Chapter 205: Lena

The footsteps continued.

Slow.

Heavy.

Deliberate.

Adrian stopped.

Lena stopped beside him.

Neither spoke.

The sound came from deeper inside the forest.

Step.

Pause.

Step.

Pause.

It wasn’t trying to hide.

That was what bothered Adrian most.

Whatever was coming wanted them to know it was coming.

Lena looked at him.

"Do you hear that?"

"Yes."

"Should we run?"

Adrian considered it.

"Probably."

"You’re not running."

"I’m thinking."

"You’re very bad at thinking."

"Apparently."

The footsteps stopped.

Silence returned.

Adrian waited.

Nothing.

Then a voice came from somewhere ahead.

"Lena."

She froze.

Adrian looked at her.

"Do you know that voice?"

She shook her head.

"No."

The voice called again.

"Lena."

This time it was closer.

She took a step backward.

"I don’t know anyone here."

Adrian nodded.

"I believe you."

The voice laughed softly.

"You don’t."

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

The strange figure from earlier was gone.

The forest looked empty.

Then something moved between the trees.

A boy stepped into view.

He looked around seventeen.

Dark hair.

Dirty clothes.

A small cut above his eyebrow.

And a sword hanging from his waist.

Lena stared.

"Jonas?"

The boy looked at her.

Then at Adrian.

"Who are you?"

Adrian relaxed slightly.

"Who are you?"

The boy frowned.

"I asked first."

"Lena?"

She stepped forward.

"You’re Jonas?"

The boy looked confused.

"Yes."

Adrian’s expression changed.

The young man from the village had said Jonas was older than this.

His brother had disappeared six months ago.

But this boy looked younger.

Much younger.

Lena noticed it too.

"You’ve been here for six months?"

Jonas frowned.

"What?"

"You disappeared six months ago."

He stared at her.

"I entered this forest yesterday."

Adrian and Lena looked at each other.

Adrian stepped closer.

"What year is it?"

Jonas gave him a strange look.

"Why?"

"Just answer."

Jonas told him.

Adrian went silent.

It was the same year.

Same month.

Same day.

Almost the same hour.

He looked toward Lena.

She looked equally confused.

Jonas noticed their expressions.

"What?"

Lena shook her head.

"Nothing."

Adrian pointed toward his sword.

"Where did you get that?"

Jonas looked down.

"My brother gave it to me."

"Your brother?"

"Yes."

"What’s his name?"

Jonas smiled.

"Jonas."

Adrian froze.

Lena went pale.

"You’re Jonas?"

He nodded.

"Yes."

"Then who did we meet in the village?"

Jonas looked confused.

"What village?"

Adrian felt the forest become colder.

"The village you came from."

"I’ve never been to a village."

"Raven’s Hollow."

Jonas shook his head.

"I don’t know that place."

Adrian slowly looked around.

The trees seemed closer now.

The path behind them was gone.

Lena whispered,

"We’ve been walking in circles."

Adrian nodded.

"No."

He looked at the ground.

"We’ve been walking through different places."

Jonas frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Adrian stood.

"I don’t know."

A voice came from behind them.

"You are learning."

Adrian turned.

The strange figure stood between the trees.

This time, it had no face.

Just smooth skin.

No eyes.

No mouth.

Jonas reached for his sword.

The figure tilted its head.

"Don’t."

Jonas stopped.

Adrian looked at it.

"Why are you doing this?"

The figure answered calmly.

"Because this world has rules."

"What rules?"

"Things enter."

"Things leave."

"Things remember."

"Things forget."

Adrian frowned.

"And?"

The figure looked toward Lena.

"Things begin."

Lena stared at it.

"What does that have to do with me?"

The figure smiled without a mouth.

"Everything."

Adrian stepped in front of her.

"Leave her alone."

The figure didn’t move.

"You still think you’re protecting people."

"I’m trying."

"That’s your old habit."

Adrian’s expression hardened.

"I don’t know you."

"You don’t need to."

The figure pointed at Lena.

"She does."

Lena stepped forward.

"What am I supposed to remember?"

The figure became silent.

Then it disappeared.

Adrian immediately looked around.

"Where did it go?"

Jonas lowered his sword.

"Was that normal?"

"No."

"Good."

Jonas nodded.

"I was worried this place was normal."

Adrian almost laughed.

Then Lena grabbed his arm.

"Adrian."

"What?"

She pointed at the trees.

There was writing carved into the bark.

Not one word.

Hundreds.

Names.

Some were familiar.

Some weren’t.

ADRIAN.

CAEL.

ECHO.

SOL.

NOAH.

NAMeless.

The NULL.

The forgotten child.

Then—

LENA.

Adrian stared.

Her name was written dozens of times.

Each version looked different.

Some were carved deeply.

Some were barely visible.

Some were crossed out.

One was written in fresh blood.

Lena stepped closer.

"Why is my name here?"

Adrian didn’t answer.

She looked at him.

"Adrian."

"I don’t know."

"You know something."

"Not about this."

She stared at the names.

"Then why do I feel like I’ve seen this?"

Adrian’s expression changed.

"What?"

She touched one of the carvings.

The moment her fingers touched it, the forest disappeared.

Adrian saw a room.

A small room.

