Chapter 15: The Trial of the Forgotten
The air in the chamber thickened as the Keeper raised its hand. The floating crystal tablets around them started to glow brighter, pulsating like beating hearts. The walls trembled, and a low hum resonated through the space.
"The Trial of the Forgotten begins now," the Keeper intoned.
Aadhya took a step back. "I don't like the sound of that."
Kiran, still gripping his weapon, glanced at Barry. "Any idea what we're about to face?"
Barry exhaled, his eyes locked on the shifting patterns in the air. "No. But I have a feeling this isn't just a test of strength. It's a test of memory."
"To move forward," the Keeper continued, "you must reclaim what was lost. Fail, and you will become part of the Forgotten."
The moment the words left its mouth, the chamber shifted.
---
The Lost Memory Realm
The walls dissolved into swirling mist, and suddenly, they were no longer in the sanctuary.
Kiran found himself alone in an endless white expanse. No Barry. No Aadhya. No Unit 37.
"What the hell…?" He spun around, but there was nothing but emptiness. His heart pounded.
Then, a voice whispered.
"Do you remember?"
A figure stepped out of the mist. At first, it was featureless, like a shadow barely holding form. But as it moved closer, its shape became familiar.
Kiran's own reflection stared back at him.
His breath caught in his throat. "What…?"
The doppelgänger smirked. "You've forgotten something important, Kiran."
Kiran frowned. "No, I haven't."
The reflection took another step forward. "Haven't you? Then tell me—why did you start this journey?"
Kiran opened his mouth… but the answer didn't come. He couldn't remember.
Panic gripped him. He remembered the adventures, the battles, the insane pancake war—but why had he started this journey in the first place?
The reflection laughed. "You see? You have forgotten."
Kiran clenched his fists. "No… No, I haven't!"
The reflection's eyes glowed. "Then prove it."
Suddenly, shadows erupted from the ground, forming monstrous figures around him. Twisted versions of himself—some older, some broken, some corrupted.
"Fight, or fade away," the reflection whispered.
The monsters lunged.
---
Aadhya's Trial: The Forgotten Name
Aadhya found herself in a different place—a vast hall filled with towering stone pillars. Strange symbols floated in the air like dying embers. The air was heavy, pressing down on her chest.
She heard a voice.
"Do you remember your true name?"
Aadhya turned sharply. A figure sat on a throne at the end of the hall. It was covered in shadows, its face obscured. But its voice was familiar.
"The name you carry is not the name you were given. Who are you, Aadhya?"
Her breath hitched. "What kind of question is that?"
The figure stood. "A simple one. But one that you fear."
Aadhya clenched her jaw. "This is just a trick."
The figure took a step closer. "Is it?"
Memories flashed through her mind—fragments of a past she had long buried. A name whispered in the wind. A name she hadn't spoken in years.
The figure pointed at her. "Say it. Or be forgotten."
Aadhya's hands trembled.
Could she face the truth?
---
Barry's Trial: The Lost Promise
Barry stood before a massive clock, its hands spinning in every direction. It was cracked, broken, leaking golden sand.
A voice spoke from behind him.
"You swore an oath."
Barry turned. A man stood there—someone he once knew. Someone he had failed.
His throat went dry. "No. You're not real."
The man stepped closer. "I was real once. Before you forgot."
Barry clenched his fists. "I didn't forget. I—"
The man's eyes darkened. "Then say my name."
Barry's breath stopped.
The clock groaned, its gears grinding. The golden sand began draining faster.
"Remember, Barry. Or be lost to time."
Barry's heart pounded. Could he remember? Or was it already too late?
---
Kiran's Fight Against Himself
Kiran dodged the first attack, rolling to the side as a monstrous version of himself slashed at him. The air crackled with unnatural energy.
His mind was still racing. Why had he started this journey?
He had been searching for something—no, someone.
The reflection smirked. "You're close. Keep digging."
Kiran gritted his teeth and charged.
His spatulas clashed against the shadowy figures, sparks flying. He knocked one back, spun, and sliced through another. But they kept coming.
"You're fighting yourself, Kiran," the reflection said. "You can't win that way."
Kiran panted. He was getting tired. The shadows weren't.
He clenched his fists.
"I started this journey… because…"
A memory surfaced. A woman's voice. A soft laugh. A promise he had made years ago.
His eyes widened.
"I remember now."
A golden light erupted from his body, burning away the shadows. The reflection staggered back, eyes wide.
Kiran stepped forward. "You were never meant to stop me. You were meant to remind me."
The reflection smiled. "Good. Then go forward."
And just like that, the world snapped back.
---
Reunion and Revelation
Kiran gasped as the white expanse vanished. He was back in the Sanctuary. Aadhya and Barry reappeared at his side, both looking shaken.
The Keeper loomed above them. "You have faced the Forgotten, and you have endured. You may now claim the knowledge you seek."
Barry, still catching his breath, nodded. "Then tell us… who is the Unseen One?"
The Keeper raised its hand, and a crystal floated down before them. Inside it, swirling darkness formed into a single name.
Aadhya's breath caught in her throat. "That's… impossible."
Barry's face paled.
Kiran just whispered, "We're in deeper than we thought."
The crystal pulsed.
"The Unseen One has already awakened."
To Be Continued…