The cave was silent.
Too silent.
No echoes. No footsteps. No heartbeat. Even the sound of Graxion's breath was swallowed by the air, like the shadows themselves didn't want him to know he was still alive.
> [New Quest: Trial of the Forgotten – Initiated]
Objective: Survive. Outcome will determine eligibility for advancement.
Note: Failure will result in full erasure—spiritual and temporal.
> "Great," Graxion muttered. "Erasure. Not even death anymore."
He walked deeper into the cave, guided only by the dim, pulsing glow from his own corrupted shadow. The walls seemed to move behind him—shifting shapes of those he had fought… or failed to save.
Then came the voice.
> "You don't belong here."
It echoed from every direction at once. Male. Female. Ancient. Young. Like all of humanity whispering in chorus.
> "You were never meant to be."
> "I didn't ask to be," Graxion said through gritted teeth.
> "But you are," the voice hissed. "And so you must be judged."
Darkness surged. Not like his shadows—no, this was different. Older. Colder. Shadows without memory or shape, rising up to form a creature of smoke and fragments.
A wraith.
But not just any wraith—it wore his face.
Eyes hollow. Skin pale. Mouth twisted in pain.
> "What the hell…"
The system flared:
> [Entity Detected: Wraith of Self]
Manifestation Class: Echoborn
Core Ability: Memory Distortion
Warning: Engaging this entity will fracture suppressed memories.
Graxion summoned his blade. It was made of compressed shadow and still hummed with energy from his last battle. But as he lunged, the wraith didn't fight back.
It just whispered.
> "You left her."
His swing stopped mid-air.
> "What…?"
> "You left her behind. When the fire came. When the soldiers came. You ran."
Images flooded his mind—unwanted, unremembered. A small house. A girl's laughter. The smell of bread. Then—screams. Fire. Shadows dragging her away. And Graxion… running.
> "No, I—I couldn't save her…"
The wraith struck, slashing across his chest with claws of broken time. Pain, but not just physical—it ached in his soul.
> "That pain is real," it whispered. "Because you made it real."
> "SHUT UP!"
Graxion screamed, blasting it with a burst of raw shadow force. The cave shook. The wraith dissolved into smoke.
But not gone.
Because in the next moment, three more stepped from the dark—each wearing a new face. A friend. A victim. A stranger he chose not to help.
Each one repeating the same thing.
> "You weren't supposed to exist. You were a mistake. An accident. A curse."
Graxion fell to one knee, shadows flickering erratically around him. He could feel it—the corruption climbing higher.
> [Shadow Core: 51% Corruption]
Stability Warning: Collapse Imminent if Emotional Overload Persists
But then…
He remembered the dream.
Quinn.
That boy in the future. With the same power. Facing the same fear.
But Quinn didn't run.
He stood. He fought. And he became something more.
So Graxion did the only thing he could.
He stood up.
And smiled.
> "You think guilt can break me?" he said, eyes burning. "You think I haven't lived with this every day since the shadows touched me?"
The wraiths paused.
> "Good. That means you remember," said the voice. "Now prove you are more than memory."
Graxion closed his eyes—and instead of summoning shadow, he absorbed it.
The cave dimmed. The wraiths shrieked. The corrupted faces faded as his core pulsed with new energy.
> [Trial Completed: Shadow Core Stabilized. New Skill Unlocked: "Eclipse Devour"]
Corruption Level Rebalanced: 45%
He exhaled.
Still broken. Still hunted. Still unsure of who he really was.
But no longer afraid.
---
Far beyond the cave, in the dark dimension where the Watchers observed…
The Eye blinked again.
> "The vessel passed," one whispered.
"He remembers. And still he rises."
"Then we move to Phase Two."
"Let the Shadowbound awaken."