The chilly air stings your bare feet, and your chest heaves as you sob into the ground. You slowly crawl to your knees, trying to muster the energy to stand up as you continue bawling your eyes out, unable to stop the torrent of emotions flooding you. But your exhausted body gives in, and you fall to the ground, landing on your back.
You stare up through the trees, seeing the spotless, stagnant blue sky above.
It all feels like a strangely vivid dream, and the sight of the perfect, calm sky fills you with a new wave of guilt.
You clamp your hands over your ears to block out the sound of birds chirping, feeling your sorrow turn to somber frustration as the sounds of the beautiful day mock you.
stop, stop, stop...
You feel yourself slowly slipping away from the world as your fatigue gets to you, and you gladly let it happen. Your hands slowly fall to your side, and your breathing slows.
...
Your eyes slowly adjust to the dark surroundings, and you stand up with great effort, feeling the remnants of dried tears resting on your cheeks. Your mind is filled with rampant, troubling thoughts, and you struggle to push down all the memories and thoughts bubbling from the darkest recesses of your mind.
You force yourself to begin walking, focusing on the feeling of the soft leaves under your toes. The trees above you block the few strands of sunlight still present in the sky, and you finally consider finding a way out.
But as you walk further and further, the trees become even denser, and your efforts to navigate the forest only lead you further in.
You can't stop yourself from thinking back about everything that had happened, and the panic that had infected you then begins to return as the traumatizing sight of the girls you loved looking away from you with scorn corrupts your focus. You try to shove the imagery away, but all you're left with is a gnawing sense of utter self-hatred and disgust.
You walk in circles, half-focusing on finding your bearing while simultaneously delving deeper and deeper into the thoughts erupting from the anger rooted well within you.
Your stomach rumbles, but you ignore it, pushing it aside with all the other pains weighing on your mind.
You momentarily sigh in relief as you find a clearing, and you walk out into the familiar sight of the small park you had been to many times before.
The wind whistles throughout the air as it presses up against your cold skin, and you bear yourself against the force.
You walk to the closest bench, reminiscing on the time when you sat down on the very same bench with Hyoon by your side, finally calming down a bit as you think of her.
Such a simpler time. My biggest problem was figuring out which girls to choose.
...now I don't get to make that choice.
If only I wasn't such a fucking idiot.
Too late, I guess.
I deserved this. I absolutely fucking deserved this.
You take a seat on the bench, looking at the small bird fountain in front of you.
Now... what do I have left?
As you ponder your last question, a clear answer comes to your mind.
Nothing. I have nothing.
You close your eyes and feel the air around you, permanently tainted by the familiar air of the city you once thought you'd call home for many more years.
I don't belong here anymore.
Your mind suddenly flashes back to the moment of panic you had on the Uber back to Hafu's house after the fateful escape you had made from your kidnappers.
"Would things be better then? Could they be?
If I were to go away from all this, away from this new life that has caused me so much love and joy... as well as so much pain and hurt...
It was never like this before. Being a celebrity, and being surrounded by my idols... seemed amazing. It seemed perfect.
But it's fucking horrifying. It all happened so fast, and I didn't want it to stop. Every new experience I got from this brand new life... it all felt so incredible.
But now... I wish it had never happened."
I was right. I was apprehensive about going through with that because of everything and everyone I'd be leaving behind.
But now?
You scoff out loud, feeling like you wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
What am I leaving behind? People who can't stand me anymore? A life that I was never cut out for?
You clench your fists as another strong, cool wind blows against your body, and a wave of shivers overtakes you.
You look closer at the fountain and see a thin rope wrapped multiple times around the base. The sight instantly transports you back to Kimi's attempt, and you shudder as you vividly recall that night.
She probably felt a lot like I do now.
The only difference is...
You consider stopping the thought before it comes out, but your desire for self-vengeance pushes you to go even further than just thinking it.
"I actually deserve to die."
Your spoken words disappear into the empty air, leaving no trace of their existence except for the way your heart pounds upon hearing them.
