The temple's shadows had barely swallowed Ren and Aeri when a strange hum filled the air, vibrating through the stone floor. Ren froze, fingers brushing the glowing mark on his palm.
"…Okay," he muttered, "that's not ominous at all. Totally casual hum. I'm fine."
Aeri's eyes narrowed. "You're not fine. Divine enforcers are nearby. They sense the Silent One."
Ren swallowed hard. "…Wait, you mean—enforcers? Like… scary gods with spears and judgment issues?"
"Exactly," Aeri said, stepping closer. "And they're efficient. You can't hide forever."
A sudden flash of golden light erupted outside the temple entrance. Figures in gleaming armor appeared, their faces masked by divine helmets. They moved with eerie precision, and the air seemed to warp around them.
Ren gulped. "…Yeah. That's exactly what I meant. We're doomed."
"Not doomed," Aeri said, drawing a small dagger from her belt. "We fight, or we run. Your choice."
Ren stared at her. "…Choice? I thought surviving was the point! And also… do I even have a choice in this? I literally just found out I'm important."
Aeri gave a sharp glance. "…You have a choice. But ignoring it will cost you more than you think."
The enforcers advanced, their armor clinking softly like chimes in a graveyard. One of them raised a hand, and a wave of golden energy surged forward, freezing the air and bending the light around them.
Ren's heart pounded. "…Okay… okay… panic, panic, panic!"
Then something strange happened. The glowing mark on his hand flared bright, and a sudden hush fell over the temple, as if the world itself held its breath. The approaching enforcers faltered mid-step, their energy dissipating into silence.
"…What the hell?!" Ren yelled.
"Control it!" Aeri shouted. "Focus!"
Ren clenched his fists. He felt the hum of the temple and the echoes in his palm. With a deep breath, he tried to push outward, and the world seemed to respond. Sounds, light, even the tension in the air — all froze, suspended like glass.
"…I… I did it?" Ren asked, awe mixed with panic.
"You did," Aeri said, wide-eyed. "You… silenced them. But be careful. Every time you use this power… it takes something from you. Memories, fragments… a cost we cannot fully measure yet."
Ren staggered backward. "…Cost? I barely survived my morning cereal without divine intervention! Now I lose my memories too? Fantastic."
Aeri ignored the sarcasm, scanning the temple. "They won't stay frozen forever. You need to keep moving!"
The enforcers blinked, and the world resumed. They advanced again, faster this time, but Ren felt a spark of confidence. He had a power — dangerous, terrifying, but undeniably his.
He raised his hands, and the temple fell silent once more. The enforcers froze mid-stride, their golden energy suspended like droplets in air.
Ren's knees nearly buckled. "…I can't believe this is happening. I'm… I'm actually doing it."
Aeri's face softened. "Good. Control is key. You survived once… now learn to survive with intent."
Ren shook his head, half-panicked, half-ecstatic. "…Intent. Right. Because nothing says 'intent' like accidentally freezing armed divine enforcers mid-attack."
A sudden ripple ran through the temple floor. Ren blinked and realized he'd forgotten something — a fragment of the memory from his first echo, a precious detail he hadn't even realized he remembered. His stomach dropped.
"…Oh no," he whispered. "…I… I forgot part of it."
Aeri's hand rested lightly on his shoulder. "You will learn to pay the price, Silent One. But even forgetting… it's better than death."
Ren let out a long, shuddering breath. "…I… I guess. I'm alive. For now."
Above the temple, golden eyes observed with curiosity. A faint smile tugged at the corners of unseen lips. Somewhere, the pantheon shifted uncomfortably — the Silent One had begun his first test.
And he had passed.
To be continued…
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