My mind was spinning. The last thing I remembered was being in that dark space, facing that thing… that shadow. Fragments of memories intertwined in my mind: the blood, the screams, the fear in Naoko's eyes… And then, nothing. Just the weight of exhaustion and the feeling of falling into a bottomless abyss.

  Distant voices were the next thing I perceived. One was childish, soft, and full of curiosity; the other, firmer, but with a warmth I hadn’t expected. I felt my body heavy, as if every muscle had been crushed by the weight of my sins. The last thing I remember was collapsing in front of a house in the middle of nowhere. And then… darkness.

  When I woke up, I found myself lying on a couch, bandaged from head to toe. A sharp pain shot through my head as I tried to move, and at the first attempt to sit up, my strength left me, making me fall clumsily to the floor.

  The noise of the impact alerted someone. A little girl with white hair appeared running from another room. Her expression went from astonishment to concern in an instant as she rushed to help me, but clearly, she didn’t have the strength to lift me.

  —Angelus, help me with him! —she called, turning her head toward an empty point in the room.

  In that instant, a tall figure appeared by my side. It seemed… like an angel. There was no other way to describe it. His silhouette radiated a faint light, like a floating aurora that enveloped his slender and ethereal form. Something about him felt unsettlingly familiar, but at the same time, he was different from the shadow that had tormented me. I didn’t feel his oppression, his malice... Only a serene, distant presence.

  They lay me back on the couch, and while I tried to catch my breath, I couldn’t help but fix my gaze on that creature.

  —What is that…? —I asked with a raspy voice, barely able to articulate the words.

  To my surprise, the little girl’s eyes went wide, and she burst into laughter full of excitement.

  —You can see it?! You can see it! —she exclaimed, jumping for joy as she ran back and forth across the room.

  I, for my part, was even more confused. See it? What did she mean by that? Before I could ask another question, the little girl shot off toward another room, shouting:

  —Kael, Kael! He’s awake! And he can see Angelus!

  Firm footsteps echoed through the house, and soon a young man appeared, perhaps a few years younger than me. His hair was dark and messy, his clothes simple and somewhat worn, but his gaze carried determination. Despite his tired expression, there was something comforting about him. The little girl took his hand and pulled him toward me.

  —You’re finally awake —he said with a faint smile, as the little girl clung to his arm excitedly—. My name is Kael, and she’s my sister, Nyla. And you? What’s your name?

  For a moment, his name echoed in my head with a force I didn’t expect. Nyla… It was similar… too similar.

  A shiver ran down my spine, but in my state, I couldn’t allow myself to reveal anything.

  —Sorry… —I murmured, looking down—. I don’t remember anything. Not who I am, not where I’m from… nothing.

  I didn’t remember anything… or at least, nothing I could explain. Just blurry images, distorted fragments of what I had done, but without understanding why. The small flashes in my mind were a confusing whirlwind: blood, screams, fire… and her. But every time I tried to hold on to those memories, they faded like sand between my fingers.

  —Don’t worry —Kael said, his voice calm—. At least you woke up.

  He asked me some questions, trying to help me remember, but every answer ended in a void. I had no memories. I didn’t know who I was. All I could do was accept the reality of my blank mind.

  —You can stay here until you recover —he added—. We don’t have much, but it’s enough.

  And so, the days began to pass.

  The cabin where they lived was near a lake, hidden within a dense forest, surrounded by open meadows that stretched as far as the eye could see. Life there was simple, but self-sufficient. Kael worked tirelessly to keep us safe, while Nyla, with her boundless energy, spent most of her time by my side, always accompanied by that strange presence she called Angelus.

  One day, while we were resting by the lake's shore, she told me her story.

  —My parents could also see Angelus —she said with a melancholic smile—. All children like me are born with a spirit bound to their soul. They call us "blessed children." But... they hunt us.

  Her voice lowered, almost a whisper.

  —That’s why Kael and I are here. We escaped. I don’t know where you’re from, but you also have white hair... —her eyes gleamed with excitement—. Does that mean you’re like me?

  I stayed silent for a moment. I didn’t have an answer for that.

