"Echoes of a Forgotten Night"**
The masked man waited beneath the dying lantern light, his expression hidden by steel and shadows.
Alex stood trembling before him, unsure how much to reveal… or how much he even remembered.
The masked man spoke first, voice calm but cold.
"Before anything else… tell me your name."
Alex swallowed, his throat dry.
"My name… is Alex."
The man tilted his head.
"Just Alex?"
The boy hesitated. "I… I don't know my family name. I was left at Saint Lumen Orphanage when I was too young to remember anything."
The man crouched slightly so he could meet Alex's eyes.
"Then tell me, Alex… what happened there?"
Alex closed his eyes. The memories were tangled, broken, covered in fog.
But he tried.
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🌑 1. The Beginning — Mary & Sister Iris
"I wasn't alone," Alex began softly.
"I mean… I felt alone. The other kids avoided me. They called me strange. They said I talked to empty air."
The masked man didn't interrupt.
Alex continued, voice quieting.
"But… I wasn't talking to air."
A soft tremble entered his voice.
"Her name was Mary."
"A little girl… always wearing a torn white dress. She died years ago, but her spirit couldn't leave the orphanage."
He paused, remembering her hollow eyes.
"She was the only one who stayed with me… until Sister Iris."
The masked man spoke.
"Iris?"
Alex nodded quickly.
"Sister Iris was the only adult who never treated me like a liar. She believed I could see things others couldn't. She always protected me. She fed me extra bread when the other kids stole mine. She taught me prayers. She… she cared."
A faint smile touched his lips—then disappeared.
"She used to say this world is full of unseen creatures… ghosts, spirits, devils… and they feed on fear."
The masked man felt something shift at those words.
Alex continued:
"Sister Iris said humans create fear. Fear becomes energy. And that energy turns creatures stronger. Strong enough to evolve."
He lowered his head.
"She was the only one who never feared me."
---
🌑 2. The Warnings
Alex's hands tightened.
"Mary… she kept warning me for weeks.
She said someone was coming."
He clenched his fists.
"'Leave, Alex… leave before he arrives…' she kept repeating."
"But I didn't understand. I thought she meant a stranger.
I didn't think it meant… that night."
The masked man's gaze sharpened.
"What night?"
---
🌑 3. The Night Everything Broke
Alex's breathing grew uneven.
"It was late. The wind was loud. I woke to screams."
"But… I don't remember everything. Something is missing. My mind feels… cut."
He pressed a hand to his forehead.
"I remember running through the halls. Mary crying behind me. Iris shouting for everyone to hide."
The masked man leaned closer.
"Did you see the creature?"
Alex shivered violently.
"I… I think so. But I don't know what it was."
He searched his memory—but only shards remained.
"I remember… smoke. Black. Like shadows crawling on the floor."
"A face I couldn't see. Eyes burning like fire."
"Hands… claws… something reaching."
His voice cracked.
"When it touched me—I felt something enter me. Like cold fire in my chest."
The masked man stiffened.
Alex took another breath.
"And then… and then everything turned white."
---
🌑 4. Iris's Death — The Moment Alex Cannot Forget
Alex's voice dropped to a whisper.
"When I opened my eyes… I was standing in the chapel."
"There was blood. Screams."
"The monster was gone."
He looked at his own trembling hands.
"Sister Iris was lying in front of me."
The masked man's eyes widened.
Alex continued, tears forming.
"She was smiling… even while dying.
She put her hand on my face and said—"
His voice cracked as he repeated her final words:
"'My boy… you will live. Survive this world.'"
He broke down.
"I didn't kill her. I know I didn't. But—"
He looked horrified.
"—I was holding her. My hand… my hand was inside her chest. Like I stabbed her."
The masked man's breath caught.
Alex shook his head desperately.
"But it wasn't me! It wasn't me! Something was controlling me—something I can't remember!"
---
🌑 5. The Aftermath — Blamed for Something He Didn't Do
"When the other sisters and children came," Alex whispered,
"they saw Iris dead… in my arms."
"They screamed."
"They called me a monster. A witch."
"They said I killed her."
"They ran from me."
The masked man clenched his fist.
Alex looked down.
"I ran too. I didn't know where else to go."
---
🌑 6. The Final Mystery
The masked man stood slowly, his voice low.
"Alex… one last question."
He knelt down again, close enough for the boy to feel his breath.
"Why would a creature like that appear inside a church?"
Alex swallowed.
"I don't know."
"But… Mary said something."
The masked man leaned closer.
"What did she say?"
Alex whispered:
"'You don't belong here, Alex.'"
The masked man froze.
Alex continued:
"Mary said… I feel different.
That I don't smell like a human.
That the monster wasn't hunting the others—it was hunting me."
He looked up, eyes wide with fear.
"Sir… why would something like that hunt me?"
The masked man did not answer.
But the silence said everything.
---