They don't feel right coming out of your mouth.
But they must be right. Fuck, they have to be.
But...
You hear rustling from behind you, and you jolt out of your seat at the sound. You stare in disbelief as a panting, exhausted Imane emerges from the forest. She gasps as she sees you, and her face melts into relief as she sees you standing, nearly frozen in place.
"i-imane..." You mutter out, feeling any remote sense of peace you had garnered from your isolation completely shattered.
"Hey, hey," she calmingly says. "It's ok. You can keep sitting."
You sit down, not saying a word.
"I've been looking for you for hours..." She stifles a gasp as she sees your bare feet, now caked with dirt.
You open your mouth to ask why, but you can't speak.
She slowly sits down next to you, and you nearly flinch away.
You know why. Because she wants to make it crystal-clear that you don't belong here. That you're a fool who never should've come here, and now that you've ruined so much, you don't even deserve-
"I wanted to make sure you were ok."
You briefly turn your head to sneak a glance at her, but her piercing eyes lock straight onto yours, making you quickly turn away.
"I'm not here to lecture you or tell you that you fucked up," she says, reading your mind.
"..."
"Yes, there are a lot of people hurting right now because of what you did..." She says, making you clench your fist tighter and squeeze.
"I don't need you to fucking tell me that I-"
"...but you're one of them," she finishes, not fazed in the slightest by your tone.
"..."
"..."
"That doesn't matter," you finally grit out.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm a fucking monster," you mutter under your breath.
"..."
"And I'm leaving. No more LA. No more streaming. Nothing. I'll be gone, out of all of your lives, out of everything I've ruined. I won't let this go on any longer..." You continue, unable to raise your voice above a whisper. "I'll end it... for good."
Your head pounds as you realize the heavy truth in what you were saying. Your final words carry a nauseating ambiguity, but Imane stays relaxed, and she takes a slow, contemplative breath as she thinks.
You sit in silence, leaning over to rest your face in your hands.
"And what would that do?" She finally speaks up. "What would that fix? You admit that you fucked up, and now what? You want to run from it all? Even... from your own life?" She asks innocently, with not a hint of accusation in her voice.
"This isn't my life..."
"Yes, it is. It is now. Nothing will change that anytime soon. Not even if you take your life."
You pause, feeling your breath hitch in your throat.
"I couldn't fix anything. No one wants me here anymore, Imane..." You mutter. "And they're right."
"I want you here," she says, putting one arm around yours.
"No, stop..." You try to push away, but her grip remains solid. She doesn't let go, and her body heat slowly calms your shivers. "You don't want me here," you mumble.
"Why wouldn't I?"
Your body clenches, feeling a melting pot of emotion building up inside you again.
Her innocent gaze fills you with insurmountable guilt, and you squeeze your fist as she gently pulls you close. Your breathing shallows and a fit of inexplicable anger fills you to the brim, running every other thought out of your head.
You rip your arm away from hers and stand up in one motion, leaving her empty-handed. You turn around and face her, blinking back the tears already forming.
"I'm SORRY that you're in love with me! I'm fucking sorry, ok? But don't... don't do this to yourself! PLEASE!" You cry, unable to stop your tears from tracing down the well-beaten paths on your cheeks.
"Don't say that you want me here... don't..." Your anger dissolves into despair, and you can't even make it back to the bench before your knees buckle, and you sink down and fall on the grass beneath you, gently lying back onto the soft, cushioning dirt while your blurred eyes take in the darkened, cloudy sky.
A lightning strike unexpectedly illuminates the sky, and a sharp crack of thunder echoes through the air seconds later. The air around you begins to howl, whipping your cheeks with icy strokes of wind.
Imane stands up and sits down next to you. She places a hand on your shoulder, and you don't have the energy to push it away.
"You're not a monster," she says, speaking over the sound of the approaching storm. "And I care about you."
"no..." You mutter out.
"I do."
