Episode 09:
Alok lay on his bed, eyes open in the dim glow of the streetlight spilling through the curtains. The pendant on his chest pulsed faintly, each glow matching the rhythm of his heartbeat.
The voice came again soft, echoing, impossible to place.
"…Alok… you can hear me now."
He froze, his fingers tightening around the pendant.
"Who's there?" he whispered. His voice sounded small in the silence.
"The one who waits… the one bound to you before you were even born."
A shiver crawled down his spine. He sat up, glancing at the closed door of his room. The rest of the house was quiet his parents asleep, the city outside calm.
"What do you mean bound? Is this some kind of prank?"
"No prank… This world hides more than you see. The day is near when you'll need to remember… everything."
The pendant glowed brighter. For a moment, Alok saw shapes swirling in the light towering figures, weapons of strange design, a sky split open with fire and shadows.
"...What are you?" he asked, his throat dry.
"Not what. Who. You knew me… once. Before this life."
The words sent a sharp ache through his head, and flashes of unfamiliar faces darted through his mind warriors, a girl with silver eyes, a city made of glass and gold. He clutched his forehead, the images slipping away as quickly as they came.
The voice softened, almost tender.
"When the time comes, follow the path to the hill beyond the school. I will be waiting."
The light faded. Silence returned. The pendant was just a pendant again cold, still.
Alok stared at it for a long time. He should be scared, but instead, a strange mix of curiosity and longing burned in his chest.
Tomorrow was a school day. And suddenly, the hill beyond the school felt like the most important place in the world.