The Return

Third Game: The Hidden Past 

Day One

I take deep breath, staring at the broken mirror. My blood dripped onto the table, but my mind was focused.

Two lies. One truth.

That was the rule.

I had to choose the real one.

As I watched, the mirror’s cracks slowly faded, rewinding as if time itself was turning backward. My reflection shifted once more. This time, three sentences appeared above it:

I felt my heartbeat quicken.

Two lies. One truth.

I tried to think logically.

The first sentence… I wanted to believe it. But if it were true, why were my childhood memories fading?

The second… that was what I saw in the vision. But was it real? Or just another trick?

The third… impossible. I remembered having a family. I remembered my past.

Didn’t I?

I clenched my injured hand.

Which one was real?

[1] "You are just an ordinary human, born and raised in a normal family."
[2] "They betrayed you and sold you to Deith to save themselves."
[3] "You have always been alone, with no family or anyone who ever knew you."

I knew the rules. If I answered wrong… the consequences would be worse than just losing a memory.

I swallowed. Took a breath. Opened my mouth to answer—

And before I could speak, a mechanical voice echoed through the room.

"TIME EXCEEDED. PENALTY ACTIVATED."

Pain exploded inside my skull.

ARGH!!!

A force ripped through my mind, as if invisible hands were clawing at my brain, squeezing, crushing, erasing.

I collapsed to my knees, gasping.

Damn it—I hesitated!

When I finally opened my eyes, my reflection was still smiling.

And then I realized—

I could no longer remember where I was born.

I couldn’t remember my mother’s face, father voice's, and...... where i live before?

I couldn’t even remember…

my full name.

A twisted memory make my mind full of thought.

If I wasn’t careful… I could lose everything—my identity, my existence—before this game even ended.

I lifted my head with difficulty.

I woke up to an unbearable heaviness in my skull. It felt like I had been dragged through a nightmare, only to awaken in one even worse.

Instinctively, my fingers clutched my head as I struggled to recall something—anything. My mother’s name. My father’s face. My childhood…

Nothing.

A silence settled over me.

This was bad.

I had already lost pieces of my memory after failing just one question. If I continued making mistakes, I might reach a point where I wouldn’t even remember who I was.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to scan my surroundings. The room remained unchanged—sterile, unfeeling. The mirror before me still stood tall, as if waiting. Waiting for me to peer into the fragments of a past I no longer understood.

Then, the mechanical voice echoed again.

"GOOD MORNING, CONTESTANTS! WELCOME TO DAY TWO! THE GAME CONTINUES, AND NOW… YOUR NEXT QUESTION IS READY!"

I steadied myself. I couldn’t hesitate anymore.

The mirror flickered, distorting my reflection before presenting me with three statements:

I clenched my fists.

Two lies. One truth.

I studied the words carefully.

The first statement—sounded insane. But if I connected it to the fragmented memories I glimpsed yesterday… could be...?

The second—seemed reasonable. But after everything I had seen, could I still believe I was just a normal person?

The third… I died once? That’s ridiculous. I’m alive now, aren’t I?

Yet… i not see i'm returned from dead from the memory i see in the mirror...

A cold sweat formed on my back. I lacked enough information to be certain. I needed more time to think. But if I stalled for too long—

"TIME ALMOST UP. PLEASE ANSWER WITHIN 10 SECONDS."

Damn it! I had to choose!

I shut my eyes, casting aside all doubts.

My answer is—1

[1] "You possess a sealed power and are aware of it."
[2] "You are just an ordinary human without any special abilities."
[3] "You have died once but returned through unknown means."

I exhaled sharply and spoke.

"ANSWER ACCEPTED."

I held my breath. Was I right?

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

The mirror shattered into countless shards.

I flinched, but what lay beyond the broken glass stole my breath.

My own reflection.

But… not me as I was now.

The figure before me was older, his gaze filled with an unreadable weight.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the voice that came out wasn’t mine.

"Iyars… it’s time to remember."

The words echoed in my mind.

And then—darkness consumed me.

I was running.

They were chasing me.

With a shattered sword in my grip, a mangled arm barely hanging from my shoulder, and a leg that refused to move properly, I ran.

I had done this before. Over and over.

And in the end—

I reached a death unlike any other.

A death where I did not truly die.

I became one with that place.

And I was reborn.

As Iyars.

For a purpose I no longer remembered.

The memory tore apart before I could grasp more.

I gasped as my consciousness returned, my mind caught in an endless spiral of doubt.

Who was I?

What had truly happened?

And why—why did the image of a silver-haired man suddenly surface in my thoughts?

He felt… familiar.

Like someone I had known for a long time.

A shiver ran through me.

I looked at the broken mirror, the answer to yesterday’s question still lingering in my mind.

I died once. But I returned.

Which meant… I was not just a normal human.

I had abilities I didn’t yet understand.

Or perhaps… I had forgotten them.

My hands trembled slightly, but I ignored them. I refused to eat any food pills i bought.

I simply sat there, waiting for the third day to end.

I woke up empty.

No hunger. No thirst.

Just silence.

The pills remained untouched on the table, but I wasn’t sure I even needed them anymore.

I died once. But I lived again.

The truth of it still echoed in my thoughts.

If I had died, then how was I here?

What brought me back?

And more importantly—who was that white-haired man?

Before I could dig deeper, the familiar voice returned.