"NO, you don't... stop..." You lean your head to the side to look at her.
"Yes, I do. You know that," she softly replies.
"Fucking hell," you grimace, too sapped of energy to keep discussing it. "Well, you shouldn't. And you won't. Just give it time," you mutter, putting your hands in your pockets to shield them from the blasts of cold air.
"You think I'll stop caring about you?"
"Yes. Because you won't have a choice. I'm leaving. And I'm never coming back," you spit through your cold lips.
"If that's what you really want, I won't stop you."
"Good. I'll be gone as soon as I can."
To your surprise, she doesn't rebut, but simply keeps sitting, gently rubbing your shoulder. You don't say a word, wondering when she would finally get up and run from the inevitable thunderstorm that was growing closer by the minute. But she doesn't, and many minutes pass before you finally think about speaking up again.
"Why are you still here?" You ask, with a curt tone. "Why'd you even come find me?"
She raises an eyebrow, as if the answer to your question was obvious.
"Don't say it's because you love me..." You say.
"Do you want me to lie?"
You groan. "...but why? Why can't you hate me like everyone else?" You ask, truly trying to understand. "Why would you do this?"
She sighs. "Sit up."
"Why?"
"Come on, sit up and face me," she says, enunciating her words louder as the cacophonous sound of the rapidly approaching rain increases in volume.
You pull yourself up and turn to her, feeling incredibly fatigued.
"Do you notice anything different about me?" She smiles sweetly and asks.
"..."
You blink, taken aback by her question. "Um... what does this-"
"Come on, do you?" She patiently waits for your response.
"Uh... your...?" You take a moment to look over her body like it was the first time you were really seeing her.
"OH! Your hair! It's... you curled it! I... didn't notice that..." You gulp.
"What do you think?" She says, slightly pushing it up.
"It... looks really pretty. It suits you," you say, temporarily distracted by her beauty.
A small red tint comes to her cheeks, and she smiles.
"I'm glad you like it."
Her infectious smile makes your lips curl into a small grin for a moment before you quickly snap out of it.
"Do you see what you just did there?" She asks before you can open your mouth to speak.
"What?"
"You complimented me."
"..."
"..."
"...ok?" You begin to turn away, not caring to play along with whatever strange point she was trying to make.
"No no, come on. We're almost there," she says, pulling you back by the arm. She pauses for a moment before continuing, staring intensely into your eyes. "Do you know why I love you? Not loved, love..." She clarifies, making your heart swell despite the intense, recurring guilt her words invoked in you.
You shake your head.
"Do you think it was because of the nice dates, or the sex, or all the lovey-dovey stuff we did?"
"...a little?"
"No. Not even a little. Do you know why?"
You shake your head again.
"Because if any of those were reasons why I loved you... then if you stopped doing them, I'd stop loving you. And that's not possible."
"..."
"I love you because I know who you are," she says, reaching out and holding your hands. "Who you really are. I love you because of the parts of you that are so deep inside that nothing can change them. Despite how much this lifestyle has changed you, just like it's changed me, I love you because I've seen your colors. And even when you get lost in all the unimportant things, I know that I can bring you back to reality. Just like you can do for me."
You turn your head down and away from her, not letting her kindhearted words dig their way into your heart like you so badly wanted them to.
"You don't get it, Imane. It's what Rae said - I've always been this way. It just... hasn't come out until now,"
"...do you really think that's true?" She genuinely asks.
"Of course it is," you spit back.
"I'm not asking if it is. I'm asking if you truly believe it is."
"..."
"..."
You tense your jaw, afraid to confront the word that you knew would come out. Despite everything you wanted to believe, you couldn't quite get yourself to, and you sit there in conflicted silence, fearful of having to face yourself.
"...say it," she says, seeing the conflict written across your face.
"No," you finally blurt. "I don't... believe it."
"Exactly."
"...but..."
