Echo of Past [EN]

Narcisse

Narcisse was the very image of English nobility.

A young woman of about twenty, born into an ancient and prestigious lineage,accustomed to luxury... and power.

Her proud bearing, her precise gestures,everything about her betrayed a strict upbringingand unshakable self-confidence.

But beneath that shining surface,there was something else.

A cutting arrogance.A deep selfishness.

She had grown up in a world where the purity of blood was worth more than deeds,where others were merely pawns,on a chessboard they didn't even understand.

And yet...behind her certainties,

she harbored a fear.Diffuse.Silent.

The fear of failure.Of losing what had been given to her at birth.

When she entered the room,her gaze swept the darkness with disdain,

until it stopped.

On him.

The one who would decide her fate.

The Guide.

She did not bow.Nor did she lower her eyes.

She fixed him with a haughty stare,defying this stranger who dared face her.

— Who are you to speak to me like that?Her voice was icy,vibrating with reckless indifference.

The Guide did not answer immediately.He watched her.A cruel smile slowly formed on his lips.

His eyes, of an almost supernatural intensity,pierced Narcisse.

And effortlessly,they laid bare the weakness hidden beneath her pride.

— I am the one who holds your fate in his hands.

Narcisse shrugged.

Arrogance defying fear.— My rank alone guarantees my worth.Your title impresses me not.

The Guide tilted his head, amused.— You're noble trash, Narcisse.A precious label... placed on an emptiness.

An invisible wave tightened the room.

Silence grew heavy.Almost tangible.

— You still don't know what I am capable of.

With a snap of my fingers,I can reduce to dust what you think is your grandeur.

She did not yield.Not an inch.

— Then speak.Why am I here?

The Guide's smile darkened.More penetrating.

— You are here to be tested.Judged... and perhaps destroyed.

But you will learn that true strength does not come from blood.It comes from the will to survive.

The words fell upon her like a guillotine.

She did not flinch.But within her,a storm raged.

Pride.Anger.Doubt.And that fear...that fear she refused to name.

Never before had she been challenged so brutally.Never had her rank been ignored.

And yet...a part of her could not deny a strange fascination.

This Guide.Enigmatic.Terrifying.

He held a power she did not yet understand,but knew was real.

— You say willpower is the key...Her voice lowered,almost to herself.

— Very well.

Then let this trial begin.

I will prove to you that I am more than a name...and a title.

The Guide nodded, satisfied.

— We shall see, Narcisse.But remember...

Here, the strongest are not always who you think.

Silence thickened.

She crossed her arms,her gaze still raised.Defiant.

— You say respect must be earned...Her voice had changed.

Less haughty.More genuine.

— And how do you intend to make me earn yours?

The Guide fixed her.His dark eyes gleamed with a strange light.

— By surviving what you cannot yet imagine.By confronting who you really are.Not who you think you are.

A smile curved Narcisse's lips.Mocking.Proud.But sincere.

— Interesting.I like a challenge.

Then, almost without warning,the Guide stepped back.

He slowly raised his hand.

The air twisted.Sparkled.

Then tore open into a flickering rift.

— The time has come.

He grabbed her arm.Firmly.No appeal.

— Ready or not...you enter a new reality.

And in a flash,they disappeared.

Leaving behinda cold,empty,silent room.

Kiyoshi

Kiyoshi was a man of about twenty-eight,of Asian origin, marked by a life of asceticism and meditation.

A Buddhist monk,he had withdrawn from the material world to devote himself to the quest for purity of soul, heart, and body.

His slender figure,measured gestures,and serene facereflected years of rigorous discipline and inner mastery.

Each breath,each movement seemed calculated, harmonious,testifying to a profound connection with himselfand with the universe.

Despite this apparent peace,Kiyoshi carried within him a quiet fire,a silent determination forged by past trialsand an iron will.

His gaze, often lost in contemplation,could suddenly become piercing,revealing ancient wisdom and unexpected strength.

Born of humble origins,he had chosen a radically different path,rejecting material pleasures to rise spiritually.

His voluntary isolation never prevented himfrom being deeply empathetic and protective toward the weak and oppressed.

Kiyoshi embodied the duality between gentleness and strength,between inner calm and hidden power.

His ultimate goal was to reach a state of absolute purity,where mind and body are one,free from all suffering and attachment.

He moved slowly,his mind calm and attentive,each step placed with the precision of a ritual.

The silence of the corridor seemed to envelop his presence,a harmony between man and place.

Then, a figure appeared before him,an imposing shadow in the dimness.

Kiyoshi stopped,his clear eyes observing the stranger without fear or hostility,but with deep curiosity.

— You are Kiyoshi, said the Guide's voice, calm and full of authority.— Your quest for purity has brought you here, but the path ahead is far from serene.

Kiyoshi inclined his head slightly, respectfully.

— I am ready to face what comes.True peace is found only through trials.

The Guide nodded,a discreet smile illuminating his face.

— The path you walk is difficult,but your inner strength will be your greatest ally.

A silence filled with gentle tension settled,a moment suspended between two souls linked by destiny.

Kiyoshi felt the atmosphere thicken around them,as if every word spoken weighed heavily in the stagnant air of the corridor.

He observed the Guide,whose gaze seemed to pierce the veils of his soul,probing his deepest convictions.

— Tell me,asked Kiyoshi in a calm voice, filled with wisdom,what exactly is the nature of the trial that awaits me?

The Guide let out an enigmatic smile,a cold gleam shining in his eyes.

— A trial far more complex than mere strength or physical endurance.It is an inner journey as much as an outer one,a confrontation with oneselfand with the forces that govern this world.

Kiyoshi inclined his head slightly,understanding the importance of the message.

— So this path demands not only mastery of the body,but also of the mind.

The Guide nodded slowly.

— Exactly.Many fail because they do not know how to face themselves.

A slight silence settled,filled with solemn gravity.

— I am ready to confront my shadows,Kiyoshi affirmed with quiet determination.

— Let this trial begin.

The Guide stepped backand a bluish light shimmered,opening a rift in space.

— The moment has come.

Without another word,he grabbed Kiyoshi's arm,gently but firmly pulling him into the flickering light.