The city streets were quieter now, but the silence was heavy, almost suffocating. Neon reflections danced in puddles like fractured memories, and every shadow seemed to watch Mohamed as he moved. His heart still pounded from the previous night's hunt, from facing the mysterious figure whose face lingered in his mind like a question without an answer.
Who were they? he thought. Friend? Enemy? Or both?
Selene walked beside him, as silent as always. "You felt it, didn't you?" she asked softly. "The one in the alley. They are not a stranger. Their memories are… entwined with yours."
Mohamed swallowed. "I know them… somehow. But I can't place them. Are they real, or just a trick?"
Selene's eyes, sharp and calculating, scanned the streets. "Does it matter? Whether they are real or illusion, the threat is the same. And soon, you will see why memories are both a weapon and a curse."
The first sign came as a shadow flickered across the side street ahead. Mohamed froze. There… again…
The figure emerged, this time fully visible. Mohamed's breath caught in his throat. The face—it was someone he had known, someone he had loved in the fragmented past: a friend, or perhaps a sibling, twisted by shadow energy. Memories collided inside his mind, mixing love and fear, hope and despair.
"You remember me," the figure said, voice soft but laced with malice. "Or maybe you've forgotten."
Mohamed's hands trembled. He summoned a fragment of memory energy—a street from his childhood, concrete walls glowing with light. Shadows collided with his projection, sparks flying. "I… I don't know if you're real!" he shouted, trying to anchor himself.
The figure laughed, shadows swirling around them like living smoke. "Real or not, Mohamed, the truth is the same. Memories shape identity. I am what you made me… and now, I am your mirror."
Mohamed felt the pull of dark memories. Fragments he had tried to suppress surged, whispering power, chaos, and temptation. I could end this… just take it…
Selene's voice cut through his mind like a blade. "Control yourself. Do not let the shadow dictate your actions. Remember who you are!"
Mohamed clenched his fists, summoning memory fragments like spectral warriors: rooftops, alleyways, burning battlefields, all coalescing into a shield around him. Sparks of light shot from his hands, striking the figure.
But the figure was faster. Shadows lashed from their form, striking the shields with precision. Mohamed stumbled backward, losing control of one fragment. It flared violently, burning a section of the alley in spectral fire. He gasped, horror washing over him. I… I almost… destroyed part of the city…
The figure smiled faintly, moving closer. "See? Even now, control is an illusion. Memories can betray you, power can consume you, and yet you cling to them like a child to a toy. I am what you fear… and what you will become if you fail."
Mohamed's mind raced. He forced every fragment to align, to obey his will. He could feel the strain, the limits of his power pressing on him. But he also felt clarity: his intent must guide the power, not desire, not fear, not anger. Only intent.
With a roar, he unleashed a pulse of memory energy, forming a dome of light around the figure. The shadows hissed, retreating. The figure staggered, their form flickering between familiar and monstrous.
"You've grown stronger," they whispered, voice cracking like old glass. "But the truth remains: even control has a price. Memories can never truly obey you… only align temporarily. And sometimes… they betray."
The figure vanished in a swirl of shadows, leaving Mohamed panting, knees weak, mind racing. The alley was still, silent, save for the distant hum of the city. Mohamed realized something chilling: the fight had not ended. The threat was not gone.
Selene placed a hand on his shoulder. "This was not a victory," she said softly, violet eyes unwavering. "This was a lesson. You now know the cost of power, the danger of uncontrolled memory, and the fragile line between control and chaos. Remember it. Every day, every fragment, every choice matters."
Mohamed nodded, swallowing hard. "I… I understand. But… will they come back?"
Selene's lips curved faintly. "Yes. And next time, they may not vanish so easily. The deeper the memories, the stronger the bonds… and the greater the danger."
Mohamed walked through the misty streets, adrenaline and fear still coursing through him. He had faced a fragment of his past twisted into shadow. He had unleashed his power fully for the first time in a real-world battle—and nearly lost control.
I have to get stronger… I have to master this… before it masters me.
From the corner of his eye, a shadow flickered—silent, watching, patient. The city had eyes. And the Eclipsed Order had already claimed some of them.
Mohamed clenched his fists. "I won't fail," he whispered. "I won't… no matter what it takes."