"GOOD MORNING, CONTESTANTS! TODAY MARKS THE FINAL ROUND OF THE HIDDEN PAST! THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH! AS ALWAYS, YOU WILL BE GIVEN THREE STATEMENTS—BUT THIS TIME, TWO ARE TRUE. ONE IS A LIE. TO FINISH THE GAME, YOU MUST IDENTIFY THE LIE."

I stared at the mirror. This time, I wouldn’t run.

[1] "You were once part of the entities now hunting you."
[2] "The people who betrayed you are still alive, and you seek revenge."
[3] "You are an ordinary human who was accidentally trapped in this game."

I read them over.

The first statement—was I really once one of them? The entities chasing me?

The second—betrayal. There were people out there who knew the truth about me? Who had abandoned me?

The third—an ordinary human caught in this game by accident.

That’s the lie.

It had to be.

I wasn’t just some bystander who stumbled into this nightmare. Every answer so far pointed to something more. I wasn’t normal. I had a past I didn’t remember.

And I had died once.

There was no way I was just an ordinary human.

I took a deep breath.

2....

"ANSWER ACCEPTED."

The mirror flickered again, and this time, my reflection wasn’t just me.

It was watching me.

And then—

It spoke.

"Iyars, are you ready?"

I swallowed.

"Ready for what?" I found myself asking.

My reflection gave a faint, knowing smile.

"for closer truth await us."

The world around me collapsed.

I was falling—

Falling into the depths of my lost past.

And within the void, I saw him again.

The silver-haired man.

He stood alone in the emptiness, his gaze heavy with something unreadable.

"… it’s time for you to return."

And in that moment—

The locked doors of my memory began to creak open.

A fragmented vision.

A man with white hair.

He had followed someone—loyal, unwavering, bound by something far deeper than duty. They had walked side by side for years, their connection more than just master and servant. More than just companions.

And then—

A sword, black and red, plunged into flesh.

The white-haired man’s eyes widened, stunned by his own actions.

Yet, as he watched the life fade from the one he had followed for so long—

There was no regret.

Only… a quiet, lingering hope.

I jolted awake.

My breath came shallow, my pulse pounding.

That vision—

That wasn’t my memory.

…Right?

I glanced at the mirror.

Another question had appeared.

The game wasn’t over yet.

But somehow—somehow, I knew—

Something about this party?

Now, the mirror not show question, more

This time, the mirror did not lean toward asking a question but rather toward making a statement:

Once again, the dimensional door opened. I stepped inside, but this time, the sensation was different—a wave of nostalgia, a deep longing...

I awoke in an immense chamber. There were no other guests—only An, the white-haired man, and the three individuals who had remained eerily calm since the beginning of this game. I had even forgotten about them. They slowly walked toward me. An snapped his fingers, and a table appeared—this time, with an old television. The screen flickered to life, playing a recording that would change everything.

...

.....

.......

"Master! Why...? Why did you do this? Why did you sacrifice yourself for the forsaken souls of this forgotten world?"

The speaker bore an uncanny resemblance to Iyars, but he was aged—an old man now.

(Gently running his hand through his silver hair)

"My faithful follower, Reon... Yes, I sacrificed myself. But I have already made preparations. Every thousand years, on the night of a full moon, there will be a small chance for my incarnation to be reborn into the world. Though the odds are slim, though I may die and be reborn countless times, I will leave behind clues for you. If you wish to find me in the future, follow these steps:

"Master... I understand. I will protect An and everyone else. I will fulfill this duty, even if it takes millions upon millions of years."

The old man gripped his sword and tore through space itself, defying the laws of the Forgotten Night.

"ALL MY FOLLOWERS WHO SEEK FREEDOM! WE HAVE BEEN IMPRISONED IN THIS ENDLESS SUFFERING AND NOTHINGNESS FOR FAR TOO LONG! NOW, GO! ESCAPE AND CLAIM YOUR FREEDOM! I WILL STAND AGAINST THEM—SO GO, NOW!"

Tears streamed down their faces as they witnessed the sacrifice of the one they had placed their faith in. They left, one by one, until only An, Reon, and the three siblings—Aren, Irun, and Cyren—remained.

An stepped forward.

"Master... I will wait for you, no matter how long it takes."

Reon wept, longing to fight by his master's side until the very end, but he knew he could not let the sacrifice be in vain. At last, he too departed with the others.

The rift sealed shut. The enemies surged forward, surrounding the old man.

"Once again, I sacrifice myself... Yet, for the first time, I feel at peace. I am truly content, for they did not betray me—they believed in me until the very end."

The recording stopped. An took slow, deliberate steps toward (Iyars?).

"Master, from the very beginning, everything that has happened was merely a test. Those who were eliminated did not die, they were simply returned to their original worlds, stripped of any memory of this party. This cycle has repeated countless times, and we have always failed to find your incarnation. But at last, we have succeeded... Master, welcome back."

An knelt, bowing in reverence as though before a king.

Reon approached. "Master..."

(Gently placing his hand on Reon's head)

"It has been a long time, Reon, my loyal follower."

Reon bowed, followed by Aren, Irun, and Cyren. The gathered attendants lowered their heads in unison.

He stepped forward, passing through the bowing attendants. A black and crimson mist swirled around him, and his garments transformed into the armor he once wore. He ascended the throne that had been prepared for him. Before taking his seat, he turned back. With a single sweep of his hand, he restored everything. The guests were returned to their original worlds—none had perished. To them, it was merely a long and distant dream. And thus, the cycle came to an end, for their king, the 'Great Lord' had returned.

"My name is Iyar—no... Dyren. This is the beginning of everything. After an endless cycle spanning 100,000 years... I have finally returned."

The End.