Collide: The Memory of Stars

Selenes POV 

The weight of our mission settled deeper as the truth of these ruins unraveled before us. Finding these survivors was only the beginning—now we had to find a way to keep them safe.

I took a slow breath and stepped closer to the old man. "You said no one has ever come back. But has anyone ever tried to fight them?"

He let out a hollow chuckle, shaking his head. "Fight? Against something that no longer remembers what it means to be human? No, child. We only learned to run and hide. And even then, it was never enough."

A woman, the one with silver streaks in her dark hair, crossed her arms. "The Forgotten… they're drawn to those who were once their own. They whisper in the night, calling out names we used to know. Those who listen too long… they lose themselves."

A chill ran through me. "They're aware?"

"Not in the way you'd hope." Her voice was laced with sorrow.

"They know only hunger and pain. And if you look into their eyes…" She trailed off, shuddering.

"You'd understand why no one fights."

Axel's jaw tightened. "Then it's not just about escaping. If we don't deal with them, they'll keep coming."

Tyra exhaled sharply. "How many are there?"

The old man gestured towards the darkness beyond the underground chamber.

"Enough. Too many."

Khael clenched his fists, his flames flickering. "Then we need to stop hiding. We need to fight back."

Murmurs spread through the survivors. Fear, disbelief, and something dangerously close to hope warred in their expressions.

I turned to them, searching for the right words.

"I know you're scared. You've survived this long, and I won't ask you to put your lives at risk if you aren't willing. But we can't stay here forever. And we can't let them haunt these ruins any longer."

The woman sighed, glancing at the others.

"You're asking us to trust in a battle we've already lost."

Axel met her gaze. "No. I'm asking you to believe in a battle we can win."

A heavy silence settled, but I could see it—the flicker of resistance crumbling, the slow burn of determination taking its place. These people had been in the dark for too long. It was time to remind them what the light felt like.

The old man studied me, then nodded. "If you think you can succeed where so many have failed… then we will follow."

I held his gaze, my resolve unshaken. "We will succeed. We have to."

Axel turned to the group. "Then we make preparations now. We'll need weapons, provisions, and a way to navigate the ruins without drawing too much attention. If the Forgotten are watching, we need to be smarter."

Tyra stepped forward. "I'll scout the paths leading out of here. We need to know what we're up against."

Khael nodded. "And I'll see if there's a way to keep the Forgotten at bay—at least long enough for us to move."

The woman with silver-streaked hair exhaled.

"If you're truly set on this, then there's something you should see. Come with me."

She turned towards a narrow passage at the far end of the chamber, and without hesitation,

I followed. Whatever lay ahead, I would face it head-on.

Because this was no longer just about survival.

This was about reclaiming what had been lost.

The narrow passage felt colder than the rest of the underground chamber, as if the air itself recoiled from what lay ahead.

My footsteps echoed softly against the damp stone floor, the flickering torchlight casting uneasy shadows against the crumbling walls. Axel walked beside me, his expression unreadable, while Tyra and Khael followed close behind.

The woman with silver-streaked hair led us in silence, her shoulders tense.

"What is this place?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she guided us through a jagged archway into a vast underground hall.

The air here was thick, heavy with something ancient. Stone pillars lined the space, their surfaces etched with carvings I didn't recognize. At the center of the hall stood a massive door, its dark metal frame bound in chains.

The woman finally turned to face us. "This… is where it began."

Axel narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

She gestured toward the door. "Before Eldoria fell, this place was sealed. A final act of desperation to contain what was already spiraling beyond control. The Forgotten… they were once human, yes, but their fate was not accidental. It was created."

A chill crawled up my spine. "Created?"

She nodded grimly. "An experiment gone wrong. Magic meant to heal… twisted into something unspeakable. Those who could have been saved were instead lost, cursed to wander without memory of who they once were."

Tyra stepped closer to the door, her fingers brushing over the rusted chains. "And you've kept this locked all this time?"

"We had no choice," the woman admitted.

"The door is the only barrier between us and the heart of the curse. Beyond it… is where the first of the Forgotten still remain. They are stronger, more aware. If they are freed, they will not just haunt the ruins—they will consume everything."

Khael's fists clenched. "Then we can't let that happen".

I stared at the door, my mind racing. "Is there a way to stop them? To break the curse?"

The woman hesitated, then reached into a small pouch at her waist. She withdrew a fragment of something dark—something that seemed to drink in the light.

"There was once a key. A counterbalance to the curse. But it was lost long ago. All that remains are shards like this. Fragments of what once kept the balance."

Axel took the fragment from her palm, studying it.

"Then we need to find the rest. If there's a chance to undo this, we have to take it."

The woman's expression was solemn. "I hope you understand what you're saying. To find the rest, you must go where no one has returned. Into the depths of the ruins, beyond the reach of light. That is where the Forgotten are strongest."

A silence fell over the group. The weight of what lay ahead pressed against my chest, but I had already made my decision.

I met her gaze. "Then we go. We find the key, and we put an end to this."

The woman exhaled, nodding. "Then may the gods have mercy on you. For once you step beyond that door, there is no turning back."

Axel tightened his grip on his sword. Tyra squared her shoulders. Khael's fire flickered brighter.

The cold pressed against my skin as, each breath feeling heavier as we neared the massive door. The chains binding it rattled faintly, as if stirred by an unseen presence.

The woman who had led us here watched silently, her silver-streaked hair barely moving in the stagnant air.

Axel held the dark fragment between his fingers, his eyes flickering with calculation.

"If we find the rest of these pieces, will it be enough to break the curse?"

The woman exhaled sharply. "The key was not just an object. It was a force of balance. Without it, the Forgotten remain bound to this nightmare. But to reforge what was lost… it will take more than just finding the fragments. It will take understanding the mistake that led to this."

Khael stepped closer, his flames casting eerie reflections across the polished surface of the door.

"Then tell us. How did this happen?"

She hesitated. "Long ago, before Eldoria fell, there was a great war. Many were wounded, many more dying. A scholar, desperate to save his people, sought to create a cure—something that would mend flesh and soul alike. But his magic was flawed. It did not heal—it changed. Those who were touched by it did not find relief. They found only hunger, an insatiable void that stripped them of their pasts, their minds… their very selves."

Tyra crossed her arms, staring at the intricate carvings on the pillars. "And the ones beyond this door? Were they the first?"

The woman nodded. "The first… and the strongest. They were not ordinary victims. They were the scholar's own guardians, those he tested his magic on first. When he realized what he had done, it was too late. They had already begun to spread the curse. This chamber was built to contain them, but even sealed, the corruption seeped into the world above."

A shiver ran through me. "If we go through this door, we might not make it back."

Axel turned to me, his gaze steady. "But if we don't, this never ends."

I swallowed hard and nodded. "Then we do this. Together."

The woman studied us for a long moment before stepping aside. "There is no more time for hesitation. If you are truly set on this path, I will show you the way. But once this door is open, the Forgotten will know. And they will come."

Khael's flames flared in response. "Then let them."

With a deep breath, I reached forward and grasped the rusted chains. A pulse of something cold and ancient surged through my fingers as the door began to shift, the metal groaning in protest.

And then, the darkness beyond swallowed us whole.

To be continued.