The Forest of Forgotten Names wasn't marked on any map—because maps refused to remember it.
Kiel had only been there once, and he'd vowed never to return.
But fate, or something crueler, had other plans.
> "How can a forest forget names?" Riven asked as they stood before the edge of the tree line.
The trees loomed unnaturally tall, their leaves black as void silk, shifting between shapes. Some had feathers. Some, eyes.
> "Because this forest eats memory," Kiel said grimly. "It doesn't rot you from the outside—it rewrites you from within."
Riven swallowed hard. "And we're going in... because?"
> "Because a Nullborn is hiding in there," Kiel replied. "And because the Weaver King is already searching."
---
They stepped inside.
Instantly, the air changed. It was thick with whispers, as if every tree knew your sins and was judging you for them. The forest floor pulsed softly with energy, like it was breathing.
> "Don't say your name," Kiel warned. "Not even in your head. That's how it starts."
> "So what do I call myself?" Riven whispered.
> "Whatever you want. Just not who you are."
Riven grinned faintly. "Fine. I'm now Sir Growlsalot, Master of Pancakes."
Kiel didn't smile. "You joke now. But in here, the wrong name can kill."
---
They walked for hours—or minutes. Time folded in the forest like origami.
The further they went, the more their thoughts distorted. Kiel began to forget things—small things at first. His favorite weapon. The sound of his old mentor's voice. His brother's name.
Riven stayed oddly unaffected.
> "Kiel," he said at one point, "you're losing grip."
> "No," Kiel lied. "Just distracted."
> "No," Riven said, eyes glowing faintly, "you forgot what color your mother's eyes were."
Kiel stopped cold. He had forgotten. And worse—he couldn't remember ever remembering.
> "You're resisting the forest, that's good," Kiel muttered. "Keep doing that."
---
Suddenly, they heard crying.
It was soft, but clear—like a child echoing through wet glass.
They followed the sound, each step heavier than the last, until they reached a clearing.
There, curled under a tree with roots shaped like ribcages, was a young girl. No older than ten. Pale skin. Eyes milky with void energy.
And around her, names floated—shimmering like heat mirages, then blinking out.
She was devouring names without knowing it.
> "That's her," Riven whispered. "She's Nullborn."
Kiel stepped forward carefully. "We're not here to hurt you," he said gently.
She turned, lips trembling. "I… don't remember who I am."
> "That's okay," Riven said, kneeling beside her. "I didn't either."
The girl blinked at him.
> "You… feel like me," she said. "Are we broken?"
> "Not broken," Riven said. "Just… unfinished."
Kiel's instincts screamed. Something was coming.
And then—a rift tore open behind them.
From it emerged a figure wrapped in glowing red cords—his face covered by a mask of mirrors.
> "I see you found her," the figure said. "Too late."
> "Who the hell are you?" Kiel growled, sword drawn.
The figure bowed mockingly. "I am Threadwalker Venn. Loyal servant of the Weaver King. I gather the unanchored."
> "She's not yours," Riven said.
> "She's not yours either," Venn countered. "But she will be. All Nullborn belong to the New Loom."
He stepped forward, and the forest itself recoiled.
The girl screamed—her name fragments blinking faster, more erratic.
> "Kiel, he's unraveling her!" Riven shouted.
> "Then stop watching and fight!"
---
With a burst of null energy, Riven lunged at Venn. Their clash lit up the forest in white sparks and void shadows.
Kiel scooped up the girl and backed away, chanting a memory seal around them. He could barely hold it. Her name was fracturing, scattering like petals in the wind.
Venn struck Riven down with a blast of red thread, pinning him to the ground.
> "You're strong, little glitch," Venn hissed. "But not yet complete."
He turned to the girl.
> "Come, child. I will make you whole."
But before he could reach her, she opened her mouth and screamed a name—
Not hers.
His.
> "VENN!"
The power of it shattered the clearing.
Kiel blinked.
Venn staggered back, stunned. "What… how did you—?!"
> "She remembered his name," Riven gasped. "She remembered his true name!"
Kiel didn't wait. He struck.
His blade cleaved through the threads anchoring Venn's form to this plane. The masked intruder shrieked, his image fragmenting before vanishing into the rift.
The silence that followed was deafening.
---
The girl collapsed, breathing hard. Riven caught her.
> "You saved yourself," he whispered.
> "I remembered… his name," she said softly. "And that he was afraid of it."
Kiel nodded, finally smiling. "Then you're stronger than most."
They walked back toward the temple, the forest reluctantly letting them go.
The girl looked up at them.
> "Can I have a name again?"
Kiel glanced at Riven, who smiled.
> "How about… Nyra?"
The girl beamed. "Nyra. I like it."