Chapter 2

"Good news, her condition is stable now. She can go home anytime you want. But she is diagnosed with amnesia." 

There is a silent pause. The three guys don't know how to react to what the doctor said.

In a serious state, the doctor spoke again. "The patient's amnesia is severe. It's a total memory loss. But there's something unthinkable about her case."

"What do you mean, Dr. David?" Chris asked, puzzled  

"It's strange that we could not identify the reason why she lost her memory. We already did multiple tests but we haven't found any possible cause. Her brain structure is surprisingly fine, no damage at all."

"Is that possible?" Ken looks more confused. 

"That is impossible to happen. Memory loss is caused by either Alzheimer's disease or a serious accident where brain tissues are damaged."

"Can it be from stress? Or trauma? Like selective memory loss?" This time it's Jeremy.

His two best friends looked at him with such surprise. Jeremy has never been inquisitive since he found the girl.

"It can be selective memory loss if she has been going through rough times. I will refer her to our resident psychologist if you want. I'm just around if you need anything."

The three thanked Dr. David, then he left.

Suddenly, someone's phone rang. It's Jeremy's.

"Yes?" 

Yenny is on the other line.

Jeremy sighed. "I will be there. Don't worry, okay? Please make sure that Dad and Ms. Fei won't go near him." 

He immediately ended the phone call. "They need me in Horizon Town. I have to go."

The two guys did not ask why. They already know the reason why their best friend has to rush to their mansion in Horizon Town.

Ken just threw Jeremy a bland smile.

"Do me a favor, guys. I want her to get discharged today. I will stay in our house overnight. I'll be back to Hopkins tomorrow." Jeremy said.

Chris, who is leaning on the wall, suddenly spoke. "If she gets discharged today, where will she stay?"

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Tiffany Blue, a 50-storey students' condominium building in Hopkins District in Lewis City. Most tenants here are the elite students from Fermone National University, the most prestigious university in the country. Tiffany Blue is just a 3-minute walk to Fermone. 

The elevator stopped. As soon as the door opened, Jeremy got out.

49TH.

A shiny silver number sign is attached on the wall facing the elevator. Under it is a beautiful table with intricate designs. A white vase with fresh flowers is on it. Two sophisticated small chairs are on both sides.

In just a few steps, he reached his unit. 

49AB.

Jeremy's unit, which has five rooms, is the most spacious and expensive in the building. It offers a picturesque view of sunrise and sunset on the horizon of Heise Bay in Lewis City. It also overlooks the busy cities around Lewis. And the city lights at night can make the view unrealistically beautiful.

His two best friends, Ken and Chris have their own units in Tiffany Blue which were bought by their parents, but they chose to stay with Jeremy. They have lived together since they started attending Fermone National University. 

The door opened.

Jeremy went straight to the room.

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"You must stay here for the time being."

It is their first meeting but Jeremy is already throwing coldness to the girl he found on Desf Road. He seems uninterested in pleasantries.

'I don't know how I can repay you but I will make it happen someday. Thank you for helping me that night.' These are the words she has been uttering in her head since last night to express her gratitude towards Jeremy.

But because the guy's cold presence is totally intimidating, expressing her grateful heart suddenly became difficult.

Chris and Ken are right. They already told her that their best friend is as cold as ice. 

"I don't think I can stay here. I am sorry but I don't want to." She stole a glance at him and then looked down

She is standing near the bed. Stiff.

"Who said we want? We don't either." 

Unluckily, she tasted Jeremy's straightforwardness for the first time.

"I know. But.."

The guy's eyes are a flash of sharp light, blinding.

"Staying here will cause you inconvenience. I don't have the face to stay with you. From now on, I will live on my own. I need to."

Jeremy's stare at her got more blinding. "You still don't get it?"

His eyes targeted hers from a distance.

"Do you know how long you stayed in the hospital? 31 days, to be exact. Do you know how much it cost me?" He said without dancing around the situation.

Jeremy's coldness towards her feels like a cruel punishment. She hates the fact that she was found by him.

Of all the people who could have seen her on Desf Road, why this guy in front of her? She thought.

Though she keeps forcing herself to recall even just a single thing, what had happened that night could not reappear in her mind. She could not remember anything.

