At that moment, I sat at the edge of the bed, and Magnus crouched in front of me. We were face-to-face.
I saw my reflection in his bright blue eyes. They were so gentle, so full of warmth, and as he gazed at me, my heart began to race uncontrollably.
He reached out, took my hand in his, and smiled. “You used to tell me you liked me,” he said. “You even said you wanted to marry me. Have you forgotten all that?”
“I’m sorry, I think I have,” I said, struggling to recall. For a long moment, I searched my memories, trying to piece together fragments of the past.
It seemed Magnus and I had indeed shared meals together. Even though I couldn’t leave the ward, he would bring me delicious food and stay to eat with me.
Had we been that close?
The thought surprised me, leaving me momentarily stunned.
Did I really like Magnus?
Before I could fully process the thought, Magnus cupped my face and kissed me. His lips lingered on mine, soft yet firm. His voice was low as he murmured, “Do you remember? The first time we met, you kissed me first.”
For reasons I couldn’t explain, his words triggered a memory deep within me.
In my mind, I saw myself shyly confessing to Magnus. He had looked at me with those same gentle eyes…
And then, like a sudden snap, I was back in the present.
So, I really did like Magnus. But I had forgotten almost everything.
Tears welled up in my eyes, spilling over uncontrollably. “I’m sorry, Magnus,” I said, my voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to forget. I didn’t mean to stop liking you.”
Magnus wiped my tears away with his hand, his expression still soft and smiling.
“It’s all right, Seraphina,” he said. “I know how you feel. You do like me, but because you’re unwell, you’ve forgotten. Let’s work together to help you recover, okay?”
Our eyes met, and after a moment, I nodded. “Okay. I’ll do my best to get better.”
Magnus smiled and gently stroked my hair. Then, he pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
I looked up at him, and he looked back at me. For some reason, under his steady gaze, my cheeks began to grow warm.
“You’re blushing, Seraphina,” he teased with a quiet chuckle.
Embarrassed, I felt my face flush even more. Without thinking, I buried my head in the pillow.
“I’m going to sleep now,” I muttered.
“All right,” he said. “I won’t disturb you. You need to rest, Seraphina. I’ll come back to see you tonight.”
I heard the door close as he left. Only then did I lift my head from the pillow.
I looked around the room, studying every corner of this ward. The joy I had felt earlier because of Magnus vanished.
This room didn’t even have a window. It was suffocating, oppressive.
How was this any different from a prison?
I stared at the walls, feeling a wave of frustration and helplessness wash over me.
Was this really the place where I had been living all this time?
Why did it feel so unfamiliar?
It was as if none of this belonged to me. Instead, my mind drifted back to the memories I had when I first woke up-those fleeting images in my head.
In those memories, I was just a university student. I went to school, met people, and had friends.
People like Kael, Evelyn, and Judy. We were so close…
Wait. Kael!
Suddenly, a memory flickered before my eyes.
In it, Kael and I were lying on a bed. I saw myself sinking my sharp nails into his chest, piercing his heart.
I shot upright in bed, panic surging through me.
No. Something was very wrong.
These memories-they didn’t feel like hallucinations at all. They were too vivid.
I could feel the warmth of his body, the texture of his skin, and the hot rush of blood as my nails broke through.
How could a hallucination feel so real?
But then, a voice echoed in my mind.
“It’s not real, Seraphina. None of it is real. Kael, Evelyn, Judy-they don’t exist. It’s all in your head. Just illusions. Don’t mistake them for reality.”
“No!” I cried, trying to hold on to the memory. But as I reached for it, it slipped away, dissolving into a dark fog.
No matter how hard I tried to grasp it, it was gone.
“It’s just a hallucination, Seraphina,” the voice repeated. “Everything is a hallucination.”
I wanted to argue, to tell it to stop, but it ignored me, continuing to insist that none of it was real.
Eventually, I gave up.
As soon as I did, the voice disappeared, leaving me with a moment of silence.
I lay back down, exhausted, my thoughts too heavy to bear. Slowly, I closed my eyes, letting sleep take over.
In my dreams, I saw myself at sixteen, coming to this facility for the first time.
I had been so out of control back then, breaking things at home, throwing tantrums. My parents had been at their wit’s end.
I remembered their faces, how tired and worn they looked, as if they had aged years in mere months.
I had caused them so much pain.
I swore to myself that I would get better. I had to recover. I couldn’t let them suffer because of me.
“Seraphina, wake up,” a voice called softly.
I opened my eyes to see Magnus’s kind face.
“Why are you crying?” he asked. “Did you have a bad dream?”
His gentle concern made me feel so vulnerable. Without thinking, I threw myself into his arms, clinging to him like a frightened child.
The cool scent of him calmed me, easing the storm in my chest.
Magnus sighed softly, then wrapped his arms around me, holding me close.
“Seraphina,” he said. “It’s okay. I’ll always be here for you. Don’t be sad. We’ll get through this together. I believe in you. You’ll make it through.”
In his embrace, I felt warmth and safety.
I knew I had to keep going. I had to fight.