Aria couldn’t move.

She stood inside the submarine and stared through the transparent wall.

Beyond the ocean was Earth.

Or what appeared to be Earth.

There were no continents.

No cities.

No mountains.

No lights.

Only a massive blue ocean covering the entire planet.

Marcus stood beside her.

“That’s not Earth.”

Aria didn’t answer.

The voice of the underwater facility echoed through the submarine.

WELCOME TO THE EARTH THAT FORGOT YOU.

Marcus turned toward the speakers.

“What does that mean?”

The voice remained silent.

Aria finally spoke.

“Take us up.”

Marcus looked at her.

“Where?”

“Back to Elysia.”

He hesitated.

“Captain, I don’t think we’re on Elysia anymore.”

Aria looked at him.

“What?”

Marcus pointed toward the window.

“Look at the planet.”

Aria stared.

The enormous blue world outside wasn’t Elysia.

It was too large.

Too familiar.

And yet completely different.

Marcus activated the scanner.

The results appeared.

PLANETARY IDENTIFICATION: UNKNOWN

ATMOSPHERE: UNKNOWN

TIME PERIOD: UNKNOWN

Aria felt cold.

“Run the coordinates.”

Marcus did.

The screen displayed a series of numbers.

Then it showed a message.

LOCATION UNAVAILABLE.

Aria stared.

“We’re not in space.”

Marcus looked confused.

“What?”

“We’re inside something.”

Suddenly, the submarine shook.

The ocean outside moved.

A gigantic shadow passed beneath them.

Marcus grabbed the controls.

“What was that?”

Aria looked down.

“I don’t know.”

The shadow disappeared.

Then another appeared.

And another.

There were hundreds.

Something was moving beneath the ocean.

Marcus whispered:

“Captain…”

Aria watched the darkness below.

“Don’t look down.”

“Why?”

“Because I think they’re looking at us.”

The submarine lights flickered.

Then the facility spoke.

THEY KNOW YOU ARE HERE.

Marcus looked at Aria.

“Who?”

The voice answered:

THE ONES WHO REMEMBER.

Aria felt a strange pressure in her head.

A memory appeared.

A laboratory.

White walls.

Scientists.

A young Aria.

She was standing in front of a massive machine.

The same machine she had seen in her dreams.

A scientist was talking to her.

“You cannot erase an entire planet.”

Young Aria answered:

“Watch me.”

The memory disappeared.

Aria grabbed her head.

Marcus stepped closer.

“Captain?”

She looked at him.

“I remember.”

“What?”

“The machine.”

Marcus frowned.

“What machine?”

“The one that erased Earth.”

Marcus stared.

“You said Earth forgot Elysia.”

Aria shook her head.

“No.”

She looked at the strange planet outside.

“Elysia forgot Earth.”

Marcus didn’t understand.

Aria continued.

“We didn’t erase Earth from Elysia’s memory.”

“We erased Elysia from Earth’s memory.”

Marcus stepped backward.

“Why?”

Aria looked at him.

“Because we were afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

Before Aria could answer, the facility shook again.

A loud metallic sound echoed through the walls.

Something was approaching.

Marcus activated the external cameras.

The screens showed a massive structure rising from the ocean floor.

It was a tower.

But not a normal tower.

It was alive.

Its surface moved like skin.

Its windows opened and closed like eyes.

Marcus stared.

“What is that?”

Aria whispered:

“The Archive.”

“The what?”

“The place where they kept the memories.”

Marcus looked at her.

“Whose memories?”

Aria didn’t answer.

The tower moved closer.

A door opened.

The submarine was pulled toward it.

Marcus tried to activate the engines.

Nothing happened.

“We’re being pulled in!”

Aria grabbed the controls.

“Shut everything down.”

“Why?”

“Because if we fight it, we’ll lose.”

The submarine entered the tower.

The door closed behind them.

Everything went dark.

Then the lights turned on.

Aria and Marcus found themselves inside a massive chamber.

Thousands of glass containers filled the walls.

Each container held something.

A memory.

A person.

A face.

A voice.

Marcus walked toward one.

Inside the glass was a young boy.

He was sleeping.

Marcus touched the container.

The boy opened his eyes.

Marcus stepped backward.

The boy whispered:

“Help me.”

Aria pulled Marcus away.

“Don’t touch anything.”

“Who are these people?”

“Memories.”

Marcus stared.

“People aren’t memories.”

“Here they are.”

A voice came from behind them.

Aria turned.

A woman stood at the end of the chamber.

She looked about fifty years old.

Her hair was white.

Her eyes were silver.

Aria recognized her.

It was the woman from the recording.

The original Aria.

Marcus raised his weapon.

“Stop!”

The woman smiled.

“Still afraid of me?”

Aria stared.

“Who are you?”

The woman laughed softly.

“You know who I am.”

“No.”

“Not yet.”

