I walked on, unsettled by the encounter. The city felt different now, as though the shadows themselves were watching, waiting for me to stumble. Every step felt heavier, the weight of unspoken stories pressing down on me, a reminder of the choices I had yet to make.
I had chosen to honor the past in silence, to let the memories exist as echoes rather than forces of change. But was that enough? Would my restraint be seen as wisdom, or would it be remembered as cowardice?
The Weaver had spoken of sacrifice, yet it hadn't prepared me for the voices of those who resisted, who would not be bound by silence. And now, as I continued through the quiet streets, I sensed a deeper tension, a war brewing within the memories themselves.
As I turned a corner, I felt the presence of another figure, watching from the shadows. It was the woman I had seen before, cloaked in mystery, her face half-hidden beneath a hood.
"Balance… is not as simple as you imagine, is it?" Her voice was smooth, steady, with a hint of amusement that unsettled me.
I didn't answer, and she stepped closer, studying me with eyes that seemed to pierce through my defenses.
"You hold the memories of the lost, yet you choose which ones to honor and which to bury. Do you believe yourself above them? Above their suffering, their sacrifices?"
I met her gaze, unflinching. "It's not a matter of being above anyone. It's about preserving a world that can't bear the weight of every forgotten story."
She tilted her head, considering my words. "And yet, isn't it the forgotten who shape the world more than the remembered? The ones who remain hidden, who influence from the shadows? Those stories have power, whether you choose to acknowledge them or not."
I felt a chill run down my spine. Her words cut deep, striking at the heart of my mission. Was I truly honoring these memories, or was I simply hiding them, burying the inconvenient truths that threatened the fragile balance I was so desperate to protect?
"What do you want from me?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
She smiled, a glimmer of something ancient and knowing in her eyes. "I want you to remember that every choice you make ripples through time. Silence is powerful, yes—but sometimes, silence can be its own form of destruction."
Before I could respond, she turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving me alone with a growing sense of doubt.