The gleam of the memory stone still shimmered in Aeren's eyes. That moment in the Crack, when his first memory awakened, had shaken him to his core.
But now… something was changing.
The whisper of the wind faded, replaced by a strange dampness and chilling cold. It felt like the energy around him was freezing in time. His breath turned to mist, and the walls of the Crack began glowing a faint blue.
From deep within the shadows, a voice echoed—
Veera's.
"You will find the next Memory Stone in the Water Realm," her voice was steady and grave.
"The water there lies hidden beneath the surface… but you can summon it—through the element within you."
Aeren clenched his fists. The energy within him now stirred gently like ripples in a quiet pond. Taking a deep breath, he whispered to himself—
"Water... if you're inside me, then show yourself."
For a few moments, nothing happened.
Then, the ground answered.
With a violent tremor, a blue light erupted beneath Aeren's feet. It shone brightly, as if calling him—beckoning him to dive within. And then—the earth split apart. A water-gate opened, glowing with waves, mysterious and plunging into the depths below.
Aeren didn't hesitate for a second.
He jumped in.
The Water Realm.
A world that floated.
There was no sky—only water. But it wasn't like any ocean. It was suspended in the air, limitless, unbounded. Its depth seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions.
Blue light glowed everywhere. Ice-covered mountains floated mid-air, and rivers flowed from above to below, defying gravity. Sometimes, unseen creatures swam past, cutting through the waters—only to vanish just as quickly.
The peace here was eerie. Beautiful, yet unsettling.
Aeren's mind was calm, but a quiet dread was now blooming inside his chest.
That's when his eyes fell on a lake. Unlike the rest—it was still, frozen, silent. A thin layer of frost covered it, and at its very center—was a Memory Stone.
Aeren stepped toward it slowly. The lake's surface glistened like glass. He knelt and gently touched the ice—
Thump!
The Memory Awakened.
Aeren was no longer in the Water Realm. He now stood inside an icy fortress. The walls were made of crystal, the floor shimmered with blue light, and outside—an arctic storm howled.
In his hands, he held a trident. He was dressed in white robes, looking like a noble warrior of old.
Before him stood a boy—a little younger, but with fire burning in his eyes.
"You betrayed our sister, Aeren!" the boy screamed.
Aeren—or rather, his past self—stood calmly. "It wasn't my choice…"
"You were the heir of the Water Realm! Then why did you abandon us and ally with the other realms?! Why?!"
Aeren was about to speak, but the memory shattered.
He returned to the present—his breath rapid.
"I… belonged to the Water Realm?"
"I… abandoned someone?"
Veera's voice echoed once more.
"The boy's name was Kael. A true son of the Water Realm. And your brother… in your previous life."
Aeren's eyes widened.
"Brother…?"
"You betrayed your own blood, Aeren," Veera said softly. "Or maybe… you had to. But the reason—remains hidden."
The Lake Cracked.
The icy surface of the lake split open. Aeren took a step back, but then—someone emerged.
Kael.
No longer a boy—now a full-grown warrior. His eyes still held the same fire, but now, they carried age… and power.
"We meet again, Crackborn," he said in a cold voice.
Aeren stepped back, stunned and uncertain.
"You… you're real?"
Kael said nothing. In his hand, a spear of ice formed—sharp and glowing blue.
"Today I'm not here for memories,
I'm here to erase your existence!"
The spear launched toward Aeren. He instinctively raised his hands—
Water, ice, and wind began to swirl around him, forming a protective vortex. A wave of energy burst forth from his body and stopped the spear mid-air.
Far in the distance, Veera stood silently. Her eyes closed.
"Your trial has begun, Aeren.
Each realm will make you face
the weight of your past actions."
The Clash Begins.
Kael attacked again—this time, the entire battlefield began to freeze. The walls of the lake rose up, attempting to trap Aeren in a cage of frost.
Aeren focused on the water within himself—the moisture in his blood, the flow of his soul. He opened his palm, sending a stream of water hurtling toward Kael.
The clash was intense—one brother seeking justice from the past…
The other, seeking to understand it.
Ice and water collided, wind howled.
In this battle, it wasn't just power that clashed—
It was memory that fought back.