The following program contains themes and language that may not be suitable for all audiences.
Listener discretion is advised.
A production of Tales of Nixxia.
Last time on an amnesis ballad of a memory thief.
You have to let me go.
No, I can still save you.
The first night is always the hardest, isn't it?
I'm moving on.
I'll let her go.
It's been three weeks, Dad.
Isn't it about time you start heisting again?
I'm never stealing a memory again.
Don't worry about it.
I'm sorry, sir.
This bank is shutting down.
God damn it!
Hey, Jaka. This is Silver.
Look, I know it's been a while, but I just wanted to see what he told me.
I have a way to fix all your problems.
Give you back what you lost.
You really have it going there, old man.
I have a target for you.
His name is Oscar Alwyn.
He's an oil bearer. New money and all that.
He's got quite a lot of business down here in Nixx.
Shady business, if you know what I mean.
Alright, old friend. I'm in.
Where do we start?
Welcome to your freedom.
The night absolves all your sins and we can't see them.
Welcome to your nightmare. Welcome to the edge.
These hungry herald souls won't be your friends, no.
Shades of grey, morality's a long forgotten word.
The strong will remain and you will fade if you ain't prepared to burn.
If you try to resist, you'll become nothing more than a vapour's ghost.
So let your dreams fly and live in the night, cause all we know.
Anamnesis, Ballad of a Memory Thief, created by Arjun Rowe.
I glided through the alleyways of Nixx with an energy and exuberance I thought I'd never have again.
Adrenaline was coursing through my veins and all doubts I may have had had disappeared.
I felt free.
Soon enough, I found myself in the alleyway behind Harris.
I hovered in the darkness and heard footsteps in front of me.
Someone entered and I went to get a closer look.
I froze and stayed quiet.
This little bit, or a ghost, makes me a hell of a hate this place.
It's too early.
He continued onwards, getting closer to my position.
I put on a mask and stepped out.
Who the hell are-
Time slowed down as I reached out to his mind, closed my eyes and-
I found myself in his mind, his memories swirling like ghosts in a void.
I was in.
Now, how to get close?
If I just show my hand immediately, his mind will reject me and eject me back into the real world.
So first, I have to earn his trust, disguised as someone he would never even suspect.
But, who to pick?
What about one of the band members?
No, that would be too suspicious.
One's associate could be interesting, yet I knew nothing about him.
All would sniff out that it was a fake within three seconds.
Ah, what about the bartender?
Non-descript, non-threatening.
Hmph.
She would do.
I concentrated on her, closed my eyes and then-
I found myself staring back at a very familiar face.
Shall I put it on your tab?
Sure, why not.
Well, that was never going to get any less weird.
But looking behind me, I caught my reflection in the glass of a decrepit window.
I was now a young woman, wearing a simple black dress.
This bartender was the kind of person to just blend into the rest of the crowd, easily forgettable and perfect for getting close to my target.
Feeling somewhat confident in my ability to pull this thing off, I tore myself away and walked up besides Owen.
I'm here as requested.
I don't know what you're talking about, girl.
We already got our drinks.
Leave us.
I'm afraid that I can't do that.
Do you know who you're talking to, bartender?
I guess you don't.
Otherwise you would not be speaking so flippantly.
Lead Goon, quite a nasty looking fellow turned to be.
You're quite wrong, girl.
We have been allies with Mr. Halloween here for almost 15 years now.
Enough of this.
Oscar, I think we should teach her a lesson.
One she won't forget so easily.
By all means, Eric.
Oh, we can't have that.
What the hell?
My...my gun!
It's gone!
What is this madness?
Who the hell are you?
I don't care.
You're gonna regret it.
In a flash, the entire bar was empty.
Save only for me and Owen.
It was getting too loud.
Besides, I'm only here for you.
Now...
You...
Enough playing around.
I shed my disguise.
Now I was shrouded in a cloak of shadows and wore a crown of sparks.
My mask glowed.
I glided towards him.
You can call me Ghostweaver.
I don't understand.
None of this is real.
We are in your mind playing by my rules.
And this, all this, is just a memory.
One of many such memories you have experienced in your life.
Okay.
What do you want from me?
Gold? Jewels?
What can I give you to make you go away?
Oh, I'm not here for those useless things.
I'm here to steal something far more precious.
You see, Mr. Owen, every man has a weakness.
A memory they can't bear to live without.
That is the only thing I desire from you.
Your most precious memory.
And you are gonna point me right to it.
