NOVEL NEXT Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Shadows of the Forgotten
Branches whipped past my face as I sprinted through the jungle, my breath ragged, my heart pounding.
Shira ran beside me, her grip still tight on my arm.
Behind us, the echoing growl of the fragment lingered, even as the Elder held it back.
But I knew—
That wouldn't last forever.
Sooner or later, it would come for me again.
And this time...
There would be no running.
A Moment of Silence
We didn't stop until the ruins were far behind us.
Only then did we collapse against the twisted roots of an ancient tree, gasping for breath.
Shira wiped the sweat from her forehead, her face pale.
"What the hell was that?"
I shook my head.
"I... I don't know."
It wasn't a lie.
Not really.
But at the same time, I knew exactly what that thing was.
A piece of something buried inside me.
Something that shouldn't exist.
Something that was never meant to wake up.
Shira turned to me, her eyes searching.
"You recognized it," she said quietly.
It wasn't a question.
I looked away.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Silence.
Then—
"Don't lie to me."
Her voice wasn't angry.
Just... disappointed.
And that, somehow, hurt even more.
A Past Not My Own
I gritted my teeth, trying to steady myself.
"...I don't remember," I admitted. "But when I saw it—"
I hesitated.
"The feeling was there."
Like a name at the tip of my tongue.
A memory just out of reach.
Like seeing a reflection in shattered glass.
Shira stared at me for a long moment.
Then, she sighed.
"Well, whatever it is, we need to figure it out."
I nodded.
She was right.
But before we could—
A voice cut through the trees.
"Looks like you've had quite the adventure."
I froze.
Shira tensed beside me, her dagger flashing into her hand.
And then—
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward.
A familiar one.
A man with a wide grin and a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips.
Shira's eyes narrowed.
"Who the hell—?"
I exhaled sharply.
"...Smoker."
And just like that—
Our problems just got worse.