Codex of the Forgotten

CHAPTER 1 - whisper in the middle of the city

The rain flushed the city in silence, like a blanket of fog that fell slowly from the gray sky. The streets were quiet, only the sound of water drops bouncing from the roofs of old concrete and street lights that flicked slowly in the middle of the night. 

Ethan stood under the bus stop that had begun to rust, his jacket was wet half dry, his eyes stared blankly at the road that seemed never to end. 

After work at night has become a routine. But tonight feels different. The cold air pierced his bones sharper, and there was something in the air that made the hair stand on his hair. 

He slipped his hand into his pocket, squeezing something that felt warm-a small-shaped small-shaped stone he found this afternoon between the warehouse debris where he used to deliver the goods. 

At that time, he just fad touched him. But since then, his ears often hear whispers. Not the voice of people, more like echoes that resonate from far and foreign places. 

"Wake up ... you're not part of this world ..."

Ethan closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm down. "It's enough. I'm just tired."

He opened his eyes. And at that time, he realized, the road in front of him was empty. Too empty. 

Even the red light at the end of the block did not turn on. The air feels frozen. 

Then-

Kreek. 

Someone stands across the street. Or rather, something. 

The figure was tall, thin, wearing a dark raincoat that dripped water, even though there was no rain around him. His face was covered in shadow, but Ethan could feel his eyes locking at him. 

Ethan's steps slowly retreated. 

"Excuse me ...?" he doubtfully. 

The figure did not answer, but stepped closer. Every step makes a strange sound, like a broken bone slowly. 

KRK. KRK. KRK. 

Ethan turned around, ready to run, but—

Brak! 

Someone pulled him from behind, dropped it on a wet ground. 

"Augkh!" When Ethan whimpered, he was yelled at. 

"Shut up!"

The figure is a man, maybe two or three years older than him, dark hair and wearing a long coat with a high collar. His eyes were sharp, his movements were fast, like someone who was used to fighting. 

Actually Ethan wanted to shout, but the man put his finger in front of his lips. Then whispered, "If you speak, we both die."

The dark figure across the street now stops. Then, like fog, he faded slowly, before finally disappearing. 

Silent again. 

Ethan is still a falling position, his heart hit hard in the chest. "What ... what was that?" he asked, confused. 

The man smiled, stood up and reached out. "My name is Dante. I hunted the creature for three days. And you—" he tasted his eyes, seeing something in Ethan's chest. "You ... not an ordinary person."

Ethan got up slowly, staring at him confused. "What do you mean?"

Dante pointed at the stone he was still holding. "That's not a stone. That is Codex fragments - ancient artifacts that you shouldn't find."

Ethan looked at the object. The fragment now shines faintly, as if life. 

"I just ... find it. I don't know."

Dante took a deep breath, then spoke more slowly. "Codex keeps the memory of forgotten civilization. If it falls into the wrong hands - like the creature - it can turn the world into hell."

Ethan shuddered. "Is that going to me?"

"Not yet. But there aren't many time."

Krak. 

Suddenly the sound of cracks was heard from behind the alley. Dante immediately stood in front of Ethan, her body on alert. 

From the darkness, the shadow creature appeared again - but now it is not alone. Two other figures appeared behind him, each carrying a black shiny weapon. 

"I'll hold them back," Dante said quickly. "You have to run away."

Ethan shook his head, "But—"

"RUN!"

"O-oce." Ethan ran. His breathing was heavy, his body was still trembling. The streets like changing, the alleys seemed endless. But he kept running, his breathing was gasping. Until finally his steps stopped by the voice—

"Ethan."

The sound did not come from outside. It came from his own mind. 

He stopped. 

In front of him, another shadow appeared. But this time, not scary. A silver -haired woman, wearing a white robe, emerged from a faint light. 

"My name is Lucille. I was sent by the guard's order."

Ethan was confused, "Guard ... what?"

"The last key guard. And you ..." the woman looked at him deeply. "... is the key."

"Huh." Ethan actually doesn't understand. 

The sky was still rumbling when Ethan stood still, facing a foreign woman who somehow emerged from the light in the middle of a dark alley. The rain seemed to stop around him, like this space was cut off from the real world. 

Lucille. So he said earlier. His hair was silver and long, moving slowly as if in the wind that Ethan was not felt. His gaze was calm, but deep and heavy, as if he brought the age of centuries. 

Ethan took a step back. "You ... not human, right?"

Lucille did not answer immediately. He just looked down, then approached slowly. 

"I was a human. But time ... and Codex, changed everything."

"Codex?" Ethan grasped the fragments in his hand which now shines softly, like responding to Lucille's presence. "Do you know this thing?"

Lucille stopped in front of him. "That is a flake from the main key. The key that seals something that should not be resurrected."

"And why did I find it? I'm just a courier." Ethan tried to explain. 

Lucille looked at him for a long time. "Because Codex chose you."

Ethan laughed sarcastically, trembling. "Just like in a fairy tale huh? The choice of destiny and can't be avoided?"

Lucille's face stiffened, "Not a fairy tale. This is a curse."

Silent. 

A few seconds later, Lucille raised his hand, and the air around them trembled. Faint light comes out of fragments and forms a shadow: a strange symbol of a circle with ancient letters that beat like a heart. 

"It's a symbol of attachment. Codex knows you now. You and him ... have been bound," explained Lucille. 

Ethan felt his body trembled, either because of fear or because something began to change in him. It still feels impossible that all this is real, but the hunch, never wrong. This is bigger than anything he understands. 

"And the creature earlier? The one who chased me, was that too because of this?"

Lucille nodded. "They are called voidborn. Shadows from the era before humans know fire. They are resurrected by someone - someone who wants to open the codex completely."

Ethan's forehead frowned, "Who?"

"His name is still hidden. But he, not the only problem."

Lucille glanced back at Ethan. From the direction of the alley, the sound of a quick step was heard. 

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

Dante reappeared. His face was dirty, his jacket was torn in the arm, but his eyes remained focused. He stopped beside Ethan, staring at Lucille with a standby look. 

"You," he said. "Are you part of them?"

Lucille raised his hand without a threat. "Calm down, hunters. I came as a guard."

Dante snorted. "The guard order was dead two centuries ago."

"Only their bodies die. But they swear they are still alive."

Ethan stood between the two, confused but began to think. "Do you know each other?"