Elden Vortis stirred in the suffocating darkness, his head throbbing and his limbs heavy. The world around him was a blur of cold stone and stifling silence. His fingers brushed against the rough floor as he sat up, disoriented, trying to make sense of the dimly lit cell. The air reeked of old magic, tinged with the dampness of ancient walls that had witnessed too much sorrow.

He glanced down, his heart sinking as he noticed the intricate runes etched into the metallic cuffs clamped around his wrists. Wellspring binders—crafted to sever a mage from their power. Yet, as he probed his own energy, a faint, flickering warmth responded deep within him. A shard of hope clung to life.

A broken memory flashed before his eyes: golden light, a mother’s anguished cry, and something immense merging with him. But before he could grasp it, the image slipped away, like sand through his fingers.

Voices murmured from beyond the iron door, dragging him back to the present.

“Never thought Vortis's son would snap like that,” a guard whispered, his tone laced with morbid curiosity.

“Power twists a mage’s mind,” another replied. “Even the High Remembrancer’s bloodline isn’t safe.”

A chill crept through Elden’s veins. What were they talking about? He searched his memories, but they were disjointed, like scattered pieces of a puzzle he couldn’t fit together.

The heavy door creaked open, flooding the cell with harsh light. Mnemion stepped inside, his face a mask of sorrow, though a flicker of satisfaction danced in his eyes. Behind him, a group of Remembrancers filed in, their faces grim, and at their center stood Lira. Her gaze was vacant, her movements hesitant, as if she were caught between two worlds.

Mnemion's voice broke the tense silence. "Elden Vortis. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

Elden struggled to his feet, the chains binding his wrists clanking ominously. "Sage Mnemion, what's going on? Why am I here?"

A flicker of... something... passed across Mnemion's face. "You truly don't remember? Or are you simply playing games?"

"Remember what?" Elden's frustration boiled over. "Stop with the cryptic nonsense and tell me—"

Mnemion's expression hardened. "Your father is dead, Elden. And all evidence points to you as his killer."

The words struck Elden like a physical blow. He staggered back, disbelief and horror swirling in his mind. "No... that's impossible. I would never—"

"Perhaps your relationship made him lower his guard," Mnemion interrupted, his voice cold. "But there's no need for denial. We have proof."

With a gesture, Mnemion conjured a swirling image in the air—a memory projection. Elden saw himself in the

Mnemosyne archives, asking Lira about a particular book from the restricted section. The scene was clear, undeniable, but something about it felt... off.

"Starhaven's Theory of Elemental Resonance," Mnemion said, his voice dripping with disgust. "A vile text detailing rituals of unimaginable power and cruelty. And you sought it out."

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Elden's mind raced. He remembered asking about the book, but why? The memory felt hazy, incomplete. "This doesn't prove anything," he protested. "It's just a memory of a request—"

"A request that led to murder," one of the senior Remembrancers cut in, his voice trembling slightly. Was it anger or uncertainty? "We found High Remembrancer Vortis's body in his study. The scene was... horrific."

Another memory projection flickered to life, showing Edward Vortis's mutilated body. Elden's stomach revolted at the sight, and he doubled over, retching violently.

"The ritual described in Starhaven's text," Mnemion continued, his voice oddly detached. "A sacrifice of the highest order, using a powerful mage's body as a conduit for elemental forces. The heart for fire, the brain for water, the limbs for earth, and the lungs for air. All to gain unimaginable power over the elements."

Elden shook his head violently, fighting against the growing nausea and despair. "No, I didn't... I couldn't..."

Mnemion smirked. "Perhaps your relationship made him lower his guard. But there’s no need to argue—we have proof."

Another Remembrancer stepped forward, and produced a small crystal, glowing with stored memory magic. "This is what was extracted."

With a gesture, the Remembrancer conjured a swirling image in the air, a memory projection that took shape before Elden’s eyes. It was Lira’s memory—Elden saw himself standing in the Mnemosyne archives, asking Mnemion for a particular book from the restricted annex. The scene was clear, undeniable, and it left him cold.

Elden shook his head in disbelief. "This… this doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a memory of a request—"

Mnemion waved his hand dismissively, and the projection vanished. One of the Remembrancers, an older man with steely eyes, stepped forward. "We found Edward Vortis’s body in his study," he began, his voice devoid of emotion. "He had been subjected to a ritual—Starhaven's Theory of Elemental Resonance. The scene was… gruesome. His body was mutilated, inscribed with dark runes, and the Wellspring extraction… it was horrific."

The words hung in the air like a death sentence. Mnemion’s smirk widened as he watched Elden’s reaction.

"No," Elden whispered, shaking his head violently. "No, I didn’t… I couldn’t…"

The Remembrancer lifted his hand, projecting the memory of Edward’s body into the air. The image was so vivid, so grotesque, that Elden’s stomach revolted. He doubled over, retching violently as the sight of his father’s lifeless, desecrated form seared into his mind.

Mnemion stepped closer, his voice a low whisper in Elden’s ear. "You were twisted by failure, driven to madness. You sought power, and in your desperation, you turned to the darkest of arts. It’s all here, Elden. The truth."

Elden's mind was a maelstrom of anguish and fury. He wanted to scream, to lash out, but the chains held him fast. His truth felt so distant, so unreachable. "I didn't do this," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I loved my father. I would never... Something is wrong here. Can't you see it?"

For a moment, doubt flickered across the faces of some Remembrancers. Lira's brow furrowed, as if struggling against some unseen force. But Mnemion's commanding presence seemed to push back against their uncertainty.

"Take him back to his cell," Mnemion ordered. "We'll continue this interrogation later."

As the Remembrancers filed out, Lira lingered behind. Her eyes met Elden's, a silent battle raging within them. In a swift, almost imperceptible motion, she pressed something small and cool into Elden's palm—his father's pendant.

"I found this," she whispered, her voice trembling. "It was with... with your father. I thought... maybe..."

Before Elden could respond, Lira was gone, leaving him alone in the suffocating silence of his cell. He clutched the pendant tightly, feeling a faint warmth pulse through it. In that moment, a tiny spark of hope flickered to life within him.

As the door clanged shut, Elden slumped against the cold wall, the pendant a comforting weight in his hand. His mind raced, trying to piece together what had happened, what was real and what had been twisted by magic.