Lena woke up to the sterile white glow of hospital lights. The rhythmic
beeping of a heart monitor filled the air, and the scent of antiseptic
burned her nose. A dull ache pounding in her head, but that was
nothing compared to the overwhelming void in her mind. She
couldn't remember her name. Where she was. Or how she had gotten
there.
A nurse leaned over her with a kind smile. ''You're awake, sweetheart.
Do you know your name?" Lena opened her mouth, but no words
came. The nurse's smile faltered, and that was when the panic set in.
She had no memories. Not of family, not of friends - nothing but
empty abyss where her past should have been.
Over the following weeks, she was placed in a foster home in a quiet
town, given a name - Lena - and a chance at a new life. But the
nightmares started almost immediately. They weren't just dreams;
they were vivid, disorientating fragments. A grand hall lined with
candlelit chandeliers. A lullaby sung in a language she didn't
recognize. The metallic scent of blood.
She kept the nightmares to herself, afraid that if she spoke of them,
she would be labeled as broken. And maybe she was. But there was
something else, something more terrifying than the nightmares.
Sometimes, she felt as though she was being watched. She would feel
it no matter where she was, but when she looked, there was nothing.
Last night was the worst, she had just gotten out the shower, the
white cotton fabric drying her skin delicately, when she had the sense
of dread wash over her. Her eyes darted to the window almost
instantly, as if the shadows themselves were moving, she could've
sworn she saw a figure through the darkness. She immediately
retreated to her room, not bothered to pick up her clothes off the
bathroom floor. She sat on her bed, shaking, and unsure of what to do
next. Falling asleep eventually.
The next morning, Lena woke, still in the same towel she was in the
night before. She quickly rummaged through her dresser for clothes,
as she was searching her fingers grazed something cold, startling her.
After calming down she checked again, "Did I imagine that? She
thought.
No, she didn't imagine it. As she was pushing the clothes aside, she
found a locket tucked into the back of the dresser drawer. It was old,
tarnished, and cold to the touch. A strange symbol was etched into
its surface - a crown wrapped in thorny vines. The moment her
fingers brushed over it, a pulse of warmth shot through her palm,
sending a shiver up her spine.
She pried it open, expecting a photo or a name - anything to tie it to
her past. But inside was only an inscription in a delicate script:
Remember who you are.
A sharp pain stabbed through her skull, and for a fleeting second,
images flashed in her mind - a woman's soft voice, a stone castle
bathed in moonlight, a pair of piercing golden eyes staring into hers.
Then, just as quickly, the vision was gone.
Lena sucked in a breath and snapped the locket shut. Her heart
pounded in her chest. Was it hers? Why did it feel like the locket knew
her when she didn't even know herself?
She momentarily just stood there with all these questions mulling in
her mind that it took a big thud to snap her out of it, her guardian was
knocking on her bedroom door. "Sweetheart, are you alright in there?"
She asked. "Yes, yes! I'm so sorry. I'll be out in a second." Lena replied,
quickly tucking the locket under her pillow and grabbing some
clothes out her dresser. She wore a casual white t-shirt and jeans to
wear, when she was finished and ready to leave her room, she
remembered the locket still hidden under a pillow. She grabbed it,
gave it a momentary look and tucked it safely in the back pocket of
her jeans.
It was a chilly autumn evening when Lena first saw him. She was
walking home from the library, where she was trying to decipher the
symbol on the locket. The streets were empty except for the soft
flicker of streetlamps. The feeling of being watched had returned,
making the hairs on her arms rise.
Then she saw him - standing in the shadow of an alley, just out of
reach of the light. He was tall, dressed in dark clothing, his face
partially obscured. But his presence sent a jolt through her,
something deep and instinctual.
She quickened her pace, but he stepped forward.
"Lena," he said, his voice smooth yet urgent. She froze. ''Who-who are
you?'' The man hesitated, as if fighting against words he wasn't
allowed to say. ''You don't remember me,'' he finally said, almost
regretfully. A shiver ran through her. '' Should I?'' Before he could
answer, a loud crash sounded behind them. Lena whirled around,
heart hammering, but there was nothing there. When she turned
back, the stranger was gone.
She stood all alone in the quiet street, with only the flickering street
lights for company, once again, her mind was racing. ''Who was that?
How did he know my name?'' she thought. With a few more blocks to
walk and it getting late, she rushed home, peeking behind her every
so often just to make sure that no one was following her.
Lena got to her front door and stood on the porch, breathing hastily.
She took a moment and just calmed her breath before she entered
her home. ''They will be worried if I arrive out of breathe'' she
thought. ''Ah, just in time for dinner!'' Mrs Ashford chimed. ''My girl!
You look as white as a ghost!'' she said alarmingly. ''I'm ok, Mrs
Ashford, I just got scared on my way back. But it was a stray cat in the
bushed that startled me.'' Lena lied, putting her bag down on the
floor. She walked over to wash her hands and grabbed a plate to help
dish up.