We stood before the Nyx Forest—a chaotic magical aura cloaked the place like a fog that even light couldn't dispel.
"This place…" Aurelia murmured. "This is where the dimension first collapsed. People call it… the Shattered Land."
I could feel the sharp energy slicing through the air. My sword—Zephyros—trembled slightly in my hand.
"I remember this place. Long ago, dragons and magical guardians died here in a great war. Even the dimension itself couldn't withstand the chaos."
"I don't like it here," I said. "Not because I'm afraid… but because it feels like… déjà vu."
Aurelia turned to me. "You've been here before?"
I shook my head. "No. But somehow… my heart feels heavy the moment I stepped on this ground."
We walked deeper into the forest, tall trees blackened by the remnants of dark magic surrounding us. Strange whispers echoed—yet nothing revealed itself. Until—
> [Warning: Dimensional Distortion Detected | Auto-Activation: "Temporal Echo"]
Suddenly… the world around us shifted.
Transparent shadows appeared before us: soldiers, dragons, and mages locked in combat. Screams. Magical explosions. Blood. And—a young man with white hair… one that looked just like me.
"Is that… you?" Aurelia gasped.
I stepped closer to the echo. The man swung a sword glowing with blue light. Behind him—Zephyros in his full dragon form soared above the battlefield.
"That's… me in the past," I whispered. "Or… another version of me?"
But before we could get any closer—the vision shattered. And from the mist emerged a figure cloaked in black, a broken mask covering half his face.
"Welcome to your nightmare, Ace."
It was him—Malrik Nocturne.
"You arrived too soon," he said coldly. "But no matter. I'll test you… with someone you never expected."
He snapped his fingers.
The mist stirred.
And from within it… someone stepped forward. A girl with short black hair and piercing blue eyes—hauntingly familiar.
I froze.
"...That's… not possible…"
"…That's… Elena?"
> [ALERT: High Emotional Response Detected | Identity: Elena – Acquaintance from Original World]
[Status: Failed Reincarnation | Body Controlled by Dark Magic]
Aurelia looked at me, confused. "Who is she, Ace?"
I couldn't answer.
Because standing in front of me… was someone I once loved in my old world.
Someone who had died.
And now… had returned as my enemy.