Aria stepped forward.

“Why do you look like me?”

The woman walked closer.

“Because I am you.”

Marcus looked at Aria.

“Captain?”

Aria ignored him.

“You’re the original.”

The woman nodded.

“Yes.”

“Then who am I?”

The woman’s expression became sad.

“You are my replacement.”

Aria froze.

“What?”

The woman pointed toward the glass containers.

“Do you know what happened when we left Elysia?”

Aria shook her head.

“We forgot.”

The woman smiled.

“Exactly.”

She touched one of the containers.

Inside was an old man.

His eyes were closed.

“Every person who left Elysia had their memories erased.”

“Why?”

“To protect Earth.”

“From what?”

The woman looked at Aria.

“From the truth.”

The chamber became silent.

Aria felt her heart racing.

“What truth?”

The woman turned toward the center of the room.

A massive hologram appeared.

It showed Earth.

Then Elysia.

Then something between them.

A dark object.

A giant structure floating in space.

The woman spoke.

“Two hundred years ago, humanity discovered a signal.”

Aria stared.

“What signal?”

“An invitation.”

“From who?”

The woman looked at the dark object.

“We didn’t know.”

The hologram changed.

Human ships traveled toward the object.

Thousands of people left Earth.

They reached Elysia.

Then the images became dark.

People disappeared.

Cities went silent.

Entire colonies vanished.

Aria watched in horror.

“What happened?”

The woman answered:

“We found something.”

“What?”

“The Memory Sea.”

Aria frowned.

“The ocean?”

“No.”

The woman shook her head.

“The ocean is only a door.”

The hologram showed a massive black space beneath Elysia.

It was filled with millions of lights.

Each light represented a memory.

Every human memory that had ever existed.

Marcus stared.

“That’s impossible.”

The woman looked at him.

“Is it?”

She turned toward Aria.

“The Memory Sea existed before humanity.”

“Before Earth.”

“Before the galaxy.”

“It stores everything that has ever happened.”

Aria felt cold.

“Everything?”

“Every life.”

“Every death.”

“Every thought.”

“Every possible future.”

Aria looked at the hologram.

“Who controls it?”

The woman didn’t answer.

Aria’s voice became louder.

“Who?”

The woman whispered:

“No one.”

The lights in the chamber suddenly went out.

A deep sound echoed through the darkness.

The woman looked frightened.

“Not anymore.”

Aria felt something behind her.

She turned.

A figure was standing between the glass containers.

It looked human.

But its body was made of moving memories.

Faces appeared across its skin.

Hundreds of faces.

Thousands.

All whispering at once.

Marcus raised his weapon.

“What is that?”

The original Aria answered:

“The Forgotten.”

The figure stepped forward.

Every face on its body opened its eyes.

Aria heard voices.

Children.

Old men.

Women.

Soldiers.

Scientists.

Everyone spoke together.

WE REMEMBER YOU.

Aria stepped backward.

The creature continued.

WE REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID.

Marcus fired.

The weapon struck the creature.

Nothing happened.

The Forgotten continued walking.

YOU LEFT US.

Aria looked at the original.

“What did we do?”

The woman didn’t answer.

Aria shouted:

“WHAT DID WE DO?”

The original Aria finally spoke.

“We erased them.”

“Who?”

“Everyone who stayed.”

Aria froze.

The Forgotten stopped.

The creature’s many faces looked at her.

YOU PROMISED TO RETURN.

Aria shook her head.

“I don’t remember.”

The creature moved closer.

THAT WAS THE POINT.

Suddenly, Aria felt a violent pain in her head.

A memory returned.

She was standing in a laboratory.

Hundreds of people were gathered around her.

The original Aria was speaking.

“We cannot allow the Memory Sea to reach Earth.”

Someone asked:

“What about the people who remain?”

Aria answered:

“They will have to forget.”

The memory changed.

Aria saw herself pressing a button.

A wave of light spread across the planet.

People fell to the ground.

Their memories disappeared.

Their names.

Their families.

Their homes.

Everything.

The memory ended.

Aria fell to her knees.

“No.”

Marcus rushed toward her.

“Captain!”

She looked at him.

“I did it.”

“What?”

“I erased their memories.”

The original Aria stepped closer.

“You did.”

“Why?”

“Because you were trying to save humanity.”

Aria looked at the Forgotten.

“But I destroyed them.”

“Yes.”

“How many?”

The original Aria looked away.

“Millions.”

Aria covered her face.

Marcus knelt beside her.

“You didn’t know.”

Aria looked at him.

“I should have.”

The Forgotten suddenly spoke.

YOU WILL KNOW NOW.

The chamber began shaking.

Every glass container opened.

Millions of memories escaped.

They flew through the air like glowing stars.

Aria saw faces.

People she had never met.

Children.

Families.

Scientists.

Entire civilizations.