"W..What should I do?" She asked, almost unheard.

Her throat feels like being slashed out of dread.

Slow steps. Jeremy is walking towards her. The closer he gets, her fear grows more intense.

She closed her eyes.

Jeremy's last step, then he stopped. He is already facing her, so close.

Her heartbeats went wild. She is feeling extremely nervous.

As Jeremy held her by her shoulders, she flinched. Her eyes are still closed.

"Since I found you, I've had sleepless nights. Troubled. I am like this every day."

His firm hold on her shoulders is making her knees get weak. She powerlessly landed on the bed, seated.

Her hands fearfully clutched Jeremy's shirt. "I..I'm s..sorry.."

She slowly opened her eyes. Shaking in fear, her tears dripped.

Jeremy lowered his body, closer to her. This time, he held her by her arms. She avoided his fierce stare. But Jeremy, with his strong force holding her by the arms, made her face him.

Their eyes met.

She gave him a tearful look.

"Who are you???? Why did you call me Heron that night???" Jeremy's eyes are piercing hers.

But then..

The woman's eyes suddenly began to flash scenarios. So fast!

Jeremy is seeing odd things in her eyes.

What is even more shocking is that he is seeing himself in those scenarios he has never experienced before.

A beautiful road, falling autumn leaves. He is walking while holding hands with a girl. They look very happy.

And then in just split seconds..

Dark road, heavy rain. He can see himself crying on his knees. Fireworks. Blood on his hands.

"W..What is t..this??" He mumbled, totally shocked. 

In just a snap, Jeremy is no longer seeing anything in her eyes but his reflection.

He slowly let go of his hands from her arms and quickly stepped back.

Jeremy feels extremely dizzy. He can't believe what he just saw in the girl's eyes. His trembling hands covered his face.

There is a familiar sensation that he can feel on his left hand, like that feeling when he saw the girl for the first time on Desf Road. 

He gulped out of crippling shock and extreme nervousness. He looked at his hand. There is blood on it.

Fear crept on his body, but his sudden worry for the girl covered him. He hurriedly stepped closer to where she is. 

She is unconsciously lying on the bed. Her right shoulder is bleeding.

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SERIN BLYTH. 

The name is flawlessly embroidered on the collar on the back of the black dress. Small fine letters in white threads are precisely stitched.

Her name, Serin Blyth, turns out to be unregistered. Jeremy can't find any information about her.

Her identity, which has remained a mystery, is only making Jeremy a lot antsier.

Jeremy's eyes are fixated on the black dress. No more traces of blood and heavy rain from that night but the dress itself could clearly show a clear picture of what he witnessed on that road. Still vivid.

Though he has tried countless times already to recall Serin's face, her name, her voice and even her black dress, it could not give him a single hint of familiarity.

But ironically, he feels like he has already met her somewhere in the past.

After putting the black dress back to the closet, he walked to his study table by the huge glass window.

Bustling cities outside on a sunny day. 

It has already been two weeks since the day he confronted Serin. But the mystery surrounding her has become a lot more obscure. 

Those eyes. He is certain they flashed odd scenarios he has never experienced before.

He keeps convincing himself that Serin has nothing to do with his life. But what he has found in the pocket of her black dress is concrete proof that Serin is not just a stranger.

Inside the small drawer under his study table, he got a folded paper. It is an old paper. 

Discolored spots are on the entire sheet. It is evidently a white paper but turned brownish because it seems kept for ages.

On the night Serin was rushed to the emergency room, Jeremy was handed Serin's black dress. The next day, when he had it dry cleaned, he found this old paper in the pocket of the dress.

But that old paper he found on that day has only given him crippling agitation. 

Looking at it at the moment, he began to feel completely troubled. 

He carefully unfolded the paper. Someone is sketched on it.

The stance, the face. Anyone can tell who that person is. The sketch is perfectly clear.

Aside from Heron, the name he was called that night, this sketch has given him sleepless nights since he found Serin.

His eyes wandered, examining the sketch.

Faultlessly wide forehead, dainty brows, affectionate eyes, accentuated nose bridge, refined lips. 

Jeremy is completely sure who it is.

What is sketched on the old paper is him. His face.