"No buts," she lovingly cuts you off, like a mother speaking to her child. "You've been going down the wrong path for the last... I don't know how long. But I know who you are, and I know that you can be that person again. The man who can always make me blush with the smallest compliments, just because of how genuine you are," she smiles, beckoning to her hair. "The man whose love sparkles in his eyes like nothing I've ever seen before..."
"...how?" You ask, finally feeling a crack form in your resolve.
She leans forward and intertwines her fingers with yours.
"Let go. Let go of everything. Your pride, your past, your future - forget about it all for a second. Focus on right now. Focus on what you want."
She grips you tighter, and you squeeze her hands back, closing your eyes as you take her words to heart and think.
What do I want?
As if it was waiting for you to ask, the obvious, undeniable answer pops into your head, and you don't push it away this time.
"I want..." Your throat chokes up.
"Don't be afraid to want it. Don't think you don't deserve it, or anything like that. Just say it."
"...i want a second chance. I want to make things right."
She grins, and she gives both of you a few seconds to process.
"And how are you going to do that?" She eventually continues.
Your expression drops into a frown again as you think back to all the other girls, but Imane quickly snaps you out of it.
"Hey, I said don't think about the past or the future," she whispers, leaning in close. "Think about right now. Think about me. How are you going to start changing things right now?"
You look up at her, and her intelligent, soulful eyes calmly return your gaze.
At that instant, the clouds above you finally snap, and rain begins to pour over you in sprinkles that swiftly turn to buckets, running over every inch of your body. Your drenched clothes press into your skin, and Imane's hair flattens under the pressure.
But your eyes never leave each other's, and as she keeps your hands locked with hers, a sense of true clarity, one you hadn't felt in a long time, finally returns to you.
Her hands reach up to cup your face, and you lean in, feeling everything else in the world peel away. Your lips meet hers, and the tickle of her wet hair brings a melancholic smile to your lips.
"I love you, Imane..." You whisper between soft kisses, as your tears get washed away by the storm. "I'm sorry for everything I've done..."
Her palm rests on your cheek, blessing you with warmth.
"Can I make it up to you?" You ask.
She nods and pulls you closer, gently placing your foreheads together as she whispers into the intimate space between your lips. "You already have. As long as you promise me you won't let anything distract you from being exactly who I know you are... that's all I want."
"...i promise. I promise I promise I promise," you say, making her tilt your chin up to kiss you deeply once more.
The splattering rain continues to pour, but you can barely feel it over the sensation of Imane's gentle touch.
"But now... comes the hard part," she tenderly says, keeping her hands around you.
"..."
"Making it up to everyone else..."
You hold her tighter. "How could I ever get them to forgive me? They hate me..."
"They might hate you. But that doesn't mean they don't love you too."
"..."
"You've wronged a lot of them... but what hurts them the most isn't what you've done... it's who you've become. The person they knew got buried underneath the mess... and it hurts them so much to see him gone. The real you."
"But... he's not gone... right?"
"I'm talking to him right now," she whispers, grinning.
"...do you really think I could ever make up with them? Could we ever repair what I destroyed?" You ask.
She pulls away and gently wraps her arms around the back of your neck, while your hands rest on her waist.
"I think so."
"How?"
She sighs. "...slowly. Very, very slowly."
You nod.
"And... not with all of them at once. Start small."
"...ok. I'll try."
She pulls away and helps you stand up, sending your body into another wave of shivers as your freezing, aching muscles strain your body against the pouring rain into movement again.
"Come on. Let's get to my car," she beckons, holding out her hand.
You take it, and she slowly leads you out of the dark woods.
...
You sigh and lean back, gratefully taking in the warm air coming from the heater. Imane sits next to you, doing the same in the driver's seat while the car's engine sits idle. Rain splatters down on your windows with a vigorous pace, and you watch as the droplets merge while they travel down the glass.
"I'm sorry about the car..." You say.
"Don't worry. It'll dry up."
You rub your hands together, generating more heat between your cold fingers.
"Imane..."
"Hm?"
