The next night, Eiden went back underground. The ruined hallway was quiet. Only the sound of his boots on broken stone echoed softly.
He carried a small lantern this time. Not to see better—but to keep track of time. Its flame would fade after one hour. That was all the time he had.
He reached the large room he found before—the room with old symbols on the walls. The air was thick with dust. It made his nose itch, but he ignored it.
He walked to the back, where he saw a half-broken wall. Behind it, he found stairs going deeper.
Eiden's heart beat faster. This was new.
He took a deep breath and stepped down slowly. One step. Two steps. The air got colder. Like something old was watching him.
Finally, he reached the bottom.
There was another door—huge and black. It looked like it was made of stone and metal at the same time. In the center, a faded crest was carved.
His eyes widened. He knew that crest. It was his own mark… from his past life.
"So this place really belonged to me..." he whispered.
He placed his hand on the door. Magic ran through his fingers. The door trembled—then opened with a deep, low rumble.
Inside was a round chamber. It was full of shelves. Books, scrolls, broken swords, crystal shards—all covered in dust and cobwebs.
But one thing stood out.
A floating crystal in the center of the room. Blue, glowing faintly.
He walked closer. The crystal pulsed, then showed a memory.
A young man—him—stood in front of students. He was teaching them a spell. A spell that mixed sword aura with lightning.
The memory vanished.
Eiden stared at the crystal, then at his own hands. His chest tightened. His throat was dry.
"That was me… I taught that?"
Suddenly, his head hurt. A sharp pain, like needles poking his brain. He saw flashes—more memories. A tower. A great battle. A betrayal.
He fell to his knees.
"I… I can't remember it all yet."
He stayed there for a while. Breathing. Calming down.
Then, slowly, he stood up.
He looked around the room again. Then, carefully, picked up an old book with gold lines on the cover.
He opened it. His own handwriting.
It was a guide. For magic that could be controlled through the body, not just the mind. A mix of movement and spell.
Eiden smiled.
He began to read.
---
Up above, on the academy grounds, Elara sat on a bench.
She had followed Eiden again that night. But she lost him halfway.
"He disappeared again… like a shadow," she said to herself.
Her brows were tight with worry. Her thoughts messy.
"Who are you really, Eiden...?"
She remembered their duel. The sword skills. The strange feeling of magic in the air.
She didn't tell anyone about it.
Not yet.
But she would keep watching him. Not out of fear now—but curiosity. And something else.
She looked up at the dark sky.
Far below, Eiden turned a page, whispering the name of a lost spell:
"Echo Step."
His body glowed faintly as the runes etched in the book danced in his mind.
The past was calling him back.
And this time, he would answer.