I'm not telling you anything.
You don't have a choice.
You'll be compelled to answer the questions I ask.
If you lie, your memories will betray you.
But enough.
Time may have no meaning here, but I think it's time we get on with it.
So, let us begin.
Do you have any children, Mr. Owen?
Two.
Joan and Emma.
And do you care for them?
Don't leave us, Daddy!
Wrong. The last time you saw them was ten years ago, when you sold them off to pay a debt.
And I don't regret it. I never liked children.
But Marge always wanted them.
So I ditched them the first chance I got.
You great little bastards.
Oh, you have a wife?
Tell me about it.
Had a wife.
What happened?
I left her.
And did you regret it? Do you still love her?
Oscar.
Please, you are better than this.
I never really loved her.
Marge needed me far more than I wanted her.
She was always so trusting, so naive.
It sickened me.
Another dead end.
Let me try another angle.
Do you have any family?
Brothers, sisters, parents, perhaps?
I'm sure my parents are still kicking around somewhere.
And do you still hold on to your memories of them?
Why would I care for them?
I don't even remember them these days.
They left me in the care of my uncle when I was a little boy.
Never saw them again.
Of course they did.
God damn it.
I'm tired of going around in circles with you.
I don't hold on to anything memory thief.
Wait, you mentioned your uncle, right? Tell me about it.
I suppose he was there for me when my parents couldn't be bothered.
Did he do a good job?
For a reason, your parents left you for your nothing.
Stay.
I hope he burns in hell.
Oh, come on.
Friends? Do you have any friends?
He must have friends, at least.
Perhaps I do.
How could you betray me?
But not really.
You really are an enigma, Mr. Owen, aren't you?
You seem to care only for yourself.
Looks like you failed, memory thief.
Actually, you show me exactly what I needed to see.
A man like you has a weakness in disguise.
A memory that is hidden away, yet is attached to everything you are.
So, I have one final question for you.
Who made you into the person you are today?
Who gave you the ability to have the power you so desperately wanted?
Who taught you how to kill?
I...
Who made Oscar Owen?
Because it wasn't you, was it?
Who? Tell me.
Please, don't.
Show me.
I'm gonna mold you into a man, boy.
You won't like it.
But you'll thank me when I'm long gone.
You're worse than this.
How long have we been practicing this?
You can't even hit a damn stationary oxygen.
Don't.
Pick up the gun.
Fire at that target.
You're not going anywhere until you hit it.
I...
I think you're ready for your very first mission.
I have an old friend that is not quite useful to me anymore.
I want you to take him out.
Don't disappoint me.
I give you one simple tip,
and you don't even have the will to do it.
You're a waste of my fucking time, as always.
And just what do you think you're doing here?
Hey, hey, hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Wait, come on, come on, kiddo.
Think about it, sweetie.
We can talk about this, huh, sweetheart?
Kiddo, please.
I was only trying to help.
I only wanted what was best for you, kiddo.
Can't you shoot?
Burn in hell, monster.
Well, looks like I found your weakness after all, Mr. Alwyn.
You're wrong.
I don't care about him.
He means nothing to me.
That's not really true.
You see, you seem to hang on to these memories the most out of everything.
Really, it's the only thing you can hold on to.
No.
Without him, you're nothing.
You're just a scared little boy who has no place in this world.
But enough of that.
It's time to end this charade.
There.
That hateful memory is now mine to keep.
At least for a little while.
What have you done to me?
I...
I don't remember.
There was a man.
I...
Why can't I remember?
It seems so close, but...
Where has my strength gone?
Here's the deal.
This memory...
I'll give it back to you.
For a price.
Shall we say...
25,000 lumens?
Oh, don't look like that.
You've got a lot of money to spare.
I know you can afford it.
Bring that amount in hand to 4613 Shepard's Row in three nights.
And I will return it to you.
Come along.
If you don't follow these instructions exactly as I have stated them,
well, you'll never get that memory back.
Oh, and if you tell someone, the deal's off.
You crazy.
How can you do this to people?
Perhaps you should learn to let go of your old ghosts.
Hypocrite?
Hypocrite!
Who's there?
You are a hypocrite, my sweet love.
No.
It can't be.
I gasped as a figure emerged from the shadows gliding towards us.
It was a woman with black raven hair
and glazed over her eyes as blue and as cold as the water that she fell into two years before.
She was wearing a black torn dress that billowed in the wind.
Who is this?
I don't remember her.
