The Chief raised her hand before Olian could continue. Her expression remained calm, yet there was an unmistaken authority behind her gaze.
"That is enough," she said. "This power is a sacred treasure of the village. To reveal too much of it to an outsider invites misfortune. Should such knowledge ever leak beyond these walls, the consequences would not be small."
Olian stiffened. Whatever she had been about to say died in her throat. After a brief pause, she lowered her head and nodded silently.
This reaction startled Elifero. He had grown to Olian's bluntness, her tendency to speak without hesitation. Seeing her fall quiet so easily made him uneasy. He couldn't understand why she obeyed so readily ~ beyond the fact that the woman before them was the village's Chief.
Breaking the silence, the Chief turned her attention to him.
"During my conversation with Olian," she said evenly, "she informed me that you are suffering from memory loss. She asked whether it would be possible for me to help restore what you have lost."
The room fell into a heavy stillness.
After a moment, the Chief continued. "Through the power known as Regeneration legacy, it is possible to restore memories... and to alter them."
Elifero remained standing, unmoving. He understood the words individually, yet they made little sense. His mind struggled to grasp what was being offered to him.
Seeing no response, the Chief spoke again. "I will take your silence as agreement."
Then, as if anticipating resistance, she added, "You should know this ~ during the process, I will erase all memories of this conversation, as well as your stay in this village."
"Wait ~!" Olian stepped forward. "Can't you leave those memories intact? He won't tell anyone. He's just a child. Even if he did, no one would believe him."
The Chief exhaled slowly.
"I understand your concern," she replied. "But this is a risk I cannot afford to take. As Chief, it is my duty to ensure this power remains hidden."
Her gaze sharpened slighly.
"Allowing emotions to dictate decisions leads only to chaos. I should not be the one reminding you of that."
She paused.
"Do you wish for what happened to your brother.... to happen again?"
Olian froze.
The Chief's voice softened, though her resolve did not waver. "Being a Chief is not about personal desires. It is about what the village needs. The village is my family. Until the next Chief is chosen, every soul here is my responsibility."
Her words were calm ~ gentle, even ~ but they struck with the weight of truth. They were not meant to wound Olian, yet they cut all the same.
Olian trembled, then lowered her head and nodded once more.
Elifero's face slowly drained of color. His chest tightened, a strange mix of unease and disgust rising within him. After hesitating, he spoke ~ recklessly.
"What kind of Chief says such words to a kid?" he demanded. "You say you're protecting people, but ~"
"Enough."
Olian's voice cut through the room. Though firm, it carried a softness meant only for him.
"I understand how you feel," she said. "These past few days have been... awkward. But we were starting to get along. I'll miss that."
She met his eyes.
"But I won't let you speak that way about the Chief. She's trying to help you."
Elifero fell silent.
After a long moment, he smiled faintly.
"I promised myself," he said quietly, " And I promised Miss Julie.... that I'd be your friend."
His gaze hardened with resolve.
"So I promise this too. I'll find you again. And when I do. I'll keep that promise."
Olian stared at him. His eyes, she saw unwavering determination ~ eyes that reminded her painfully of JJ.
She smirked.
"You'd better," she said. "I'll be wainting."
Elifero turned to the Chief and nodded.
Stepping closer, he leaned forward slightly.
The Chief raised her hand and gently tapped her finger against his forehead.
The world that he had started to know faded.
****
A day later.
Elifero lay asleep atop a stack of wooden crates in a narrow passageway. Something warm and heavy pressed against his face.
His eyes snapped open.
Blue sky. Drifting clouds.
Then ~ panic.
He couldn't breathe.
His body tensed as he struggled beneath the weight.
"What is this? his thoughts raced.
The pressure shifted.
He gasped, sucking in air as he shot upright. Relief flooded him as he dragged in a deep breath and looked down.
A dog barked.
Elifero stared at the animal perched beside him, his expression utterly dumbfounded.
"So, you're the one who was blocking my breathing," he muttered.
The dog merely stood there, tail wagging slightly.
".... Why am I talking to a dog?" he added.
Rising to his feet, Elifero turned slowly. All he could see was a dark, narrow passage squeezed between two buildings.
"Where the heck am I...?"
Voices drifted in from ahead ~ laughter, footsteps, distant chatter. Drawn by the noise, he walked toward the light. The dog followed closely behind.
As he stepped out of the passage, the brightness stung his eyes. He blinked repeatedly.
People passed by. Strangers. A bustling street.
His heart pounded.
Where am I?
The question echoed endlessly in his mind.