A cold wind rustled through the dense forest, carrying with it an eerie stillness. The dark figures stood unmoving, their presence a silent threat. The tallest among them, cloaked in shadow, took a step forward.
"Ochieng…"
That voice. It slithered through the air, laced with an unsettling familiarity. It was not just a sound—it was a presence. A whisper from the past that shouldn't exist.
Ochieng's breath caught in his throat.
It had been years. Decades.
And yet, he knew exactly who stood before him.
A deep, burning sensation coiled in his chest, a mix of rage and something he couldn't quite place—something dangerously close to fear.
"…You."
The hooded figure let out a low chuckle.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
Lin Feng, who had been standing beside Ochieng, shifted slightly, his sword still clutched in his grip. "Who is this?" he asked in a low voice.
Ochieng didn't answer. His fingers flexed, curling into tight fists at his sides.
The figure took another step forward. The darkness around them seemed to breathe—as though it was alive, shifting and curling like tendrils of smoke.
"You always thought you could escape, didn't you?" the figure continued, voice smooth and taunting. "That if you just ran far enough, erased yourself enough, you could forget."
Ochieng's jaw clenched.
Forget?
How could he?
The things he had seen. The things he had done.
No amount of distance or time could erase them.
"I don't have time for your riddles," Ochieng said finally, his voice cold. "State your purpose."
The figure let out a breathy laugh. "Straight to the point, as always." He tilted his head slightly, as though studying him. "But tell me, Ochieng… Do you truly not remember me?"
Ochieng said nothing.
Because the truth was, he remembered everything.
Every scar. Every whispered secret in the dead of night. Every moment that had led him here.
He knew exactly who this was.
And the fact that they were standing in front of him now could only mean one thing.
"The Abyss never lets go," the figure whispered.
A sharp pulse of energy exploded outward from the figure, sending a ripple through the air. Lin Feng staggered back slightly, his grip tightening around his sword.
Ochieng, however, stood firm.
Because this wasn't just power.
This was something else entirely.
A force that didn't belong to this world.
The darkness coiled tighter around them, wrapping around the trees, the ground—even the air itself.
"You feel it, don't you?" the figure murmured.
Ochieng narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"
There was a long pause. And then—
"I want you to remember."
The moment the words left the figure's lips, the shadows surged forward—lunging straight for Ochieng.
---
The Memories That Should Have Stayed Buried
The impact never came.
Because the moment the darkness touched Ochieng's skin—it shattered.
A brilliant pulse of energy erupted from within him, blasting outward like a tidal wave. The force sent the hooded figure skidding backward, their cloak billowing.
The other robed figures didn't even flinch.
Lin Feng's eyes widened. He had seen Ochieng fight before, but this?
This was something else.
Ochieng exhaled sharply, the air around him still crackling. His muscles tensed, every instinct screaming at him to run.
Not because he was afraid.
But because he knew what came next.
The hooded figure straightened, adjusting their cloak.
"Ah," they murmured, their tone almost… pleased. "So you really don't remember, do you?"
Ochieng's expression darkened.
The figure took a step closer, lowering their hood.
And Ochieng felt his entire world shift.
The face staring back at him was one he had seen countless times before.
A face that should have been long dead.
It was him.
Not a reflection. Not a twin.
It was him.
Ochieng took a slow step back. His breath came faster, his pulse hammering against his ribs.
This wasn't possible.
It couldn't be possible.
Lin Feng looked between them, his brows furrowing. "What the hell…?"
The other Ochieng smirked.
"No escape this time," he whispered.
And then the world collapsed around them.
---