The moment I drifted into sleep, the voices began. At first, faint whispers, distant and impossible to understand. They floated at the edge of my hearing like fragments of forgotten words carried by a dying wind. Then they grew louder, roars and growls vibrating through the void, as if reality itself were crying out in pain. The sounds echoed endlessly, layered upon one another until it felt as though the entire universe was groaning under an unbearable weight.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a space that was neither sky nor ground. Endless darkness stretched in all directions, an infinite void without beginning or end, broken only by glowing chains that cut across the emptiness like rivers of light. They pulsated slowly with golden radiance, their glow illuminating fragments of the void around them like distant stars.
The air, if it could even be called air, quivered with energy, alive, ancient, and dangerous. It carried a pressure that made my chest tighten. Every imagined breath felt heavy, as though the void itself pressed against my lungs, testing my right to exist in that place.
And there they were.
The beings bound in the chains.
I could not name them.
They were massive, incomprehensible entities whose forms shifted constantly, sliding between humanoid shapes, monstrous bestial forms, and something far stranger that defied description. Their molten, shadowed skin writhed endlessly, cracks of crimson and violet light pulsing beneath their surfaces like burning veins. Their eyes burned like stars that had survived the death of countless worlds, ancient and cold, filled with knowledge and fury that made my soul tremble.
Smoke and living shadow rose from their forms, curling into the void like desperate spirits attempting to escape.
Chains of gold and silver light bound them in place. Each link glowed and pulsed with a life of its own, twisting and spiraling in ways that made the eye dizzy if stared at too long. The energy flowing through the chains was warm yet destructive, comforting yet terrifying, a paradox so powerful that the hairs on my arms stood on end.
I tried desperately to sense the beings with Divine Perception. I poured every ounce of my awareness into it, stretching my mind toward them like a hand reaching into a storm.
Nothing.
Not even the faintest trace of understanding reached me.
No matter how hard I focused, I could not comprehend their nature. I could not name them, could not measure their power, could not even tell if they were alive by the rules of this world. My mind faltered beneath the sheer weight of their existence, like a mortal trying to stare directly into the sun.
Then I saw him.
A man who looked exactly like me but taller, broader, radiating calm authority.
His dark-blue tunic was embroidered with intricate golden patterns that shimmered faintly under the chains' glow, the fabric moving softly as though touched by invisible currents of power. Every movement he made was deliberate and controlled, as if even the air itself obeyed his will.
His aura was powerful yet serene, a center of control in the chaos.
Even without understanding why, I felt reverence toward him.
He looked at the chains, observing the bound beings with quiet caution, his eyes sharp and calculating as if measuring every fluctuation in the energy that held them.
Then I saw a woman who was right beside him step closer, her presence luminous.
Her gown of silver and gold shimmered like woven sunlight and starlight, flowing gracefully around her body as she moved. The fabric caught the golden glow of the chains, reflecting it softly like ripples on a calm lake. Her long hair moved gently behind her, shining like threads of pale light.
Her eyes were sharp, intelligent, and commanding.
"Selarion, are you certain they are holding them?" she asked.
Her voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority, the kind of voice that could command armies or calm storms.
I froze, my heart thudding heavily in my chest.
A strange recognition stirred deep within me, something instinctive and powerful that I could not explain.
This was me.
But stronger.
Sharper.
A presence that filled the void with authority and power.
So this is who I was before my memories were lost.
"I will focus on the chains," the other me replied, his voice deliberate and firm. "They are holding, but not for long."
The chains pulsed brighter as he spoke, their light intensifying as if responding to his will. They tightened around the monstrous beings, holding them firm despite their shifting forms and the dark energy rolling off their bodies.
A strange pressure formed in my head.
I realized then that this was no ordinary dream.
I was watching memories, fragments of the life I had lived before my memories were lost.
The weight of that realization pressed heavily against my thoughts.
The bound beings shifted violently.
One twisted and coiled like a storm of shadow and molten light, its eyes multiplying across its body like burning stars.
"Release us," it hissed.
Its voice was deep and resonant, vibrating through the void like thunder echoing across mountains.
Another followed, slow and deliberate, its voice filled with menace.
"Release us."
I tried again to sense them with Divine Perception, pouring every ounce of focus into it.
But it was useless.
Their presence was overwhelming, suffocating, beyond comprehension.
The other me moved slightly, and the chains flared brighter.
He was calm and controlled, a force of nature standing in the center of a cosmic storm.
I could not understand what he intended.
But his authority over the scene was absolute.
Then the girl turned her head.
Her gaze suddenly locked onto me.
Her eyes widened in shock.
"Selarion, is that you?" she said, her voice filled with disbelief. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be protecting your kingdom? How did you lose your power? Selarion, come here quickly, you have to see—"
Before she could finish, the other me appeared beside her in a flash of movement.
"What's wro—"
He stopped.
