Although it was morning and the rays from the sun had illuminated Aria's hospital ward, it still felt as though darkness had surrounded her. She had a strange feeling that made her seem like she was floating high up in a sky without gravity or anything to hold on to; her body felt distant, far away from the world she was in. Aria heard a faint beeping sound that repeated slowly, showing no sign of stopping. Her eyelids twitched slightly, and she felt a cold air on her pale skin. She moved her fingers weakly, and her breathing gradually grew heavier. She slowly began to wake, and her eyelids opened halfway when a bright white light hurt her eyes, causing her to close them immediately.
Aria's head felt heavy as if a box of lead had been placed inside it. Pain pulsed slowly in her skull, making her very uncomfortable. She breathed slowly, and her heart beat fast, making her feel its force. She was nervous as fear grew inside her; she didn't really know why, but she knew something was off. She tried opening her eyes again, and this time she kept them open longer.
Aria noticed that everything appeared blurry. The ceiling above her was white, and she stared at it blankly and with confusion. She had no idea where she was. She tried to move her arm, but it felt weak and barely responded, as if it had a mind of its own. Panic gradually rose within her. She swallowed nervously, but her throat felt dry. She licked her cracked pink lips and tried to speak, to give out a call, but no sound came. She took a breath again, her chest rising and falling slowly. The beeping sound continued, and she shifted her gaze slightly towards it, seeing a machine beside her that was blinking and connected to her body. She noticed a bundle of wires on her chest, which made her feel trapped.
Fear tightened in her chest. She tried to remember how she got there, but it wasn't possible because she had no clue what had happened yesterday or the day before. In fact, her mind was blank, completely blank. It was as if she had no memory to make her remember her past events, because even when she tried, nothing came up.
She frowned slightly, her heart still beating fast. She tried to remember her name but nothing appeared in her mind. She tried harder, but her head started to hurt, so she gave up trying. She felt scared and puzzled because she didn't know who she was. Tears began forming in her eyes. She looked around the room slowly, viewing the white walls of the room. She saw a window, and the curtain hung above it was partly opened, allowing the sunlight to enter softly. The room was quiet, too quiet, and though she was alone, it made her feel too lonely.
Her fingers gripped the bedsheets weakly, and Aria noticed the sheets were clean. In fact, everything was clean and smelled clean, like a hospital. Then she realized that she was in a hospital. Her breathing became faster. She tried to sit up, but pain shot through her whole body. She gasped shortly and fell back onto her bed. She could feel her head spinning. She closed her eyes briefly, expecting that the pain would go away, but instead she felt helpless, weak, and lost.
She opened her eyes again and looked at her hand, but it looked unfamiliar, like it was recently attached to her body. She stared at it and wondered if it was really hers. She turned her wrist slowly and noticed a white plastic bracelet hanging on it, and some words were written on it. She tried to read it, focusing her eyes slowly in order not to have a blurry view of the word. The letters became clear, and she tried to pronounce the word written on the bracelet.
"Aria Vale," she read out loud.
"Am I Aria?" she asked herself.
She froze in stark disbelief. She couldn't remember her name being called Aria, and this made her more confused.
The name felt strange and unfamiliar. She said it again, "Aria Vale," but it still felt wrong. She felt no connection to it. She wondered if it was really her name, if she was really called Aria, but she felt empty. She felt that her memory was empty, like she didn't exist, and the fear in her grew stronger.
Her breathing became uneven. She tried to remember anything — a voice, a face, a place — but nothing came up, only emptiness. Tears fell slowly from her eyes, but she didn't wipe them.
She heard footsteps outside, which made her heart jump. She looked towards the door. The door handle moved, and the door opened slowly. A nurse walked in. She looked surprised at first, but then she became relieved. She smiled warmly at Aria and walked closer to her.
"You are awake," the nurse said, speaking gently.
Aria stared at her silently. She was nervous and had never seen or known this person before. The nurse checked the machine while the beeping continued steadily. The nurse looked back at her.
"Miss Vale," she said gently.
Aria froze again. Miss Vale. That name again. It still felt foreign. She opened her mouth slowly and let out a word.
