Collide: The Memory of Stars

Third Person's POV

Far beyond the ruins, beneath the depths of the dark matter, something stirred.

Vherezoth's presence, once dormant, rippled through the cursed lands like a pulse, awakening from a slumber she had been forced into.

"Selene..."

The name slipped through the void, a whisper laced with something unreadable—longing, hatred, recognition.

The dark matter swirled around her sealed form, reacting violently to Selene's presence in Eldoria. Cracks formed in the unseen prison that held her, breaking apart the veil that had kept her mind fragmented.

She was waking.

Before they could process what had happened, Selene's fingers brushed against the hilt of her sword, her heart pounding.

Something about this place felt eerily familiar. Not just in the way one recalls a distant memory, but something deeper—a feeling ingrained in her very being.

Her gaze swept over the ruins, trying to grasp what exactly was clawing at her mind.

Then, a sound. A slow, deliberate scrape of metal against stone.

Everyone stopped.

From the remnants of a grand archway, figures began to emerge. Tall, armored beings, their once-glorious plate rusted and broken, yet still retaining an aura of undeniable authority.

The crests upon their pauldrons were faded, but the emblems still bore the unmistakable sigil of Eldoria.

Khael took an instinctive step back. "What... what are those?"

Aldric's face darkened. "The Forgotten Knights."

Axel narrowed his eyes, stepping slightly in front of Selene as if sensing danger. "They don't look friendly."

The lead knight, his helm dented and scarred, took a step forward. His voice, though hollow and distant, still carried the weight of command.

"Who dares walk these lands?"

Tyra inhaled sharply. She gripped her weapon tightly, her eyes flickering with something between recognition and fear.

"They still live... after all this time."

Another knight turned its gaze toward Selene, head tilting slightly as if studying her. Then, in a voice lower than the others, he spoke.

"Our lost queen... or the betrayer?"

The words sent a shudder through Selene. A chill ran down her spine, a deep and visceral reaction that she could not explain.

The other knights stiffened at the words, gripping their weapons as if awaiting an order.

Axel's stance tensed.

"What do they mean?"

Aldric's expression was grim.

"They were the protectors of Eldoria, warriors who pledged their lives to safeguard the kingdom. But when the dark matter came, something twisted them. They are neither dead nor alive—bound to this land by duty, by sorrow... by rage."

The lead knight lifted his blade, pointing it toward Selene.

"You do not belong here. Leave, or face judgment." Selene's breath came shallow and quick. A storm of emotions raged inside her—confusion, grief, and an inexplicable longing.

The ruins, the knights, even the way the ground felt beneath her feet—it was all familiar, yet painfully distant.

Tyra stepped forward, her voice sharp. "She is not your enemy. The war ended centuries ago. There is nothing left to protect."

The knight did not lower his blade. "Our duty does not end. The kingdom may have fallen, but we remain. And we remember."

The knights moved as one, their armor groaning under the weight of years, weapons gleaming faintly under the strange light of Eldoria's sky.

Their intent was clear. Selene swallowed hard. "They're not going to let us leave, are they?"

Axel shifted his stance. "Not without a fight."

The moment hung between them, heavy with unspoken words.

And then, with a chilling war cry, the Forgotten Knights charged.

Axel was the first to react, stepping forward with his sword raised, intercepting the knight's initial strike.

The clash of metal sent vibrations up his arm, but he held firm. Khael, with flames flickering at his fingertips, dodged a heavy swing from another knight before launching a burst of fire at their armored opponent.

The flames engulfed the knight for a moment, but when the embers faded, the figure remained standing, only slightly singed.

"They don't burn easily!" Khael shouted, jumping back.

Selene raised her sword, focusing on the strange energy in the air. She could feel the weight of history pressing down on her, as if the land itself remembered who she was supposed to be. But she wasn't that person—was she?

A knight lunged at her, its rusted blade cutting through the air. She barely managed to sidestep, countering with a precise slash of her own.

The knight staggered but did not fall. It was like fighting something that refused to acknowledge death.

Aldric stood back, chanting under his breath. His staff glowed with ancient symbols, and suddenly, blue ethereal chains shot from the ground, wrapping around two knights, restricting their movements.

"I can hold them for a while!" he called out.

"But I need time to weaken their bindings to this world!"

"No pressure, old man!" Tyra shouted, dashing past a knight, slamming her hammer into its side.

The force sent the knight skidding back, but it did not collapse. Instead, it turned toward her, its empty helm tilting, as if recognizing her.

Selene pushed forward, slicing through the unnatural air with her blade, each strike growing sharper, more confident.

She was fighting not just against these knights, but against the weight of her own doubts.

The world trembled faintly as her energy surged. The knights hesitated, as if sensing something shift.

One of them spoke, its hollow voice filled with something close to fear. "That presence... it cannot be."

Selene didn't understand, but she pressed on. Whatever had twisted these knights into this half-life would not stop them from moving forward.

The battle raged on, but for the first time, it felt like they had the upper hand.

