Light slipped through the narrow gap between the curtains.
Thin and pale, the morning rays stretched quietly across the unfamiliar room before settling against Elifero's face, almost as though testing whether the boy lying beneath them was still alive.
The warmth lingered against his skin.
He didn't move.
His breathing remained slow and shallow, his body buried beneath the covers as exhaustion held him firmly in place.
Then—
Thud.
A heavy sound came from somewhere outside.
Elifero's brow twitched.
Thud.
Again.
This time, it was followed by voices.
Distant laughter drifted through the window—children, perhaps. Their voices were carefree, ordinary, completely unaware of the boy sleeping nearby.
Thud.
Elifero's eyes slowly fluttered open.
For several seconds, he simply stared.
His vision was blurry.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
The ceiling above him slowly came into focus.
He didn't recognize it.
Elifero's lips parted slightly.
His mouth felt horrible.
Dry.
Far too dry.
His lips were cracked, his tongue bitter, and his throat felt tight enough that even swallowing hurt.
He tried anyway.
"Agh..."
His voice came out weak and raspy.
Elifero blinked again and slowly turned his head.
A room.
A bed.
Curtains.
Furniture.
Nothing meant anything to him.
His eyebrows pulled together.
Where am I?
The question surfaced almost naturally.
Then another followed.
How did I get here?
Elifero tried to remember.
Nothing came.
He closed his eyes.
Maybe he'd simply woken up confused.
He searched his thoughts again.
Where had he been yesterday?
Nothing.
Who had brought him here?
Nothing.
Where was home?
...
Nothing.
His eyes opened.
His heartbeat quickened.
Then came the question that frightened him most.
Who am I?
Elifero froze.
His fingers slowly tightened around the blanket.
No.
Surely he knew that.
Everyone knew that.
He searched again.
What's my name?
Silence.
His heart skipped.
Elifero sat upright.
The sudden movement sent the room spinning around him.
"Ah—"
He grabbed the edge of the bed until the dizziness settled.
His breathing had changed.
Faster now.
Think.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Think!
A name.
His home.
His family.
Anything.
But every time he reached for something inside his mind, he found emptiness.
It felt like reaching into a pocket where something important should have been, only to find nothing but air.
Elifero opened his eyes again.
The silence of the room suddenly felt terrifying.
There were no answers waiting for him.
No familiar voice.
No familiar face.
Nothing.
He didn't even know himself.
His eyes darted around the room, searching for anything that might tell him where he was.
That's when he noticed the small counter beside the bed.
A metal tray sat on top.
At its centre was a bowl of oat porridge. Whatever warmth it once carried had disappeared long ago. Beside it stood a glass of water.
Elifero stared at the water.
His throat immediately reminded him how thirsty he was.
Then he noticed something else.
A small box.
And resting on top of it—
A folded piece of paper.
Elifero hesitated.
Slowly, he reached for it.
His fingers unfolded the paper.
There were only a few words.
Please take the pills after eating. They will help you.
Elifero read it again.
Then once more.
That was all.
No name.
No explanation.
Nothing telling him where he was.
Nothing explaining why he was here.
His eyes moved toward the small box.
Pills.
Then toward the porridge.
Then the water.
Suspicion crept into his thoughts.
"Why would someone feed me?"
His voice sounded strange to him.
Unfamiliar.
That realization made him even more uncomfortable.
"Why would they help me?"
He looked at the pills again.
"And how do I know they aren't poisoned?"
His stomach suddenly growled.
Loudly.
Elifero looked down at himself.
"...Seriously?"
The porridge didn't look dangerous.
And despite being cold, the faint smell of oats still reached him.
His stomach growled again.
Elifero frowned.
"No."
He turned away.
"There are already too many questions about whoever put me here."
Food could wait.
At least until he knew who he was dealing with.
Elifero pushed the blanket aside and carefully placed his feet on the floor.
He stood.
His legs immediately wobbled.
"Whoa—"
He caught himself against the bed.
For a moment, he remained there, allowing his body to adjust.
Then something caught his attention.
A mirror.
Elifero slowly approached it.
The boy staring back at him looked exhausted.
His hair was untidy from sleep. His skin looked drained, and confusion sat heavily behind his eyes.
Elifero stared at his reflection.
That's me.
At least he knew that much.
But there was something else.
Bandages.
Several of them.
One wrapped around his knee.
Another across his chest and stomach.
His palm had been bandaged too.
Elifero looked down at himself.
"Why am I wearing bandages...?"
He touched the one around his hand.
No pain.
He pressed gently.
Still nothing.
His frown deepened.
"There's nothing wrong with me."
Curiosity won.
Elifero caught the edge of the bandage and slowly began unwrapping it.
One layer.
Then another.
He expected to find a wound beneath it.
A cut.
Maybe dried blood.
Anything.
Instead—
Nothing.
His skin was completely intact.
Elifero stared.
"What...?"
He checked his knee next.
The bandage came away.
