The silence between them was almost deafening.
Garah stared at the framed photograph of her younger self—beaming with happiness beside a boy she couldn’t remember.
The boy who stood in front of her now.
“You erased me,” he said again, softer this time, as if the words hurt to repeat.
“I-I didn’t,” Garah whispered. “I don’t even know your name.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHs0zLy1c7
He stepped closer, his silver hair falling slightly into his eyes. “Exactly. And yet… I remember everything.”
She took a step back, suddenly unsure whether this was a dream, a memory, or something more terrifying.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eR72qW209
“What are you?” she asked.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrr0OPJowql
“Someone who was once part of your everything,” he replied. “But you chose to forget me. Because remembering meant pain.”
Garah’s bracelet began to glow again—this time violently—until it almost burned her wrist.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡng5I2Xo792
“Then why are you here now?” she asked.
He reached out, fingertips grazing the space near her shoulder where her red string curled faintly.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO31LJeReCs
“Because our strings never really broke. They were just… hidden.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxEqEon1X0
Present Day
Pearl stared at the string tied around her pinky.
It was there. Real. Red. Tangled.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhR3dxykhSy
She hadn't noticed it until now. It wasn’t part of a bracelet or ring. It just… existed.
“Zyreen,” she whispered, “do you see this?”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37ZxFsXLbp
Zyreen’s eyes widened.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxVxrgOiDs
“Francisco… had one too.”
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkuiE4EGJwT
They both turned slowly. Their classmate Francisco was gone.
But a single strand of red thread floated on the wind behind him… vanishing down the hallway.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQJxwdHmEM
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyGoev8ZSc
Back Inside the Memory
The hallway morphed. The walls cracked, the photos fluttered like pages from a notebook blown by wind.
Garah shielded her eyes.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCcXM5Ti9c
The silver-haired boy stood calmly in the center of it all.
And then the ceiling disappeared.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSemlkjgqL5
Above them—strings.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRMYHe1aQT
Hundreds. Thousands. Endless red strings stretched across the sky like constellations.
Each one glowing. Each one moving.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPpT5Jm99z
Garah looked up, breathless.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqV46JtXLB
“They’re alive,” she said.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAVBA9T8E7
“They are us,” he corrected. “Our memories. Our decisions. Our past and future.”
A new string floated down toward her.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwMsdNQy3D
It wrapped gently around her wrist.
A name burned faintly at its end.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpGg7Rt18L
"Francisco."
ns216.73.217.11da2
