Episode 2 : Unease
The midday sun beat down on Rey and Kai as they exited the cafeteria, burger wrappers crumpled in their hands.
"Man, that was good," Kai said, wiping a dab of ketchup from his cheek. "You sure you don't want to try out for the team? You'd be a natural with that aim."
Rey chuckled, kicking a pebble down the path. "Yeah, right. Maybe in another life where I can actually hit the net."
"Don't be such a downer," Kai nudged him. "Besides, you've got other talents. Like acing every history exam without even cracking a book."
"Maybe," Rey mumbled, a shadow crossing his face.
They walked for a while in comfortable silence. The bustle of campus life swirled around them – students chatting, frisbees sailing through the air, laughter echoing.
Weston Library
"Was it just a dream?" he muttered, reaching for the star-shaped pendant around his neck. It felt cool against his skin, a grounding presence in the turmoil of his thoughts.
He sighed, pulling himself out of bed. Every morning was the same – the gnawing emptiness where his past should be. No childhood memories, no parents' faces, just a gaping hole.
"Hey, sleepyhead!" Kai's voice boomed from the doorway. "Ready for class?"
Rey forced a smile. "Almost. Just… thinking."
Kai's brow furrowed. "About the dream again?"
Rey nodded, avoiding his friend's concerned gaze. "It feels so real, Kai. Like a piece of me is missing."
He hesitated, then blurted out, "I don't remember anything before… before Grandpa found me."
Kai's expression softened. "Whoa, you never told me that."
Rey sank his head onto the table, "I wasn't even ten. I was crying outside his shop, the pendant clutched in my hand. That's the first thing I remember."
Kai sat on the chair beside, a thoughtful silence settling between them. "Grandpa always said you'd remember eventually. Maybe the dream is a sign, a piece of the puzzle coming back."
Rey looked at the pendant, the smooth surface glinting faintly in the sunlight. "Maybe. But what if there's no puzzle? What if it's all just… gone?"
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