The door opened and the doctor stepped in, his expression calm but serious. "Let's give him some space for a moment," he said gently.
Rowen nodded, guiding Emi and Elara toward the hallway.
Elara forced herself to step out. The door closed softly behind her, and the quiet of the corridor pressed in.
Rowen turned toward her at once. "Elara, are you okay?"
She shook her head faintly. "He looked straight at me, Rowen. But it was like I wasn't even there."
Emi wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "He's confused. He just woke up. Maybe it's temporary."
Rowen let out a breath. "His memory seems stuck on the day of the old crash."
Emi's voice shook. "I cannot believe he is still asking for Luna."
"But it looks like the new accident restored his sight," Rowen added.
Elara said nothing. This was the first time Adrian had ever truly seen her. Yet she was a stranger to him. Every shared memory had vanished. Tears slid down her face.
Minutes passed before the doctor reappeared. Everyone stood.
"How is he?" Mrs. Vale asked quickly.
The doctor gave a careful sigh. "Physically, he's stable. The clot has been cleared and there's no sign of further bleeding. But he's experiencing post-traumatic amnesia. It seems his memory has reverted to shortly after the first accident that affected his sight."
Mrs. Vale's hand trembled. "So he doesn't remember the blindness?"
"Not at all," the doctor said. "His brain has erased everything that came after that incident as if it never happened."
Elara's voice was barely a whisper. "How long will it last?"
"It's difficult to say. Sometimes the mind restores itself with time. Sometimes it doesn't. For now, don't force him to remember. Familiar surroundings and gentle interaction will help the most."
Rowen nodded slowly. "We'll make sure he's not alone."
The doctor's gaze softened as he looked at Elara. "He asked for Luna," he said quietly. "It might be best if she visits. It could help ground him."
Elara lowered her head. Her hands twisted together in her lap. "I understand."
When the others went back inside to see him, she remained in the hallway. Through the half-open door, Elara heard Rowen speaking first, trying to keep his voice light.
"Hey, man. You scared us," Rowen said, stepping closer to the bed.
Adrian gave a small, confused smile. "I don't remember what happened. I just remember… driving. Then nothing."
"You were in an accident, but you're safe now," Rowen said gently.
Adrian nodded slowly, then looked around the room. "How is Luna? Is she here?"
Rowen forced a calm expression. "I called her. She'll come when she can."
Elara pressed a hand over her mouth, holding back a sob. The man inside that room had once told her he would be happy only because she was there. Now he didn't even know her name.
She turned away, walking down the corridor until she found a quiet corner, and there, out of sight, she finally let herself cry.
*****
The next morning, Elara woke with a heaviness she could not shake. She spent the early hours making Adrian's favorite chicken soup, the same recipe Mrs. Vale once taught her. It was the only thing she could think to do for him now, even from a distance.
When she arrived at the hospital, she carried the warm container carefully in her hands. Outside his ward, she paused to steady her breath before pushing the door open just enough to slip inside.
But she stopped.
Luna was already there.
She sat beside Adrian's bed, leaning close as she smoothed a hand through his hair. Adrian looked up at her with a gentle smile — a smile Elara hadn't seen in years.
"You came," he said softly.
"Of course I did," Luna replied, her voice warm as she took his hand.
They looked… natural together. Familiar. As if no time had passed. As if the moment Elara had spent at his side, caring for him and loving him had never existed.
Elara's grip tightened around the soup container. Her heart sank to the bottom of her stomach.
She lowered her gaze, blinking back tears that threatened to fall. Every soft laugh Luna coaxed out of him, every gentle touch she gave him, seemed to echo painfully inside her. She wasn't jealous of Luna. She was grieving the part of Adrian's heart she had once held, the part he no longer remembered.
She stepped back quietly before anyone could notice her, slipping behind the door like a shadow. Her chest ached as she pressed the soup to her heart.
It hurt more than she had expected. Much more.
****
Mr. and Mrs. Vale went to the hospital to visit Adrian and as they neared the ward, Mrs. Vale spotted Elara standing in the hallway, clutching a container and blinking away the pain in her eyes.
Rowen and Emi had come as well and they saw Elara standing outside the ward,
"Elara?" Mrs. Vale called gently.
Elara quickly wiped her cheeks and forced a small smile. "Mr. Vale, Mrs. Vale… Rowen, Emi… I'm glad you're all here."
They could see the strain in her expression. Rowen stepped closer. "Elara, were you just inside?"
She shook her head faintly. "No. I didn't want to disturb him."
