Age: Sakamoto – 4.5Location: Deep inside the Whispering WoodsWeather: Still winter, but unnaturally warm inside the forest — thick fog, constant whispering
Some forests test your strength.
This one tests your truth.
And the truth is…I'm not sure we're strong enough.
Guilt Roots
By the third day, the forest began… growing around us.
Literally.
The paths we walked reformed behind us.
Trees shifted when we weren't looking.And worst of all…
The whispers began mimicking our own voices.
"You could've saved her, Aelira."
"You'll never be enough, Ravian."
"You're still the drunk, Sakamoto."
Sakamoto Sees Them Again
That night, while the others slept, I walked alone.
The fog parted.
And I saw them.
Six people.All facing away from me.
Each one of them had my face.But different.
One wore armor.Another robes.One had bloodied hands.One carried Niris and smiled.
They turned slowly, one by one.
"Do you know which of us you'll become?" one asked.
"...I don't want to be any of you."
"Then you'll become all of us."
Ravian's Signal
The next day, Ravian pulled me aside.
"They're here," he said.
"Who?"
"The capital. I got the second signal. The Bladesisters weren't the only ones hunting the Echoborne."
"What does that mean?"
"It means there's more than one reason for you to die."
He didn't elaborate.
But I saw the tension in his jaw.
Something about him was shifting too.
Aelira's Choice
That night, while I was gathering wood, I heard Aelira's voice through the trees.
She wasn't alone.
"I'm not like him," she said to Ireina.
"No," Ireina replied. "You're not."
"Then why do I still follow him?"
"Because even broken stars can pull people into orbit."
I stepped away.
I didn't want to hear more.
But I did.
"If it comes down to it… I don't know if I'll protect him again."
The Forest Strikes
Just after midnight, the fog turned black.
A howl echoed across the woods — not beast, not human.
The trees split open, revealing dozens of eyes watching us from inside the bark.
One blinked.
And we were separated.
Final Scene – A New Entity Appears
I woke alone. No party. No sword. No way out.
But standing in front of me…
Was a boy.
My age. My height. My voice.
"You left me behind once," he said.
"Who are you?"
"The one who didn't get a second life."
He smiled.
And behind him…
Stood a massive, cloaked figure with an eye where its heart should be.
It whispered:
"Echoborne... confirmed."