"I don't know if this will work. I'm... really glad that you're willing to give me a second chance. But... I don't know if they'll see it the same way. Rae..." You stop yourself from tearing up again at the recollection of her heart-stopping words. "She made it pretty clear that she wants nothing to do with me..."
"I disagree. Remember what I said? She's heartbroken because she thought she lost you."
"...are you sure?"
She smiles. "Of course not. This world is a confusing place, if you haven't learned already..."
You sigh. "I guess there's only one way to find out...?"
"Yup."
You slowly nod, finally facing the daunting task in front of you.
"If it helps, I can talk to them and get something set up for you. A chance for you to explain yourself..." She suggests.
"Yeah, I'd really appreciate that."
"But... remember what I said about starting small?" She hints.
"Yeah. In fact..." You sigh, rubbing your forehead. "I know exactly who I want to start with."
"Ok. How about you go stay at a hotel tonight, and I'll wait until things cool off to get it set up?" Imane proposes.
"That sounds good."
Imane begins to reach for the stick shift to pull the car out of park, but you put your hand on hers.
"Wait. I need to ask you something."
"Hm?"
"Were you... really not mad at me for what I did?"
She places her other hand on yours and shakes her head. "Of course I was mad - you treated my friends like shit and hurt them. A part of me... really wanted to hate you," she quietly admits.
"So why'd you come find me? Why did you... bring me back?"
"I already told you, didn't I? That wasn't you. Not this you."
"...how could you be sure?"
She closes her eyes for a moment.
"I saw how you looked when you ran out of the room - I saw how much it horrified you to finally realize who you had become in such a short while," she observes, watching the scene unfolding on the back of her eyelids.
"And even though I didn't know what happened to you, or why, I realized at that moment that you... didn't know either. You never could have prepared for what this life would throw at you."
You look down at your feet, and she picks your chin up with her soft fingers., finally opening her eyes again.
"But now you're prepared. I know you are."
"...really?"
Her lips convey her answer, as she plants them on your cheek, then your lips.
"Come on. Let's get you to a hotel so you can clean up," she says.
...
You walk into the room, hiding your shaking hands in your hoodie pockets as you encounter five pairs of eyes locked onto you.
Despite her best efforts to put on a brave face, Imane's expression reveals the tension she was feeling sitting to the side of four other girls, each of whom carried solemn emotions as you walked in. They sit up a little straighter in their seats, clearly a little uncomfortable. None of them carry the anger you had last seen them with, but a gloomy, tense atmosphere hangs in the room.
"...hi," you softly start. "Thank you all for coming..."
"..."
"I don't want to apologize right now," you begin, not wasting any time. "I know I owe all of you a million apologies, but that's not why you're here..." You look down. "I just wanted to..." You gulp as your words struggle to come out. Your eyes snap up to Imane's, who had been your sole source of hope as you worked up your courage, and she smiles reassuringly.
"I want to try and make it up to you. I want to try and rebuild. And after everything I've done to each of you... and especially the way I acted a few days ago... I don't expect you to forgive me. I betrayed you, and the part of me that you knew was buried under who I had become," you say, restating Imane's words. Rae's eyes flicker with an unfamiliar emotion as she hears your words, giving you a sliver of uncertain hope.
"But I hope... that you can find it in you to accept me again. To let me try again. Maybe even to... start over," you mutter.
The silence in the room only makes your nerves spike, but you force yourself to keep quiet, knowing that a lot of conflicted thoughts were probably passing through the girls' heads.
"..."
"...why are there only 5 of us here?" Rae quietly asks, not acknowledging your words yet.
You take a breath, knowing the answer to her question, but unsure if you should say it.
But as your gaze flickers to Imane's, something in her expression tells you that she knew exactly why you chose this group.
"Because we were his final 5," another girl says, making the same realization.
You purse your lips, fearing how they would take the news.
"I'm not doing this because I want to date you again..." You blurt out. "I mean, um... I... uh..."
You take a deep breath.
