The world came back in pieces, like fragments of broken glass reflecting faint images from some distant memory. Evren felt as though he were being pulled up from the depths of an endless, dark sea. The memories—pain, joy, and something else, something raw and primal—flashed before his eyes like half-forgotten dreams. And then he was awake.
A dim light flickered overhead, barely illuminating the room. Cold stone walls surrounded him, and a strange, humming energy pulsed beneath the ground. It wasn't a simple dungeon, nor was it any place he'd ever known.
Groaning, he pushed himself up, his fingers brushing against something metallic. He looked down to find a sleek, dark bracelet around his wrist, marked with symbols he instinctively knew but couldn't quite remember. The memory of how he'd come to wear it was hazy, as if obscured by a thick mist. Despite its weight, he sensed a raw energy coursing through it, an energy that felt... familiar.
The sound of approaching footsteps jolted him out of his thoughts. He tensed, the old instinct to fight or flee surging through him. But something held him in place—a strange sensation telling him that this encounter was... important.
A man in a black robe entered, his face obscured by a hood, though a pair of piercing, violet eyes gleamed from within the shadows. "Awake, are we?" The man's voice was calm, almost amused, as if he'd been expecting this moment for a long time.
"Where am I?" Evren demanded, his voice sounding weaker than he'd intended.
"You are in one of the city's Depth Chambers," the stranger replied, pulling back his hood to reveal a thin, angular face. "I am the one they call Keeper, a humble guide for those who awaken."
"Awaken? From what?"
The keeper smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "The Abyss has many layers, many secrets. You are not the first to be reborn in such a way, and you will not be the last. Few can survive the journey; fewer still remember anything of who they were."
Evren felt a flash of frustration. Who was he? How had he come here? He had vague recollections—a name, a blade, and something... a vow, perhaps? But it was all so distant, like whispers in the wind.
"Tell me why I'm here," Evren said, forcing steel into his voice.
"You carry something within you, a spark that most have long lost." The keeper's gaze intensified. "It is a gift and a curse. If you wish to survive, to reclaim what lies within the Void, you must harness that power. You must become stronger. The Abyss holds both your answers and your doom, should you fail."
As if summoned by the words, a memory flashed before Evren's eyes—an endless chasm, the sensation of falling through shadows, and a voice, deep and resounding, calling his name.
"What is it I carry?" he asked, though he suspected the answer was something no mere words could explain.
"An echo," the Keeper replied. "An echo of the Abyss. To wield it, to truly understand it, will require facing dangers that defy imagination. But know this: powers like yours draw attention. Both friend and foe will come, and soon. If you wish to find the answers, the depth trials will reveal them if you are willing to pay the price."
Evren looked down at his hand, where the bracelet pulsed with dark energy, as if alive. Something inside him stirred—a hunger, a need for knowledge, for strength. He didn't know if it was a memory or a promise, but he felt compelled to follow it, wherever it might lead.
"What do I have to do?" he asked, meeting the Keeper's unyielding gaze.
The keeper's smile returned, sharper this time. "Take a step into the Abyss, claim your power, and beware. The city may be your prison, but the Abyss is your liberation. Make your choice."
Without another word, the Keeper opened a door at the back of the chamber, revealing a winding staircase that plunged into darkness. Evren didn't hesitate. Driven by a need he couldn't explain, he stepped forward, descending into the depths.