"Ron, Ron — hey, wake up!" a familiar voice called out.
"Huh… what happened? Why can't I remember anything?"
"You fell asleep right after opening the door," the voice said gently.
"Hmm… maybe I just didn't sleep well last night. That must be why."
He paused, blinking slowly. "But… it feels so good right now. Like my whole body's completely relaxed."
"Well, that's good," the voice replied with a soft chuckle. "Now come on — have lunch with us. Your dad made his special recipe today."
Ron slowly got up from bed and walked to the washroom. He stared at his reflection in the mirror.
Something felt off.
He couldn't quite explain it, but it was as if he was forgetting something… something important.
"…Whatever," he muttered, brushing the thought aside. "Let's just eat first."
He turned on the tap and splashed cold water on his face. Grabbing a towel, he dried off and stepped out of the room.
The scent of food drew him to the dining table.
His mom was already there, setting out dishes. Elia, his sister, sat quietly in her usual seat.
But someone else was there too.
A girl he didn't recognize — sitting beside Elia, calmly eating like she belonged there.
As Ron stared at her, the girl looked back.
Their eyes met — but only for a second.
Ron said nothing. He walked toward the dining table, completely ignoring her, as if she hadn't existed in the first place.
He sat down silently.
His mom stepped over and gently placed a plate in front of him.
"Today, your dad made lunch for us," she said softly.
Ron glanced at the plate, then slowly started eating.
The table went quiet — the only sound was the soft chewing of food.
Then, a voice cut through the silence.
"How's the food? Isn't your dad's cooking amazing?" Leonard asked as he joined them at the table.
"Mm." Ron nodded slightly, still eating.
Elia didn't respond. She kept eating without even glancing up.
"Oh dear," Maya said with a light laugh, trying to ease the awkwardness. "Your cooking must be too good — they're completely lost in their food."
After lunch, Elia stood up and left without a word.
Ron stayed behind, staring blankly at the table — like a puppet waiting for its master to pull the strings.
A few minutes later, the girl finished her meal too. She stood up quietly.
Ron rose from his chair and followed behind her, without saying a word.
Leonard's eyes lifted slightly, giving a side glance toward the blonde girl.
Maya, however, ignored her completely.
As they walked toward Ron's room, he quietly sat down on the edge of his bed, unmoving — like a puppet with its strings cut.
Eira, in contrast, swung her legs playfully from the chair beside him, a soft smile dancing on her lips. She looked completely at ease, almost amused… as if watching a show only she understood.
Suddenly, a faint crack echoed through the room.
The door creaked open, and Leonard stepped inside.
He glanced at Eira first, then shifted his eyes to Ron, still sitting there — stiff, hollow, eyes unfocused.
Then back to Eira.
"How is it?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said calmly, her legs still swinging. "He looks normal… but at the same time, he isn't."
Leonard's expression darkened.
"We'll have to take him to Headquarters. There's no other way to find out what's wrong."
But instead of waiting for a reply, he simply turned and left — silently, like the thought weighed too heavily for more words.
The door clicked shut.
Eira continued swinging her legs, the same faint smile on her face.
Ron didn't move.
He just sat there — like a puppet waiting for its master to pull the strings again.