Chapter 9: Echoes of a Forgotten Past
**First Person (Ruijerd's POV)**
The air around me thickened with tension as I stood face to face with the figure from my past. It was a ghost I thought I had buried long ago, one I had hoped would never resurface. Yet here they were, as real as the breath caught in my throat.
I tightened my grip on my sword, my mind racing. I could feel the weight of this moment pressing down on me, the danger and history this person represented. I had left that part of my life behind—hadn't I?
"What do you want?" I asked, my voice low, each word laced with caution.
The figure chuckled, the sound as cold as the night breeze. "Oh, Ruijerd. You of all people should know that ghosts never stay buried. I've come to finish what we started."
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Memories I'd tried so hard to suppress clawed their way to the surface—memories of betrayal, of battles fought in the shadows, of blood spilled in secret wars. This figure had once been my ally, someone I trusted. But that trust had been shattered in the most violent of ways.
"I thought you were dead," I said again, my voice firmer this time.
The figure stepped closer, the light of the moon casting faint shadows on their face. Beneath the cloak, I could just make out the hint of a smile. "You underestimated me, as did so many others. But I'm not here to reminisce about the past. I'm here to give you a choice."
I narrowed my eyes. "A choice?"
"You've grown soft, Ruijerd. I've been watching you. You're caught up in this quaint little life—playing the doting brother, the loyal soldier, the lovestruck fool. But that's not who you are. You're a warrior, a killer. And it's time to remember that."
I took a step back, my chest tightening with anger. "That part of my life is over."
The figure's smile widened. "You think so? I'm not here to force your hand, Ruijerd. I'm here to offer you a chance to reclaim your true power. You've been wasting your potential, trapped in this world of mundanity. But I can help you break free."
I shook my head, trying to clear the confusion. "What do you mean?"
"There's a war coming, Ruijerd. A war that will consume this world. And you—well, you could be at the center of it. Or you can stay here, hiding in the shadows, pretending to be someone you're not."
I stared at them, my heart pounding. Part of me wanted to believe that I had escaped that life, that I could live peacefully with Roxy, Rudeus, and my family. But another part of me—the part that had survived the worst of what the world had to offer—knew that nothing was ever that simple.
"What war?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
The figure's expression darkened, their voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "The forces that shaped this world are stirring. Old powers are rising, and the peace you've enjoyed will soon be shattered. You have a choice, Ruijerd. Stand with me, and we can shape the future together. Or stay here, and be consumed by the chaos when it arrives."
My mind reeled. This wasn't just about me anymore. This was about Roxy, Rudeus, and everything we had built together. Could I really walk away from that? Could I abandon them to face this darkness alone?
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**Third Person (Narrator)**
Ruijerd stood frozen in place, the weight of the decision pressing down on him like an iron chain. The figure before him waited patiently, their words lingering in the cold night air. Ruijerd knew the truth in their claims—there was something stirring in the world. He had felt it for months now, a subtle tension in the air, as though the world itself was holding its breath.
But could he really go back to that life? The life of a warrior, a killer, a man who thrived in the chaos of battle? He had spent years trying to escape that path, trying to build something different. Something good.
The figure seemed to sense his hesitation. "You don't have to answer now, Ruijerd," they said softly. "I'll be watching. And when the time comes, you'll know where to find me."
Without another word, the figure melted back into the shadows, leaving Ruijerd alone in the garden, the echoes of their conversation ringing in his ears.
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The next few days were a blur. Ruijerd tried to focus on his training, his duties, and his time with Roxy and Rudeus, but the figure's words haunted him. Everywhere he turned, he felt the weight of the choice looming over him.
Roxy noticed the change in him almost immediately. She could see the tension in his movements, the way his eyes would grow distant whenever he thought she wasn't looking. She didn't push him to talk about it, but she knew something was wrong.
One evening, after a particularly grueling training session, Roxy approached him as they sat together under the stars.
"You've been quiet lately," she said softly, her hand resting gently on his arm. "What's going on?"
Ruijerd hesitated, his mind racing. Could he tell her the truth? Could he burden her with this?
"I've been... thinking," he finally said, his voice low. "About my past. About who I was before all of this."
Roxy's brow furrowed with concern. "Ruijerd, you don't have to face your past alone. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it together."
He turned to her, his eyes filled with uncertainty. "What if I can't escape it? What if it comes for me, for us?"
Roxy held his gaze, her voice steady. "Then we'll face it together. But you're not that person anymore, Ruijerd. You've built something good here. Don't let your past take that away from you."
Her words brought a sense of clarity, a reminder of why he had fought so hard to leave that life behind. But the figure's words still echoed in his mind, a constant reminder that the world was changing—and he might not have the luxury of ignoring it for much longer.
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**First Person (Ruijerd's POV)**
That night, as I lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, I couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom. I had tried to leave my past behind, but it seemed that it wasn't done with me yet. The figure's words had rekindled something inside me—a part of myself I had long thought dead.
There was a war coming. And I had to decide where I stood.
I glanced over at Roxy, who was peacefully asleep beside me, her face relaxed and calm. She trusted me. She believed in me. But could I really protect her from what was coming?
The figure had offered me a choice. And for the first time in years, I wasn't sure which path I would take.
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**Author's Note**:
In **Chapter 9**, the story takes a darker turn as Ruijerd's past resurfaces, bringing with it a mysterious figure and a dangerous proposition. Ruijerd is forced to confront the possibility that his peaceful life may be threatened by forces beyond his control, and he must decide whether to embrace his past or continue fighting to build a better future.