching as he stumbled backward. "This isn't real."

The fracture seemed to hear him. It shimmered, bending light and shadow into something new, something horrifying. What stepped out of it was no longer abstract—it was solid, humanoid, and wrong. Its skin glistened like polished glass, fractured lines glowing faintly beneath its surface. Its eyes, if they could be called that, were pits of swirling blue light, staring straight at him.

The device in Elias's hand pulsed erratically, its glow shifting from faint to blinding. He raised it instinctively, though he didn't know what it was supposed to do.

The creature tilted its head, the motion eerily human. Then it moved.

It surged forward with impossible speed, its limbs extending and fracturing mid-motion. Elias barely had time to react, diving to the side as its glass-like arm slammed into the ground where he'd been standing. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, cracks spidering out across the ground.

Elias scrambled to his feet, his mind racing. The device pulsed again, hotter this time, as if urging him to act.

"What do you want from me?" he shouted, his voice echoing across the jagged landscape.

The creature paused, its head snapping toward him. The glow in its eyes flickered, and for a moment, it almost looked… curious.

Then it lunged again.

Elias didn't think—he couldn't. His instincts took over, his body moving on its own. He raised the device and pressed it against his chest, just as Jalen had instructed.

Pain exploded through him, sharp and electric, as the device connected to something deep inside. His vision blurred, his senses warping. The whispers in the air grew louder, not accusing now but guiding, threading through his mind like a thousand unseen hands.

"Draw from it- from it... draw," the voices urged, their tones soft and insistent.

Elias gritted his teeth, his hands trembling as the device flared to life. It wasn't just a tool—it was a conduit, pulling from something he couldn't quite name. Memories? Emotions? Both?

The air around him shimmered, bending and warping as the fracture creature lunged again. This time, Elias didn't dodge. He raised his hand, and the device sent out a pulse of raw energy, colliding with the creature mid-strike.

The impact sent both of them reeling, Elias crashing to the ground as the creature shattered into fragments of glass and light. He lay there, gasping for breath, his body aching with the strain of whatever he'd just done.

But it wasn't over.

The fragments began to stir, pulling themselves back together with an unnatural grace. The creature reformed, its movements more fluid now, more deliberate.

Elias cursed under his breath, struggling to his feet. The device in his hand pulsed weakly, its glow dimming. Whatever power it had given him was slowy fading.

"You're lucky that thing hasn't figured out how to kill you yet."

The voice was deep and calm, cutting through the tension like a knife. Elias turned sharply, his heart racing, as a man stepped out from behind one of the jagged stone towers.

He was older, his face lined with the wear of years spent fighting battles Elias couldn't imagine. A faint scar ran across his jaw, disappearing into the collar of a tattered coat that looked as though it had seen better days. His presence was steady, commanding, like someone who knew exactly how dangerous the Divide was—and how to survive it.

"Who the hell are you?" Elias demanded, his grip tightening on the device.

The man didn't answer right away. Instead, he strode forward, his movements calm, until he was standing between Elias and the fracture creature.

"Stay behind me," the man said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Before Elias could protest, the man raised one hand, and the air around him shifted. A faint glow surrounded his palm, not unlike the shimmer of mana Elias had seen before. But this was different—more controlled, more precise.

The fracture creature lunged, its limbs fracturing mid-motion, but the man didn't flinch. He thrust his hand forward, and the glow around his palm condensed into a sharp, focused beam of light. It struck the creature head-on, piercing through its core.

The creature froze, its form trembling, before collapsing into a pile of motionless shards.

Elias stared, his mind struggling to process what he'd just seen. "What… how'd you?"

The man turned to him, his expression unreadable. "I focused my mana to the brink of its limits, then pulled back before the toll required a sacrifice."

Elias watched as the man crouched by the pile of shards, his hand hovering over them. The glow around his palm flickered, and the shards dissolved into the ground, leaving no trace of the creature.

"You didn't answer my first question," Elias said after a moment. "Who are you?"

The man straightened, dusting off his hands. "Darius Kane," he said simply. "And if you want to survive, you'll listen to me."

Elias frowned. "I didn't ask for your help."

Darius smirked faintly. "No, but you so obviously needed it. And if you keep stumbling through this world like you have been, you'll need a lot more."

Elias opened his mouth to retort, but Darius cut him off with a sharp gesture. "Save it. I'm not here to argue. I'm here because I've hit a dead end on my quest, but after watch you, I can't bring it upon myself to let a fellow human perish... here. You've been marked, and you're not exactly good at hiding it. Either that or you're painfully clueless."

"Marked?"

Darius's expression darkened. "That fracture? It wasn't just some random threat. It was drawn to you. That device you're carrying- it's a beacon, amongst other things. And if you don't learn how to use it properly, it'll get you killed."

Elias stared at him, the weight of his words settling heavily on his chest. "Then teach me."

Darius raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning. "Let's just hope you're quick enough."

As Darius turned, motioning for Elias to follow, the ground beneath them began to tremble. A low hum filled the air, growing louder with each passing second.

Elias glanced over his shoulder, his pulse quickening as the jagged stone towers around them began to crack and shift.

"What's happening?" he asked, his voice tense.

Darius didn't look back. "That fracture wasn't the only thing drawn to you."

A deafening roar echoed through the landscape, and Elias turned just in time to see something massive emerging from the horizon, ten times the size of the last creature. Its form was shrouded in shadow, its eyes burning with an intense, otherworldly light.

Darius stopped, his posture rigid. "Keep up, kid. Things are about to get a lot worse."