His eyes met mine.
Recognition flashed across his face instantly.
"Ahh… so I lost my memories. My power because of something I did, ehh. What a fool I am."
The girl looked at him in confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
But before she could finish her sentence, the beings hissed again in unison.
Their voices vibrated through the void and pressed into my very soul.
"Release us."
The sound made the entire space tremble.
Then suddenly,
A violent surge of energy erupted.
Wind exploded in my body as crackling lightning filled the darkness I was in , infused with the overwhelming power of the Tempestrion element.
The lightning roared like a storm god awakening.
I felt myself lifted violently, pulled away from the memory as the entire scene dissolved into blinding blue-white light.
When I opened my eyes, the world was silent.
The chamber around me was still.
My chest rose and fell rapidly as I tried to steady my breathing. My mind buzzed with fragments of what I had just experienced, images and voices still echoing inside my thoughts.
Only now could I call upon the system.
"Wake up fully, Selarion," the system said, calm but commanding. "These are your memories, fragments of your past. Keep them, they will guide you. Remember everything."
I exhaled slowly.
The images, sounds, and emotions of Past Selarion, the chains, the bound beings, and the girl pressed into my mind with a clarity I had never experienced before.
I could finally access the system.
Questions immediately formed in my mind.
"Are these truly my memories?" I asked aloud.
"And if they are, how was I able to speak to myself and speak to her?"
The system answered calmly and deliberately.
"The answer to your question is this. When you remember something, you are simply looking into the past. For you, the past has passed. But for your past selves, the past is only just beginning."
I exhaled slowly.
The fragments of memory settled deeper into my mind.
The warning.
The chains.
The beings.
Everything.
One thing was certain.
The past had not yet released its hold.
And the future demanded that I act.
I got up from the bed and went to the bathroom before slowly moving toward the window.
By the time I reached it, Tarya was already awake.
She stood near the edge of the garden, the soft morning light spilling across her hair and highlighting the golden strands like threads of sunlight. Her posture was relaxed, but her eyes carried that sharp curiosity that made her both approachable and magnetic.
"Good morning," she said, tilting her head slightly as she looked at me. "You've been lost in thought all night. Dreaming, or just brooding as usual?"
"Something like both," I admitted, letting a faint smile appear. "I've seen fragments of memories from my past. Things I don't fully understand yet."
Her lips curved into a teasing smile.
"Fragments of a past life? That sounds dramatic. Are you always this mysterious?"
I chuckled quietly.
"Only when the memories are heavy. This was unlike anything I've experienced. Power. Presence. Danger. And guidance I didn't fully recognize at the time."
She walked closer to me.
"Well, I'm listening," she said gently. "But you know, you don't have to keep all that to yourself. We met yesterday, but I trust you, Selarion, so you should trust me too."
Her words surprised me.
She had only known me for a day, yet her presence felt comforting, almost grounding.
"I appreciate that," I said quietly. "It's not easy to explain. Even now I'm still piecing it together."
We walked slowly through the garden.
Sunlight spilled across the dew-soaked grass as birds sang softly in the distance. The gentle wind moved through the leaves above us while I explained everything to Tarya, from the moment I woke up in the forest staring at Lysera's face, to the battles, the journey, and my decision to come here and steal the fragments of the future.
Of course, I left out certain details.
The system.
And a few other secrets.
But telling her the rest made something inside me feel lighter.
"So," she said playfully after listening quietly, "what makes you so determined to chase these fragments? Planning to become some kind of omniscient hero?"
I shook my head slowly.
"No. Not a hero. These fragments hold immense power. If the wrong people obtain them, the balance of the world could collapse. I have to take them first."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"That sounds dangerous."
"It is," I admitted quietly. "But it's necessary."
She reached for my hand.
"Then I'll help you."
Her words warmed me more than the morning sun.
"You don't have to do it alone."
I squeezed her hand gently.
"Thank you."
The sunlight caught her eyes as she looked up at me, making them shine softly.
Before I realized it, I leaned closer.
She met me halfway.
Our lips touched in a soft kiss filled with warmth, trust, and something deeper that neither of us spoke aloud.
For a moment the world stood still.
When we pulled back slightly, a thin bridge of saliva connecting our lips, I wrapped my arms around her and held her close.
"The future is waiting," I whispered softly. "And I have to act."
"But I'm glad you're here with me."
She hugged me tighter.
"Promise you won't do anything reckless."
"You should know me by now," I said with a small smile. "Even though we only met yesterday."
I kissed her again briefly before stepping away.
Then I returned to the house.
My mind immediately shifted back into strategy.
Mapping the fragments of the future.
Identifying their possible locations.
Predicting the forces that might try to claim them.
Every step.
Every move.
Every decision had to be perfect.
Failure was not an option.
The past had spoken.
The present had responded.
And the future waited for my hand to shape it.