As I walked behind the strange man, I thought about everything I had just learned. My name was Calixa. I was in a ruined palace. My palace, apparently. It was in the capital of a country named Asteria, which, judging by the looks of this place, had long since fallen. The man in front of me was named Kharon, and he felt so familiar that I felt I was on the cusp of remembering.

But the biggest thing bothering me was that I had a spell bound to me, blocking my memories. The magic itself wasn’t a shock. It fell into the category of knowing that it existed, without realizing it. It was still a bit frustrating. Then there was that dream-like thing. Kharon knew about it, which told me he knew more than he let on to. It also discounted the fact that it was a dream.

So if it wasn’t a dream, what was it? I thought back to that moment. Now that I wasn’t terrified, I could clearly pick apart some of the stuff that I saw. The woman’s voice felt familiar. But the eyes really sold me. My headache, as something felt like it was coming. But I couldn’t seem to figure out what.

My feet stumbled on some loose stone, and I felt my body shift forward, jerking me from my thoughts. For a brief second, my body felt weightless as I fell forward. My body didn’t feel like my own for a moment as something within my chest shifted. That something was deeper within me than even my heart. It felt like the core of who I was shifted slightly, and with it, I answered some of my questions. That woman was me. Yet, we were different. I wasn’t sure why yet, but I knew I felt more at peace with that thought, and with it I heard the faintest of whispers grace my ear. “Come back to me soon.”

In a heartbeat, I felt a pair of impossibly thin arms wrap themselves around me. It took me a few seconds to recognize that I was facing the stone covered floor. My relief was quickly washed away with embarrassment as Kharon helped me up.

“Thanks.” I mumbled as I wiped my shirt from the imaginary dust that had built up on it. Damn it, I was too caught up in my thoughts to stop myself from falling.

“Ah, I see you broke the first seal. Congratulations. Do you feel a little better now?” Kharon took a step back, and his arms quickly vanished back into his cloak once more before I could fully inspect them. There was something off about him.

“A little I suppose. Though my memory still hasn’t returned yet.” I straightened up and relaxed, the grip on my dagger just a touch. I was placing how I knew Kharon now. There was a connection there that ran deep. Though I’m sure I will find the answer in time.

“That will take some time. There are many seals within you. Each will need to be unlocked for you to regain your self. Tell me, what did you learn while you spent the last few hours in thought?”

A few hours!? It’s been that long? I glanced around quickly and saw that we were now in a hallway that looked a little more lived in. There was no dust present, and the walls were lined with paintings depicting some of the most beautiful landscapes. Some looked like vast forests shrouded in a radiant blue miasma. While others depicted oceans and deserts. There were so many here that I felt my jaw drop in awe.

“My lady, are you here with me?” Kharon’s smooth voice drew me from my awe, and my eyes settled onto his hood once more. HIs red eyes flickered in his depths with what looked to be a touch of amusement. But I couldn’t tell.

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“Yes, sorry, the artwork is just so beautiful. They look almost lifelike.” I told him as I walked over to the one closest to me. This one was the large forest. The trees were shrouded in a radiant blue mist, and the green paint flickered in the white lighting, almost as if they were swaying on a gentle spring breeze.

“This specific work was made by Antonio Denaza. He was a brilliant artist in his lifetime. This specific forest was once called the Valor Everglades, and he was the last person to visit it before it was destroyed.” Kharon stepped up next to me, and his eyes lingered on the artwork.

“How was it destroyed?” I asked as I tore my gaze from him and back to the painting. It looked like such a beautiful place. Untouched, and radiated a sense of perpetuity to it. As if it stared into the face of time and then ignored it.

“A kingdom plundered it, looking for an elixir of life. Though, to my knowledge, they never found it. It was a shame, really. That forest was one of a kind. It makes me wonder if it ever grew back.” Kharon gazed up at the portrait, lost in thought.

That truly was a shame in that case. The forest looked truly magical, and not just in the loosest sense of the word. It looked as if magic had formed in the air and was wrapped around the forest like a long-lost lover. Hopefully it grew back, because I would love to see it. “Anyway, to answer what you asked before I got distracted. I thought about the woman I saw in my dream, and I realized she was me. But she also wasn’t me. She was far more primal, and terrifying.” As I spoke, I thought back to that moment again. Her mask rippled across eternity, and her power was beyond reproach. Even more so as she stepped out from the lightning bolt, unfazed.

“That sounds about right. But always the flashy one. What else did you learn?” Kharon turned his head towards me and his eyes flickered again.

“I heard a voice that said to come and see me soon. But I have no clue what it meant.” A sigh left my lips, and I turned my attention back to the painting. I hate the feeling of being left in the dark. I just wanted to live my life.

“As with all things, the answer will become apparent enough, my lady. Now, come along, we have a few things to discuss.” Kharon’s arm extended from his black cloak, and he gestured for me to take the lead.

“We do. I almost forgot the most important question. How did I get here?” I asked as I turned away from the portrait and walked down the hall. I guess it shouldn’t be a problem that I was leading. After all, the only way for me to go was forward now.

“I found you lying on the ground in front of the throne. Once I saw who you were, I took you to the safest place I could. Which was the guest suite you woke up in.”

There was something off about that. The chances of me wandering through a city and a palace only to wind up in the throne room were slim. Even more so, considering that this is apparently my palace. “I see. Do you know how I got here, though?”

“The best guess that I have is that a very potent magic brought you here. As for where you came from, I have no clue. You know just as much as I do.”

Another sigh escaped from my lips as disappointment settled in once more. Well, it was at least another question answered, but as with all things, the path seemed to go onwards into many branches. “I see. Well, thank you for your help, Kharon. Now, where do we go from here?”

“Well, my lady, as it stands, you are at a crossroads, no? You stand in the middle of what used to be your empire. Yet you lack the memories of it. So now you are thinking to yourself, do I stay here, or do I turn my back on it and leave?” Kharon’s voice came out in a soothing wave.

I tensed up slightly, and I felt a prickling sensation in the back of my mind. It was a fleeting thought, but it held a distant memory. Something that existed far beyond what was taken from me. It told me that nothing was hidden from his gaze. He knew my thoughts and feelings better than almost anyone. “I’d almost ask how you knew, but I already have the answer..”

A strange laugh came from behind me. It rolled out in a brief burst, almost like teeth mashing together. “For many lifetimes, I’ve waited for you. Though your body may look the same, eyes as old as my are forgetful. But your soul, I would recognize it in a heartbeat. I know you so well that all I’d have to do is look at your face, and it would tell me everything I needed to know. Just like now, I already know what path you will choose to tread, my empress.”