“You’re searching for something you’ve lost, not a place. Not a person. Yourself.”
The bard smiles faintly and stands in front of you before speaking. “My name is Ventus. You’d do well to remember my name this time, Terra~”
“You don’t remember your past, but I know it. I know where you came from and why you fell into this world. I can tell you everything. In exchange for a favour.” He continues, his voice now serious in contrast to his previously playful tone.
He gestures towards the east, towards distant ruins. “I have a friend that needs to be saved. Or rather, avenged. With your help, we can defeat the Dragon of Raging Winds.” Fuelled by vague memories and a burning spirit, you agree to his terms. He clearly is not just an average bard, and you need answers to your questions. And so, you embark on the journey towards the ruins.
The journey is long and arduous. As you travel across plains and shattered towers, you are met with the friendly people of Lexis as you pass by towns and villages. But the further away you venture from the capital city, the sparser people become. Instead, the friendly presence of people is now replaced by seemingly haunted shadows.
And eventually, one of these shadowy figures blocks the path towards the ruins. Threatening to harm you. Ventus has mysteriously vanished, replaced by familiar whispering winds. “Fight.” The whisper says, telling you to overcome the obstacle ahead. Possessed by some sort of newfound muscle memory, you materialise an ominous blade from thin air and charge towards the enemy.
With each shadow that dissipates, more come to take its place. But with every foe slain, the more you regain your ability to fight. You become more experienced in fighting, or rather recall your past experiences as you face an unrelenting horde of shadows that seek to harm you. Only after what feels like an eternity, do you emerge victorious as the remaining shadows stop attacking and flee.
Ventus reappears beside you, floating down from the sky “Those creatures you fought were beings not born of darkness, but cursed. Former human beings corrupted until they succumbed to the curse and became possessed.” He explains with tears in his eyes.
[“Then they were once humans? What in the world happened to them?”]
[“So they was humans before? How did they end up like this?]