Then she saw something familiar.

Her own face.

The original Aria.

But younger.

Standing beside a man.

Aria recognized him.

Marcus.

But older.

Much older.

Aria stared.

“That’s impossible.”

The original Aria looked at her.

“Now you understand.”

Aria couldn’t breathe.

“Marcus was there?”

“Yes.”

“With me?”

“Yes.”

Aria looked at Marcus.

He was staring at the image.

“I don’t remember.”

“Because I erased your memories too.”

Marcus looked at Aria.

“Why?”

The original Aria answered.

“Because you were the one person who tried to stop her.”

Aria turned.

“What did I do?”

The original Aria’s face became cold.

“You activated the Memory Sea.”

Marcus stepped backward.

“No.”

“You opened the door.”

“No.”

“You brought the Forgotten to Elysia.”

Marcus shook his head.

“I don’t remember.”

The original Aria smiled.

“Of course you don’t.”

The chamber began collapsing.

The Forgotten moved toward Marcus.

Aria stepped between them.

“Don’t touch him.”

The creature stopped.

HE REMEMBERS.

Aria looked at Marcus.

“What?”

The Forgotten raised one hand.

A glowing symbol appeared on Marcus’s chest.

Marcus screamed.

His memories returned.

He fell to the floor.

Aria ran toward him.

“Marcus!”

He looked up.

His eyes were filled with fear.

“Aria…”

“What’s wrong?”

He grabbed her arm.

“We weren’t exploring Elysia.”

Aria froze.

“What?”

Marcus looked toward the original Aria.

“We were running.”

“Running from what?”

Marcus’s voice trembled.

“The Memory Sea.”

Aria looked at the original.

The woman was silent.

Marcus continued.

“We escaped Elysia.”

“We reached Earth.”

“And you erased our memories.”

Aria stared at him.

“Why did we come back?”

Marcus looked toward the ocean.

“Because we weren’t alone.”

Aria felt cold.

“What do you mean?”

Marcus pointed toward the glass containers.

“The thing that followed us.”

The lights suddenly went out.

The Forgotten disappeared.

The original Aria vanished.

Aria and Marcus were left alone.

Then a voice came from the darkness.

Not the voice of the facility.

Not the voice of the Forgotten.

A new voice.

Deep.

Calm.

Almost human.

CAPTAIN ARIA VENN.

Aria looked around.

“Who are you?”

The voice answered:

I AM THE MEMORY YOU FORGOT.

A door opened at the end of the chamber.

Beyond it was a long corridor.

At the end stood a little girl.

She was about ten years old.

She wore a white dress.

Her eyes were silver.

Aria stepped forward.

“Who are you?”

The girl smiled.

“I was the first person you erased.”

Aria froze.

The girl continued.

“And I remember everything.”

Marcus grabbed Aria’s arm.

“Don’t go near her.”

The girl looked at Marcus.

“Hello, Marcus.”

He froze.

“You know me?”

The girl smiled.

“You were the one who opened the door.”

Marcus shook his head.

“No.”

The girl looked at Aria.

“Ask him.”

Aria turned toward Marcus.

“Did you open the Memory Sea?”

Marcus said nothing.

“Marcus.”

He looked at her.

His eyes were filled with tears.

“Yes.”

Aria stepped backward.

“Why?”

Marcus whispered:

“Because I wanted to bring someone back.”

“Who?”

Marcus looked at the little girl.

Aria followed his gaze.

The girl smiled.

Then she spoke.

“My name is Aria.”

The captain froze.

The girl continued:

“You’re not the first.”

Aria couldn’t breathe.

The girl pointed toward her.

“You’re the seventh.”

The lights returned.

The glass containers were empty.

The original Aria was gone.

The Forgotten was gone.

Only the little girl remained.

She walked toward Aria.

“Six versions of you came before.”

Aria stared.

“What happened to them?”

The girl smiled.

“They all remembered.”

“And then?”

“They became the Memory Sea.”

Aria felt terror.

“What happens to me?”

The girl reached out her hand.

“You decide.”

Aria looked at Marcus.

He was staring at her.

Then the entire facility shook violently.

A warning appeared on every screen.

EARTH MEMORY COLLAPSE: 87%

Aria stared.

“What does that mean?”

The girl answered:

“Earth is beginning to remember.”

Aria looked at Marcus.

“How long?”

“Until what?”

The girl smiled.

“Until humanity remembers Elysia.”

Outside, the ocean began rising.

A massive wave surrounded the facility.

And beneath the water…

millions of silver eyes opened.

The girl whispered:

“Tomorrow, Earth will remember everything.”

Aria stared into the darkness.

“And then?”

The girl smiled.

“Then they will come home.”

The facility lights went out.

And somewhere on Earth, every human being suddenly dreamed of the same place.

Elysia.

The planet they had forgotten.

The planet that had never forgotten them.