Fragments of Oblivion: Lost Memories

What Elias and Darius saw on the horizon was nothing more that a mirage- a memory maybe. It was gone as quickly as it came. If it ever even came. Nothing made sense about this world, and Elias was learn this firsthand.

The fractured world was quiet again. Not silent—this place was never silent—but quieter. The distant hum of unseen energy rippled through the air, and the faint glow of the shifting landscape cast everything in a pale, otherworldly light.

Elias trudged forward, his shoulders tight with exhaustion. His makeshift weapon dangled from one hand, the jagged shard at its end still faintly humming with residual energy. Each step felt heavier than the last, the ground beneath him soft and unsteady, as if the world itself didn't want him to move.

Behind him, Darius walked with measured calm, his gaze scanning their surroundings. His presence was steady, grounded, and irritatingly unfazed by the chaos they'd just survived.

"You're going to break yourself at this pace," Darius said, his tone matter-of-fact.

Elias glanced over his shoulder, his jaw tightening. "I'm fine."

Darius arched an eyebrow, unconvinced. "You look like you're about to fall over."

"I said I'm fine," Elias snapped, his voice harsher than he intended.

Darius didn't respond immediately. He just kept walking, his expression unreadable. The silence between them stretched, thick with unspoken tension.

The landscape shifted as they walked, the jagged stone towers giving way to something softer. The ground beneath their feet smoothed out, its surface shimmering faintly like polished glass. In the distance, trees stretched upward, their crystalline branches catching the faint glow of the fractured sky.

Elias slowed, his gaze drawn to the strange, delicate beauty around him. The trees didn't sway, but they hummed faintly, a low, melodic vibration that resonated in his chest.

"What is this?" he asked, his voice quieter now.

Darius stopped beside him, his arms crossed. "A memory," he said simply. "Or a dream. Maybe both. This world doesn't make distinctions."

Elias frowned, his eyes tracing the shapes of the crystalline branches. "Whose memory?"

"Doesn't matter," Darius replied, his tone curt. "Could be yours. Could be mine. Could be someone who died a thousand years ago."

Elias turned to him, his frustration bubbling up again. "You talk like you've got all the answers, but none of this makes sense. How am I supposed to trust anything you say when everything here feels like… like a bad hallucination?"

Darius gave him a sidelong glance, his smirk faint but sharp. "You don't have to trust me. You just have to listen, if you want to survive."

They stopped at the edge of the crystalline forest, the ground beneath them faintly glowing. Darius crouched, his hand brushing against the surface. The light flickered under his touch, rippling outward like water.

He was right.

"You're connected to this place," he said, his voice steady. "The signs are everywhere. Every step you take here, every thought you have—it leaves a mark. That's why the fractures keep coming after you. They can feel you."

Elias frowned, his fingers tightening around the makeshift weapon in his hand. "Feel me? What does that even mean?"

Darius straightened, turning to face him. "You're pulling from this world every time you use that device, in ways we mana users can't. Memories, emotions—they're the fuel that keeps it going. And the more you take, the more this place notices you."

"That's why I don't want to use it," Elias said sharply. "I'm not trading pieces of myself just to survive."

Darius let out a low laugh, the sound devoid of humor. "You think you're above it? Like you can just build your way out of this with scraps and clever ideas? Let me tell you something, kid—this world doesn't care about your principles. It'll chew you up whether you fight it or not."

Elias felt his anger flare, but he forced himself to keep his voice level. "And what about you? How many pieces of yourself have you traded away?"

Darius's smirk faded, his expression darkening. For a moment, Elias thought he wouldn't answer.

"Enough," Darius said quietly. "Enough to know it's not worth clinging to things that can't save you."

The hum of the crystalline trees grew louder, their light flickering unevenly. Elias felt the air around them shift, growing heavier, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

Darius stiffened, his hand dropping to his side. "We need to move."

"What's wrong?" Elias asked, his voice low.

The old man said nothing, he merely shift his attention to something beyond the tree line.

Elias turned, his eyes scanning the forest. The light from the trees dimmed, and the shadows between them seemed to deepen. A faint whisper rose in the distance, growing louder with each passing second.

"Elias."

The voice was soft, almost melodic, but it sent a chill down his spine. It wasn't Darius, and it wasn't coming from anywhere he could see.

"You hear that?" Elias asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Darius shook, his expression grim. "No. Whatever you heard, it wasn't for me to know."

The whispers grew louder, overlapping now, until they filled the air with a chaotic, dissonant chorus. The ground beneath them trembled, cracks spidering out across its surface.

"Move," Darius said, his voice sharp. "Now."

They broke into a run, the crystalline forest blurring around them as the whispers closed in. The ground beneath Elias's feet felt unstable, shifting with each step, but he forced himself to keep going.

Ahead, the trees opened up, revealing a massive structure rising from the fractured ground. It was half-ruined, its surface covered in glowing runes that pulsed faintly with an unnatural light.

Darius stopped short, his gaze fixed on the structure. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath.

"What is that?" Elias asked, his chest heaving.

"Trouble," Darius said. "We're not going in there."

Elias stared at the structure, something deep inside him stirring. The runes seemed to shift as he watched, forming shapes and symbols that felt both alien and familiar.

"We have to," Elias said, taking a step forward.

Darius grabbed his arm, his grip firm. "No, we don't. You don't understand what that place is."

"Then tell me why we can't go escape there, and I'd gladly wait for you to deliver your out-of-time plan," Elias shot back, pulling free. "Because if you haven't noticed, we don't have a choice."

Darius hesitated, his jaw tightening. "That's a gate... but to someone much more unpredictable than a memory."

Elias turned to him, his expression defiant. "Well, we're out of time, and I'm not turning back now."

Before Darius could stop him, Elias stepped toward the structure, the runes flaring to life as the whispers grew deafening.