It was dark outside. The wind howled, shaking the night. A deep voice echoed:
"Lorian, even though we don't agree, you must fight with me. Otherwise, both my race and yours will perish."
Lorian examined the man. His black hair was blowing in the wind, and his eyes were as dark as a bottomless pit. It seemed like the weariness of centuries was hidden within him. The man took a step forward:
"Destroying me won't be enough. They want to destroy everything—our legacy, our echoes, even."
Lorian didn't respond. Suddenly, the ground trembled, the sky twisted, and a battlefield appeared. Thousands of warriors, from ancient times to the modern world, stood before him in all sorts of armor and wielding different weapons.
The echoes in the wind mixed together. Chains of fire, ice spears, swords rising from endless shadows attacked Lorian. But he remained calm. He raised his hand, and a resonance exploded. It was as if nature itself wanted to flee from him. Even the stones on the ground seemed to move away.
Time suddenly stopped. Everything froze: attacks, people, falling leaves. Lorian began to walk. As he approached them, he destroyed each one, calmly. He felt nothing. He just walked, as his enemies vanished behind him...
Then he stopped. His hands trembled. He closed his eyes. The voice inside him spoke:
"You are beyond them... You are existence itself."
When he opened his eyes, a dark, purple energy mixed with shadows glowed in his fist: the Cosmic Esensia Form. He had reached a level only the Old Master had attained. He opened his hand. Time was released. The explosion silently spread and erased everything: enemies, traces of the past, echoes...
In the middle of the silence, a voice echoed: "I kept my word. I fought beside you in battle. Now it's your turn..."
Lorian sat up in bed. He was drenched in sweat. His hands were trembling. The battle he had seen... It felt real, but it wasn't his memory. He walked to the window. He tried to breathe in the moonlight.
"This... isn't my memory. But why do I feel like this?"
Then he walked toward the bathroom. Elira noticed him in the hallway.
"Lorian, is everything okay?" she asked, worried.
"I think I had a bad dream. I just wanted to take a shower," Lorian said.
Elira touched his face. Lorian turned his head in embarrassment.
"You're very warm. You might have a fever. I'll bring you clothes after the shower," Elira said, blushing as she approached him unknowingly. Lorian also blushed and walked away.
After the shower, he wore the clothes Elira had prepared and went downstairs by the fireplace. They sat silently. The only sound was the dance of the flames.
Finally, Elira spoke:
"Lorian... what happened that day? Why did you drown? Did someone do it, or... was it suicide?"
Lorian looked at her seriously.
"I don't know. When I opened my eyes, I was drowning. It felt like I was someone else. Like my memories weren't mine. I only remember my last moment. There's nothing before that."