Ashes drifted in the air like snowflakes made of pain. The ancient shrine lay in ruins, its shattered walls still whispering ancient words only the cursed could hear. Sagaru stood at its center, panting, the wind brushing past him like a warning. The sigil on his chest pulsed — faint but alive. It glowed with a soft azure light, like a dying star refusing to fade.
His fingers trembled as he stared at them.
> "What… what was that power?"
It wasn't just a surge. It wasn't mere magic. It felt like the entire weight of forgotten lifetimes had been poured into him. Pain, fury, sorrow — it had all clawed its way up from the depths of his being. And then it spoke.
A voice, ancient and without form, echoing in his soul:
> "The seal is fractured. The first memory returns. Five more yet sleep. Before the Feather of Ruin awakens... find them."
He collapsed to his knees. The echo vanished.
He didn't know how long he sat there, but when he finally rose, the sky had changed. The sun peeked through the clouds, casting golden beams upon the broken world below. But Sagaru only felt cold.
⛩️ Three Days Later – Village Border
The peaceful village he once called home had begun to feel like a prison. Whispers followed him everywhere. Children stopped playing when he passed, their mothers pulling them close, as if sensing the dormant storm in him.
Sagaru stood at the village's old archway, a satchel slung over his shoulder. He stared down the cracked road that led into the unknown.
> "I have to find the others…"
He had seen it in the shrine. Six symbols carved in stone — The Six Marks. He bore one. The others... out there.
He turned, glancing one last time at the village. At the memories. At the people who once smiled at him.
He didn't expect to return.
🌒 Somewhere Else – Fortress of Dust
Chains rattled in the depths of a forsaken citadel. Crimson candles flickered across grotesque murals — paintings of battles lost to time, of gods that bled like men.
A hooded man knelt before a throne carved of bone. On it sat a woman, graceful and terrifying — Lady Kurai. Her silver hair fell like a waterfall of starlight.
> "He awakened."
Her voice was soft, but it felt like knives.
> "And?"
> "He survived the first memory. His sigil burned bright."
Kurai smiled slowly. It was the kind of smile that even shadows feared.
> "Then fate has begun its dance."
> "Find the others before he does. And if he remembers too much—"
> "Kill him."
The man bowed low.
🌳 Forest of Whispers
Sagaru ventured into a land lost to maps. Trees taller than castles swayed as if they breathed. The forest was ancient — untouched by time, and rumored to devour those who dared enter.
A rusted sign read:
> "No Magic Beyond This Point. Enter at Your Own Risk."
He ignored it.
By nightfall, Sagaru had set up a small camp under a twisted tree. Fire crackled. The stars shimmered above, silent watchers of the cursed boy.
And then… music.
A flute, soft and sorrowful, floating through the wind.
He followed the sound. Step after hesitant step. Through branches that brushed his face and roots that reached for his ankles.
There, under moonlight, sat a girl dressed in black robes. Her silver hair shimmered under the stars. Her crimson eyes opened slowly.
> "You shouldn't be here," she said.
Sagaru felt his heart still.
> "You're one of them… the Six."
She nodded.
> "And so are you. But you're different."
> "You carry the Forgotten Flame."
He stepped back.
> "What is that?"
Before she could answer, the trees around them exploded. Arrows of shadow and light rained down, piercing trunks and soil.
> "They found us. RUN!"
🏃♂️ The Chase
They darted through the forest. Monsters made of bone and black fire burst through the trees. Sagaru could barely breathe, but the girl moved like wind.
A skeletal beast lunged — Sagaru screamed. But before it could reach him, blue fire exploded from his chest.
The creature evaporated.
The girl stopped, panting.
> "Do you even know what you carry, Sagaru?!"
> "No. But I'm starting to understand... It's not a gift."
> "No. It's a weapon. You are the last heir of the Silent Bloodline. And this world was built to destroy you."