Chapter 16: The Unseen One Awakens
The chamber fell into silence, the crystal pulsing ominously. Kiran, Barry, and Aadhya stared at the swirling darkness within it, the name glowing faintly—yet none of them dared to say it out loud.
Kiran finally broke the silence. "Okay, dramatic moment aside—can someone explain what the hell we're looking at?"
The Keeper's eyes gleamed. "The one who should not exist, yet does. The one who moves unseen, yet sees all. The Unseen One has awakened."
Barry blinked. "Great. That clears up absolutely nothing."
Aadhya crossed her arms. "So we just risked our sanity in a trial to get cryptic nonsense?"
The Keeper ignored them. It raised its hand, and the crystal hovered between them. "To understand the Unseen One, you must first understand what has been lost."
Kiran raised a hand. "Is it more of our memories? Because, honestly, I barely remember what I ate for breakfast, and I don't have the energy to recover more lost childhood traumas."
Barry smirked. "You only eat pancakes. It's not a mystery."
Kiran gasped in mock betrayal. "Wow. Way to take the magic out of my culinary choices."
Aadhya pinched the bridge of her nose. "Focus, idiots."
The Keeper gestured toward the crystal. "Inside this memory is the truth. But be warned… once you see it, you cannot unsee it."
Kiran glanced at his friends. "Yeah, I feel like we've already passed the point of no return."
Barry sighed. "Just show us."
The crystal shattered—and suddenly, the world dissolved into light.
---
A Forgotten History
They found themselves standing in an ancient city. Towering golden structures stretched toward a sky filled with swirling nebulae. Streets were lined with statues, their eyes glowing with an eerie blue light.
And in the center of the city stood a massive obelisk—its surface covered in symbols that flickered and changed, shifting like living things.
A figure stood before it, cloaked in shadow.
Aadhya whispered, "Is that… the Unseen One?"
The figure turned slightly. Though its face was hidden, a pair of glowing silver eyes stared at them through the veil of darkness.
Kiran shuddered. "I suddenly have the urge to nope the hell out of here."
Barry frowned. "Look closer at the obelisk."
They turned their attention to the massive structure. The symbols were forming… words.
---
The Law of the Forgotten
1. All that is known shall be rewritten.
2. All that is seen shall be unseen.
3. All that is lost shall belong to the Unseen One.
---
Aadhya's face paled. "This… this is a law of reality. Someone rewrote existence itself."
Kiran whistled. "Damn. That's gotta be, like, top-tier villain behavior."
Barry muttered, "Which means… there are things we've forgotten. Not because of time, but because someone erased them."
The Unseen One tilted its head. Though it said nothing, the air around them shifted—as if reality itself was bending in its presence.
Kiran swallowed. "Okay, weird shadow guy with god powers—definitely not creepy at all."
Then, without warning, the Unseen One moved.
One moment, it was far away. The next, it stood right in front of them.
A voice whispered in their minds. "Why do you seek what was meant to be lost?"
Kiran took a step back. "Uh, we kind of stumbled into this by accident? You know, just a couple of idiots trying to save the world, the usual."
Barry elbowed him. "This isn't the time for jokes."
The Unseen One's presence grew heavier. "You do not belong here."
Aadhya clenched her fists. "Maybe not. But we're here now. So tell us—what are you?"
For the first time, the Unseen One smiled.
"I am the Keeper of Forgotten Truths."
The world shattered—and suddenly, they were back in the chamber.
The Keeper of the sanctuary was gone.
The crystal was gone.
Kiran looked around wildly. "Wait, wait—what just happened? Did we get kicked out of the vision? Did we get memory-wiped again? Did I forget my pancake recipe?!"
Barry frowned. "No. We still remember."
Aadhya muttered, "Which means the Unseen One allowed us to keep this knowledge."
Kiran threw up his hands. "Great. Love that for us. So what do we do now? Challenge a god? Rebuild history? Or, hear me out—run away and pretend none of this ever happened?"
Barry sighed. "We find the next piece of the puzzle. Because if someone rewrote reality, then we need to figure out what was erased… and why."
Aadhya nodded. "And that means finding the last remaining traces of the Forgotten."
Kiran groaned. "Why is it never something easy, like 'press this big red button to win'?"
Barry smirked. "Would you actually press a big red button?"
Kiran scoffed. "Obviously. Who wouldn't?"
Aadhya rolled her eyes. "You two are impossible."
The sanctuary trembled around them. Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled—a deep, echoing sound that sent chills down their spines.
Barry's expression darkened. "Looks like we're out of time."
Kiran sighed dramatically. "Of course we are. Because nothing is ever simple."
Aadhya pulled out her weapon. "Brace yourselves. Whatever's coming next… it's already here."
The shadows at the edge of the room began to move.
And the Unseen One's whisper filled the air.
"You should not have remembered."
To Be Continued…