Oh, you wouldn't.
She's one of my memories.
Something I thought I buried.
Silver.
How could you forget about me?
You shouldn't be here, Ilya.
I've locked you away.
Memories can't be locked away, you know.
Sooner or later, our old ghosts come back to haunt us.
Perhaps stronger than before.
I'm in the middle of something here.
Get out of my mind.
I desperately snapped my fingers, but nothing seemed to happen.
She just continued onwards, unfazed.
Why is this working?
You can't just whiz away what you run from.
Don't you think it's about time you finally confronted it?
That you finally confront... me?
You are not real.
You're nothing more than a figment of my mind.
I am not crazy.
I am perfectly okay.
And you are not welcome here.
I am in control, so get out!
Oh no.
What's... what's going on?
Nothing to worry about.
It's just... I'm not supposed to bring my memories into someone else's mind.
It can create problems.
Problems are all you create, so...
Shut up!
I can fix this!
Can you?
The seams of this mind are slowly coming undone.
Time's ticking.
Little did I know...
What does she mean by that?
Don't worry about it.
You're a smart man, Mr. Alwyn.
Look around.
Don't you see?
It's all falling apart.
This is right. It's getting worse.
I can feel it.
Please. You have to stop this.
Please don't panic.
I promise you.
I can still fix this.
Everything's gonna be just fine.
You're the worst in my house.
You're a whole family.
You're missing something.
I can't stop myself.
It's about time we start our second season.
Oh, no!
It's a decent monocilver.
We need it.
You're in it.
You have to let me go.
I'm so sorry.
There's nothing I can do.
Oh, my...
You...
You're a right man, my thief.
You have a weakness.
Even you.
And I know what it is.
But that woman...
You can't let go of her, can you?
You tried, but it's impossible.
I tried to.
I tried to move on.
And be a good man.
Whatever that meant.
I tried not to let him get to me.
But the dead refused to stay buried in your mind.
I thought I would still hear his voice
from spring in my ear.
Telling me I would never be anything better.
That I was destined to play this role
he had assigned to me.
And inevitably, I would always find myself
where I belonged.
Holding a gun to the back of a so-called friend.
Just easier that way.
I wonder how long you'll give in like that.
I never meant...
I'm not... I'm not like you.
No!
Take responsibility.
Look at yourself in the mirror.
Look at the man you have become.
You did this.
You have blood on your hands now.
Just like me.
I need your help.
What have I done?
I can't be...
I can still fix this.
I tried desperately to enter his mind again.
Come on. Come on. Come on.
Come on. Come on.
Please, just one...
What else did you tell him?
There was nothing there.
Nothing but emptiness.
He was gone.
And I had just killed a man.
All for nothing.
But wait. This wasn't my fault.
No. I didn't kill him.
It was her.
She did this.
She was the one to blame.
You...
You did this. Not me.
I was this close.
It was you. You ruined it.
You killed him.
Finding someone to blame, as always.
Seems you really haven't changed much, Silver.
You're not her.
Elia's dead. She's gone.
You're just a memory.
You're not real.
I am as real as you want me to be.
I'm not crazy. I'm perfectly fine.
I'm gonna be okay.
You can keep telling yourself that.
But pretty soon, even you won't believe it.
So here's the truth. You are not okay.
You're gonna lose yourself, just like I did.
You really thought you had control.
That you could move on. That you could hope.
You dreamed. You failed.
There is no hope. No light. No sun.
This emptiness is all there is.
It's time to give in, Silver.
Let it out. Let it all out.
Free your mind. And shatter your soul.
Lose your self.
Get away. Don't come near me.
It wasn't my fault.
I'm not a murderer.
You did this to me!
I'm still alive.
Oh, it's only a burning memory.
So why do I cry? Do I cry?
Oh, it's only a burning memory.
Why can't I let it out? Let it out.
It's only a burning memory.
So just let it out. Let it out.
It's only a burning memory.
My love, I'm too far gone this time.
I found myself standing in front of a familiar grave.
I do not remember how I got here. Why?
But I didn't really care either way.
Everything was simpler when you were here.
How much longer can I really hold myself together
before I fall as far as you did?
How can I ever face our daughter again?
She deserves better than this, better than me.
Oh, Ilya, I can't do this anymore.
An old man in a hooded cloak approached me.
Come to sell me impossible dreams yet again?
If you so decide then.
I saw what happened to that fellow you were after.
Alwin, right? Such a shame.
