"To be erased is not to vanish… it's to be remembered only by the sky."
Aarav blinked.The meadow lay bathed in moonlight again, dew shimmering like stars scattered on grass. The blood moon still hung low, pulsing faintly with a tired heartbeat. But the storm, the Rift, the Archivist—it was all gone.
And Selene…
Was right in front of him.
Her silver eyes trembled with hope and dread, the memory of his touch still burning in her soul. She reached out, slowly.
"Aarav… it's me," she whispered.
But Aarav just stared.
Bewildered. Curious.
"Do I… know you?"
🌙 Shattered Recognition
Selene's hand froze mid-air.His voice was calm. Not cold, not cruel—just… empty. Like the sky after a falling star.
"You don't remember me?" she whispered.
He tilted his head. "I saw you. Just now. You were floating. I… I thought you were a dream."
Her heart shattered in silence. He wasn't pretending. The Archivist had kept its promise.
Aarav's memories were gone.
🕯 The Echo of a Name
Selene clenched her fists, grounding herself. "Your name is Aarav Elan. You used to write stories in a notebook that sometimes wrote back. You dreamt of the stars every night. You believed the moon whispered to you."
He smiled faintly, almost apologetically. "I still do."
Selene froze.
Somewhere, a spark flickered.
Maybe he wasn't completely gone.
"Aarav," she whispered, "what's the last thing you remember?"
He looked at the sky. "The blood moon. A voice. Something telling me to choose."
Her breath hitched.
He continued. "And fire. A notebook burning."
✨ The Memory Scar
Selene's eyes brimmed with tears.
"You remember that much?"
Aarav nodded slowly. "It's blurry. But there's a feeling… like I've lost something. Something that mattered. Someone who…"
He trailed off, unsure if the ache in his chest was real or imagined.
Then—
A scream shattered the moment.
Not human.
Not earthly.
🌀 The Rift Residue
A black slash appeared in the sky above the meadow—like someone had torn open the fabric of reality. From it, ghostlike figures poured into the world, each made of stardust and shadow.
They weren't real.
They were residual echoes—leftovers from the Rift collapsing.
Selene turned pale. "We need to run."
Aarav didn't move. He was staring at one of the figures.
A woman. Silver eyes. Drenched in blood.
Selene looked too—and froze.
"That's… me."
It was a vision from a possible future—one the Archivist had locked away.
And it was bleeding into reality.
🩸 Rift Beasts Awaken
The shadows congealed.
One by one, the ghost-figures twisted, cracked, and burst—revealing monstrous forms beneath. They were Rift Beasts, entities that fed on forgotten memories and distorted timelines.
One of them locked eyes with Selene.
It smiled.
"You were erased. You belong to us now."
The ground quaked. The meadow blackened. The blood moon throbbed violently.
Aarav instinctively stepped in front of Selene, protectively—his hand reaching out as if guided by something deeper than memory.
And then—
The silver pocket watch in his coat clicked open on its own.
⏳ The Pocket Watch's Secret
Time slowed.
Everything stopped.
Inside the glass of the pocket watch, a symbol shimmered—a glowing triangle made of stars: The Crown of Selene.
Aarav gasped. "That symbol…"
He clutched his head. Visions flashed:
Selene falling through the sky.
The Rift devouring timelines.
The kiss under the eclipse.
The Archivist handing him a pen.
Her name, written in fire.
"Selene…"
He whispered her name like a prayer.
And her body lit up—silver veins of light glowing from her skin. The memory returned to her like a wave.
But for Aarav… it was only just beginning.
One Name, One Curse
Suddenly, a Rift Beast lunged.
Aarav turned on instinct, grabbing the burning pocket watch.
He threw it at the creature.
It exploded in silver fire—dissolving the beast instantly.
But in the flames, words emerged, floating in the air:
"She must die to be remembered."
Aarav screamed as something tore inside his chest. The pocket watch burned into his palm, branding a new symbol: a star-shaped wound.
Selene rushed to him, tears in her eyes.
"Do you remember now?"
Aarav looked up.
"No. But I'm willing to remember everything… even if it kills me."
To be continued…