I walked away, my steps hesitant but determined, as the wind tugged at my clothes and hair. My hands still shook from the encounter, but I had to focus. The last thing I needed was to be distracted by her—by Emilia. But something about her had unsettled me, pulling memories I couldn't quite reach, stirring something deep inside me.
I didn't know how she knew me. I didn't know how she even knew my name. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I had no idea what was real anymore.
For as long as I could remember, I had been running—running from the nightmares of my past, from the confusion of my own existence. But no matter how far I ran, something always pulled me back. And now, it was her.
Emilia. The name felt familiar, like an echo I couldn't quite place.
I rubbed my temples, trying to push the thoughts away. I had no time to think about her. I had a class to attend, and I was barely hanging on by a thread after everything I'd been through. But as I turned a corner, my mind kept wandering back to that moment. The way her eyes had stared at me, so cold yet so knowing. It was as if she had seen straight through me.
"Rein!" a voice suddenly called from behind me.
I turned, startled, to see Lucius, the Headmaster of the Magic Academy, walking toward me, his silver robes fluttering in the wind like a shadow.
"Are you alright?" He asked, his voice soft but commanding.
I nodded quickly, trying to cover up the confusion and panic that had crept into my chest. "I'm fine," I said, though I wasn't sure I believed myself.
"You've been through a lot lately. But there's no need to be so tense," Lucius said, placing a hand on my shoulder. His presence was reassuring, though it couldn't quite erase the unease growing in my gut. "I trust you're ready for the expedition?"
The expedition. I had almost forgotten. My mind had been so tangled with thoughts of Emilia that I hadn't even considered the reason I was here. A research expedition with the Hero's Party to investigate ancient ruins. I was supposed to be participating in it.
I nodded quickly, trying to shake off the unease that gnawed at me. "Of course."
"Good," Lucius smiled, though there was something unsettling about it. "I expect great things from you. After all, you've got quite the... unique perspective on the forest, don't you?"
I frowned, confused by his words. "What do you mean by that?"
"I'm sure you've read all about it in the books here at the Academy," Lucius said. "You've been studying it for years, haven't you?"
I blinked, trying to piece it together. The forest. The Forbidden Forest. I had read extensively about it, combing through every text the Academy had, trying to uncover its secrets. But there was no personal experience behind it. No memories of wandering through its twisted trees or hearing the whispers of its dangers. I only knew it from books.
"Yes," I said slowly, though I wasn't sure if I was convinced. "I've read about it."
Lucius gave a short nod. "Well, that's good enough. You'll need all the knowledge you can get for the journey ahead."
As Lucius walked away, my thoughts spiraled once more. The expedition. The forest. It all felt like too much, too fast. I had no memories of this forest, none of the things Lucius was hinting at. I only knew what I'd read. But something about it lingered on the edge of my mind, tugging at the deep, buried part of me that refused to let go.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I went through the motions of attending class, though my mind was elsewhere. My thoughts kept drifting to Emilia and to the expedition. The Academy was buzzing with excitement. The Hero's Party was preparing for a dangerous journey, and I was caught in the middle of it all.
By the time the day was over, I was standing alone in my room, staring at the ceiling, trying to push away the growing pressure in my chest.
That was when I felt it. A chill running down my spine.
I didn't hear her approach, but I knew she was there. That same presence I had felt earlier—the one that twisted something inside me. The same one that had haunted me for centuries.
"You should be careful, Rein," Emilia's voice broke through the silence, cool and distant. "The forest isn't the only thing you should worry about."
I turned, too quickly, to find her standing in the doorway of my room, her dark eyes gleaming in the dim light.
"Emilia," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "What do you want?"
She stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, her presence filling the room like a storm on the horizon.
"I want you to remember," she said softly, her gaze never leaving mine. "I want you to remember everything. The truth. The reason you're here."
I wanted to refuse. I wanted to walk away, to ignore the growing pull in my chest. But something about her words, the way she said them, struck a chord deep within me.
"I can't remember," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't remember anything."
"You will," she said with a cold smile. "You just need to listen."
And for the first time in years, I felt the weight of my past bearing down on me. The memories I had buried deep inside. They were starting to surface again.
And there was nothing I could do to stop it.