“How’s life been going? Anything interesting happen recently?” Dr. Mah wore a long and silver necklace with tiny beads along the chains, it wavered slightly as she spoke. At the end of her necklace the small pendant of a black and white lighthouse swung.

With a couple voice cracks, Erik responded, “No…Nope. Nothing too interesting.” He leaned back against the couch, rubbing his palm against his chest.

Invisibly tracing the white lines currently woven onto his skin.

There was a slight silence running through the air afterwards. Silently cackling at Erik as he had no idea what to say or what to do.

She slipped her blue pen behind her ear before pressing the lines out of the bottom of her dress, “Does that mean you were feeling good after our first session a few weeks ago?”

He nodded a couple times until each one became smaller than the other, “I was good,” But looking at her, Erik broke into the truth, a truth he wasn’t sure he could bring himself to say out loud, “Oh, oops sorry almost forgot to tell you - I almost got mugged.”

Eyebrows raising with concern, Dr. Mah pressed him for more answers, “I thought you said nothing interesting happened to you? I would file almost getting mugged under that. Are you okay? Did you call the police?”

“I was fine, it was just a few men looking for our wallets more than our blood. But I was really scared, my hands didn’t stop shaking until a half hour later.”

That night in the alley felt like more of a dream than real life. The ground shaking beneath his feet, the black mark more akin to a burn was still left behind on that thin sidewalk.

Modarr, Talvi had seen him. He did not speak, only adding to the confusion Erik had. Did he want something from him? Why was he there that night?

“Nothing happened, huh?” She added as a light joke.

He breathed out a sigh as he scratched the back of his neck, feeling static run up his spine as he spoke, “Actually a lot has happened. I remembered something.”

“Really?” A smile so wide that Erik could see her pink gums graced Dr. Mah’s face, “Are you willing to share what you remembered?”

“Um…sure, why not?” Conjuring the day in his mind, Erik began to speak lowly, “Mariana, one of my friends from work restored the tape from the night the museum was broken into. And, she showed it to Talvi and I.”

“That’s when you remembered something?”

“Yeah, um,” Erik bit at the skin on his coral lips, “I-I-it wasn’t anything big. Just a small flash.” The nausea once again curled his stomach like that night.

“Hey, anything is something.” Her voice was soft, warm as she pushed the conversation further.

“Well I remember something from what I think is the night I went missing.” Dr. Mah shifted in her chair, uncrossing and re-crossing her legs, “I remember my hands touching my bloody forehead. I was in the museum, near the Vaheera statue.”

“Forgive my misunderstanding but who or what is Vaheera? I’m not really a museum-goer. I think I’ve heard the name before but I don’t know where.”

“Oh right, sorry I probably should’ve explained that before.”

“Vaheera is the chief god in the Mirasen pantheon. My favourite pantheon. She’s not only the chief god of the pantheon but also the god, or goddess which ever one you like to use better,” He added quickly as a side note, “Though that’s really off topic because Vaheera is also the god of sun, light and fire. She is a brave warrior.”

Whether it was seeing the statue everyday since or the trickling echoes of the memory swirling in his mind but the ancient artifact was still standing in detail behind his eyes. Vaheera stood still, hands clasped behind her back as long fabric draped from her thick metal and textile woven armour. Indented in white lines extending over her dark skin like sun rays.

“You seem to know a lot about her, and the Mirasens. Is that a topic you’re interested in?”

He shrugged nonchalantly, “I just think its cool.”

She smirked, the ends of her lips flipping upwards. “And that’s what you remembered?”

“That’s it. That’s all.”

“That’s not an overwhelmingly happy tone for someone who remembered something from their past. Id there a reason you don’t feel happy about the memory?”

“I’m mostly feeling frustrated, all it does was raise more questions about why I lost my memory. I mean why can’t my brain make me remember something more helpful?!” Running his hand through his hair, Erik felt his face heat up.

“Sorry, I should really stop yelling whenever I’m here.”

“You remembered something Erik, even if you’re not proud of yourself I am.” The small balls on her necklace reflected the colours that Erik was wearing. Only distorted and blended together.