(The name I never knew)
The thought sent a chill down my spine.
I stood there, frozen, watching his retreating figure disappear into the crowd. My fingers tightened unconsciously around the strap of my bag, my heart still racing from everything that had just happened.
Who was he?
And why did it feel like a part of me was… already connected to him?
"Alina…"
That name echoed again in my mind.
I shook my head quickly. "No… my name isn't Alina."
But even as I said it, something inside me hesitated.
That night, sleep didn't come easily.
I tossed and turned, his voice replaying over and over again in my head. The way he said wife… it wasn't forced. It wasn't awkward. It felt natural—like he had said it a thousand times before.
And the way I reacted…
Why didn't I feel angry?
Why didn't I feel like slapping him or shouting at him for crossing the line?
Instead… I felt confused. Shaken.
Almost… hurt.
"Why?" I whispered into the darkness.
My eyes slowly drifted toward my bedside table. For some reason, I felt drawn to open the drawer.
I hesitated for a moment… then pulled it open.
Inside, among random things, lay an old chain.
I frowned.
"I don't remember this…"
Picking it up, I examined it closely. It looked simple, yet oddly familiar. As my fingers brushed against it, a sudden sharp pain shot through my head.
"Ah—!"
I clutched my forehead, stumbling slightly.
And then—
A flash.
Laughter.
A blurred image of someone standing close to me.
Warm hands holding mine.
And a voice…
"Don't ever take this off, okay?"
My eyes snapped open.
"What… was that?"
My breathing became uneven. My hands trembled as I stared at the chain.
Was that… a memory?
The next day, I couldn't focus on anything.
Classes felt like noise. Conversations didn't make sense. Everything felt distant—like I was there physically, but my mind was stuck somewhere else.
With him.
By the time college ended, I had already made up my mind.
I needed answers.
And there was only one person who could give them.
Him.
As I stepped outside the gate, my eyes instinctively searched for him.
And just like yesterday—
He was there.
Leaning against a tree, as if he had been waiting all along.
For me.
Our eyes met.
Something shifted in his expression… relief.
"You came," he said, pushing himself off the tree.
I walked straight toward him, my steps faster than usual.
"Who is Alina?" I asked directly.
He froze.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then, slowly… he smiled. But this time, it wasn't soft. It was sad.
"You," he said quietly.
My chest tightened.
"No," I shook my head immediately. "That's not my name."
"It was," he replied. "Before everything changed."
"Before what?"
He didn't answer right away. His gaze dropped to the chain in my hand.
"You still have it…" he whispered.
I followed his gaze, then quickly hid it behind my back. "This? I just found it. It doesn't prove anything."
"It proves more than you think," he said.
His voice was calm… but there was something heavy behind it. Something unspoken.
"Then tell me," I challenged. "Tell me everything. Because right now, you sound insane."
A faint chuckle escaped his lips.
"Yeah… I probably do."
He looked at me again—this time more carefully, like he was memorizing my face.
"There was an accident," he said finally.
My heart skipped a beat.
"You lost your memories that day."
Silence.
The world around me suddenly felt too loud, too distant.
"Accident…?" I repeated slowly.
He nodded.
"You were in the hospital for days. When you woke up… you didn't remember anything."
I swallowed hard.
"Then why don't I remember you the most?"
That question…
It hit him.
I saw it in his eyes—the flicker of pain, the way his jaw tightened.
"Because," he said quietly, "I wasn't there when you woke up."
"Why?"
This time, he didn't answer.
Instead, he looked away.
And that's when it hit me again—
Might be the only one who knew it…
Or the one who caused it.
My breath caught.
"You're hiding something," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
He didn't deny it.
"Tell me the truth," I demanded. "Were you involved in that accident?"
For a second… just a second…
He looked guilty.
And that was enough.
I stepped back.
"Oh my God…"
"It's not what you think," he said quickly, stepping toward me.
"Then what is it?!"
"I was trying to save you!"
His voice was louder now, filled with desperation.
I froze.
"What…?"
"That night," he continued, breathing heavily, "everything went wrong. I tried to stop it. I tried to protect you."
"From what?"
But he didn't answer that either.
Instead, he whispered,
"From losing me… and from losing yourself."
My head spun.
Nothing made sense.
And yet… everything felt connected.
The chain.
The flashes.
His eyes.
"Why do I feel like I know you?" I asked, my voice trembling now.
His expression softened immediately.
"Because you do," he said gently.
A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it.
"I don't want to feel this way," I admitted. "It's confusing… it hurts."
He took a slow step closer, stopping just inches away from me.
"I know," he whispered.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then, carefully… hesitantly…
He reached out.
Not to grab me.
Not to force anything.
Just to… hold my hand.
And the second his fingers touched mine—
Another flash.
This time, clearer.
Me… laughing.
Him… smiling.
Our hands intertwined… just like this.
My eyes widened.
"I…"
I pulled my hand back instantly, breathing heavily.
"I saw something…"
Hope lit up in his eyes.
"What did you see?"
"I don't know," I shook my head. "It was just… pieces."
"That's how it starts," he said softly.
"Starts?"
"Your memories…" he stepped closer again, but slower this time. "They're coming back."
My heart pounded.
Was that true?
Or was I just getting pulled deeper into something I didn't understand?
I looked at him one last time.
"Who are you… really?"
He held my gaze, his voice steady but filled with emotion.
"I'm the man who lost you once," he said.
A pause.
"And this time… I'm not letting you go."
To be continued…...