Mrs. Vale exchanged a knowing glance with her husband. "Dear, how much did you see?" she asked softly.
"Enough," Elara whispered. She held the chicken soup a little tighter, then lowered her gaze. "And I've made a decision."
Everyone turned to her, sensing the heaviness behind her words.
"I think it's best if I stay away for a few days… maybe longer," she said quietly. "He just woke up. His memories are fragile. Hearing my name now will only confuse him."
Mrs. Vale's brows knitted with worry. "Elara—"
"He doesn't remember me," she said more firmly, though her voice trembled. "Not our moments, not our time together. Not even my face. Bringing me up now might overwhelm him."
Rowen sighed heavily. "But Elara, you were important to him."
"I was just his caregiver," she answered. "Right now, he needs stability. Luna is there. He's calmer with her. That's what matters for his recovery."
Emi placed a warm hand on her arm. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
Elara nodded, though every part of her ached. "Please… just don't mention me for now. Not my name, not our past. Let him rest without the weight of memories he can't reach."
Mr. Vale looked at her with quiet sympathy. "We understand."
Mrs. Vale stepped forward and gently touched Elara's shoulder. "You're a brave girl," she whispered. "If this is what you believe is best, we'll respect it."
Rowen exhaled slowly. "All right. We won't say anything."
Emi nodded. "Take care of yourself too, Elara."
Elara finally released a breath she'd been holding. "Thank you… all of you."
As they prepared to enter the ward, Elara stopped just short of the doorway. Her grip tightened around the container in her hands.
"Mrs. Vale," she said softly.
Mrs. Vale turned. "Yes, dear?"
Elara hesitated, then extended the warm container toward her. "This is Adrian's favorite chicken soup. Could you… give it to him for me? He shouldn't skip meals, especially now."
Mrs. Vale accepted it gently, her eyes softening with understanding. "Of course. I'll make sure he gets it."
"Thank you," Elara whispered.
*****
That night, Elara lay awake, staring at the ceiling in the darkness. No matter how tightly she closed her eyes, the memories refused to fade.
Adrian's hand searching for hers in the dark. His voice murmuring her name with quiet affection. The warmth of his arms around her, steady and safe.
Each memory rose and fell like waves, and with every one, the ache in her chest deepened.
She tried to remind herself that he had forgotten all of it.
She tried to tell herself that this distance was for the best.
But the thought of him now holding Luna, leaning into her touch, smiling at her the way he once smiled at Elara, made her heart contract painfully.
She pressed a hand over her heart, trying to steady the trembling breath that escaped her. But the ache only grew heavier, sharper.
At last, she sat up, the blanket falling around her waist. The room was quiet, but her thoughts were loud and restless.
She knew what she had to do.
*****
The next day, she asked everyone to meet at Adrian's house. Rowen and Emi came first, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Vale. They could see from her face that she had not slept.
"I need to say something," Elara began. Her voice was calm, though her hands trembled slightly. "I am sorry I failed to protect him. I am truly happy that he is recovering, even if some memories are gone. Maybe this is fate. He has lost the part that held only darkness. Perhaps this is a chance to live like everyone else again."
She took a deep breath, forcing the words out. "So I will not reveal myself. I want Adrian to move forward with his life. Please help me and do not tell him about me."
No one spoke for a long moment. Even Rowen, usually the first to talk, stayed silent. At last, Mrs. Vale stepped forward and took her hands.
"You have done more for him than anyone," she said quietly. "If this is what you believe is right, we will respect it."
Elara nodded, though her vision blurred with tears.
With Rowen's help, she began removing every trace of herself from Adrian's life, her clothes, her books, the mug she always used, the tactile keypad phone he had relied on after losing his sight. Each item she packed away felt like a small goodbye.
When she was done, she walked slowly through the house. The air was quiet, too quiet. She touched the walls, the banister, the familiar corners that had once held laughter and warmth.
In his room, she stood for a long time by the bed where they had once whispered in the dark. Her hand rested on the pillow, still faintly carrying his scent.
Tears came then, sudden and uncontrollable. She sank to the floor, clutching the pillow to her chest as the memories rushed back, his laughter, his voice, the way he had held her as if she were something precious.
By the time she rose, her eyes were swollen, her heart hollow.
When she closed the front door behind her, it felt like closing a chapter of her life. The sound echoed through the empty house, sharp and final.
Elara stood there for a moment, staring at the gate ahead. Then she took a single, trembling breath and walked away.