LOGINWhen the lemon blossoms bloomed once again, a man came to visit. He wore a crisp dark suit, though his face looked weary.Nico told me his name was Leo. He was my doctor and my friend.He stood under the lemon trellis, holding the latest brain scan report in his hand. He didn't rush forward, just gazing at our backs as we walked hand in hand.Nico settled me into a rocking chair beneath the blossoms and tucked a knit blanket around me before stepping away to speak with him.Leo handed over the report and whispered, "This is Elena's latest evaluation. Her procedural memory is holding up, but her episodic and semantic memory are severely compromised. It's not looking good."Nico took the folder. He ran his fingers over the cover but didn't open it. He simply nodded and replied calmly, "I know. It doesn't matter. I'm staying with her. She remembered to hold my hand today. That's better than yesterday."Leo sighed and patted his shoulder without saying anything else. He just left beh
The days blurred into weeks, and slowly, I began to write more. I could even remember bits and pieces of Nico for longer stretches of time.But the forgetting always returned without warning. One day, I'd finally memorized his birthday, only to wake up the next morning and ask him who he was.Through it all, Nico never complained.No matter how many times I forgot, he'd just smile, introduce himself again, and retell our story from the very beginning.When spring arrived, the lemon groves in Selvorn erupted in tiny white blossoms.Nico pushed my wheelchair through the garden. The air would be thick with a delicate fragrance whenever the wind blew.As I sat under a flowering tree, watching him kneel to tuck my scarf in, I suddenly spoke. "Niccolo, I think… I remember the first time we met here."Nico froze. He looked up at me, his eyes shining like they were filled with stars.He took my hand, his fingertips trembling. "Really? What else do you remember?"I leaned into him, bre
Winter in the Pediterranean arrived in a whisper.One afternoon, Nico went out to pick up my favorite pizza.Sitting alone in the ward, I was suddenly seized by a wave of inexplicable panic.I felt like I had to do something, but I didn't know what.No one noticed as I walked out the door.I had no idea where I was going, so I simply wandered the streets. My mind was a total blank, but I couldn't stop moving.The Pediterranean wind cut right through my thin clothes, leaving me shivering uncontrollably.When Nico returned with the steaming pizza only to find the room empty, he lost his mind.He turned the clinic upside down and called in everyone he could mobilize.Soon, over 30 men in black suits were scouring the streets and alleys.Nico ran through the city like a madman, grabbing strangers and asking, "Have you seen a young lady? Dark hair, very thin, wearing a light blue hospital gown. Her name is Elena. She has a bad memory. She doesn't know her way around!"Hours later
Nico's roar stunned Bianca into silence.He barged through the door and shoved Bianca aside. His gaze was like that of an enraged beast.Bianca retreated step by step until her back hit the wall. "Nico… let me explain… She went crazy and dropped it herself. I didn't—"Nico didn't let her finish speaking. He swung his hand and slapped her twice.Her face bruised and swelled instantly."Do you take me for a fool, Bianca? I haven't even settled the score for what you did before, and here you are trying to hurt her again."Nico turned to see me on my knees, my hands trembling as I tried to piece together the shattered glass of the screen.The shards sliced into my fingers, and bright red blood began to drip onto the floor.But I couldn't feel the pain. "My phone… My notes… My Niccolo… It's gone. It's all gone."Nico ignored Bianca and rushed to my side, grabbing my bloody hands. "Elena, stop! Don't touch it!"His voice was shaking. "I'm right here. Your Niccolo is right here."I
When I woke up again, the clinic was empty.Sunlight filtered through the blinds, slicing the floor into stark patterns of light and shadow.Fragmented, blurry images began swirling in my head again.A crystal chandelier at a ball, a damp trench coat by the shore, the scent of flowers on an Alpenian breeze.They weren't just figments of my imagination. They were the memories I had lost.I braced myself against the wall and limped toward the door.Just as I reached for the handle, I heard Nico's voice, thick with suppressed emotion. "I spent three years hating her. I was losing my mind. I thought she pushed me into the ocean on purpose and went into hiding. I had no idea she was sick."He continued, "I'm not leaving this time. I'm staying with her. I'll help her find her memories again."As I leaned against the doorframe, tears fell without warning. A hollow space deep inside me finally felt full.The door swung open, and Nico stood there, his eyes bloodshot.When he saw me, h
Leo ignored Nico's stunned expression. He quickly snapped open his leather medical bag to pull out a stethoscope and a portable oxygen mask.He tapped my cheek firmly. "Elena, deep breaths. In… and out…"He repeated the command in my ear, his voice betraying a slight tremor.I gasped for air like a drowning person clinging to driftwood. Seawater still burned in my nose, and the suffocating feeling of being swallowed by the sea hadn't faded.I gripped Leo's sleeve tightly, afraid I might slip back to the brink of death again.Nico stood across from us, his expression dark. "Leo, what is wrong with her? She grew up by the ocean. She's a certified diver. How could she forget how to swim?"Bianca hovered at his side, her hand resting lightly on his forearm. "Exactly. You're clearly making things up just to protect her."Once Leo confirmed my heart rate and oxygen levels had stabilized, he straightened up.He looked at Nico with a gaze full of cold fury and contempt. "Nico, you clai







