The city was too bright.  

The sun was setting, casting golden hues over the buildings, but to Emily, everything looked gray.  

She walked aimlessly, clutching the strap of her bag tightly. Her body moved, but her mind was somewhere else — trapped in that moment she couldn’t escape.  

The moment he died.  

The moment Aiden smiled at her… right before everything crumbled.  

"I love you, Emily."

The words haunted her.  

They should’ve been a beginning. Instead… they were his end.  

No one remembered.  

The classmates she once laughed with… the teachers… even Kai… all of them had moved on, their memories wiped clean as if Aiden Kurose had never existed.  

But she remembered.  

Every second. Every breath. Every heartbeat.  

And it was breaking her.  

Emily wiped at her eyes quickly as she stopped in the middle of a street, drawing a few glances. She didn’t care. She just wanted the world to stop — just for a second — so she could catch her breath.  

But it didn’t.  

The sky stayed bright. The people kept laughing. Life went on.  

Her legs felt heavy as she forced herself forward, heading toward the only place where she could still feel him — the school rooftop.  

It was stupid. She knew that. But it was where she last saw him… truly saw him.  

When she finally pushed open the rooftop door, the cold wind greeted her. The city stretched out below, bathed in soft orange light.  

Emily stood there, unmoving.  

"Aiden… you idiot…" she whispered, voice trembling. "Why… why did you have to say that… at the very end?"  

Her throat tightened painfully. "I couldn’t even… say it back."  

The wind carried her words away.  

And then — something shifted.  

It was subtle, barely noticeable. The air grew colder, heavier.  

Emily turned slowly.  

That’s when she saw him.  

A figure, standing near the shadows — half-hidden, unmoving.  

Her breath caught.  

It was a boy. His face was covered by a cracked porcelain mask, faint red scratches across the surface like claw marks. One dark brown eye peered through a large crack, staring at her.  

Her heart stopped.  

"A-Aiden…?" she choked out, taking a shaky step back.  

The boy flinched. "That… that name. I… don’t know."  

"But… you look like him…" Emily whispered, voice breaking.  

"I don’t remember anything," he murmured, his voice distant — lost. "Just… your name."  

Emily staggered. "My… name?"  

"I woke up… and I knew I had to find you." He clutched his chest like it hurt. "I don’t know why… but I had to."  

Before she could say anything more — the ground trembled.  

A low, rumbling growl echoed.  

Emily’s eyes snapped up — a shadow appeared behind her. A distorted, snarling beast, crawling out from the darkness.  

She froze.  

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.  

The masked boy moved.  

In an instant, he was in front of her — his arm stretched out. A faint glow pulsed from his hand.  

The monster lunged.  

The boy’s fist connected — and the creature burst into black dust.  

Silence.  

Emily couldn’t breathe.  

The boy turned, slowly — his visible eye empty, unreadable. "Are you… okay?"  

She fell to her knees, trembling. "Y-You… saved me…"  

"I don’t know why… but it felt like I had to." His voice cracked. "I… don’t even know who I am."  

Emily stared at him — her heart screaming, her mind spinning.  

This wasn’t Aiden… but… it was.  

The same face. The same dark brown eyes. The same voice — just… hollow.  

Tears blurred her vision.  

"I… I can’t leave you out here," she whispered. "Come with me… please."  

The boy hesitated. "I… I don’t know where else to go."  

She stood up shakily and took his hand. "Then come to my place. You… you’ll be safe there."  

For the first time, the boy nodded.  

They walked in silence.  

The city didn’t notice — didn’t care that something impossible was happening.  

Emily didn’t stop until they reached her apartment. A small, worn-out place tucked away from the world. She fumbled with the keys, hands trembling.  

"It’s not much… but it’s… it’s home," she whispered, pushing the door open.  

The boy stepped inside cautiously, looking around like everything was alien to him.  

Emily locked the door behind them, leaning against it — finally able to breathe.  

"So… what should I call you?" she asked, wiping at her eyes. "You… you don’t remember your name, right?"  

The boy was silent for a long time.  

Then, in a small voice, he whispered, "…Aiden. I don’t know why… but that feels right."  

Emily’s eyes welled up. "Aiden…"  

The apartment was quiet — painfully so.  

She grabbed a blanket from the couch, handing it to him. "Here… you can sleep here tonight."  

The boy nodded, sitting down slowly, staring at his hands.  

"I’m sorry," he mumbled. "For… scaring you."  

Emily shook her head quickly. "No… you saved me. I… I’m glad you’re here."  

Even if he wasn’t her Aiden… she couldn’t let him be alone.  

She sat across from him, hugging her knees.  

Somehow, it felt like if she looked away… he might disappear.  

"Can I… stay?" he asked quietly, almost like a scared child.  

Emily nodded, biting back a sob. "Yeah… stay as long as you want."  

The city lights flickered outside.  

And somewhere far beyond, the world shifted again.  

This was only the beginning.  

The real Aiden was gone. But what remained… was something new.  

And Emily knew… she wasn’t ready for what was coming next.