The masked figure led Zero through the dark forest, their steps silent against the damp earth. Zero followed, the energy blade flickering in his hand before fading away into nothingness. The weight of it lingered in his palm, as if his soul had briefly reconnected with something long lost.
"What was that?" Zero asked, glancing at his empty hand.
"A fragment," the masked figure replied. "A piece of your lost self. There are more, scattered across this world."
Zero frowned. "And what happens when I find them all?"
The masked figure stopped and turned toward him. Though their face was hidden, Zero could feel the intensity of their gaze. "You become whole again. And when that happens, the truth of who you are… and what you are… will be undeniable."
They continued walking until they reached a clearing where the moonlight bathed the land in a silver glow. A lone, crumbling structure stood at its center—a shrine, ancient and forgotten.
Zero felt drawn to it. His footsteps carried him forward, his fingers brushing against the weathered stone. The moment he made contact, a surge of visions exploded in his mind.
Flashes of battle.
A shattered sky.
A voice, calling his name—not Zero, but something else, something buried deep within him.
He staggered back, his breath ragged. "I've been here before," he muttered. "I don't know how, but I have."
The masked figure nodded. "Your soul remembers, even if your mind does not."
Zero clenched his fists. "Then tell me who I am. Stop with the riddles and just tell me."
Silence stretched between them. Then, the masked figure spoke.
"You were once someone great. Someone feared and revered in equal measure. But you lost everything. Your name, your past, your power—all shattered and scattered like fragments of glass." They gestured toward the shrine. "This place was once sacred to you. A part of who you were remains here."
Zero swallowed hard. He felt the weight of those words settle deep within him.
The masked figure continued, "If you truly want to know who you are, you must seek out the fragments of your soul. Each one will bring you closer to the truth."
Zero took a deep breath and nodded. "Then tell me where to start."
The masked figure turned toward the horizon, where the distant glow of a city shimmered in the darkness.
"Paradise," they said. "The last bastion of safety in Orivale. If you want answers, you'll find them there."
Zero stared at the distant city. Somehow, he knew that his journey was only beginning. But deep within, something stirred—an unshakable feeling that he had been here before.
As if Orivale itself was waiting for him to return.