The Chronicles stirred faintly as the group set up camp, their pages heavy with grief. Eira's absence was palpable, her laughter, her words of encouragement—all gone.
Kai sat by the dying embers of their fire, clutching his Chronicle as it began to glow faintly. The others had gone quiet, their thoughts their own. But the glow grew brighter, and soon, words began scrawling across the page.
Memory Fragment Activated: Eira, the Last Defender
The scene that unfolded wasn't like the usual visions from the Chronicle. It wasn't a grand battle or a moment of triumph—it was pain. Raw and unfiltered.
A Broken Beginning
Eira's story began in the quiet village of Lyndralis, a small hamlet surrounded by vast forests. As a child, Eira was carefree, often running through the woods with her little sister, Lila. The two were inseparable, their laughter echoing through the trees.
But that peace was shattered on a cold autumn night.
The shadow beasts came without warning, their twisted forms emerging from the darkness. The villagers screamed as the creatures tore through their homes, their claws and teeth ripping apart anything in their path.
Eira, only ten at the time, clutched Lila's hand as they ran. Their parents stayed behind to fight, their shouts lost in the chaos.
"Don't look back, Lila!" Eira cried, tears streaming down her face.
But Lila tripped, her small frame falling to the ground. Eira turned to help her, but the beast was faster. Its claws struck Lila, and her scream was cut short.
Eira froze, her body trembling as she stared at her sister's lifeless form. The beast turned its glowing red eyes to her, but before it could strike, a burst of light engulfed it.
A traveling mage had arrived, his staff glowing with power. He saved the village—or what was left of it. But for Eira, the damage was done.
She never forgave herself.
A Life of Loss
The years that followed were harsh. Eira was taken in by the mage, a man named Aldrin, who saw potential in her. She trained under him, learning to summon shields and barriers to protect others.
But the guilt of that night never left her. Every time she cast a shield, she saw Lila's face, heard her scream.
She became obsessed with protection, refusing to let anyone close to her fall. In every village she traveled to, she sought to defend the weak, often putting herself in harm's way.
But her actions weren't without consequence.
In one village, she defended a group of children from raiders, holding the line with her shields. She saved them, but the raiders struck down the villagers behind her. She could only protect so many.
In another town, she stood against a warlord's army, her shields holding for hours. But when she collapsed from exhaustion, the town was razed.
Eira's reputation grew as a savior, but she only saw herself as a failure. No matter how many she saved, there were always those she couldn't.
The Forsaken Chronicle
The night she found the Chronicle was the night she almost gave up.
Eira was wandering through the ruins of a town destroyed by shadow beasts. She had been too late, arriving only after the beasts had finished their carnage.
She fell to her knees in the center of the ruins, her hands trembling. "Why... why can't I be stronger?"
The Chronicle appeared before her, its pages glowing with an eerie light. It spoke to her, offering power in exchange for her oath.
"You seek to protect, but protection alone is not enough. Will you bear the burden of the Forsaken?"
Eira hesitated but eventually nodded. "If it means no one else will die because of me... I'll do it."
The Chronicle's power surged through her, granting her the ability to summon shields stronger than ever before. But with that power came a warning:
"To protect all, you must first protect yourself. Fail, and the cost will be your soul."
A Lonely Road
Even with the Chronicle, Eira's life remained one of solitude. She joined groups of adventurers but always kept her distance. She shielded them in battle, took blows meant for them, but never allowed herself to get close.
Until she met Kai and the others.
Their determination, their shared pain—it resonated with her. Slowly, she began to open up, to believe that maybe, just maybe, she didn't have to carry the burden alone.
But old habits die hard.
The Final Sacrifice
The memory ended abruptly, leaving Kai staring at the Chronicle.
He felt a weight in his chest, a mix of anger and sorrow. Eira's life had been one of pain and loss, and even in the end, she had chosen to bear the burden alone.
Kai clenched his fists. "She deserved better."
Leon, sitting nearby, looked up. "We all did."
Kai turned to him, his voice steady. "Then we make sure her sacrifice wasn't in vain. We finish this. For her."
Leon nodded, his usual smirk replaced with a rare look of determination. "For her."
The Chronicles began to glow again, their pages flipping as a new quest began to take shape. But for now, the group sat in silence, the memory of Eira's life and sacrifice etched into their hearts.