N2: Project UNKNOWN-Zero

Project UNKNOWN-Zero

La Rooi was a man of many masks. He lived quietly, a shadow moving in the corners of a bustling city, known to most as a simple librarian. His charm was subtle, his words soft but carefully chosen. To the outside world, he was just a quiet man in his mid-twenties with a reserved nature. Yet, beneath this exterior, there existed layers far deeper than anyone could imagine , especially her, Elisa.

Elisa had met La Rooi through mutual friends a year ago. She was drawn to his calm, almost mysterious demeanor. Over time, their friendship grew stronger, often spending quiet evenings together. They had an unspoken connection, an understanding without the need for many words. Her warmth and kindness had a way of drawing him out, but he always remained somewhat guarded, never fully revealing his past. To her, he was simply a kind man with an air of complexity.

As they grew closer, something shifted between them. A glance lingered longer than usual. A shared laugh carried a deeper resonance. They began to spend more time alone, and soon they couldn’t deny the connection that had been there all along.

One evening, beneath the city’s fading twilight, they kissed for the first time. It was a quiet, gentle kiss, not the stuff of fireworks but something deeper. It was the kind of kiss that felt like an unspoken promise, a secret only they would share.

From that moment, their love became something they guarded fiercely. They began to date in secret, away from prying eyes. The city could be unforgiving, especially for two people trying to protect something precious. They wanted it for themselves, at least for a while. And so, they met in hidden corners of the park, in quiet cafés where no one knew them, and under the cover of night in La Rooi’s modest apartment, where the world felt small and safe.

La Rooi was happy, or at least as close to happiness as he could remember feeling. Yet, in the back of his mind, there was always a small, gnawing thought , a fragment of a past he couldn’t fully recall. He suffered from bouts of amnesia, blank spaces in his memory that stretched out like dark corridors. It wasn’t just forgetting where he’d left his keys or the name of an old friend. Sometimes, whole months were missing, like pieces torn out of the pages of his life.

He never told Elisa about his condition, preferring to let their time together remain untouched by the mysteries of his past. But it was always there, lurking in the background, a question without an answer.

It had been a beautiful day, one of those rare moments when everything felt perfect. La Rooi and Elisa had spent the afternoon walking through the park, talking about everything and nothing. The air between them was light, and Elisa’s laughter echoed in the trees.

But that night, everything changed.

La Rooi had been waiting for her at their usual spot, a small café on the edge of the city. It was late, and she was never late. The minutes stretched into hours, and a heavy sense of dread settled in his chest.

Something was wrong.

He called her, but there was no answer. He texted her, and his messages remained unread.

La Rooi’s instincts kicked in. He rushed to Elisa’s apartment, his heart pounding with each step. When he arrived, the door was ajar, the lock broken. His breath caught in his throat as he stepped inside, calling her name "Elisa!".

Silence.

In the dim light of the apartment, he saw her, Elisa,  lay on the floor... Lifeless, her once vibrant eyes now staring blankly into the void. There was blood...a lot of it. The room smelled of copper and coldness. His mind went blank, the shock so deep it was paralyzing.

Then the floodgates opened. Pain unlike anything he had ever felt tore through him. La Rooi fell to his knees beside her, his hands trembling as he reached for her, but she was gone. He screamed , a raw, primal sound that echoed through the empty apartment.