Chapter 25. The Shadow of the Past

  Silence hung in the air like an invisible weight pressing down on each of them. Beligor—or whoever he had once been—did not respond. His gaze remained empty, but Leonel saw it: something stirred deep within his consciousness.

  — You can remember, — Leonel stepped closer, watching for the slightest change in the puppet’s expression. — The memories are inside you. They weren’t destroyed—only locked away.

  Beligor flinched. His fingers curled, then slowly uncurled. He lifted his gaze to Leonel, and for the first time, something alive flickered in his eyes.

  Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

  — Who… am I?

  The voice, hollow and uncertain, was the first he had spoken with awareness.

  — We’ll find out, — Ethan said firmly, crossing his arms. — But first, you need to help us.

  Stan frowned.

  — Are you sure he won’t turn against us when he remembers?

  — We don’t know who he was, but we know who he is now, — Leonel replied. — If we restore his memories, the choice will be his.

  — Fair enough, — Stan nodded. — Then how do we do it?

  Leonel unrolled the ancient scroll they had found, scanning the timeworn lines.

  — It speaks of a memory seal. It can be broken, but to do so, we must… — He trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he carefully reread the text.

  — What? — Ethan asked.

  — We need to return the part of him that was taken.

  Stan squinted in confusion.

  — And where exactly are we supposed to find this lost part?

  Leonel lifted his g

  aze.

  — In the world of Darkness.