The outskirts of town stretched before Edric like a threshold to another world. He hadn’t taken the time to explore this new land, and now, as the cobbled streets of the marketplace faded into a winding dirt path, he felt a strange mix of anticipation and unease. The path wasn’t ordinary; it was unnervingly flat and well-kept, as if tended by unseen hands.

  Edric rode a rickshaw, its wheels creaking over the uneven ground. He’d planned to walk, but Garrick stopped him at the last moment.

  “You’re not going out there with nothing but that pistol,” Garrick had grumbled, shoving a satchel into his hands. Inside were coins, a loaf of bread, and a waterskin. “And take the rickshaw. You’ll need your strength.”

  Edric protested, but Garrick’s glare silenced him. Now, as the rickshaw rattled along the path, Edric couldn’t help but feel a flicker of gratitude.

  Why does he always give me stuff? Edric thought, taking a swig from the waterskin. What’s his deal?

  The System flickered in his vision.

  [Destination Approaching.]

  “Disembark here.”

  Edric hopped off the rickshaw, nodding to the driver, who turned and headed back toward town. The forest loomed ahead—a dense, unfamiliar stretch of woodland. At first glance, it seemed ordinary: towering oaks with twisted roots, their branches clawing at the sky. But as Edric ventured deeper, the air grew thick with something foreign, something ancient.

  Despite the nighttime, the forest was alive with light. Moonbeams filtered through the canopy, casting the leaves in shimmering hues of gold, crimson, and colors Edric couldn’t name. Flowers bloomed in impossible shades, their petals soft as fur and glowing faintly. The air smelled sweet, like lavender and honey, yet carried an undercurrent of decay.

  Why do I feel so… comfortable here? Edric thought; his steps slowed. The forest hummed—a low, resonant drone that vibrated in his bones. It felt unnatural, yet strangely familiar, like a half-remembered dream.

  He followed the System’s waypoint, the golden thread guiding him deeper into the woods. Strange insects flitted past—beetles with iridescent shells, moths with wings like stained glass. The fragrance shifted from earthy to floral, then to something sharp and metallic.

  [System Alert: Residual Magic Detected.]

  Magic. Of course. Edric glanced at the glowing flowers. Makes sense with all this weirdness.

  The path narrowed, the trees pressed closer. His chest tightened with every step, his heart pounding in a rhythm he couldn’t control.

  Why won’t my heart calm down? He thought, gripping the strap of his satchel. What’s wrong with this place?

  Then the path ended.

  Before him stood a wall of flowers—a seamless tapestry of blossoms woven together, their petals glowing faintly. The air around it shimmered, as if the wall were alive. At its center was a symbol: a wolf’s head encircled by thorns.

  The crest from the parchment.

  Edric unfolded the paper, his hands trembling. The symbols on the back glowed faintly, matching the crest on the wall.

  [Translation Available.]

  “Speak to unlock.”

  Edric hesitated. His mouth moved on its own before he could think.

  “Verh’tai.”

  The word hung in the air, heavy and resonant. The flowers rippled like disturbed water, their petals parting to reveal a hidden path. A low hum reverberated through the ground, and the air grew colder.

  Edric’s heart pounded. His instincts screamed to turn back, but his feet carried him forward.

  This place knows me, he thought, stepping through the wall.

  Edric makes his way through a paved path, definitely man-made. As he went through, he couldn’t shake this feeling.

  “Have I been here before? It feels like home,” Edric muttered. “But my memory has no recollection of this place.”

  Edric reached the end of the paved road- in front of him was a wooden house. Exquisite design, made of crimson wood, a potted plant, and also… the entire house has been overgrown by vines.

  It didn’t look abandoned, more like someone had left and never returned. Edric toured the exterior, observing the design ,trying to find any clues. The walls he noticed had drawings made by children. In the backyard, there was an expensive-looking playground- equipped with slides, swings, and so on.

  Did a child live here? Maybe an entire family

  He spent enough time looking outside; it was time to head in. He creaked open the front door. He saw stairs leading upstairs, a hall leading to a hall, and a kitchen. He headed to the kitchen first,

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  ‘Oh ,cream buns…. Wait, what did I just think of?’

  There was a single table in the kitchen, the counter reminded him of Earth but with just a bit more magic.’ Vines grew all around and covered the entire room, but it still looked livable. At the same time oddly peaceful.

  He made his way into the hall- a window glowed in the moonlight, a soft chair directly next to it, a tea table. He sat in the chair, soft nice . His chest loosens up, his heart began to stabilize and his muscles went limp. He leaned back and breathed a sigh a relief. Something about this place just made him calm.

