The ground trembled.
Not violently—but enough to make Anish feel it deep inside his bones.
That thing in the distance… it wasn't just moving.
It was waking up.
A low, hollow sound echoed across Tigren, like the world itself was breathing after centuries of silence.
Anish's throat went dry.
"What… did I create?"
His voice barely came out.
Beside him, Zehrat didn't answer immediately.
Her eyes remained fixed on the rising darkness, her expression calm—but her fingers trembled slightly. That small detail told him everything.
She was afraid.
And yet… she wasn't running.
"That," she finally said softly, "is the consequence of your existence."
Anish turned toward her, anger mixing with fear.
"I just got here! How can any of this be my fault?!"
Zehrat looked at him.
Not with anger.
Not with blame.
But with something far worse—
Disappointment.
"You really don't remember…" she whispered.
That hurt more than it should have.
"I told you, I don't know anything about this place!"
The ground cracked beneath their feet.
Thin lines of glowing red spread like veins across the stone, pulsing faster now—matching the rhythm of something approaching.
Boom.
A heavy step.
Boom.
Another.
Each step felt like a hammer striking reality itself.
Anish turned toward the source.
From the shadows, a massive shape began to emerge—tall, distorted, barely human.
Its body looked like it was made of broken fragments—pieces of shadows stitched together by glowing red cracks.
And its eyes—
Burned like dying stars.
Anish's legs refused to move.
"What… is that?"
Zehrat stepped slightly in front of him.
"That," she said, her voice steady now,
"…is your memory."
Anish blinked.
"My… what?"
"You tried to erase everything," she continued. "Your past, your pain… me."
Her last word came out almost like a breath.
"But memories don't disappear, Anish. They rot."
The creature let out a distorted scream.
It wasn't just sound—it was filled with echoes of voices, whispers layered on top of each other.
Fragments of emotions.
Pain.
Regret.
Loneliness.
Anish clutched his head.
"Stop… what is this noise?!"
The voices grew louder.
"You left—"
"You promised—"
"Why did you forget—"
"I waited—"
"Come back—"
"Don't leave me—"
"ANISH."
He dropped to his knees.
"Make it stop!"
Zehrat rushed to him, grabbing his shoulders.
"Listen to me!"
Her voice cut through the chaos.
"You have to face it!"
"I CAN'T!"
The creature was closer now.
Too close.
Its massive arm dragged across the ground, leaving behind trails of glowing cracks.
The air grew heavier with every step it took.
Zehrat's grip tightened.
"If you run now," she said, her voice trembling for the first time, "this world will collapse."
Anish looked up at her.
"And if I don't?"
Her eyes softened.
"Then maybe… we still have a chance."
That "we" hit him strangely.
"Why do you care so much?" he asked.
"You said I left you… so why are you helping me?"
For a moment—
She didn't answer.
Then she smiled.
A broken smile.
"Because I never forgot you."
The creature roared.
A blast of dark energy shot toward them.
Zehrat reacted instantly, pulling Anish to the side.
The ground where they stood exploded.
Anish rolled across the stone, coughing.
"Okay… okay, this is bad—this is REALLY bad!"
Zehrat stood up, raising her hand.
A faint silver light gathered around her fingers.
"Stay behind me."
"What?! No way, I'm not letting you fight that thing alone!"
"You don't have a choice," she said sharply.
"You're still incomplete."
"What does that even mean?!"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she stepped forward.
The silver light around her hand expanded, forming a thin, glowing blade.
The creature paused.
Its burning eyes locked onto her.
And for a moment—
It hesitated.
"You remember me, don't you?" Zehrat whispered.
The creature let out a distorted growl.
"…Zeh…rat…"
Anish froze.
"It can talk?!"
Zehrat's expression changed.
Pain flashed across her face.
"That's not it talking," she said quietly.
"That's what's left of you… inside it."
The creature charged.
Fast.
Too fast for its size.
Zehrat moved to intercept, her blade clashing against its massive arm.
A shockwave exploded outward.
Anish was thrown back, hitting the ground hard.
"Zehra—!"
He stopped himself.
He didn't know why, but saying her name felt… important.
Like it carried something more than just sound.
Zehrat struggled to hold the creature back.
Its strength was overwhelming.
Cracks spread across her glowing blade.
"Anish!" she shouted.
"Get up!"
"I'm trying!"
He forced himself to stand, his legs shaking.
"What do I do?! I don't have any powers!"
"Yes, you do!"
"Then WHERE ARE THEY?!"
She looked at him—
Straight into his eyes.
"Where you buried them."
The creature broke through her defense.
Its arm slammed into her, sending her flying across the ruins.
"ZEHRAT!"
She crashed into the ground, her light flickering.
The creature turned toward Anish.
Now, there was nothing standing between them.
Anish's heart pounded.
"I… I can't do this…"
The voices returned.
Louder.
Closer.
"You're weak—"
"You ran away—"
"You abandoned everything—"
"You abandoned her—"
"STOP!"
He clenched his fists.
"No… I didn't…"
"You did."
The voice this time—
Was his own.
The creature raised its arm.
Ready to strike.
Anish closed his eyes.
And for a brief second—
He saw something.
A memory.
A different sky.
A different world.
Zehrat… smiling.
Not sad.
Not broken.
Happy.
"Don't forget me," she said.
His eyes snapped open.
Something inside him shifted.
The fear—
Didn't disappear.
But it changed.
"I don't remember everything…" he whispered.
"But I know one thing."
The ground beneath him began to glow.
Faint at first.
Then brighter.
"I'm not running this time."
The creature hesitated.
Just for a second.
And that was enough.
A pulse of red energy exploded from Anish's body.
The symbols on the ground lit up violently.
The air cracked.
The world trembled.
And for the first time—
The creature stepped back.
Anish stood there, breathing heavily, his eyes glowing faintly red.
Confused.
Scared.
But no longer powerless.
Zehrat slowly lifted her head, watching him.
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"You're finally waking up…"
Anish looked at his hands.
"What… is happening to me?"
Zehrat smiled softly.
"Your memories…"
Her voice trembled.
"…are starting to come back."
End of Chapter 2