A woman was sitting at a desk.

She was writing.

Not with a pen.

With her finger.

Words appeared across the wall.

LENA.

The woman stopped.

She looked toward the door.

Someone was standing there.

Adrian couldn’t see their face.

The woman said,

"She isn’t ready."

The figure answered,

"She doesn’t need to be."

"What if she remembers?"

"Then she’ll choose."

The woman shook her head.

"She always chooses the same thing."

Adrian’s heart tightened.

The room changed.

Another memory.

Lena standing in a field.

Alone.

Crying.

A voice asked her:

"Do you want to stay?"

She answered:

"No."

The memory changed.

Lena stood beside another person.

Holding their hand.

The voice asked again.

"Do you want to stay?"

This time she answered:

"Yes."

Again.

Another life.

Another version.

Another world.

Same question.

Different answer.

Adrian realized what he was seeing.

Possibilities.

Not his.

Hers.

Thousands of them.

Lena had lived countless beginnings.

But none of them lasted.

Every time she reached a certain point—

something reset.

Adrian whispered,

"You’re not new."

Lena looked at him.

"What?"

He couldn’t answer.

The memory showed one final scene.

Lena standing in the white room.

Across from her was Permission.

But Permission wasn’t looking at her.

He was looking at someone behind her.

Adrian.

A younger Adrian.

Before identity.

Before the first question.

Before everything.

Lena turned.

She looked directly at him.

And said:

"You’re going to forget me."

Adrian’s breath caught.

The memory shattered.

He returned to the forest.

Lena was still touching the tree.

Her eyes were closed.

Then she opened them.

She looked terrified.

"I remember."

Adrian grabbed her shoulders.

"What?"

She looked at him.

"You."

"Me?"

"You were there."

"When?"

"Before."

"Before what?"

"Before you were Adrian."

Adrian froze.

Jonas stepped closer.

"What is happening?"

Lena ignored him.

"You asked me something."

Adrian shook his head.

"I don’t remember."

"You wouldn’t."

"Why?"

"Because you asked me to forget."

Adrian felt cold.

"What did I ask?"

Lena’s eyes filled with tears.

"You asked if I wanted to leave."

Adrian stared.

"Did you?"

She nodded.

"I said yes."

The forest became completely silent.

Adrian remembered.

Not clearly.

Not fully.

But something.

A girl.

A hand.

A door.

A choice.

He had been there.

He had watched someone stand at the edge of existence.

And he had asked her—

Do you want to leave?

She had said yes.

And he had opened the door.

Adrian whispered,

"You were the first person I let go."

Lena nodded.

"Yes."

Jonas looked between them.

"Who is she?"

Adrian couldn’t answer.

Lena did.

"I don’t know."

She looked at Adrian.

"But he does."

Adrian stepped backward.

"No."

"Adrian."

"I don’t remember."

"You will."

"No."

He shook his head.

"I don’t want to."

Lena’s expression softened.

"I know."

The same words.

The same understanding.

Permission had told him to stop waiting.

But Adrian realized there was another part of his past he had never faced.

Not someone he had lost.

Someone he had allowed to leave.

Because he believed it was freedom.

And perhaps it was.

But freedom didn’t erase the pain of being left behind.

Lena looked toward the deeper forest.

"I didn’t come here because I was brought here."

Adrian looked at her.

"I came because I was looking for you."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to know if you remembered."

"And now?"

She smiled sadly.

"Now I do."

Jonas stepped closer.

"Can someone explain what is happening?"

Neither answered.

Then the forest shook.

Leaves fell from the branches.

A low sound rolled through the trees.

Not a growl.

Something larger.

Older.

The ground cracked.

Jonas drew his sword.

Adrian stepped forward.

"Lena, stay behind me."

She shook her head.

"No."

Adrian looked at her.

"I’ve done that before."

"What?"

"Stayed behind you."

She stepped beside him.

"Not this time."

Adrian smiled.

"Okay."

The trees ahead began moving.

Something enormous passed between them.

Adrian couldn’t see its body.

Only the shape.

A massive silhouette.

Two glowing eyes opened in the darkness.

Jonas whispered,

"What is that?"

Lena looked at it.

"I don’t know."

Adrian raised his knife.

For once, he wasn’t afraid.

Not because he knew what was coming.

Because he didn’t.

And that was different.

He didn’t need to remember.

He didn’t need an answer.

He didn’t need permission.

He simply needed to choose what to do next.

The creature stepped into the clearing.

It looked almost human.

Almost.

Its body was covered in markings.

Thousands of names.

Thousands of beginnings.

Thousands of endings.

And at the center of its chest was a single symbol.

A door.

Adrian stared at it.

The creature spoke.

Its voice sounded like the forest itself.

"Adrian Cross."

Adrian tightened his grip.

"Yes?"

The creature looked at Lena.

Then Jonas.

Then back at Adrian.

"You opened the door."

Adrian frowned.

"What door?"

The creature smiled.

"The one you thought was closed."

The ground split beneath them.

A white light erupted from the earth.

And from somewhere far below—

a familiar voice whispered:

"Welcome back."

Adrian’s blood went cold.

Because he knew that voice.

It was his own.

But this time—

it wasn’t coming from his memory.

It was coming from beneath them.