Azure didn't know why he was crying, but for a moment, his heart felt shattered as he looked at them.
Though he couldn't recall anything about them, he could certainly feel the emotions he once held for them.
His mother, eyes brimming with worry, wiped his tears with trembling fingers. Her voice, soft as a whisper yet cracking with emotion, soothed him. "Why are you crying? I should be the one crying… You're safe now."
He opened his mouth and closed it several times, unsure of what to say. His mind was a chaotic mess, torn between inexplicable sadness and joy.
Clara watched quietly from the side, clearing her throat shyly. "Since Azure is home safely, I'll leave now."
His mother's gaze softened. "Please, come in and eat with us, and rest a bit," she urged, her tone warm but weary.
Clara's smile was strained. "Sorry, but the school asked me to go somewhere else after I brought Azure… maybe another time."
Azure's mother's smile faded slowly from her lips; she reached out and hugged Clara tightly, whispering, "Thank you," her tears soaking Clara's shoulder.
Clara's heart warmed, and she patted her back, eyes stinging.
After ensuring Azure was inside, Clara left, her face a mix of joy, sadness, and depression.
...
Azure felt lost. The house was new yet familiar. He looked around curiously.
"The food's ready. You can wait at the table with Emilia," his mother called, her voice a comforting anchor as she entered the kitchen.
Emilia guided him to the scratched wooden table.
"What happened, exactly?" she asked, her tone soft but probing. "The school didn't give any details about your memory loss. Just said you're fine, no other symptoms."
Azure's gaze drifted, unfocused, as he sat down. "I don't know…" he murmured, his voice tinged with frustration. "They said they found me unconscious in the school bathroom."
She touched his forehead, her grin playful. "You seem fine to me. Don't worry… According to my medical skills, you'll be okay and your memories will come back soon!"
Azure let out a soft laugh, his gaze lingering on her face. She blushed under his gaze and looked away. "Stop staring!" she huffed, her cheeks pink.
He quickly looked away, stammering an apology. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to."
Her laughter rang out, easing the tension in the room. A wide grin spread across her face, her eyes sparkling with affection.
Feeling embarrassed, Azure said nothing more and sat at the table, staring at the photos on the wall. They showed him, looking happy in those moments.
Ten minutes later, his mother emerged from the kitchen, carrying plates of steaming food. grounding him in the moment. She set the plates down and took her seat, her eyes locking onto his with a mix of love and concern.
"How did you get hurt?" she asked, her voice gentle but laced with a quiet intensity.
He stared at the plate in front of him. "They found me unconscious in the school bathroom."
She gazed at him in silence.
Azure ate quietly. Don't know what to say.
"Anyway, you're okay now, brother," Emilia said, breaking the silence with a reassuring smile. She glanced at their mother, her tone light but firm. "That's what matters."
Their mother nodded with a soft smile. "Of course, that's what matters most. If you need any help, tell me or your sister, understood?"
Azure nodded silently.
...
After the meal and a brief conversation, Emilia led him to his room, her hand resting lightly on his arm.
The moment he closed the door, he sank to the floor behind it, clutching his head.
Eve, are these feelings normal for someone who's lost their memories?
[Eve does not think so. Your feelings are mixed with an inner pain. Eve believes this is related to something before your memory loss.]
He lowered his hand, his gaze sweeping across the room. The bed sat against the left wall, its sheets neatly tucked. A window on the right let in the soft moonlight, a small desk beside it cluttered with a Computer and books. A wardrobe stood behind the bed, facing the door.
Standing slowly, Azure walked to the window, his steps heavy. He gazed at the deep blue sky and closed his eyes, letting the cool air brush against his face.
[Don't worry, Master. Eve is certain you'll recover your memories soon,] Eve said, her tone bright and encouraging, a beacon in his confusion.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. He opened his eyes, casting one last glance at the moon before turning back to the room.
He picked up his phone and saw a message from Clara, informing him he had a week off from school to adjust.
He replied: Thank you. Then he closed his phone.
Sighing, he lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. his eyelids grew heavy, and sleep claimed him.
...
He dreamed of a ruined land under a crimson sky, a man standing on the debris with a sombre, sorrowful expression.
The man's hand was stained with blood, dripping onto the countless corpses beneath his feet.
He began walking away from the bodies, approaching a specific house, destroyed.
The people inside had been crushed by the rubble.
The man's face hardened with rage as he stared at the scene. His already intense anger surged further.
He raised his hand, controlling the debris from a distance, clearing it away.
Beneath the rubble, he found the bodies of two unrecognisable women.
He moved them closer, knelt slowly, and held them, tears streaming down his face.
The scene shattered, fading away.
Azure found himself standing in a white world, red threads weaving through it like strings.
He looked around nervously yet curiously, but he was alone in this vast emptiness.
Suddenly, he felt a heavy weight. Looking down, he saw red chains coiling around his body like snakes.
...
Azure snapped awake, screaming, and fell off the bed in shock.
Clutching his chest, he struggled to breathe. What was that?!
[Eve believes that was not a nightmare.]
Why do you think that?
[Because we are no longer on Earth.]
Shock coursed through him. He staggered to his feet, struggling to steady his breathing as he stumbled to the window.
The sight that greeted him stopped his heart: a pitch-black sky, vast and suffocating, with a blood-red moon.