The silence between them was almost deafening.
Garah stared at the framed photograph of her younger self—beaming with happiness beside a boy she couldn’t remember.
The boy who stood in front of her now.
“You erased me,” he said again, softer this time, as if the words hurt to repeat.
“I-I didn’t,” Garah whispered. “I don’t even know your name.”
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfI6ODgJxQ
He stepped closer, his silver hair falling slightly into his eyes. “Exactly. And yet… I remember everything.”
She took a step back, suddenly unsure whether this was a dream, a memory, or something more terrifying.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFstZgrviw
“What are you?” she asked.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MrlUmB6mm
“Someone who was once part of your everything,” he replied. “But you chose to forget me. Because remembering meant pain.”
Garah’s bracelet began to glow again—this time violently—until it almost burned her wrist.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8f8H1dKlej
“Then why are you here now?” she asked.
He reached out, fingertips grazing the space near her shoulder where her red string curled faintly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwKZMkoCnk
“Because our strings never really broke. They were just… hidden.”
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpEPn2B1Nj
Present Day
Pearl stared at the string tied around her pinky.
It was there. Real. Red. Tangled.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2V46BLHwKO
She hadn't noticed it until now. It wasn’t part of a bracelet or ring. It just… existed.
“Zyreen,” she whispered, “do you see this?”
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBma2aPBqwh
Zyreen’s eyes widened.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IiYPj4Skp
“Francisco… had one too.”
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJS1VsC1Zv
They both turned slowly. Their classmate Francisco was gone.
But a single strand of red thread floated on the wind behind him… vanishing down the hallway.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5a91WeHTu
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVjS0oqMUM
Back Inside the Memory
The hallway morphed. The walls cracked, the photos fluttered like pages from a notebook blown by wind.
Garah shielded her eyes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiITz227Xs
The silver-haired boy stood calmly in the center of it all.
And then the ceiling disappeared.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQNNrYGGUu
Above them—strings.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIToBOgAlU
Hundreds. Thousands. Endless red strings stretched across the sky like constellations.
Each one glowing. Each one moving.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWp6Cn07sim
Garah looked up, breathless.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGNLJI6DNu
“They’re alive,” she said.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VYvK7gp4r
“They are us,” he corrected. “Our memories. Our decisions. Our past and future.”
A new string floated down toward her.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eGyDE2wEJ
It wrapped gently around her wrist.
A name burned faintly at its end.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaWfy22Ges
"Francisco."
ns216.73.216.51da2
