ECHOED HEARTS

Chapter 1

I woke up and feel like I emerged from a deep dark ocean. As I slowly regain consciousness, the sterile smell of antiseptic fills my senses, mingling with the faint hum of medical equipment.

I blink, trying to clear the fog from my vision. The room feels unfamiliar, and the white walls seem to close in on me. Am I in the hospital?

Someone shouted and go near me. Every moment was tentative, as if my body had forgotten how to respond to my mind's commands. I want to move my hands but I can't. My vision are still disorienting. Everything felt blurry and distant, as though I was seeing through a foggy lens. My limbs felt foreign, heavy, and uncooperative. Faces peered down at me, their voices a soft murmur that I struggled to understand.

Slowly, shapes and colors began to sharpen. It was like my eyes were adjusting to a new reality, and I was slowly regaining clarity.

"You're finally awake!!'

"We've missed you so much,"

Five faces, each framed with warmth and concern, hovered around me. Their smiles, though unfamiliar, radiated a genuine happiness that cut through the haze of my confusion. It was as if their joy had the power to chase away the remnants of my disorientation.

Another faces entered the room. Her eyes were red-rimmed and glistening with unshed tears, but her smile was a beacon of warmth. She reached out, her hand trembling slightly as if afraid to break the fragile moment.

"You're awake," she whispered, her voice breaking into a sob. The sound was a melody of relief that mingled with my own confusion. Beside her was a man with a stoic expression that betrayed his own relief.

"I love you, My Princess.", his strong hands gripped the edge of the bed and stares at me as if he will lost me again.

Their presence, their words, and the quiet comfort they offered wrapped around me like a warm embrace. And though I couldn't find the words to respond, their faces told me all I needed to know. I was surrounded by love, and in that, I found a sense of peace amidst the uncertainty.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Ashford. How are you feeling?", a guy in a lab coat check on me.

I wanted to respond, but the words remained tangled in my mind. I tried to speak, but only a faint breath escaped my lips. My eyes, still adjusting to the world, met those of the concerned faces surrounding me. The room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for my reply. Yet, the weight of my emotions was too heavy to bear-fear, confusion, and a profound sense of being adrift in a sea of disorientation. My silence was not just a lack of words, but a reflection of the storm swirling within me. In that quiet pause, the doctor's gaze softened with understanding.

"Can you tell me your name?", the Dr. asked me again but i just stared at him trying to process what he said.

My name? Wait...Who am I? What happened to me? Who are they?

"It seems you may be experiencing amnesia. We'll need to do more tests to understand your condition better."

The impact of the news was immediate. The unfamiliar faces, once glowing with relief and joy, shifted to masks of worry and heartache. The woman beside me breath hitched, her eyes brimming with fresh tears that threatened to spill. She reached out a trembling hand, clutching at the edge of the bed as if to anchor herself to this new reality. Her voice wavered as she spoke,

"Do you know who we are? C-can you remember anything at all?"

The man on my other side stood frozen, his face a storm of confusion and sorrow. His strong, capable hands clenched into fists at his sides, a visible struggle to keep his emotions in check. The silence between us seemed to stretch, filled with the unspoken fear of how much I had lost. His eyes, filled with unshed tears, searched mine for a glimmer of recognition, a sign that I still saw him as someone he always had been.