[Scene Opens – Dusk, Edge of the Forgotten Highlands]
A violet sky stretches above cracked stone plains. The compass in Arav's hand spins violently, pulsing a dull gold glow.
Elara (exhausted):
"This land... feels hollow."
Arav (staring ahead):
"It's like the world forgets itself here."
In the distance, a massive structure, shrouded in mist — its pillars rise, crumbled and vine-choked. There is no inscription, no symbol, no name.
Only silence.
---
[Scene: Approach to the Temple]
As they step onto the staircase, the mist thickens. The air chills.
A voice — not spoken, but inside their minds — whispers.
Temple Voice:
"To enter, leave behind what makes you real."
Elara (alarmed):
"What does that mean?"
Arav (gripping the shard):
"It's a temple of trials. We must shed something."
They reach a stone gate — a shimmering veil blocks the entrance.
Suddenly, letters appear in the air — glowing, then fading:
> "Offer your name."
Elara (hesitating):
"If we forget our names…"
Arav:
"Then remember the truth beneath it."
They step forward.
A burn — at their temples — a sting of loss.
Elara's voice falters:
"My name is... I... wait... what did you call me?"
Arav (shocked):
"I can't remember your name."
They look at each other — panic wells up, then passes.
What remains is trust.
They step through.
---
[Scene: Inside the Temple]
The halls twist. Gravity bends. Statues of faceless warriors line the corridor — each holding a different weapon, each scarred and broken.
Paintings on the walls morph as they pass — showing Arav killing his mother, Elara betraying a friend, Zoran turning to darkness.
Elara (whispers):
"These aren't real."
Temple Voice:
"They are the memories you fear."
---
[Scene: The Trial of Reflection]
They enter a chamber with two mirrors — ancient, cracked.
Suddenly, their reflections step out — breathing, moving.
Reflection Arav (smiling coldly):
"You think you fight for love? You just fight to forget the blood."
Reflection Elara (mocking):
"You'll leave him too. You always do."
The reflections attack.
Blades clash. The real Elara dodges, barely parrying. Arav slams his reflection against the wall — but it keeps returning.
Arav (growling):
"We are not who we were."
Elara:
"We are more."
She grabs Arav's hand. Together, they shout:
"WE CHOOSE WHO WE BECOME!"
Light bursts — the reflections shatter like glass.
---
[Scene: The Central Sanctum – The Forgotten Pool]
A calm pool glows pale gold. In its center, floating in mid-air — the third shard.
A whisper again:
> "Take it, and lose what binds you to the past."
Elara (looking at Arav):
"We've already lost names."
Arav (soft):
"If we lose the past… do we still have a future?"
Elara (firm):
"If we choose it — yes."
They reach out together. The shard pulses—
And a wave of energy washes over them.
---
[Scene: Outside the Temple – Aftermath]
They stagger out into the night.
Their memories… feel loose.
Elara:
"What was my brother's name?"
Arav (quiet):
"I... I don't remember."
Elara:
"But I remember this — you held my hand. You didn't let go."
They look at the stars.
The third shard glows brighter than the last two.
But something has changed.
A voice, distant, almost echoing in both minds:
> "You are closer. But closer to what?"
---
[Scene: Elsewhere – The Hollow Council]
The Chained Woman sits, her eyes glowing faint blue.
Chained Woman (smiling):
"They've forgotten their names, their scars… next, they'll forget each other."
Shadow Leader:
"And then… they'll return to us. As they were born."
---
End of Chapter 30
Next Chapter 31: The Man Who Never Died
> A stranger saves them — a man who bleeds but does not die. He knows the truth of the shards. And he has been waiting for Arav… for centuries.