At present.
The air whispered through the room, carrying a faint murmur. The intense brightness revealed an almost empty space, adorned only with solitary beds separated by delicate fabric curtains.
On one of those beds, a young man with dark hair lay immersed in a deep sleep. Suddenly, his eyes slowly opened.—Haa… Where am I?
Awake, he looked around with a confused expression, trying to get his bearings."What is this place?" I thought, staring at the sheets that covered me. "Is this… a bed?"
—Ouch!
A sharp pain made me shudder, but it faded after a few seconds.
From the hallway came the sound of footsteps approaching. I looked toward the entrance, but at that moment my vision was a little blurry; it was difficult to distinguish what that figure was.—Who could it be? —I whispered to myself.
The closer it came, the clearer it became: a young man who looked about twenty-three stopped in front of me. He observed me in silence. His dark blue hair was immaculate, and he wore an elegant black suit with golden decorations.
Gently, he leaned toward me with a bow.—Good morning. A pleasure to meet you. My name is Famtom, and I will be the one in charge of showing you this place.
—Eh!?
"Wait a second… wait a second… What is going on here? Who the heck is this guy? Show me the place? What is he talking about? Where am I? Why can't I remember anything? Now that I think about it… why?"
My mind was chaos, full of questions, as I looked all around the room, searching for some clue or something to help me remember. Famtom, who was standing there, looked at me; his expression was so neutral that it was unsettling.—Is something wrong?
—Uhh, well… no. I'm just a little confused, that's all…
—I understand. Don't worry, it's normal. That's why I'm here: to answer all your questions.
—Well… if that's the case, where am I? And why can't I remember anything?
—Currently, you are in our medical center. They found you unconscious in a village on a nearby continent, and since they didn't have enough equipment to treat you, they brought you here.
I thought for a moment. I wanted to try to remember what had happened, but instead, a vague memory formed in my mind… it was a dark place, where there was a black stone at the sides… and in front of something… something…
At that moment I felt a sharp buzzing begin to echo through my head.—Aaah! My head hurts!
I held my hands to my forehead, trying to control the pain somehow, but it was intensely painful. Famtom, who hadn't moved at all until then, reacted quickly. With precise movements, he grabbed some pills from the cabinet next to the bed and forced me to swallow them.
It took me a few minutes to recover, but finally, the soothing effect took hold.—Do you feel better?
—Hehe, yes… but now that I think about it, how long have I been unconscious?
I asked in the calmest tone I could, but I clutched the sheets tightly. Famtom pulled a strange rectangular device with a blue screen from his pocket. I couldn't take my eyes off that object as I waited for his response.—According to your file, you have been unconscious for three weeks.
—Three weeks? Hmm…
I repeated softly, trying to process it. The idea of having been unconscious for so long felt overwhelming, though strangely, it also seemed less than I had expected.—Three weeks?! Although, come to think of it, it doesn't seem like that long.
—That's right.
Famtom remained the same; he seemed like a statue in that posture. But then he glanced at his device before fixing his gaze on me.—Could you give me your name? There isn't one recorded in your file.
At that instant I closed my eyes… and a blurry memory emerged in my mind.
It was as if my mind dragged me to another place, and then… you were there, sitting on the damp grass… infused with the fresh scent left behind after the rain. The warm wind caressed your face as the memory unraveled and recomposed itself at the same time.
By your side, a feminine voice broke the silence. Her gaze fell on you, and in a serene tone she murmured:"I will call you…"
I opened my eyes suddenly as I sat up in bed, smiling.—My name is Neon!
—Neon… I'll write it down in your file —he replied calmly, as he turned and began walking toward the exit—. At this moment we will begin the tour.
—Huh? But where are we going? —I said, tilting my head to one side.
—The explanation will be given upon arrival.
Without further questions, I hurried to follow him. We walked together toward the exit, leaving that room behind.