Nothing.
No wound.
No scratch.
Not even a scar.
His chest.
The same.
His stomach.
Nothing.
Elifero stood before the mirror surrounded by discarded bandages.
His unease deepened.
Someone had treated injuries that apparently didn't exist.
Then why were they there?
He didn't know.
And once again, his mind gave him nothing.
At the foot of the bed, he noticed a neatly folded set of clothes.
Elifero picked them up.
He examined them suspiciously for a moment before looking down at what he was currently wearing.
Eventually, he decided to change.
The shirt slipped over his head.
Fresh fabric brushed against his skin.
"These must be mine," he whispered.
He smelled the sleeve.
"They're... clean."
That didn't help him remember anything either.
Once dressed, Elifero walked toward the window.
His fingers caught the curtains.
He pulled them apart.
Morning flooded the room.
Elifero squinted.
Outside—
Life continued.
People walked along the road, speaking casually to one another.
A pair of children ran past, chasing a ball while laughing loudly.
Someone called out from farther down the street.
Another person answered.
Everything looked so...
Normal.
Elifero remained by the window.
His eyes travelled across the unfamiliar surroundings.
Is this where I live?
Nothing about it felt familiar.
Nearby, a man was working the earth.
He raised a hoe above his shoulder.
Then brought it down.
Thud.
Elifero's eyes twitched.
The man lifted it again.
Thud.
Something moved inside Elifero's mind.
He frowned.
Thud.
And suddenly—
Fire.
Elifero gasped.
A house collapsed beneath roaring flames.
Smoke swallowed the sky.
People were running.
Someone was screaming.
Blood.
A hand.
A face—
"AH!"
Elifero collapsed.
His knees struck the floor.
Both hands flew toward his head.
Pain exploded behind his eyes.
"Agh—!"
He squeezed his temples.
The images came too quickly.
Broken.
Fragmented.
A night sky stained by smoke.
Flames.
Someone calling out.
A figure.
Blood splattering across—
"No!"
Elifero pressed his hands over his ears as though he could physically block the memories from entering his head.
His breathing became frantic.
Then—
Nothing.
The images disappeared.
The pain slowly began to fade.
Elifero remained on the floor.
Trembling.
His breath came in short gasps.
"What..."
He looked toward the window.
Outside, the man continued working.
Thud.
Elifero flinched.
He quickly looked away.
"It was just a dream."
His voice shook.
"That's all."
He swallowed.
"Just... a bad dream."
He needed it to be.
Because if those images weren't a dream—
Elifero didn't want to know what they were.
A few moments later—
Knock. Knock.
His entire body stiffened.
Elifero stared at the door.
Before he could answer, the handle turned.
The door opened.
A woman stepped inside.
Elifero immediately moved backward.
She stopped when she saw him awake.
Relief softened her expression.
"Good."
Her voice was calm.
"You're awake."
Elifero didn't answer.
His eyes followed every movement she made.
The woman glanced toward the bed.
"I thought I'd find you still sleeping."
She smiled faintly.
Elifero's unease increased.
She spoke so casually.
As though his presence in this house was completely normal.
As though she knew him.
Who is she?
The woman approached the counter.
Elifero tensed.
She simply lifted the tray.
Her eyes fell on the untouched porridge.
"You didn't eat."
Elifero remained silent.
She didn't seem angry.
"The food's cold now anyway."
She picked up the tray.
"I'll prepare supper instead."
Elifero watched her turn toward the doorway.
Then she stopped.
Without fully turning around, she spoke again.
"You can trust me."
Elifero's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I'll call you when it's ready."
Then she left.
The door clicked shut.
Elifero stared at it.
"...Trust you?"
He wasn't sure why, but being told to trust someone somehow made trusting them harder.
Later that day—
"Mom! I'm back!"
A girl's voice exploded through the house.
The front door shut behind her.
Footsteps immediately followed.
From somewhere downstairs, the woman's voice answered.
"Olian!"
"What?"
"Can you please get the boy upstairs? He's awake."
There was a pause.
"He's awake, huh?"
The girl scoffed.
"It's about time."
Rapid footsteps thundered toward the stairs.
Upstairs, Elifero was still trying to understand his surroundings.
He had spent much of the day examining the room, hoping something—anything—might awaken a memory.
Nothing had.
Eventually, his attention had fallen on a framed picture.
He picked it up.
A family.
Elifero studied their faces.
The woman from earlier was there.
Beside her—
The bedroom door suddenly flew open.
Elifero jumped.
A girl stood in the doorway.
Her eyes immediately landed on the picture in his hands.
Her expression changed.
"What in hell died and gave you permission to touch my things?"
Elifero froze.
"What?"
"Put it down!"
Fear rushed through him.
But almost simultaneously—
Something else happened.
Recognition.
Elifero stared at her.
He knew her.
Or at least...
He felt like he did.
His mind reached desperately for the memory.
Nothing came.
But the feeling remained.
"I—I'm sorry."