  —I don’t know —I said finally.

  Nyla frowned, thoughtful.

  —But you can see Angelus. That must mean you are. Maybe you also have a spirit like mine —her enthusiasm was contagious.

  —I can’t say for sure —I replied with a small smile.

  For a moment, she seemed disappointed, but her energy returned instantly. At least she had someone to talk to and play with, I thought.

  Kael, on the other hand, worked every day. He hunted, gathered, chopped wood, repaired the cabin... He did everything he could to keep them safe. He never complained, never asked for help. He just kept going. I was amazed at how much he had accomplished at such a young age.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Over time, I learned more about their past. Their parents had died years ago. After that, their grandfather raised and protected them. But not long ago, he passed away too, leaving them completely alone in the world.

  As my body healed, I began helping Kael with household chores. I also spent my days playing with Nyla. They asked me things about my past, hoping some memory would come back to me... but it never did.

  And so, time passed.

  An entire year passed.

  Our relationship changed. What had initially been a forced coexistence out of necessity became something more. We became a family. We trusted each other. We shared laughter, moments of calm, and comfortable silences. I had no memories of my previous life... but for the first time in a long time, I felt like I belonged somewhere.

  One day, while playing with Angelus and Nyla in the forest, something unexpected happened. Angelus, in a swift movement, passed through my chest... but he didn’t hurt me. I felt no pain, no resistance. He simply passed through me as if my body was nothing more than air.

  Immediately, my legs gave way and I fell to the ground, remaining conscious.

  When I opened my eyes, I was no longer in the cabin.

  I found myself in an immense aquatic expanse, with a floor made of crystal-clear water that reflected a non-existent sky. The surface glowed with a soft, warm light, almost inviting. In front of me, a blurry and dark silhouette materialized in the distance. Its eyes were two white circles, expressionless... but with an unmistakable presence.

  —Do you want the truth? —its voice sounded distorted, fragmented as if it were unraveling in the air—. Do you want to know who you are?

  I swallowed. Something inside me warned me that maybe I wasn’t ready. But I couldn’t stay in ignorance.

  —Y… Yes.

  In an instant, the shadow appeared right in front of me. I couldn’t react before its hands rested on both sides of my head, holding it firmly. An intense pressure coursed through my skull, as if someone were tearing my thoughts from the inside.

  The pain was unbearable.

  My vision blurred, and suddenly, an avalanche of images flooded my mind.

  I remembered my name.

  I remembered my sister.

  And the last thing I saw was the image of my body falling from a great height, with the wind roaring in my ears before everything turned black.

  That day I only recovered a small part of my past. But it was enough.

  When I came to, Kael and Nyla were by my side, worried. When they saw that I could speak clearly, Nyla's expression lit up with excitement.

  —You know who you are now! —she said, hugging me tightly.

  Kael smiled with relief, though with that calm of his, so characteristic.

  We tried to repeat the experience, but it didn’t work. We discovered that I couldn’t return to that space until exactly two weeks had passed since the last time. And the most important thing: every time I returned, I could only recover memories from a single year.

  If it continued like this... by the end of the current year, I would have my memory back completely.

  The months passed.

  Each memory that returned to me brought both relief and anguish. I relived moments with my friends, with my mentors, with my sister… and with each fragment of my past, a sharp pain pierced my chest. Remembering it all at once wasn’t easy, but I forced myself to endure it.

  Nyla was always there when I broke down, with her radiant smile and endless energy, reminding me that I wasn’t alone.

  But time didn’t stop just for me.

  Kael began to weaken.

  At first, there were small signs: fatigue, loss of appetite, a slight tremor in his hands. But over time, the symptoms worsened. His body, once resilient and firm, became more and more fragile. His steps were slower, his breathing heavier. Until, finally, he couldn’t get out of bed anymore.

  It was then that I knew the truth.

  Kael had a terminal illness, one that had no name or cure.

  He had been fighting silently for years, holding on only for his sister, for the promise of moving forward for her. But now… his body had reached its limit.

  Every day, his strength faded a little more.

