Forgotten faces

Chapter 4

The night was getting thicker around Amy and Craig. They stood in the old church, the decrepit walls seeming to hold their breath. The FACELESS, an elusive entity, was gone, but its imprint remained in the air, a whisper of ancient secrets."The last step," Craig said in a low voice, "is the hardest. To break the curse, you must sacrifice a part of yourself. An emotion, a precious memory."Amy remembered the words of FACELESS: "Every truth has a price." She knew it was now or never.

 "I'm ready," she said. "Tell me what I should do."Craig looked at her, his pupilless eyes glowing in the darkness. "The truth you have forgotten, Amy, is that of our childhood. Our mother was an alchemist, a keeper of secrets. She protected us, but she also sealed our fate."Amy shivered. "What must we sacrifice?"Craig took her hand. "Our brotherly bond. Our brotherly love. It's the only way to break the curse."Amy felt her heart tighten. "But if we give this up, we will no longer be brother and sister."Craig nodded. "That's the price we have to pay. But we will be free, Amy. Free from the darkness, free from the emotions that bound us."They looked at each other, their childhood memories coming to the surface. The laughter, the arguments, the secrets shared. They knew what they had to do.They held hands, their fingers clasping. "I love you, Craig," Amy said. "I love you too, Amy," he replied.And in the darkness of the church, they uttered the forbidden words, renouncing their bond of brotherhood. Their faces transformed, their contours fading. They were now free, but at what cost?Amy and Craig stood at the top of the hill, the stars twinkling above them.

 They had left the church, leaving shadows and secrets behind them. The face of FACELESS reappeared in the starry sky, an enigmatic smile on his lips. The curse was broken, but a new enigma had been born.Amy and Craig walked hand in hand, leaving the abandoned church behind them. The night was their ally, the stars twinkling above them like celestial jewels. The face of FACELESS was gone, but its imprint remained in their minds, a whisper of ancient secrets.They had chosen the hill for their last act. It was there that their mother, the alchemist, had conducted her experiments. It was there that the stars seemed closer, as if they were keeping a secret."Why did our mother seal our fate?" Amy asked, breaking the silence.Craig looked at the stars. 

"She knew we were different. That we had a part to play in this curse. But she never said why."Amy remembered the nights their mother would take them to church. The bottles of elixirs, the parchments covered in runes. "She protected us, but at what cost?"Craig stopped and looked at her. "The truth is that we are the guardians of the door. The door between this world and the next. Our mother sealed this door to keep the FACELESS from entering."Amy shivered. "And now ?"Craig smiled sadly. "Now we must reopen it. To free the trapped souls, to break the curse."They reached the top of the hill. Before them stood a stone altar, symbols carved into the rock. Amy felt an ancient, powerful energy. 

"The last step," Craig said. "We must sacrifice our brotherly bond. Our brotherly love."Amy hesitated. "But if we give this up, we will no longer be brother and sister."Craig took her hand. "That's the price we have to pay. But we will be free, Amy. Free from the darkness, free from the emotions that bound us."They held hands, their fingers clasping. "I love you, Craig," Amy said."I love you too, Amy," he replied.And in the darkness of the night they spoke the forbidden words, renouncing their bond of brotherhood. Their faces transformed, their contours fading. They were now free, but at what cost?The stars shone more brightly, as if they approved of their choice. The door opened, revealing a passage into the unknown. Amy and Craig looked at each other one last time, then walked out the door.There, in the other world, FACELESS was waiting for them. But this time they were ready. Ready to face ancient secrets, to break the curse, to discover the truth.

Amy and Craig walked through the door, their bodies dissolving in the light. They landed in a strange landscape, where trees had silver roots and rivers flowed with liquid stars. The FACELESS was waiting for them, its outlineless face floating in the air."You have arrived," he said in a voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once. "Welcome to the Other World."Amy felt a powerful energy around her. "What is this place?"The FACELESS smiles. "This is where secrets are kept. Where trapped souls wait to be freed. You are the guardians of this door, the keys that will unlock the mysteries."Craig looked at Amy. "What now? What should we do?"The FACELESS pointed towards a mountain in the distance.

