She turned and left with quick steps towards the grocery store.
In a quiet corner of the hospital, Arin sat in front of a desk, carefully organized papers spread before him. There were tables with the names of orphanages in the capital of Izora, organized by year, accompanied by contact numbers.
He picked up the phone and began to dial, his voice calm but his tone reflecting a hidden tension. "Hello, miss, this is Dr. Arin. Can you help me? I'm looking for your adoption records for the year 2009."
The reply came from the other end in a sharp, official tone. "I apologize, sir, but we cannot share this information without official approval from the police or the court."
Arin was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand... Thank you for your time, sorry for the inconvenience."
He ended the call and gently placed the phone on the table, then began to tap his fingers on the wood, a steady rhythm reflecting his racing thoughts. He stopped, lifting his gaze to a file in front of him—Aiden's psychological report, dated 2009—where he found the name that had now brought him back to square one.
He suddenly stood, removed his white lab coat, and threw it on the chair. He took his car keys lightly and left the office without looking back. He opened the car door, got behind the wheel, and quickly turned the key. The engine roared to life, and without hesitation, he sped towards his old city.
His eyes were fixed on the road, but his mind was lost in possibilities. "Does anyone still remember anything?"
The past was no longer just a distant shadow... it was now something he was running towards with all his might.
A Glimmer of Hope
The morning had begun to gain some of its warmth when the sun's rays reflected off the pharmacy window. Sera's eyes caught a paper hanging there. "Employee wanted—part-time."
She slowed down, then stopped completely.
"Aiden, there's a job ad on the pharmacy door." She looked at him, her expression hesitant but bright with hope. "I'm going in... who knows? Maybe I'll be lucky."
Aiden tilted his head slightly, a faint gleam in his eyes. "Shall we go together?" he asked, as if he didn't want to be away from her for a moment.
But Sera hesitated, looking at him with understanding. "The noises... the door... the buzzing... I'm afraid the place will hurt you."
Aiden closed his eyes for a moment as if gathering his strength, then said with a clear smile, "I'm fine, you go. I'll be here, waiting for you."
She got out of the car, and he walked with calm steps towards a metal bench on the side. Two girls stood whispering. One's voice was sharp but low.
"Look at him... he's like a painting!"
"Should we go over?" the other said, looking at him as if afraid to break a precious moment. "Maybe he has a girlfriend."
"Do you see him with anyone?"
Their footsteps suddenly stopped at a soft, eager voice mixed with joy.
"Aiden!"
Sera ran towards him, her hair flying behind her, her face glowing as if she had held the stars in her hands.
"I did it!" she said, laughing. "I got the job!"
She threw herself into his arms in a spontaneous moment, then drew back shyly, placing her hand on his cheek as if touching something sacred. She looked into his eyes with the gaze of a woman who had seen all the pain and wanted to be the cure.
"Aiden... if you would allow me, I want to enter your heart... to be the light for your darkness."
Her eyes were shining, but not with tears—with a promise. A promise that she would never leave him.
Aiden, without saying a word, extended his hand, gently took her wrist, and pulled her towards him until there was no distance between them but the air they shared.
"Sera..."
"I wanted that from the first moment... I wanted you to be a part of me, of my breath... of every beautiful thing that might be written for me."
Then he slowly leaned in, his eyes glowing with warmth, and touched her lips with a light kiss, but it spoke of a thousand hidden feelings—a kiss that contained the past and the future, the pain and the hope.
And in the background... the world spun as usual, but for them—time stood completely still.
A Final Phone Call
In that moment, Arin was driving his car at a frantic speed, his fingers pressing hard on the phone, trying to control the trembling in his voice.
Arin, in a disturbed tone, laced with the bitterness of years, "Mother... just answer. When? When did you abandon Aiden?"
Silence came like a slap. He heard only her broken breaths, as if she were choking on an old memory... breaths heavy with regret, as heavy as words unspoken for years.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and his eyes filled with angry tears. He looked like someone drowning in a bottomless swamp.
Arin, with painful brokenness and a voice that was cutting, "Now... now you feel regret?! After fifteen years?! You are too late... Regret should have come when he was placed there, when I looked into his eyes and saw unforgivable betrayal... when he lost his loyal wing... the warm embrace he sought and found empty."
His voice broke, and her words finally came out, weak as a dying whisper.
Mother, in a hoarse voice choked with sobs, "Thursday... the twenty-third... of December... 2009."
The hand holding the phone went slack. He slowly lowered it as if he could no longer feel it. His eyes darted, and his body froze for a moment before the lights of a huge truck speeding towards him appeared.
He violently turned the steering wheel, but the brakes did not respond.
A collision.
The front of the car was crushed, and the glass scattered like the shattered pain in his heart. His head hit the dashboard, and blood trickled from his forehead as thick black smoke billowed from the engine.
With ragged breaths and vision that was about to go out, he picked up the phone with a trembling hand and dialed Aiden's number.
On the other side, the phone rang.
Aiden, staring at the unregistered number, "A strange number..."
He answered hesitantly.
Aiden: "Who is this?"
Arin, in a faint, tired voice, barely audible, "This is... me... Ar... Arin..."
Aiden, suddenly standing, his voice changing to a tone of great concern, "Arin? What's wrong? Where are you?"
Arin whispered as if breathing his last, "I just... wanted to hear your voice... for the last time... Ouch..."
The phone fell from his hand, and the call was disconnected.