Bone and Cloth

Not every path leads ahead. Some lead to what was left behind, unfinished, to choices made before you knew what they would cost. When the past takes shape, it can do more than strike. It can catch in your throat, lock you in place, and turn memories into a battlefield all of their own. Echoes of the past can hurt as much as the future in front of you, but not every battle belongs to the blade, because being a hero can be measured by more than the mark you leave behind. When something lost is returned to the world, every step forward can clear the darkness that has lingered for far too long. But after becoming whoever was needed to survive, it can be hard to tell which version of yourself is guiding, and which one is guarding.