The weight of Lysander's words hung heavy in the air, clinging to the space between Sunny's breaths. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the cryptic statement. The world around him blurred as he stumbled, his legs barely able to carry him forward. The streets seemed colder now, more desolate. Each step felt like an echo of the lies that had defined his life.
His past is a weapon... Lysander's voice repeated in his mind, like a constant refrain. But who had done this to him? Who had turned his memories into this twisted, fractured reality? Sunny's hands tightened into fists as he clenched his jaw, trying to silence the overwhelming storm of thoughts.
His father's face flashed before him, but this time, it wasn't a comforting memory. It was a reminder of the betrayal that had poisoned his childhood, the realization that the one person he had trusted most had kept secrets that cut deeper than any blade. The scar on his body from that night—when he had been forced to kill the person who had once called him a prodigy—seemed to pulse with a faint but sharp ache.
A voice broke through his thoughts, cold and hollow. "Are you truly prepared to face what you've forgotten, Sunny?"
The voice was familiar, yet distant, echoing through his mind as if it were coming from a place far removed from the physical world. It was a voice from the past, one that had haunted him like a shadow, one that belonged to... Ren.
Sunny froze, his chest tightening. Ren. He had almost forgotten about him in the haze of the recent revelations, but now his name brought a flood of memories back. The bond they had shared, the trust between them, and the knowledge that Ren had always been by his side—those memories now felt fragile, as though they might crumble under the weight of the truth.
Ren's voice... Sunny thought. But what did it mean? What was Ren trying to tell him?
In a flash, everything clicked. The memories, the illusion, the feeling of something being wrong—all of it pointed to Ren. He had once been the only one who could offer him answers, the only person who knew the depths of his power and his past. But if his memories were false, if his entire reality had been shaped by someone—or something—else...
"Ren…" Sunny muttered to himself, a mix of hope and dread coiling in his stomach. "Is this all your doing?"
With his mind clouded by doubt, Sunny knew he couldn't walk this path alone anymore. His feet carried him to the only place that might offer him any clue—Kanah Village, the site of so many mysteries. He had to confront Ren, to finally uncover the truth, no matter how painful it might be.
---
As he approached the outskirts of Kanah, the dense fog that hung in the air seemed almost symbolic. The village, once a place of solace, now felt like a graveyard of lost memories. The mist curled around his ankles, creeping into his thoughts, urging him to look for answers. But each step felt like a betrayal. A betrayal of everything he had thought he understood about himself.
Upon entering, the village was eerily quiet. The people—who had once been so full of life and intrigue—now seemed as if they were mere shadows of their former selves. They moved without purpose, their faces blank, their eyes hollow. It was as if the very spirit of the place had been drained. The once vibrant streets now appeared ghostly, faded, like the last traces of a forgotten dream.
As Sunny moved deeper into the heart of the village, he felt the weight of countless eyes on him. There was no warmth here, no welcoming hands. Only the oppressive silence. It was clear that something had changed since his last visit. Something was wrong.
He reached the familiar place—the ruin that had once held so many answers. The memories, the ghosts, the whispers—they all seemed to converge here. He felt the pull of the past, the sense of unfinished business, but he also felt the harsh sting of uncertainty. What had truly happened here? What was the real secret behind Kanah Village, and how did it tie into the twisted path he had been walking?
With a deep breath, he stepped inside.
The world shifted. The air thickened.
Suddenly, an image appeared before him, flickering like a broken light. It was Ren, standing in the midst of the chaos, his back turned to him. For a moment, it was like the past had returned, and they were once again those two souls bound by a deep connection. But this time, Ren's voice was different. It carried a weight, a warning.
"Sunny…" Ren whispered, his voice trembling. "You have to leave. Before it's too late. You don't understand the truth. If you stay… it will break you."
Sunny's heart pounded. "Ren, what are you talking about? What's happening here?"
Ren's form flickered and shifted, the image distorting as though it were a mirage. "The memories you're holding onto… they were never yours. You've been a pawn in a game much larger than you could ever have imagined."
The image of Ren disappeared in a burst of light, leaving Sunny standing in the empty room. The weight of his words hung in the air like a curse. Sunny's mind raced as the shadows of doubt crept in. Was this the truth? Had he been manipulated all along? And who had been pulling the strings?
Before he could process what had just happened, a new presence made itself known—a figure emerging from the shadows, their face obscured.
"You've been searching for answers, haven't you, Sunny?" The voice was familiar, but colder than he remembered. It sent a chill down his spine.
The figure stepped forward, revealing a face Sunny had seen in his dreams—a face he could never forget. It was the one who had been manipulating everything from the beginning, the true orchestrator of his past.
And just like that, Sunny understood. This was the beginning of the end.