Lost girl

Echos of a name

The river carried her in silence, the world around her fading into a blur of starlight and shadow. Time felt slippery here, as though the current wasn't just pulling her through space, but through something far deeper-something woven into the fabric of her very soul. The water was cold, but not uncomfortably so, more like a gentle reminder that she was still in this world, still moving, still searching.

With each passing moment, the gentle tug of the river lulled her into a strange half-sleep. Her eyes fluttered, closing against the soft rush of water and the distant hum of the forest. The stars above swirled like fireflies, growing brighter until their light bled into her mind, washing over her with a sense of familiarity. And then, for the first time since she woke up in this strange world, she dreamed.

It wasn't like the flashes of memory she had experienced before-those disjointed fragments that came and went like smoke. No, this was different. This was solid, real.

She stood on the edge of a cliff, the sea stretching out before her in every direction. The wind tugged at her hair, salty and wild, and below, waves crashed against jagged rocks. The sky above was stormy, heavy with clouds that churned like something alive. But she wasn't afraid.

A voice called to her from behind, soft but clear, cutting through the roar of the sea. It was familiar, though she couldn't place it. She turned, expecting to see someone, but there was no one there. Just the endless expanse of ocean and the distant roll of thunder.

And then the voice spoke again, whispering a single word-a name.

Her name.

"Ellara."

The sound of it hit her like a shock, reverberating through her entire being. The wind grew louder, the storm overhead raging, but all she could hear was that name-*her* name.

*Ellara.*

Her eyes flew open, and the dream dissolved into the cold, dark reality of the river. She sat up with a gasp, water splashing around her as she tried to catch her breath. The current had slowed, and the river now flowed lazily through a wide, mist-covered marsh. Strange shapes loomed in the distance, twisted trees rising from the fog like ancient sentinels. But none of it mattered.

Her name. *Ellara.* She whispered it aloud, testing the sound on her tongue.

It felt right. The way it resonated inside her, the way it settled into the cracks of her lost memories, filling a part of the void that had been empty for too long. *Ellara.*

For the first time since waking in this strange world, she felt like she had a piece of herself back.

The relief was almost overwhelming. She had been walking through the fog of confusion and emptiness for so long that the sudden clarity, the knowledge of something so simple and yet so fundamental, made her chest tighten. She clung to it, repeating the name in her mind, afraid it would slip away like everything else had.

The riverbank came into view, a narrow strip of land jutting out from the marsh. She guided herself toward it, her limbs heavy from the water, and pulled herself onto the shore. The ground was soft and damp beneath her hands, the air thick with mist and the distant croak of unseen creatures.

Ellara.

It felt strange to think of herself with a name again. She closed her eyes, trying to summon more-more memories, more pieces of who she had been. But there was nothing. No flashes, no images. Only her name.

But it was a start.

She stood, brushing the mud from her legs and glancing around at her surroundings. The mist hung low over the marsh, obscuring most of the landscape. The trees here were different from the ones in the forest-taller, their bark twisted and dark, like they had grown in shadow. The air felt heavier too, charged with something old and watchful.

Ellara shivered, pulling the thin cloak tighter around her shoulders. The river, though it had carried her this far, was no longer a path forward. She would have to walk now, deeper into the marsh, toward whatever waited for her beyond the mist.

The creature's words echoed in her mind. *The Forgotten Lands.* This had to be it-the place where her past had been hidden, where she would find the answers she sought. She could feel it in the air, in the way the mist seemed to pull her forward. There was something here for her-something she had lost.

She took a step forward, then another, her boots sinking into the soft earth. The marsh seemed to stretch out endlessly, its horizon lost in the swirling fog. As she walked, the mist parted just enough to reveal glimpses of what lay ahead-twisted trees, pools of dark water, and occasionally, the glimmer of something moving just beyond her sight.

Her mind, though still focused on the revelation of her name, began to drift. Questions rose to the surface-Who had she been before? What had she done to warrant having her memories erased? And what role did she play in this ancient prophecy, this fight against the darkness?

The amulet pulsed faintly against her chest, a steady rhythm that matched her heartbeat. It was both a comfort and a reminder of the weight she carried. This wasn't just about finding out who she was. This was about stopping something far more dangerous-something that threatened the very fabric of the world.

She walked for what felt like hours, though time had lost its meaning in this place. The mist clung to her skin, cold and damp, and the oppressive quiet began to press in on her. The occasional distant croak or splash was the only sound, and it made her feel more isolated than ever.

And then, through the mist, she saw it-a shadow, tall and still, standing in the distance. She froze, her heart skipping a beat. The figure didn't move, but it watched her, its presence undeniable.

Ellara swallowed, her instincts screaming at her to turn back, but something else-something deeper-urged her forward. She took a tentative step, then another, her eyes never leaving the figure.

As she drew closer, the shadow took shape. It was a man, though his form was cloaked in dark robes, his face obscured by a hood. He stood at the edge of a large, still pool, his back to her, as if waiting for her approach.

Her pulse quickened, and a familiar unease crept into her chest. She had encountered strange creatures in this world, but something about this figure felt different-dangerous.

"Ellara," the figure said, his voice low and cold.

Her heart nearly stopped. He knew her name.

"You've remembered," he continued, still not turning to face her. "Good. You'll need to remember more if you're to survive what's coming."

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to sound brave.

The man turned slowly, his face still hidden in the shadow of his hood. "I am one who has been waiting for you, watching from the edges of your forgotten past."

Ellara took a step back, her hand instinctively going to the amulet. "What do you want from me?"

A faint, humorless smile curved his lips. "It's not about what I want, Ellara. It's about what you must do. The darkness is rising, and you-whether you remember it or not-are the only one who can stop it."

The air around them seemed to thicken, the mist curling tighter, and for the first time, Ellara felt the true weight of her name. She had remembered something, but it was only the beginning.

And what lay ahead was far more terrifying than she had imagined.