I don't mourn him though. He got his dues.
I killed him.
No, these things happen. I know.
Because you've been there before, right?
How could you understand? I mean, who even are you?
He carefully stepped forward and removed his hood,
revealing a face carved by time.
You wouldn't believe me, but in another life, I ran the city.
All them mobsters asked it to me. I was not a good man.
Wait, I know you.
I've seen your face before, in the newspapers and the obituaries.
Your hero, Otaka. Aren't you? You're supposed to be dead.
I know what I've done. I should be.
So, tell me then.
Why is an old washed up mobster like you even bothering with the likes of me?
I suppose I see a better myself in you.
And I know what it's like to lose everything.
Trust me, I will never be the man I used to be.
Unlike me though, I can do more than give you back the spark of life you've lost.
I can let you touch the very sun itself.
Why should I believe you?
No one's ever gone past the fog. No one's ever seen the sun.
I want to show you something.
Before I could stop him, he reached over and touched my temple.
And suddenly, I was in another world.
A world so bright I had to shield my eyes.
Your memories, here?
This is the life you and your daughter could have.
I could see it now.
Great big glittering cities rising from beautiful evergreen lands.
A sky vibrant in shades of electric blue and a massive glowing fireball.
Bathing it all in a warm, enveloping light.
The horizon stretched on endlessly and I felt small compared to the grand world around me.
It may have only been a memory, but it was so real.
And I was speechless.
What you see here is one of my memories.
I've left Nox Eterna before.
I've seen what lies beyond, and so could you.
Then why? When you held paradise in your hands, why would you ever choose to come back here?
It is complicated, but you're lucky, Mr. Outerwent.
You don't have those ties that bind.
Take your daughter with you and burn your bridges and don't look back.
I was back with a Nox in the graveyard.
Something like this must come with a heavy price.
So, what do you want from me?
Simple. Work for me.
Be my memory thief for a year, and I'll give you and your daughter the ability to go beyond the fog.
No questions asked.
Now you know the terms. So how about it then?
Shall we make a deal, memory thief?
Well, I've got nothing left to lose. I firmly shook his hand.
What else was I supposed to do?
Good choice. I'll be in touch, Mr. Outerwent.
Be careful on your way back. There's a storm in the works, it seems.
I can feel it. Good night.
I unfurled my umbrella, looking out towards that internal moon now half shrouded by clouds and the thick super fog over the ocean.
I wondered, what really lied beyond that fog? What wonders would await?
Hello.
Dad, are you okay? You look like you've been crying.
I'm fine, honestly.
I heard about what happened to the bank. We lost everything, didn't we?
You don't have to worry about it. It's all under control. Everything is fine.
That's what you said last time.
I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'm trying my best, okay? It's just a lot.
Then let me help you, please.
Oh, Wyn, I don't want you to bear my burdens for me.
Look, we're going to be okay. I'm going to keep you safe. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you.
I will always be right here, you and me, against the night, as always.
You never listen to me! Stop treating me like a child, Dad!
I'm going out. Don't know when I'll be back. Bye.
I grabbed a bottle of wine from the cabinet.
Okay, I wish I could tell you everything, but I just can't bring myself to do that to you.
I can't lose you like I lost her.
So, I'll keep my promise, even if it kills me.
I raise my glass.
Well, I don't know what the future holds, but here's to new lives and old ghosts.
Wherever they may lie.
Woody Hanson as Ilya Eravind.
Bay Doxy as Winter Eravind.
Kenneth Tanwin as Alwyn's uncle.
David Schwab as Iric Onik.
Tiffany Perdue as Additional Voices.
Rachel Schumacher as Additional Voices.
Cassidy Els as Additional Voices.
Audio edited at Chasm Lake Studios with Sound Design by Avedu Chloe.
Featuring music performed by the Amaru's Bar Band, including Cassidy Els, Chris Cook, Brett Mendelsohn, Anthony Singer, and Nisarg Shah.
Music mixed by Koravai and Max Fuster.
Mastered by Tom Pulcinella.
Music recorded at the Boyer Studios at Temple University, as well as at Chasm Lake Studios in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
Finn Tambiraja as Marketing Lead.
Aidan McElveen as Social Media Manager.
Original Series Artwork and Character Designs by Ghostly Cow.
Original Logo Design by Ali Illustrate.
Special thanks to Nirja and Kishore Asfana, without whom this project would not be possible.
Unnamnesses, Ballad of a Memory Thief.