Scene 4:
The door creaked open with a soft groan.
Aria was drying her hands with a towel when she heard it. She peeked around the corner from the kitchen and smiled warmly.
"There you are," she called out. "I was starting to wonder if you got lost again."
Kael stepped inside, expression blank, his posture calm, too calm. His eyes scanned the living room like it was the first time he was seeing it—like it belonged to someone else.
Aria paused.
He didn't reply.
"You okay?" she asked with a chuckle, walking toward him, casual. "You're acting like I'm a stranger."
Kael stopped walking. His eyes settled on her, focused. "Who are you?"
The words were so casual, so level, so devoid of emotion, that they didn't strike her immediately.
She blinked. "Huh?"
He tilted his head slightly, analyzing her. "Where am I? Is this where I live?"
For a moment, Aria just stood there, her towel slipping from her fingers and falling to the floor. Her smile faltered, but she tried to laugh it off, brushing a hand through her short hair.
"Very funny," she said. "Is this payback for me hiding your snacks last week? Or did someone dare you to prank your big sister?"
"I don't know you," Kael said again, walking past her without a hint of hesitation. "Where do I sleep?"
His voice didn't waver, didn't even carry curiosity. Just a plain question.
Aria's smile shattered.
She stood frozen for several seconds, her mind scrambling, her heart pounding louder with each second of silence. This wasn't a joke. He wasn't playing.
He had walked right past her. No grin, no teasing remark, no eye contact. Nothing. Just like a stranger walking through someone else's house.
She turned slowly and followed him into his room. He stood at the center, just looking around blankly.
"You're serious?" she asked, her voice now low, almost trembling. "Kael… you really don't remember me?"
He turned to her. "I know the layout of the house. But not the people. You seem familiar by pattern, but I don't recall you."
"By… pattern?" she echoed, stunned. "What are you even saying…?"
Kael glanced toward the closet, then the bed. "This seems to be where I sleep. I will remain here."
Aria stared at him, and something inside her cracked. She turned and left the room, her legs feeling heavier with every step. She grabbed her phone and shakily dialed a contact.
"Hello?" a voice picked up.
"I—hey. It's Aria," she managed. "Something's wrong with Kael. He came home and he's… he doesn't remember me. He doesn't remember anything."
"What?"
"I'm serious. He asked me who I was. He didn't recognize the house or his own room. I thought he was messing with me, but…" She paused, trying to hold back the surge of panic. "He's not. I—I don't know what's going on."
There was silence on the line, then her friend said, "You need to take him to a doctor. Maybe a specialist—this sounds like a memory issue."
Aria nodded, even though no one could see her. "Right… Yeah. I'll take him."
She hung up and turned back toward Kael's room.
He was standing in the hallway now, staring out the window near the front door. "You're taking me somewhere?"
"Yes," Aria said, keeping her voice steady. "To get help."
"Understood," he replied.
As they stepped outside, the breeze was warm and thick with the scent of nearby flowers. Aria tried to think. Maybe the doctor could explain this. Maybe it was temporary. Maybe she could fix it.
But just as they turned to leave, two unfamiliar figures stepped out from the side of the house.
One of them raised a hand casually. "Going somewhere?"
Aria flinched. Her eyes darted between the two men—one tall and relaxed, the other slightly more serious in demeanor. Both wore coats too neat for the weather, eyes too observant for casual passersby.
The taller one smiled faintly. "We'd like to talk. About Kael."