The ground trembled beneath the heavy steps of two humans. Their shadows stretched across a valley filled with the endless screams of broken souls. The wind scraped against their clothes like invisible claws, tearing through the silence and echoing through the endless desolation.
Andrew and Elizabeth walked through the heart of the valley — calm, silent, and cold — as if the world's decay had long ceased to affect them. Though the wind cut like blades, their bodies remained untouched, protected by something unseen. The stench of rot and blood hung thick in the air, so heavy that a normal person would collapse, suffocated by it. But these two had already faced horrors far worse in their lives.
Elizabeth walked ahead, her pace steady, her figure graceful yet distant — cold as the moon above a battlefield. Andrew followed behind, cautious and confused, his eyes tracing every motion she made. Despite her fragile appearance, there was something within her — a storm, dark and chaotic — that made the air itself tense. Power radiated from her presence, quiet but suffocating, and even the valley seemed to bow to it.
Andrew's boots pressed into the strange earth. It didn't feel like ground at all — more like flesh, soft yet heavy, as though he were walking across the corpses of countless creatures from beyond the human world. Above them, colossal ruins floated in the blood-red sky, like shattered memories refusing to fall.
He finally broke the silence. "What the hell is this place, Master?" he asked, his voice carrying both awe and unease.
"Ahh… shut up! I've told you that twenty times already!" Elizabeth snapped without turning back.
"Sorry, Master," Andrew murmured, his voice small, like a child denied a toy too many times to still hope. "It's just… the landscape keeps changing. I can't even adapt to it properly."
Elizabeth sighed, her tone sharp but weary. "You're so annoying," she said, though there was almost a hint of affection beneath her irritation. "You'll have to get used to it, Andrew. After all… this is the place where everything unwanted and forgotten ends up." She stopped, turning slightly as her eyes glowed faintly in the dim light. "This," she said, her voice echoing, "is The Bin. The end of everything broken."
"The Bin?" Andrew repeated, blinking. "You never mentioned this place had a name."
"I forgot to tell you," she said dryly. "Most of the existences here call it that."
Andrew frowned. "Wait… existences? You mean there are living beings here?" His voice shook slightly.
"Yeah," Elizabeth said with a cruel smile. "There are many creatures here. Some friendly. Some… not." Her tone was teasing, as if she enjoyed watching him squirm.
Then, from the valley itself, faint whispers seeped into Andrew's mind.
"You are useless…" "Please spare me…" "I still remember the sun… sorry, mother…"
He froze. The voices weren't around him — they were inside him, clawing at his thoughts. At first he was intrigued, trying to understand how he could hear them when no one spoke. But soon realization crept in. These weren't echoes. They were the remains of consciousness — the final fragments of the dead, carried by the energy of the corpses that filled the valley.
"Master," he said quietly, "I sense something strange. The energy in these corpses… it feels similar to yours. What is it?"
Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. Inside, she sighed. He's too curious. Always asking questions. It's exhausting. But then another thought flickered through her mind — softer. He's like a child… Maybe he really did lose his memories.
"What is it now, Andrew?" she asked aloud, her irritation slipping through.
Andrew repeated the question, more insistent this time.
"Ahh… fine." She stopped walking, the wind catching her hair as she turned toward him. "You're asking about the energy in my body and these corpses, right? Well…" She paused, letting her voice hang in the air. "The energy you're sensing is called Soul Energy. It's the natural essence of this place — the very air here is saturated with the souls of the forgotten."
Andrew listened, his eyes wide, his body tense as her words sank in.
"If you want to survive here," she continued, "you must learn to use it. Quickly." Her tone became colder, almost teacher-like. "But learning the basics isn't enough. You'll also need to create your Mirror of Soul — your own unique manifestation of power. It's something born only when you truly understand yourself. Try it too soon, and the energy will consume you. You'll lose your mind… or worse." Her voice softened, almost whispering: "…You'll become a Forgotten One — a creature that lost control over its soul energy."
Silence followed. The only sound was the wind and the distant cries of the valley. Elizabeth watched Andrew carefully, waiting for him to process everything. His eyes drifted toward the endless corpses, his thoughts spinning like torn paper in the storm.
"I understand… I think," he said finally. "But it just raises more questions. What exactly is the Mirror of Soul? And who are the Forgotten Ones?"
Elizabeth's lips curved faintly. "The Mirror of Soul," she said, "is the reflection of your true self. The manifestation of your soul's nature, reinforced by the energy that flows through this world." She took a step closer, her eyes gleaming in the dim light. "And the Forgotten Ones… you'll know them when you see them."
"Do you have any other questions?" she asked dryly.
"Yes!" Andrew said immediately, his curiosity breaking through his exhaustion.
"Then keep them inside," she cut him off. "You'll understand when the time comes."
"Yes, Master," he muttered.
Elizabeth turned away again, her cloak fluttering as she walked deeper into the valley. Andrew followed, though now with even greater curiosity — and an unfamiliar sense of dread.
The whispers in his mind grew louder. At first, they were almost innocent — "Jane, would you marry me?", "I hate you…", "Surprise!" — but soon they twisted, becoming grotesque echoes of suffering. "Which part of you should I get rid of first?" "Please… don't touch me…" "Mother… NO!"
The air thickened. The wind, once refreshing, turned violent — a storm of souls tearing at his skin. The valley's beauty decayed with every step, the ground transforming into a graveyard of half-dead existences. Each breath burned. Each step felt heavier than the last.
Andrew's body began to falter. The pressure in the air pressed down like invisible chains. His lungs screamed for air, his vision blurred until the world became a shifting blur of red and black. Why is everything changing so fast? he thought. Why can she walk like it's nothing?
Finally, his strength gave out. His body hit the ground, his hands sinking into the cold, soft flesh beneath.
"Mas… ter," he gasped, "please… help me. I can't walk anymore…"
Elizabeth turned slightly, her voice calm but merciless. "I won't help you. Either you die here and join the corpses, or you survive and follow me."
"I… can't," Andrew choked, his body trembling. "I physically can't… continue…"
"If you're dying because of the environment," she said, her tone razor-sharp, "then use it. Become stronger by using what's killing you." She stepped closer, her gaze hard as steel. "It's simple — absorb the energy around you. Let it circulate through your body. But don't underestimate it. If you fail, it will devour you." Her voice softened just slightly. "That's the only help I can give. Don't die… and good luck."
Then she turned and continued walking, her silhouette fading into the darkness. "If you succeed," her voice echoed faintly, "catch up with me later."
The sound of her footsteps grew distant until only the storm remained. Andrew lay there, his breath ragged, his heart pounding against the weight of the air. The whispers clawed at his mind, the corpses seemed to stare. But amidst that madness — something stirred. A faint pulse within his chest. A rhythm. A warmth. The energy of the valley had begun to answer him.
The darkness closed in, but Andrew didn't move. Not yet. Somewhere beyond the screams, beyond the decay and silence — a light flickered. And in that moment, as the valley swallowed him whole, Andrew's reflection began to awaken.