Before, she had looked at me with familiarity.
Now, her gaze had changed—cold, distant, stripped of emotion.
"Rey… I guess all those tests and experiments you made," she said quietly. "They finally succeeded."
I stared into her dark eyes. Beneath that icy surface, there was still something—warmth, hesitation—as if part of her still held onto Rey.
Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, I gathered what little courage I had left and asked again,
"Who… are you?"
Her body shifted uncomfortably. "It feels strange telling you this, but my name is Claire. I am—no, I was—your wife."
"Claire…"
As I spoke her name aloud, the mark on my left hand ignited with searing pain. It was unbearable. I could only grip my hand tightly, trying to dull the burning sensation.
"My other hand…?"
I looked down.
It was my right hand—gripping my left so hard my knuckles turned pale. The sudden realization shocked me so much that the pain faded for a brief moment. I kept squeezing my arm, as if afraid it might disappear again.
What truly snapped me back to reality was Claire's ear-piercing scream as I collapsed to the ground.
After what felt like a year—but was only a minute—the pain finally subsided. Slowly, I stood and patted myself down with both hands. I turned again to look at my right arm.
"Reattached…?"
No. It had always been there.
Yet staring at it filled me with a strange sense of déjà vu.
"Are you okay?" Claire asked, concern flickering across her face.
"Y-yes? I don't know. Am I?" My words stumbled over themselves. I couldn't even pronounce simple sentences.
"If you're fine, then I'm going to leave," she said softly. "I'll come back tomorrow, when you're feeling better."
She turned to go.
"Um—Claire?"
I reached out and grabbed her hand before she could leave. Something inside me urged me to show her the strange mark.
Maybe she knows something.
"Hey, Claire. There's something I need to show you."
"Yes?" she replied flatly.
I stretched out my left hand, revealing the mark on the back.
"There's something here. Maybe you'd know what it is."
"Let me see."
Suddenly, her expression changed—interest flashing across her face.