He quickly lowered the picture.
"I didn't mean to—"
The girl snatched it from him.
She turned away, clearly offended.
Elifero watched her.
Who is she?
Why did she feel familiar?
Before he could ask, the woman's voice travelled upstairs.
"Olian! Bring him down! Supper is ready!"
The girl sighed.
"Come on."
She didn't wait for him.
Elifero followed.
Food covered the table downstairs.
Elifero sat quietly, unsure where to place his hands.
The smell alone made his stomach ache with hunger.
The woman smiled at him.
"I hope you enjoy the meal."
Elifero nodded awkwardly.
"Thank you."
Beside him, the girl leaned slightly closer.
Her voice dropped low enough that only he could hear.
"She didn't have to go this far for some lowlife like you."
Elifero slowly looked at her.
She continued eating as though she'd said nothing.
His eyebrows lowered.
What's her problem?
He decided not to answer.
Not yet, anyway.
They ate.
Elifero was hesitant at first, but hunger quickly overcame his suspicion.
The food was warm.
Real.
And, as far as he could tell, not poisoned.
That was reassuring.
When supper ended, the woman folded her hands on the table.
"I suppose we haven't properly introduced ourselves."
Elifero looked toward her.
"My name is Julie C. Boulevard."
She gestured toward the girl beside her.
"And this is my daughter, Olian C. Boulevard."
Olian barely acknowledged him.
Elifero looked between them.
Julie waited.
He realized she expected him to introduce himself.
His stomach tightened.
"I..."
Nothing.
He searched.
Again.
Nothing.
His fingers curled slightly beneath the table.
"I don't remember."
Julie tilted her head.
"My name."
His voice became quieter.
"I don't remember my name."
Olian clicked her tongue.
"Tch. Typical."
Julie looked toward her.
"Olian."
Elifero continued.
"I don't remember anything about myself."
Julie stared at him.
"Nothing?"
He shook his head.
"I don't know where I came from."
His eyes lowered.
"I don't know where my home is."
Silence settled around the table.
"Tch."
Olian leaned back.
"Of course."
Julie slammed her palm against the table.
Bang!
"Enough!"
Elifero flinched.
Olian's expression hardened.
"What?"
"You've been rude to him since you walked into this house."
"So?"
"So he hasn't done anything to you."
Olian pushed her chair backward.
It scraped violently across the floor.
"Whatever."
She stood.
"Olian—"
But the girl was already walking away.
Moments later, the front door slammed.
Silence returned.
Julie closed her eyes.
A tired sigh escaped her.
"Please forgive her."
Elifero looked toward the door.
"She wasn't always like this."
He didn't answer immediately.
Eventually, he nodded.
"It's okay."
Julie began collecting the plates.
Elifero's eyes wandered toward the framed family picture he'd seen upstairs.
Something had bothered him about it.
There were more people in that picture than were sitting at this table.
He hesitated.
"Can I ask something?"
Julie stopped.
"Of course."
"Will your husband and..."
Elifero searched for the right words.
"...her brother not be eating with us?"
Julie's hands became still.
The warmth in her expression disappeared.
Elifero immediately regretted asking.
"I—sorry. I didn't mean—"
"No."
Julie lowered her eyes.
"It's alright."
She remained silent for several seconds.
"My husband died two years ago."
Elifero's expression changed.
"In the war."
"Oh..."
"And my son..."
Julie swallowed.
"He followed a year later."
Elifero didn't know what to say.
"Illness."
The word left her quietly.
She looked toward the stairs.
"JJ."
Elifero remained silent.
"That was his name."
Julie gave a faint smile, but sadness remained behind it.
"Olian adored him."
She picked up another plate.
"He was probably the only person who could make her smile no matter what happened."
Her smile weakened.
"The only friend she ever really needed."
Elifero listened.
"The two of them were like glue."
Julie gave a tiny laugh.
"Wherever JJ went, Olian wasn't far behind."
The laugh disappeared almost as quickly as it had come.
"Then he was gone."
Elifero's chest tightened.
He didn't know why.
Maybe because he'd seen something similar.
Maybe because somewhere inside the empty spaces of his memory, he understood what losing someone felt like.
He couldn't tell.
Julie stacked the plates together.
"She's only fourteen."
Elifero looked toward the door Olian had disappeared through.
"She's angry."
Julie nodded.
"At everything, sometimes."
She picked up the dishes.
"Please... try to understand her."
Elifero remained quiet.
"And if you can..."
Julie hesitated.
"Try to befriend her."
Elifero raised his eyebrows slightly.
Her?
After how she'd treated him?
That seemed easier said than done.
Still, he thought about the photograph.
About the brother who wasn't there.
About the girl who apparently hadn't always been like this.
He had more questions.
Many more.
About Julie.
About Olian.
About where he was.
About who had found him.
And most of all—
About himself.
But Julie's expression told him that this wasn't the time.
Elifero slowly nodded.
This time, he meant it.