The rain had stopped, but the city was still soaked in shadows. Puddles reflected broken neon lights, distorted faces, and fleeting glimpses of things that shouldn't be there. Mohamed walked slowly, his mind still reeling from the visions the night before.
What am I becoming? he asked himself, shaking. His hands were clammy, trembling. Every muscle in his body screamed to run, yet he felt… tethered. Pulled by an invisible force toward something he could neither see nor understand.
He turned a corner and froze.
A girl was sitting on the edge of a fountain, her dark hair soaked and clinging to her face. She looked no older than twelve or thirteen, yet there was a confidence, an aura, about her that made Mohamed's chest tighten. Her eyes glimmered like twin shards of violet light, scanning him as if she knew everything.
"You're him," she said softly. Her voice was melodic, yet had an edge that made his skin prickle.
"I… I don't know what you mean," Mohamed stammered.
She tilted her head, smiling faintly. "Oh, you know. You've felt it, haven't you? The memories trying to surface… the shadows in your mind. You're part of something bigger now. Whether you like it or not."
Mohamed stepped back instinctively. "Who… who are you?"
"Names don't matter," she said. "Call me Selene. For now."
The air thickened. Mohamed felt the pull again—the invisible tug at the edges of his memory, stronger this time. The visions returned, more vivid than ever: flashes of battlefields, whispers of voices, his own name echoing in the darkness.
Selene raised a hand. "Control it. Or it will control you."
Mohamed froze. Control it? How?
"You have the gift," she said. "Your memories are not just echoes of the past. They are tools. Weapons. Doors. You can manipulate them… if you learn."
He swallowed hard, feeling both terrified and exhilarated. "What happens if I can't?"
She shrugged, her gaze never leaving his. "Then you lose. And believe me, The Eclipsed Order does not forgive failure."
A sudden flash of a vision hit him. He saw a massive shadowed figure standing above a city, its hands controlling strings of light and darkness intertwined. The figure's eyes glowed red. That must be… The Eclipsed Order, he realized with a chill.
He stumbled back. "W-what… what is that?"
Selene's smile widened, almost amused. "That's the game you're in now. And every move matters. They've been watching you for a long time, Mohamed. Longer than you can imagine. Your memories, your past, your choices—they are all pieces on their board."
Mohamed's heart raced. So everything I thought was real… was it all a lie?
"Then… why me?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"Because you're not ordinary," Selene said. "And because they fear what you can become. But fear cuts both ways. You can use it… or it can consume you."
Selene extended her hand. "Come with me. I'll teach you how to control it. But once we start… there's no turning back."
Mohamed hesitated, glancing around at the empty streets, the reflections in puddles, the faint shadows of things unseen. His mind was a storm of fear and curiosity.
If I don't… I'll remain powerless. If I do… I might lose everything I know.
The silence stretched, heavy and thick, until he finally nodded.
Selene smiled. "Good. Let's begin."
Scene: First Lesson
She led him to an abandoned library, the smell of old paper and dust filling the air. Shelves towered above them, filled with books whose titles seemed to shimmer, almost alive.
"Your memories are not just yours," Selene said, eyes gleaming. "They are bridges—bridges to power, knowledge, and truth. Some of these memories are yours, some… belong to others, long forgotten."
She snapped her fingers, and one of the books floated into Mohamed's hands. As he opened it, images poured into his mind—faces, battles, strange cities, flashes of himself in impossible situations.
"It's overwhelming at first," Selene said. "But you must learn to anchor yourself. Pick one thread, one memory, and follow it. Control it, or it controls you."
Mohamed focused. Slowly, painfully, the visions began to align. He felt his heart hammering, sweat on his brow. And then—he felt it: a spark. A fragment of memory fully under his control. He could see it, hold it, and even manipulate it.
A rush of exhilaration and terror surged through him. He gasped. "I… I can do it!"
Selene nodded. "Good. But this is only the beginning. The Eclipsed Order will know. They always know. And they will come for you."
Mohamed swallowed hard. The shadows in the corners of the library seemed to pulse, alive. They are watching. Always watching.