Eclipsed memories

Prologue

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had fought countless battles as Ladybug, but nothing could prepare her for the war Chloe Bourgeois was about to start.

It all began the day Chloe discovered Adrien was dating Marinette. She had always been possessive of him, her childhood friend and unspoken claim to perfection. But seeing him smile at Marinette, hold her hand, and speak her name with a warmth he had never shown Chloe—it ignited something dark within her.

Jealousy.

Chloe did not just plan on a way to get his attention. No, Chloe wanted Adrien back, and she wanted Marinette to feel the pain of losing him. In her desperation, she stumbled upon a mysterious object in her mother's old collection. An exquisite, ancient trinket that pulsed faintly under her touch, whispering promises of power.

She found out it's its true nature, only that it could tear Adrien and Marinette apart. That was enough.

But Chloe's meddling didn't go unnoticed. Hawk Moth, ever lurking in the shadows, saw an opportunity. Her jealousy, her despair, her need for revenge—these were the cracks he could exploit.

"You want him back, don't you?" his voice slithered into her mind. "You want Marinette to feel what it's like to lose."

Chloe hesitated for only a moment. Then she answered, her voice trembling with resolve, "Yes."

In an instant, she was consumed. Hawk Moth's akuma fused with her anger, transforming her into an unstoppable force of chaos. She became Memory Breaker, a villain with the power to rewrite connections and erase bonds, leaving only confusion and heartache in her wake.

When Ladybug and Chat Noir arrived to confront her, they quickly realized this wasn't an ordinary fight. Memory Breaker's power wasn't just destructive—it was personal. The artifact Chloe had found enhanced her abilities, allowing her to sever ties between people like cutting the threads of a web.

Ladybug could feel her connection to Catnoir unravel as they fought. His laughter, his love—it was slipping away. Every strike Memory Breaker landed left Catnoir and Ladybug, blinking in confusion, his gaze growing colder, emptier.

The battle reached its climax when Chloe unleashed a final, devastating blow. To purify the akuma and end the destruction, one of them had to give up their memories of their partner.

The choice was unbearable, but Adrien—Chat Noir—made it without hesitation.

"Ladybug," he whispered as the glow of the akuma surrounded him. "I will be back and if not try to bring me to you"

Before Marinette could stop him, he let the magic take hold. His memories of their love, of every moment they'd shared, vanished like smoke in the wind.

The battle was won, but at a cost Marinette couldn't bear.

___________

Days passed, but Adrien didn't return to her. Not really. He was still there—his kind smile, his perfect laugh—but the warmth they had shared was gone.

Worse, Chloe was there, too. With Adrien's memories of Marinette erased, Chloe seized her chance to step back into his life. To Marinette's heartbreak, Adrien didn't resist. He didn't remember her, didn't recognize the love they had fought so hard to protect.

Marinette tried to talk to him, to explain, but her words fell on deaf ears. He didn't call her "M'lady." He didn't look at her with the spark that had once lit up her world. Adrien was gone, and in his place was a boy she barely recognized.

But Marinette wasn't ready to give up.

Late one night, while poring over the remnants of the battle, she found it—the artifact Chloe had used. It wasn't just a weapon; it was something older, darker, with a power far beyond Hawk Moth's usual tricks. The carvings on its surface shimmered faintly, almost mocking her.

She knew she should destroy it. Tikki warned her of the risks, told her there were no guarantees she could undo what had been done. But Marinette didn't care.

"I have to try," she whispered, clutching the artifact tightly.

The journey ahead was uncertain and filled with dangers Marinette couldn't begin to fathom. She would have to confront ancient magic, her deepest fears, and the possibility that she might fail. But for Adrien—for the love that had been stolen from them—she would risk everything.

Because some bonds are too precious to let go.

And Marinette Dupain-Cheng wasn't ready to let Adrien Agreste become a memory.