Chronicles of Forgotten Extra

Trial of eclipse (2)

Alden's steps faltered as he kept walking. The mirror was still far away, but now it felt like distance was further increasing with every step. The air grew heavier, suffocating. His chest tightened. His breath was becoming shallow. Each step felt like he was walking through mud, his legs heavy, as if the very gravity of the place was pressing down on him.

'Why the f**k am I still doing this?' he wondered. The thought echoed in his mind, the whispers of the shadows closing in around him. 'What's the f***ing point in this all?'

"How....how long has it been?" Alden muttered under his breath, though the question seemed pointless. Time didn't even matter anymore. Nothing mattered. "Three hours, four? I don't even know anymore. I've been walking forever, and the distance…" He glanced back at the mirror.

"The distance isn't closing."

The whispers of the shadows grew louder.

"You'll never make it."

"You are just a loser"

"You're not strong enough."

"You are a failure"

"No one has ever made it. Not someone like you."

"You are a disappointment "

Alden shook his head." This is all pointless. What am I even trying to do?"

His feet felt like lead, dragging him down. The weight of failure pressed against him, suffocating him with every step.

'I'm not special like Cedric. I'm not strong like Rodrick. I'm not even Alden Draven. I'm just a shadow, an afterthought.... living someone else's life.'

The words whispered through the darkness like a twisted mantra, and Alden found himself sinking deeper into despair.

"You're nothing. You always were."

"You don't belong here."

"You can't escape the darkness inside you."

"Just give up."

The words hit him like a punch to the gut, and the darkness around him seemed to close in tighter trying to drown him, its cold grip pulling at his very soul. The mirror was still ahead, but it felt more like a cruel joke now,always just out of reach, mocking him.

Alden's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground. The world around him blurred as his thoughts spiraled. 'I'm not strong enough. I can't do this anymore. I'm just...'

But then, a flicker. A tiny spark, like a flame flickering in the dark.

"Damien."

The name pierced the darkness. It was like a bolt of lightning, sharp and painful. It had been so long since he thought of himself as Damien—since he had become Alden. But in this place, that name was like a lifeline. It was a pull from deep inside him, something real, something undeniable.

Damien. That was who I was. I was loved. I was.... worth something.

The love of his parents, their quiet faith in him, flooded back, overwhelming him. But why did it hurt so much?

The pain twisted in his chest, an aching emptiness that threatened to swallow him whole he felt like he was going to lose something important to him. Why did it feel like he was losing something he couldn't even remember?

"I'm Alden now. I'm supposed to be Alden," he whispered, struggling to hold onto that identity. "So why does it feel like I'm abandoning Damien?"

The shadows seemed to mock him, their voices growing louder.

"You can't have both. You're nothing without your past. And you'll never truly belong here."

But despite the weight of the shadows' words, something inside him shifted. A warmth, faint but real, began to push back the darkness. A thought broke through the fog.

"What if I don't have to choose?"

A memory of his mother's voice whispered in his mind. "Damien, you're stronger than you think. Don't ever forget that."

And for the first time, Alden didn't push it away. He let the warmth of that memory fill him. I was loved. I was worth something. And that hasn't changed.

He stood up. The mirror was still far away, but now it didn't feel impossible. The weight on his chest had lightened, just a little. The shadows were starting to retreat, if only for a moment.

He took a step forward, then another. His feet moved with purpose now.

"I am Damien. I am Alden. And I'm not giving up."

The mirror shimmered ahead of him, and with each step, the distance between them began to close. His heart, once heavy with uncertainty, now beat with quiet resolve. He wasn't just one or the other—he was both. And maybe that was enough.

The reflection in the mirror began to take shape, and for the first time, he saw not just himself, but them. Damien, battered but unbroken, and Alden, lost but finding his way. Together.

He reached out, his fingers brushing the cold surface of the mirror. The world around him shifted. The shadows retreated. A sense of clarity washed over him. He wasn't alone. He wasn't lost. He was exactly where he was meant to be.

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Author's Note:

Thanks for reading! I'm all for feedback, so drop a comment or review if you feel like it. Would love to hear your thoughts!