A man was lying down in a bed. He seemed tall with long black hair and his eyes were closed. The sun's rays was falling on his chest piece through the window which had an intricate emblem with an arrow sign in it. From the window one could see a majestic castle of golden walls standing far towards the north. Suddenly The man's eyes opened.
"Who Am I ? Where Am I ? " The man thought after abruptly sitting up and then clutched his head and tried to remember himself. But no matter what nothing came to his mind. Subconsciously he looked around and found there were many beds and people were sitting looking at him and it seemed it was some kind of resting house. So why was he here ? Suddenly he trembled a little.
From the corner of his eyes he could see an elderly old man sitting casually and seemed to be stitching something . He seemed pretty old with his white beard and a golden teeth flashing when he smiled as he worked onto some cloth . As he focused on the cloth weaved by the oldman, he was able to see patterns of stars in them. He shook his head but suddenly he felt afraid for some reason. He was trying to look away when the old man looked at him warmly and said "Are you feeling well young man ? Maybe you can go out and drink some water from the next door."
The young man nodded and tried to get up but he stepped onto something, it seemed a curved black sword . He carefully picked it up by the handle and examined it "It seems familiar" . Was it his sword ? His eyes wandered until they landed on a sheath resting against the chair near his bed—its design matched the sword perfectly. It felt like it belonged to him. Almost instinctively, he reached for it, sliding the blade inside.
From the corner of his eye, he caught the old man giving him the faintest of nods, as if silently approving. Taking it as a sign, he fastened the sword to his armor. Just as he moved toward the decorated door on the other side of the room, it swung open abruptly and someone barged in.
Before he could process a figure crashed into him. A figure collided into him. Blonde hair filled his vision as they stumbled. When she straightened, her eyes met his—and tears spilled instantly, pearls shining against her pale skin. She wore a flowing dress of purple and blue, and for a moment he could only stare. An angel… crying? Wait, what is an angel?
Before he could give further thoughts the girl opened her mouth and said "Veer ! What happened to you ? Uncle told me that someone found you unconscious near the puppet bazzar. You told me you were going to purchase a singing puppet for my sister's birthday? Are you hurt anywhere ?"
Various thoughts were racing through Veer's mind. Looking at the delicate figure in front of him, who seemed carved from porcelain jade, he realized at least one thing—his name was Veer. Somehow, he had lost his memories just by going to the market. Was that even possible?
"But what is my relation to this girl?" he wondered. She seemed so familiar, yet the memories refused to surface.
Her eyes—clear turquoise, like sunlight dancing on shallow ocean water—met his with a mixture of worry and warmth. They seemed too alive, too knowing, as though they could see past the veil of his forgotten self. For a moment, Veer felt that if he stared long enough, the reflection in those eyes might unlock the truth he had lost.
He could vaguely guess who she was based on her surroundings and the quality of her clothes. It seemed he had lost only his memories, not his intelligence. From this, he inferred she might be a princess—or some other royal—and that he was likely her protector, a bodyguard of sorts.
A shiver ran down his spine. If he admitted he didn't recognize her, would he be violating some knight's oath? Knight's oath… The concept seemed familiar, though the details eluded him. Or had he only read about it in books? Wait… books he had read. Looking down he saw that the girl had stopped crying and now only a playful smile remained. What a weird girl .
Before he could ponder further, the girl interrupted, grabbing his hand and tugging him along. "Uncle and my brother is waiting outside. Let's go see a doctor to check if there's anything wrong with you."
Veer forgot all about drinking water. His mind was already tangled in a deeper issue. The first person to find him had been that so-called uncle of the blonde girl—and he was also the one insisting on taking him to a doctor. Was this uncle somehow connected to his missing memories? Or was it her brother pulling the strings, trying to use his condition for some kind of political maneuver against the girl?
Ahh… perhaps too much overthinking is exactly why I've lost my memories. Anyway, I should avoid the doctor for the time being—I feel fine, at least for now. Who knows, what if they tamper with my mind and I lose more than just my memories… what if my very intelligence slips away?
Just then, the girl ahead of him stopped and glanced back. A playful, knowing smile curved her lips, as if she had read every word of his unspoken doubts. Without saying anything, she tightened her grip on his hand and dashed with him through the corridor.
Going down the staircase he could see a well decorated room meaning to serve guests or wanderers. There were intricate hangings of tiger skin and other animals. It seemed it was a matter of pride here to be able to hunt predators. As he arrived to the ground floor the girl moved left and said to " Brother ! Uncle ! He is awake . I was feeling so disturbed after you mentioned about him but it seems now everything is okay. Then lets not delay further and prepare for sister's birthday."
Wow it seems the girl was extraordinary because she could feel his subtle rejection and apprehension and also it seems she was genuinely concerned. Does that mean she knows something. then why did she mention that earlier. Looking ahead there were a few people. The most dazzling was a blond man with radiating features befitting of a prince and now Veer confirmed that the girl was a royalty and there was a middle aged man standing alongside the prince . He seemed around 45 years and the most notable thing other than blond hair was deep black circles under his eyes. Did he planned so good that he to cancel a few days sleep ?
The few men surrounding the royals wore armor similar to Veer's, though their polished crests gleamed brighter. Each bore the same faint, mocking smile, as if they knew a secret he did not.Did I do something wrong? Veer thought, unease crawling at the edges of his mind.
The blond prince turned toward them, his expression calm yet cold. "Eryssa, we've already wasted enough time. Take your royal guard and see the doctor. Uncle has already arranged it."
The middle-aged uncle, shadows of sleepless nights etched beneath his sharp eyes, glanced at Veer and sneered. "Young man, sometimes it's wise to rest. Otherwise, you might snap… like a puppet."
Veer returned his gaze without betraying emotion. "Thank you for your concern. But I am well enough. Perhaps I'll visit later—after my lady's sister's birthday celebration."
The uncle said nothing more. Instead, he flicked his head slightly, and one of the guards stepped forward carrying a lacquered box. "Eryssa," the uncle said smoothly, "see if this gift is satisfactory."
A strange heaviness settled in Veer's chest. His instincts screamed at him, but before he could act, the girl—no longer weeping but smiling radiantly—flipped open the lid.
Inside, a delicate puppet began to sway, its joints moving with uncanny grace. A soft, lilting song floated from it, sweet and eerie all at once.
For no reason he could explain, Veer's heart lurched. Cold fear gripped him. The sight of that harmless, dancing puppet filled him with a terror deeper than anything he had ever known.