"Yes. You were my final five. All the drama, all of the cutting and the heartbreak and everything... this was the end of it. It was supposed to be," you admit, not willing to hold anything back. Some of the girls express great surprise at the realization of why they were here, but they quickly mask it.
"But that's not why I wanted you here," you clarify. "I wanted to try and make things right with all of you first, because... well, if there's anything in this world I would regret, it would be not trying to set things right with... the women I love."
Your final word brings a palpable anxiety to your chest, as you remain unsure of whether the word would only drive them away further.
But as you let them process your words, Imane stands up and walks to your side, and she slowly takes your hand in hers. The girls watch closely as she intertwines your fingers, and you smile at her, melting into her warm grip.
Rae and the other girls watch her intensely, no longer hiding their surprise at the sight before them.
"Imane..." Rae mutters.
"Rachel..." She responds.
Rae squints her eyes, trying to see inside the mind of the girl she had known for so many years.
"You don't have to worry anymore," Imane says. "I know you're hurt. But I promise, he-"
"No," another girl interjects from the back. "You can't. Don't even try to promise anything about how he's changed in just a few days. I won't believe it," she finishes, crossing her arms.
You squeeze Imane's hand in distress.
"I'm not asking you to make up with me or forgive me, or anything like that. I'm ok with you hating me," you say, knowing that it was a bit of a lie, but one that might have to become the truth. "All I want is a chance," you repeat your earlier sentiment. "But... if all of you really don't want me here...if any of you don't want me here, in fact, then I'll go. I'll go back home to my old life, and I'll be out of your lives forever."
Imane turns and looks at you with concern at your unexpected message. Her forehead wrinkles in worry, but she stands strongly by your side.
None of the other girls seem to have expected your response either, as all four of them sit quietly.
"So...? Do you want me to go?" You ask after letting your words sink in. "I promise, I will if even one of you asks me to. I won't blame you for doing so. I just..." You hesitate, but decide to let them know how you truly feel. "I just love you all too much to bear being here if you don't want me here."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"I want you here," Imane speaks up, slowly looking around. "I don't want you to go."
You smile halfheartedly, knowing that as much as her words meant to you, the words of the four other girls were what would truly decide your fate.
Imane turns and looks at the girls expectantly, moving her sharp gaze from one to the other until she finally moves one into action after an excruciatingly long minute.
"Do you want to go?" One of the girls unexpectedly asks.
"Me? Um... well..." You look over at Imane. "At first, I did. I thought that was the only choice. But... it's not. I could run from all this, or I could stay... and try to fix it. To heal... what I've done. But I'll only do that if you want me to. Say the word, and I'm gone."
A new wave of silence fills the room, but you feel a strange sense of hope emerging from within you.
"...fine, then. don't go..." A frail voice uncertainly mumbles, almost afraid to hear herself say it.
You gulp, pleasantly shocked at the slight shake of her head. But you don't say a word, fearful she might change her mind any second.
The rest of the girls start to think deeper, knowing how big of an impact this would have on not only your life, but all of theirs too.
Another girl takes a deep breath and shakes her head, clearly ambivalent. "...you can stay," she finally decides, looking down at her crossed legs.
"..."
"...yeah. Stay," a third voice says.
None of the girls seem remotely confident in their words, but from all the time you had gotten to know them, you can see in their eyes that they meant what they said.
"...rae?" Imane asks, looking toward the final girl, who was staring off into space.
Rae's eyes snap back into focus, and she looks up at you. You almost shy away from her eyes, but something about her gaze draws you back in.
She slowly stands up and walks toward you, and Imane lets go of your hand to let her approach.
She takes cautious, careful steps, and you stand tall, not letting your gaze waver. Despite being the taller one, you begin to feel a sense of smallness from her gait, and you quietly wait in place.
She stops a foot in front of you, tilting her head up slightly.
Her face reveals almost nothing, but you could glean hints of the swirling thoughts occurring in her head from her naturally emotive eyes.
