It's in the eyes. Always the eyes.

Chapter Four| Echoes of the Past

Penny didn't know what was happening to her.

For a week, she had been experiencing strange, fragmented memories that felt too vivid to be dreams. These flashes of recollections happen during mundane moments—while walking through the jungle or sitting by the beach—and they grow increasingly unsettling.

Today it happened again surrounded by her friends.

One moment, she was sitting in the living room, carefully threading together a seashell necklace with Crash, Coco, and Aku-Aku nearby. Then, in the blink of an eye, everything shifted. She was no longer in the room but in the fragmented remnants of her own memories. Flashes of scenes she'd never fully recalled before filled her mind: walking down a sterile corridor lined with scientists in lab coats, a dark, shadowy figure looming above her, and unfamiliar faces watching her every move with unnerving intensity.

And then, just as quickly, she was back. Coco's voice pulled her out of the haze.

"Huh?" Penny blinked and looked up, disoriented. She met Coco's concerned eyes. "Did you say something?"

"You were zoned out again. This is the tenth time this week. Are you sure you're okay?" Coco's voice was laced with worry.

Penny furrowed her brow, lowering her gaze in uncertainty. "I... I don't know. I keep having these strange, vivid moments... like I'm somewhere else, being watched by scientists, inside a place I don't recognize. And then..." She winced, rubbing her temple as a dull ache formed. "Ngh... my head."

Aku-Aku floated closer, his face creased with concern. "Why didn't you tell us sooner, Penny?" His tone was gentle but serious, as Crash hurried over with an ice pack in hand.

Crash knelt beside her, offering her the ice pack, which she gratefully accepted, pressing it to her head. "I didn't want you guys to worry more than I already do," Penny admitted, her shoulders slumping in relief as the cold soothed her aching head.

Aku-Aku exchanged a glance with Coco, his worry deepening.

"By the way," Penny looked over to Coco, her voice laced with curiosity, "have you had any luck with that necklace I found?"

Coco frowned, shaking her head in dismay. "I've run all the tests I could think of. Every analysis, every scan... but nothing. No new information. It's like the necklace is just... ordinary." She sighed, her frustration evident. "I thought it might hold a clue about your past, but I've come up empty." Coco's ears drooped, clearly disappointed in herself.

Penny's expression softened, seeing the guilt weighing on Coco. "Don't blame yourself, Coco. You did your best," she said gently, offering her friend a small smile. "Maybe the answer isn't as simple as we'd hope."

Aku-Aku nodded in agreement, his voice calm and wise. "Indeed, sometimes the truth we seek isn't found in tests or science alone. Perhaps the necklace's meaning will reveal itself in time, or in ways we cannot yet understand."

Coco nodded, though the reluctance in her eyes was clear. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she said softly. Despite the reassurance, it was clear she wished she could have done more for Penny.