The battle had finally ended. The Forgotten Knights lay defeated, their armor cracked and broken, their bodies crumbling into dust as the remnants of their souls faded into the ruins of Eldoria. Silence stretched across the battlefield, save for the weary breaths of the victors.

Selene, though triumphant, felt no satisfaction. Instead, her heart was heavy, her limbs trembling from exhaustion.

She could feel the echoes of the past whispering to her, a weight far greater than mere fatigue pressing against her chest.

Something about these lands, these ruins, called to her in a way she could not explain.

She turned, feeling an odd pull in her mind, as though an unseen force was guiding her somewhere deeper into the ruins.

Her feet moved before she could question why, leading her past the broken archways and into what had once been a grand plaza. There, standing amidst the rubble and overgrown vines, was a another statue—a statue she recognized.

The golden-haired woman.

Eltharia Solmira.

Her breath caught in her throat. It was her. The same woman from her dreams, the same presence that had guided her when she sought control over her unstable powers.

Selene approached with hesitant steps, her fingers grazing the stone surface of the statue.

It was intricately detailed despite the passage of time, the regal yet gentle expression frozen in eternal grace. She looked as though she had been waiting.

"Selene."

The voice rang clear in her mind, soft yet firm, carrying an undeniable familiarity. A presence enveloped the air, and when Selene blinked, she was no longer standing in the ruins.

Instead, she was surrounded by golden light, floating in a space that felt both infinite and intimate.

Eltharia stood before her, no longer stone but flesh, her golden hair cascading down her back like liquid sunlight. Her piercing blue eyes studied Selene with something between recognition and sorrow.

"You have come," Eltharia said, her voice like the chiming of ancient bells.

Selene swallowed, forcing herself to find words. "You… you were the one who helped me before, weren't you?"

Eltharia inclined her head. "I have watched over you for some time. But my time is brief. I must speak to you of what is to come."

Selene's fingers curled into fists. "Vherezoth."

A shadow flickered in Eltharia's expression.

"She stirs," she confirmed. "The cracks in her seal are widening. She is remembering."

The weight of those words pressed into Selene's chest.

"Who is she?"

Eltharia hesitated before speaking again.

"She was once like you. A girl with power far beyond mortal means. But the world was cruel to her. She was feared, betrayed, and in the end… cursed."

Selene listened, her heartbeat quickening as Eltharia's words aligned with Aldric's tale.

"The tale of the Sealed One. Of a girl cursed by fate, swallowed by the void itself."

Eltharia's voice softened, almost a whisper.

"And the ruler who was destined to meet her."

Selene's mind spun.

"You mean yourself."

Eltharia gave a sad smile. "Yes. Our fates were bound together from the moment we were born." She turned slightly, her gaze distant.

"She was not always a monster. She was a child once, filled with dreams, with light. But those around her… they did not see her as a blessing. They saw her as a threat."

Selene felt a chill at the words, as though they resonated with something buried deep inside her.

"She was gifted beyond what was natural," Eltharia continued. "Some believed she was born of the stars, others that she carried the will of the gods. But with power comes greed. Those who once stood by her side turned against her. They sought her strength for themselves. And when they failed to take it, they sought to destroy her."

Selene could feel the weight of the tale pressing on her soul.

"And they cursed her."

"Yes." Eltharia's voice was heavy.

"They did not kill her. They twisted her power, forcing her into something unnatural. And when the pain became unbearable, she lashed out. She became what they had always feared—a void, an emptiness that could never be filled. She sought to end the suffering the only way she could—by consuming everything."

Selene shuddered.

"And you stopped her."

"I had to." Eltharia's eyes held sadness, but no regret.

"The battle was long and unforgiving. But sealing her away required more than just power. It required sacrifice."

Selene's breath hitched. "You gave your life."

Eltharia nodded. "I bound her within Eldoria. As long as my soul remained intact, she would never be free. And for centuries, she remained dormant. But something has changed."

Selene thought of the dark matter, of the spreading corruption. "The cracks in the seal…"

"They are no longer mere fractures. Vherezoth is waking. And she is aware of you." A cold dread seeped into Selene's bones.

"Why me?" Eltharia's gaze softened. "Because you are like her." Selene's breath caught in her throat.

"I'm not—"

"You are not her," Eltharia reassured her.

"But you carry the same power. And she knows it. She sees you as a reflection of herself. And that… is dangerous." Selene forced herself to breathe.

"What am I supposed to do?" Eltharia's form began to flicker.

"You must remember. You must reclaim what was lost." Selene reached out, but the golden light was fading.

"Wait—"

"Eltharia!"

The vision shattered, and Selene gasped as she found herself back in the ruins, her hands still pressed against the statue. The others were staring at her, concern written on their faces.

Axel took a step forward. "Selene, what happened?" She turned to them, her heart racing, her mind whirling with the weight of what she had just learned.

"She's waking," Selene whispered.

"Vherezoth is almost awake."

To be continued.