"Who... me?" she asked, her voice shaking weakly.
She spoke again. "Who am I?"
Her question made the nurse's expression change immediately.
The nurse looked concerned. She spoke softly, "You don't remember?"
Aria shook her head weakly. Fear filled her chest.
The nurse took her hand gently and said, "Don't worry, you are safe."
But Aria didn't feel safe. She felt lost. She felt lost completely.
"Your name is Aria Vale," the nurse said.
Aria listened silently. She tried to accept it, but it seemed unreal.
"Aria," she whispered as her voice trembled.
The nurse nodded reassuringly.
"You were involved in an accident," the nurse said.
Aria's eyes widened slightly.
"An accident?" she asked herself.
She tried to remember it, but her mind was blank. She was frustrated and broken, and she asked weakly, "Do I have a family?"
The nurse hesitated.
That hesitation hurt. It told her that something was wrong.
Aria became scared again. She gripped the bedsheets tightly. She could feel her heart beating loudly. She felt like she was abandoned, forgotten, and alone in the world.
Tears fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. The nurse wiped them gently.
"Try to rest," she said.
Aria did not feel calm. She was terrified. She stared at the ceiling again. Everything felt unreal, like she was dreaming. But the pain felt real, the fear was real, and the emptiness was also real.
She felt like a stranger, even to herself.
She wondered if she ever existed, because she couldn't remember anything or anywhere in the past. She began to doubt her very existence and concluded that she was nothing.
Aria had so many thoughts racing through her mind one after another. She could not believe that she had an accident. She could not even remember her parents or how she looked. She wanted to ask the nurse another question, but she was interrupted by footsteps outside that seemed to be approaching her ward.
Suddenly the room grew quiet.
The nurse looked towards the door as her expression changed. She became nervous and stepped back slightly. Aria noticed this and was confused.
The door opened slowly.
Heavy footsteps entered.
They were calm, controlled, and powerful.
A tall man walked inside. He was wearing a black suit. He was a very handsome man with dreamy eyes that could captivate someone in a second. His shoes were made of polished leather, the very expensive kind, and they sparkled at every step he took. His hair was dark like the ocean of night, and it looked amazing on him, beautifying his oval face. His posture was confident, his expression was cold, and his look was sharp.
He looked at Aria directly.
This made her freeze.
Her heartbeats increased, and a feeling of fear and curiosity mixed inside her.
He walked closer to her, and the nurse bowed her head respectfully and left the room quietly.
The man and Aria were alone in the room as silence filled it.
He stood beside her bed and looked at her intensely, like he knew her. He looked at her like she belonged to him.
Aria felt smaller under his gaze.
She swallowed nervously and gathered the courage to speak.
"Who are you?" she asked, whispering.
He didn't answer immediately.
He studied her face. His eyes softened briefly, then he became cold again.
He leaned slightly closer.
"You are finally awake," he said, his voice deep and clear.
Aria's heart skipped a beat. His words felt heavy, like they were carrying many meanings.
She did not understand, so she asked again.
"Who... who are you?" she stuttered.
He paused, then spoke slowly.
"I'm the man..."
He stopped briefly, looking directly into her eyes.
His gaze was intense, unavoidable, and powerful.
He finished his sentence.
"Who owns your name."
Aria's breath stopped.
She stared at him in shock.
She didn't understand what he had just said.
Owns her name?
She was scared. Her hand trembled.
She tried to speak, her voice shaking.
"What...?"
She couldn't finish.
But he remained calm.
So calm, like he didn't just say something unbelievable. Like it was normal.
Like she belonged to him.
Aria was confused. She felt trapped and powerless. She searched his face for answers, but he gave none. Only silence.
Extreme silence.
Her heart pounded loudly as she whispered weakly, "Why...?"
He leaned closer again.
His voice became quieter.
More dangerous.
More intimate.
"Because you chose me."
Her eyes widened.
She couldn't remember choosing him.
She couldn't remember anything.
Fear filled her completely.
She realized something terrifying.
This man knew her.
But she did not know him.
He held power over her, but she was alone, weak, and helpless.
His final words echoed loudly in her ears.
He whispered,
"You belong to me."