She swallows and opens her mouth to speak.
"...do you really think you deserve to be here?" She asks, with a much more vulnerable tone than you could have predicted.
You solemnly shake your head. "I don't. I don't deserve a second chance, I know."
"You're damn right..." she says, making your heart whine in your chest.
"..."
"...but you don't have a choice. You're getting one."
You gasp, expecting anything but the words she just uttered.
"I'm not gonna let you run from this. You need to fix what you've done. Not just with me. With everyone."
"...ok. I will..." You meekly respond, suddenly overwhelmed with relief and gratitude.
"Never do that to me or any of my friends ever again..." She mutters with a quiet, yet demanding tone.
You look at her for a few seconds longer, seeing the dim glimmer of hope in her eyes that was threatening to grow, and you slowly nod. "I won't. I promise."
She reaches up her hand and sticks her pinky out, and you nearly scoff at the gesture until you realize that she was completely serious.
You reach out your pinky and slowly wrap it around hers. She squeezes for a second, solidifying your words, and then she slowly lets go.
"Ok..." she mutters.
"..."
"Stay," she decides with an air of finality. "But on one condition," she adds.
Your heart jumps in your throat as you look up again at her.
"I want to start over," she says, still looking you dead in the eye.
"Huh?"
"Start over," Rae repeats. "From the very beginning."
You blink, still not fully understanding.
"Not forgetting everything that happened... but putting this... version of you, as you said, in the past. And starting anew," she continues.
Another girl nods along, voicing a similar desire. "Me too. I don't want everything from our past to keep haunting us. I want... a clean slate."
To your surprise, the rest of the girls voice their agreement.
"A... clean slate..." You mutter.
"Let's make it official, then," Imane declares, seizing the opportunity. "A fresh start. A new beginning. A second chance to make things right and show us who you really are. All in favor?"
All five of the girls slowly nod.
"Come on, then," Imane says, holding out her hand.
You gently grasp it, letting her guide you out of the room and down the stairs.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Into the past."
"...wha-?"
"We have to go back to the very beginning. You haven't forgotten, have you?" She quietly asks, turning to look at you.
"Forgotten... what? I don't..."
She swings open the front door and walks out onto the porch with you, clutching both of your hands.
She speaks in an ethereal whisper, and you listen closely.
"The very beginning. Remember how you felt. Remember who you were, and who you can be again. Remember what you've learned. And start again."
Her words shake you to your core, and you close your eyes, letting the rush of emotions flood you as your mind places you right back in the moment it all began. All at once, everything about that fateful day comes rushing back to you.
You watch your life flash before your eyes, seeing everything from the amazing memories you shared to the grave mistakes you committed. The laughter, grief, pain, and joy of every moment that passes by in an instant fills you with too many interfering emotions to count, but you sit through it, attentively soaking in every second of it.
And as you witness yourself passing through the years, you truly begin to see yourself for the first time. You notice all the ways you've learned, grown, and changed, and all the faults, hope, and fear that lived inside of you, and, in a moment of peaceful self-reflection, you accept them all.
And finally, it ends, leaving you right back where it all started.
...
Your eyes slowly flutter open. The evening light casts long shadows as the muted songs of chirping birds fill the quiet air.
You look down at yourself and see the same naive, excited boy you were over a year ago when you first stepped onto this front porch.
As you look up and toward the door, a single thought graces your mind, settling comfortably into you.
I think I'm ready now.
You step up to the door, feeling the surreal sensation of déjà vu overtake you as you give the door a few gentle knocks.
You feel like you've thought about this moment your entire life.
And as soon as the door opens, you know you're right.
The two silhouetted figures standing in the doorway, and the three right behind them, look like angels in the light, and you stand there, not knowing what to say.
"You must be our new member," Imane calmly grins, seeing the light in your eyes.
"...yeah..." You mutter, still a bit in awe.
She steps aside, and you nearly feel like you're floating as you manage a smile back and step inside.
"Welcome to your new life."
The End