 "Yonder is the Temple of Stars. It is there that you will find the answers you seek."They walked for days, crossing enchanted forests and deserts of golden sand. The FACELESS guided them, but he only spoke in riddles. "Every step is a choice," he said. "Every choice has a price."At the top of the mountain, they found the Temple of Stars. Its walls were covered in constellations, and its doors were made of black obsidian. Amy and Craig walked in, their hearts racing.Inside, stars floated in the air, forming words and images.

 "The truth is here," said the FACELESS. "Look for her."They spent days deciphering the enigmas, meditating on the constellations. They discovered ancient secrets, stories of gods and demons, prophecies and curses.And then they found the truth. The truth about their mother, about FACELESS, about themselves. They were the heirs of a line of alchemists, the guardians of the stars. Their mother had sealed the door to protect the world from darkness, but she had also sacrificed their bond of brotherhood.Amy and Craig looked at each other. "We need to open the door again," Amy said. "Free the trapped souls."Craig nodded. "But at what cost ?"The FACELESS appeared in front of them. "The truth has a price. Always."They held hands, their fingers clasping. "I love you, Craig," Amy said."I love you too, Amy," he replied.And in the starlight they spoke the forbidden words, reopening the door.

 The trapped souls escaped, their faces grateful. The FACELESS smiled, his face transforming into that of a man. "You have broken the curse," he said. "But there are still secrets to discover. Riddles to solve."Amy and Craig looked at each other. They were ready. Ready to face the mysteries of the Other World, to protect the door, to unlock the secrets of the stars.Amy and Craig stood in front of the FACELESS, their eyes fixed on its ever-changing face. "What secrets are you hiding?" Amy asked in a firm voice.The FACELESS smiles.

 "The stars are portals to other worlds. Each constellation holds a story, a power. You must understand them to protect the gateway."Craig pointed towards the Dragon constellation. "What does this one mean?"The FACELESS tilted his head. "The Dragon is the guardian of ancient wisdom. To unlock its secrets, you must solve the riddle of the starry labyrinth."The FACELESS moved away, leaving Amy and Craig alone under the starry sky. They held hands, their fingers intertwined, their hearts beating in unison. They had spoken the forbidden words, sealing the ancient wisdom within them. They were ready. Ready to protect the door, to unlock the secrets of the stars.Amy looked at Craig, her eyes shining in the starlight. 

"We are the guardians of the Otherworld, Craig," she said softly. "We are the protectors of the truth."Craig nodded, his gaze serious. "We chose knowledge, Amy," he replied. "But at what cost ?"The days passed, then the weeks. Amy and Craig spent their time studying the stars, deciphering the enigmas left by FACELESS. They explored other constellations, discovering new secrets, new truths.But with each new discovery, they felt the weight of their responsibility weighing on them. They were the guardians of the Other World, the protectors of the truth. And this truth had a price.One evening, as they stood under the starry sky, Amy turned to Craig. "I love you, Craig," she said. "And I know you love me too. But I can't help but wonder... Is all this worth it?"Craig looked at her, his eyes dark and serious.

 "I don't know, Amy," he replied. "But I know one thing. Whatever the price, I'm willing to pay. Because I love you. And because I believe in us. In our mission." As the days turned into weeks, then In months, Amy and Craig continued their quest for knowledge. They explored new constellations, solved new puzzles, and each time, they felt the weight of their responsibility grow heavier.One day, while they were studying a star map, a strange light appeared in the sky. It was a star they had never seen before, bright and pulsing, as if calling to them.They looked at each other, a feeling of apprehension in their hearts. 

"It's a new challenge," Craig said, his voice deep. "A new ordeal to overcome."Amy nodded, determined. "We're ready," she said. "No matter what lies ahead, we will overcome it together."And so, hand in hand, they prepared to face their greatest challenge yet, ready to pay the price of knowledge, for the sake of the Otherworld.