Kael stood before the iron gate at the end of the corridor. It was different from every other door in Black Hollow—neither rusted nor chained, but smooth, sealed, and silent. Etched into its surface were names. Hundreds. Thousands. Carved so deep that some had faded into the metal itself.
He traced one name with his gloved hand.
> "Elira Rhenlor."
She was here.
Still.
Alive.
His cousin, standing behind him, whispered, "That's where they kept the ones who couldn't be broken."
Kael turned. "She resisted?"
"She forgot… but she never broke."
His hand hovered over the lock, then reached for the keyring. Each key was shaped uniquely—some like blades, others like bones. He selected the one shaped like a flower, half-wilted, remembering the pendant Elira once wore.
He slid the key in.
It clicked.
The door groaned open.
---
The Room of Forgotten Suns
Light bathed him.
Warm. Not the sickly green glow of Black Hollow's jars, but true sunlight, streaming down from a skylight high above. The ceiling was broken—nature had clawed its way in, vines wrapped around stone, blooming with red flowers.
A single figure knelt in the center of the room.
Her back to him.
Long, dark hair. Draped in a gray robe. Still as a statue.
Kael's chest tightened. Every breath felt like it might shatter him.
He stepped forward.
"Elira."
She didn't move.
He came closer, kneeling beside her. Her hands were folded in prayer. Her lips moved without sound.
"Elira. It's me."
Still silence.
Kael reached out and gently touched her shoulder.
Her head turned slowly.
She looked at him.
And her eyes were hollow.
---
What Was Taken
For a heartbeat, Kael felt the world crumble.
Her face was the same—so achingly familiar it hurt to breathe. But her eyes… they were dim. Unseeing. Empty.
He whispered again, "Elira, it's me. Kael. Your husband."
She blinked.
Then spoke.
> "Names… names are dangerous."
Kael gripped her hand. "They tried to erase us. But I've taken them all back. I found you."
She pulled her hand away. "If you carry a name… they'll take you too."
Kael stared.
This wasn't just memory loss. It was conditioning. Indoctrination.
They had tried to erase her soul.
---
Seeds of Light
He reached into his pack and pulled out a ribbon.
Red silk. Faded and frayed.
> The same one she tied around his wrist on their wedding day.
He held it out.
> "You said this would keep me alive. You said… as long as I wore it, I would find my way back to you."
Her eyes flickered.
He stepped closer. "Elira. I'm back. And I've killed them all. Every one. I made them remember your name."
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Her lips trembled.
"…Kael?"
He nodded, gripping her hand.
She gasped, like coming up from drowning.
And then she collapsed against him.
---
The Flame Rekindled
Hours passed.
He held her in silence.
Eventually, she stirred again. Stronger.
She whispered stories—scattered fragments. Her capture. The experiments. The masks. The chanting. How she refused to say her name until they took it from her.
But something had remained.
And now, he had reignited it.
She looked up at him, fierce.
> "We're not done."
Kael smiled, though there were tears in his eyes.
> "Not until the last name dies."
To be continue...