  And although he never said it out loud, I could see it in his eyes. He knew. He knew his time was running out.

  I, on the other hand, was completely recovered. My body had healed, but my mind still carried the weight of everything I had remembered. I didn’t want to leave. I couldn’t.

  Kael and Nyla needed me, and although we didn’t share blood, I felt it was my responsibility to protect them. After all, I was older than them, and after everything they had gone through, I wasn’t going to leave them alone.

  The year was about to end. The snow covered the forest like a white blanket, and the cold bit through to the bones. In that icy and silent atmosphere, I was about to recover the last piece of my memory.

  —I’m ready.

  Nyla nodded with determination.

  —Alright, Angelus... do it.

  The spirit raised his hand and placed it over my chest.

  Instantly, the world disappeared.

  I returned to that water plane, the same one that had welcomed me each time I regained a part of my memories. But this time it was different. The water was clearer, brighter. As if, with each restored fragment of memory, that space reflected my own mental clarity.

  And then, it appeared.

  The shadow.

  That figure that had accompanied me in every encounter, watching me with those empty white eyes. Until recently, I had finally remembered who I was.

  I was surprised to realize that, during the last year, it had behaved... differently. It hadn’t pressured me. It hadn’t tormented me with its presence or its voice. It hadn’t reminded me of what I had done.

  It hadn’t mocked me.

  It had been silent, waiting.

  Ironically, behaving like a damn angel.

  —Do you remember me now? —it asked with its distorted voice.

  I looked at it with a mix of resignation and annoyance.

  —I wish I could forget you.

  —Come on, don’t say that. You’re breaking my heart.

  —You know why I’m here.

  —Sure, sure. But first, let me ask you something.

  I frowned.

  —What thing?

  —Wouldn’t you like it if we got along?

  I let out a dry laugh.

  —I don’t think that’s ever going to be possible.

  —Haven’t you seen Nyla? That girl has someone like me under control... and they get along just fine.

  I fell silent.

  —You’re talking about Angelus?

  —Yes. That and I are almost the same.

  —You’re delusional —I said with a grimace—. Angelus seems almost angelic and you… you seem like you came straight from hell.

  The shadow let out a low, distorted laugh.

  —There’s something I haven’t told you. Something that probably neither Kael nor Nyla knows.

  I frowned.

  —And what is it?

  —Well, it’s a long explanation —it replied nonchalantly—. And honestly, I want to rest right now. How about I explain it to you while you recover all your memories?

  —How?

  —When you “recover” your memories, you're not actually recovering them completely. I make a copy of mine and pass them to you. We're linked, Zein. What you remember is because I’m giving it to you.

  Something inside me tensed.

  —What?

  —Your memories... are mine —it continued, ignoring my confusion—. But by passing you so much information at once, your brain gets overloaded. That's why you feel that extreme exhaustion.

  —And what does that have to do with it?

  —In that transfer of information, I can also pass along what I know about this topic. I can teach you everything.

  —What's the catch?

  —The only flaw —its tone became almost mocking— is that it will overload your brain. It could be... catastrophic.

  I looked at it coldly.

  —Will it kill me?

  —No —it said with a disturbing smile—. And that’s the bad part. It won’t kill you.

  I took a deep breath.

  —Do it.

  —Are you sure?

  —Just do it already.

  Before I could prepare myself, its hands gripped my head with crushing force.

  The pain was immediate.

  A brutal headache pierced my skull like a storm. It wasn’t like the times before... this time it didn’t stop. It kept going and going, an unbearable pressure that made me feel like my mind was about to explode.

  Then, an image formed in my mind.

  I saw the truth.

  The shadow hadn't lied.

  He and Angelus were the same. I didn’t know how or why, but they were the same.

  The so-called “Angels” and what had happened to me... were similar entities. They were linked to the blessed children, acting as their guardians. Their existence depended on them. If a bearer died, their “Angel” disappeared with them.

  But what had happened to me... wasn’t an angel.

  It was something else. Something that should never have existed.

  And yet, there was a way for it to coexist with him.

  Just like Nyla and Angelus did.