The sky was covered with gray clouds. The moon shone through the clouds, making the stone floor of the old temple look pale. This created an unusual but beautiful scene. Many years ago, the temple was home to the sacred rituals of the ascended ones. Over time, the temple fell apart. The stone walls were broken, and the structures were covered in earth. Each stone had its own story to tell of the temple's vibrant past. Time passed here, but no one was aware of it.
Lorian Nyx moved alone in the dark. The ends of his long black cloak fluttered in the wind, and his footsteps echoed on the temple's stone floor. He felt empty inside. He didn't remember anything. But he felt drawn to this place, as if he were being pulled by the hum of lost memories. He didn't know why, but he felt he had to follow it. He felt that his lost past must somehow return. Something had brought him to this temple, to the top of the mountains.
His steps were heavy and firm, as always. But this time there was a difference. He had unformed thoughts, and he felt empty inside. As time went on, that emptiness grew, like a forgotten part of his past. He wondered, "Who was he?" Who was he really? Death had taken him away, but somehow brought him back. Lorian entered the dark temple, carrying the burden of a past he could not remember.
Inside, the temple was silent. The only sound was the wind moving the stones. Suddenly, something moved in the silence. A silhouette appeared in the darkness. The figure moved slowly, and a reddish glow appeared around it. The air felt warm with each step. It was a bird. But this bird was special. It was a phoenix. This bird was famous for its connection to time and legend.
Lorian stopped when he realized who it was. He felt a moment of emptiness. He lifted his head and looked at the being watching him. His red hair glowed like fire in the darkness. His eyes were intense and looked at Lorian with a deep, penetrating gaze. Lorian recognized him. He knew him, but he couldn't remember who he was. There was something missing. They had been together once. They had fought together, and gone on a journey together. But what was that journey? What was their connection?
The phoenix, in human form, nodded slightly. His eyes revealed a secret. "Lorian..." he said, barely audibly. "You... how are you alive? You were dead. But somehow you came back. How did that happen?"
Lorian lifted his head and looked at him in silence for a long moment. There was no answer in his eyes. But he had a feeling. The dark emptiness inside him was starting to feel more aware. "I don't know," he said finally. "I was dead, but now that I'm here, everything is lost. I don't know who I am or why I'm here. I don't know."
The phoenix took another step forward, its eyes still focused intently on Lorian, searching for the knowledge it once possessed. "You must be able to remember these things. You were the highest of the Ascendants, right? You crossed many paths. You were in the Fifth Stage... But then something happened, Lorian. Something is keeping you here. But what is it?"
Lorian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Stage Five... Yes. Everything was so clear once. But now, as I remember, it's like a fog. Something is missing. I don't know how I died or who killed me, but I'm back."
The phoenix didn't say anything for a moment, then stepped slowly but firmly. "Immortality, Lorian. Even on the Ascendants' journey, dying is not the end. But something is calling you here. Something is looking for you. It's not just here, but in other places as well. A part of your past is waiting for you, along with your lost memories. But you have to find something. You'll see that even time itself is waiting for your return. But first, you must go to Rivelia. The City of Mysteries."
Lorian lifted his head and took a step toward the phoenix. "Rivelia... why should I go there? What will I find there?"
The phoenix looked at Lorian with a flame in its eyes. "Rivelia is more than just a city. There, you will find your lost past, your strength, and yourself. But the path won't be easy. You will face challenges, including mountains, valleys, and wild animals. This is just the beginning. That's where you'll find the truth."
Lorian stared at him in silence for a long time. He felt like he was about to find out something important about himself. But he was also afraid. He was afraid to face his past, his identity, and how lost his life had become. It was going to be difficult. But he had no choice. Something was drawing her toward it. Rivelia, whatever her true self was, she had to get to her.
He nodded slowly and looked at the phoenix. "Yes. Rivelia... I need to go to the City of Mysteries. But a lot has to change for me to do that. I need to find a way to illuminate the dark void in my mind."
The phoenix paused for a moment, then bowed its head slightly. "Rivelia is waiting for you, Lorian. But remember, this journey will not be easy. You will be surrounded by darkness, and old enemies will follow you. But you must follow truth and strength. And one more thing... No matter what happens, you must not forget your past. Everything about you, every memory, is a key."
Lorian took a deep breath and looked inside the temple one last time. Everything here had disappeared. Time had erased them. But there was one thing. The only thing left was to find the connection between him and this temple. It was time to set out on that journey.
Lifting his head, he stepped out of the temple. In front of him were high mountains and valleys. It was going to be a difficult journey, but he had people waiting for him and others he needed to find. "Rivelia... The City of Mysteries... There will be the beginning and the end of all things."
As Lorian left the temple, he left behind a pale light. The temple's mystical energy disappeared in just a few steps. Lorian's eyes drifted as the moon rose over the mountain peaks, bathed in the red hues of morning. The phoenix's words still echoed in his mind. Rivelia... The City of Mysteries... He felt lost, as if everything meant something, but he couldn't figure it out. His past, his identity, his path... They were all mixed together, leaving him with only one thing: a purpose, a goal.
The path went through a dark forest and started going up towards the sharp mountain ridges. The mountains grew larger with each step Lorian took, and the wind blew in the cold, sharp mountain air. The ground was slippery from centuries of travel, and the stones slipped with each step. Lorian took each step carefully, like he was used to doing as a warrior. His mind was full of thoughts; he wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he felt that he was on the right path. However, memories of his past, full of scars and losses, made the journey difficult.
On the first day, as he neared the mountain's peak, Lorian was alone. The air grew cold, and darkness and silence surrounded him. Sometimes, he could hear the wind howling, and sometimes, he could hear jackals howling in the distance, which made the journey even lonelier. He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. It felt like time had stopped. Maybe he should have turned back. This journey was too much for him. But he remembered what the phoenix had said: "Remember your past, for every memory of the past is a key."
He watched the stones slip beneath his feet. He took another step, being careful not to fall. For several minutes, he thought about the past, like the wind carrying away memories from his past. There was a war. There was a loss. Everything that used to belong to him felt unfamiliar now. But there was something; something was moving him. He felt a sense of remembrance. He felt like he had an identity.
He looked for a place to spend the night. He found a rocky area to hide from the rain, but he suddenly heard a noise. It was a slight rustling. It was the movement of a leaf. But this sound was different from that of a human or an animal. It felt like a gloom, like a human gloom. It sounded deep and heavy, as if there was a look behind it. He quickly looked around, but saw nothing. There was only darkness and cold. He looked around, searching for something, and every dark corner and spot seemed like a threat. But nothing happened. All he could hear was the wind.
He felt nervous. It was late at night, and everything was quiet, but something was there, watching him. He felt a cold fear in his chest, and his heart beat faster. Every shadow, every stone, every movement seemed like a threat. But more than that, Lorian was struggling with the emptiness he felt inside. Would this journey, this search for his identity, give him meaning? Or would he fall into an emptiness that grew deeper with each passing day?
During those long hours from night to morning, he felt like things were never going to get better. The mountains, which should have been impressive and inspiring, felt far away and out of reach. In the darkness of that night, Lorian tried hard not to fall asleep because he felt like he was being watched. However, as the hours passed, it became harder to bear it and eventually Lorian fell into a deep sleep.