  Then all of a sudden flashes of images rushed into his mind in quick succession-

  ‘ Mom, tell me a story’- a young boy pov as he approached the chair. A woman sat on it, her face warm witha wide smile, she leaned forward to the boy to grab him and sit him on her lap.

  Edric snaps out of it. “Darn these dreams and memories. Why’s the timing always random?”

  He looks out of the window, and the playground is in full view. He pieces together that a mother sat here, smiling and seeing his son play. Was I here before? Edric thought.

  Nevertheless, he didn’t have time to waste. He still hasn’t found anything useful. He stood up, went upstairs.

  The stairs lead to a massive hall upstairs; the inside looked bigger than the outside.

  Is this magic, Illusion magic they show in movies, Edric thought as he looked up at the ceiling.

  The ceiling had a chandelier that still had its shine. The roof had an amazing painting that rivaled ancient Greeks art. He stood in awe as he studied the beauty. He looked forward; there were three rooms.

  The doors of two rooms were broken, and he saw the inside- there were bedrooms. The mattress in both screamed expensive and yet cozy.

  Maybe I could spend the night here. Looks comfy, Edric thought. His attention immediately went to the third room. He opened the door; oddly, this door feels good for some reason.

  It looked to be a study room- a study table stood before a big window, a bookshelf on either side, furry carpet in the center. The moonlight made the scene look like a painting.

  The books in the bookshelf were worn out, torn. Edric's eyes focused on the table; maybe there was something in the drawer. Since the table looked fine, its inside could be alright.

  He opened one of the drawers, and there were some paper documents - some torn, the rest readable. He took everything and put it in his bag. He opens the next drawer- a notebook, no title. He keeps the notebook inside his bag.

  The next drawer only had writing ink, a pen, and a children's fairy tale.

  “The wolf kin,g” Edric read the title, didn’t look useful, but he kept it in his bag.

  As he was finished looting, he saw a picture frame on the desk. He grabbed it, wiped off the dust. “B-beautiful,” Edric muttered. There was a portrait of a mother and a child.

  The mother was stunning, like a statue with no imperfections. On her lap was her son. He had black hair with brown highlights and emerald green eyes. A very unique look, but there were more weird colors in the street market. As Edric inspected the portrait closer, he couldn't put a finger but there was something. Something more that he isn’t piecing together.

  He held the portrait and walked around back and forth. He leaned on the desk, noticed a dusty mirror, “I never really looked at myself in this new world”- he slowly rubbed the grim of the glass.

  “Wait,” Edric saw himself for the first time. Fair skin, emerald green eyes, handsome minus the sunken cheeks, and black hair with brown highlights.

  [Memory unlocked]

  Laughter. Warmth. The scent of freshly baked bread.

  A woman’s voice—his mother’s voice—softly humming as she stirred a pot over the fire.

  Tiny hands reaching up, grasping the hem of her dress. “Mama, tell me the story again!”

  She chuckled, kneeling beside him. “Again? You already know how it ends, little star.”

  “But I like the part where the hero finds his way home.”

  She smiled, brushing his hair from his face. “Then listen closely, Edric.”

  He knew this moment. He remembered it now.

  This house wasn’t just familiar—it was his home.

  And this town… this town was where his mother was born. Perhaps this way why the real Edric came here in the first place.

  Edric staggered back, the memory dissipating like mist. His breathing was ragged, his hands shaking.

  “This was my home,” he whispered. “I lived here at one point.”

  He reached out, pressing his fingers against the wooden wall, half-expecting the warmth of his mother’s touch to linger. But the wood was cold, unyielding.

  Then at that moment-

  [ Memory Restored ]

  [ Structure Integrity: Critical ]

  Edric's eyes widened. The walls—once sturdy—began cracking. The floorboards groaned, splitting apart. The ivy that had once embraced the house now withered, crumbling into dust.

  “No,” he whispered.

  The study room was beginning to fade to dust. He stumbled as the portrait on the table began to decay,

  He lunged forward, grabbed the picture of the frame, and he frame faded, but he kept the picture inside his shirt.

  The foundation decayed, and he fell through the floor. He opened his eyes, sat straight up, and saw—

  His childhood home was gone.

  The wind howled around.

  Just like that, his treasured past is gone to dust. He checks his shirt in haste, a nd he lets out a sigh in relief. His mother’s picture was intact.

  Edric clenched his fists. His jaw tightened.

  There was nothing left for him here.

  His home was gone. His family was gone.

  But there was one place still standing.

  The Veyra estate.

  If he wanted answers—if he wanted to know Remnant Ascension—he had only one path left to take.

  [Quest Completed][Rewards Available]

  [New Quest: Road to the Veyra Estate]