"Really?! My sister is already back?!" Neon asked, looking up at Dr. Rivera with wide, excited eyes. He had been told that his sister was away on a long medical mission and wouldn't be home anytime soon. Her sudden return was the best news he had heard in weeks. "Can I see her right now?"
"Of course. I'll take you to her room right after you finish your breakfast," Eli replied warmly. "Anyway, how are you feeling today?"
"I'm doing fine, Eli. The bruises are slowly fading, and they don't hurt like they used to," Neon answered before shoving another big spoonful of food into his mouth.
Normally, people at the hospital addressed Eli as "Doc" or "Dr. Rivera." Those close to him would occasionally call him "Doc Eli" in informal settings. But only his family and oldest friends called him just "Eli." Yet, listening to the young boy, it was the first time a patient had used his first name without making Eli feel the immediate urge to correct them.
"Neon."
"Hm?"
"Have you ever seen your sister cry?"
Neon paused, chewing his food thoughtfully as he pondered the question. "No," he said after a few seconds. "Belle isn't like Auntie. I've never seen her cry or even get sick. Belle is the strongest woman I've ever known. Honestly, I used to think she had superpowers."
"But Belle isn't a superwoman, you know," Eli murmured.
"I know," Neon responded, his tone suddenly turning solemn. "Belle just endures everything because of me. That's why I always like to visit her department—I want to see what she's really like when she's working. She's just too good at hiding her emotions. Half the time, I don't even know how she really feels when things go wrong."
"If you ever did see your sister cry, or look weak... what would you do?"
Neon blinked, looking entirely unfazed. "What's there to do? She's still my sister, even if she cries or gets weak. What difference does it make?"
Eli smiled, the weight in his chest lifting slightly. Hearing the boy's words, he realized Belle's fears were entirely unfounded. "Alright, then. I have to check on another patient, but I'll be back shortly to pick you up. Don't go wandering off without me."
"Yes, Eli!"
Meanwhile, a few doors down, Ceres was feeling significantly better thanks to the aggressive treatment she had received. She would never admit it out loud, but she secretly looked forward to Eli's frequent visits.
Currently, she was sitting propped up in her hospital bed, a small hand-mirror held up to her face. For the first time since waking up, she was actually looking at Belle's features.
[She really is pretty], Ceres thought, tracing the line of her jaw.
Her intense scrutiny made the attending nurse beside the bed shift uncomfortably. Even if a person lost their memories, they wouldn't usually stare at their own reflection like they were looking at a total stranger, would they? But Ceres couldn't care less what the nurse thought. If the woman knew the mind currently inhabiting this body, a strange look would be the least of her worries.
[She isn't a flashy, runway model type of beauty, but she's still gorgeous compared to the others around here. Hah! What a remarkable turn of events. I am definitely using this face to get you exactly what you deserve, Belle. As for that director's daughter? Hmph. You could easily pull the rug out from under her with a face like this.]
"Belle? Are you okay?" the nurse asked tentatively, catching the sudden, devilish smirk crossing the patient's face. It was an expression she had never seen on the sweet nurse before—the kind of look that promised absolute trouble.
"I'm fine," Ceres said, smooth as silk. She handed the mirror back and offered a perfectly sweet, innocent smile. "I just suddenly remembered something."
"Really?!" The nurse stepped closer, her face lighting up with intense expectation. "What did you remember?"
"Uhh... yesterday, I overheard some of the staff talking about the upcoming interdepartmental sports festival..."
Before she could even finish her sentence, the nurse's shoulders slumped in profound disappointment.
Ceres tilted her head. "Did you think I remembered something from before the accident?" The nurse nodded sheepishly. "Sorry to disappoint you. My past is still a total blank."
"No, it's fine. Don't apologize," the nurse sighed comfortingly. "You'll recall those precious memories eventually. It just takes time."
"Right. So, about this sports festival..."
"Well, you definitely won't be allowed to join any physical sports," the nurse said flatly, drawing a faint, amused smile from Ceres. "I'm not saying you aren't athletic, but Dr. Rivera would never clear you to move around like that. You still have to complete physical therapy for your knees and feet."
"I figured as much. I was actually thinking about the board games or table matches. I used to be quite good at those."
The nurse sighed, stepping back to tidy up the room. "There's a committee meeting next week regarding the festival. You should mention your idea to Dr. Rivera. He can easily speak to the director on your behalf."
Ceres narrowed her eyes slightly. "And why does it have to be him specifically?"
"He's one of our department superiors, and he's personally overseeing your recovery. Besides, everyone knows he's very close with the director's family."
Curiosity piqued. If she recalled Isabelle's fragmented memories correctly, the hospital director had a daughter who had been desperately chasing Eli ever since he joined the staff.
"Which director are we talking about?" Ceres asked, keeping her tone casual. "Can you tell me a bit about him? Have I ever crossed paths with him before?"
Eager to help, the nurse relayed everything she knew about the director, including the few brief interactions Belle had experienced. The details aligned perfectly with Isabelle's residual memories. It was almost comical how often Isabelle had crossed paths with the director's haughty daughter in the past—the girl had even accompanied the staff on that fateful medical mission.
"Hmm." Ceres mentally replayed the hazy scene of Belle falling into the raging river. The memory cut out right before the fall, leaving the culprit's face hidden, but the physical sensation was unmistakable. She hadn't slipped. She had been shoved. "Did I have a good relationship with Dr. Peachy Lopez?"
"You?" The nurse laughed out loud at the absurdity of the question. "The two of you were like ice and fire. You couldn't stand being in the same room."
Hearing the phrase ice and fire, a sudden, sharp pang of nostalgia hit Ceres, bringing Marcus's face to the forefront of her mind. She felt a brief wave of guilt for leaving her old companions behind so selfishly, but there was no turning back now. She didn't understand the mechanics of why she had been given this second chance at life, but she was determined to live it decently—and make whoever wronged this body pay.
[Wait... am I just in a different country, or am I somewhere far in the future?] The sudden thought sparked a flicker of desperate hope in her chest. Yet, she quickly forced the idea down, refusing to get her hopes up only to be disappointed later.
Lost in the labyrinth of her thoughts, she didn't hear the soft click of the door handle rotating, or the sound of the door swinging wide open.
"Belle!"
Neon's joyous, ringing voice shattered her contemplation. But before Ceres could even turn her head toward the sound, a violent wave of vertigo struck her.
Without warning, she was violently thrown backward, plunging straight into that same, terrifying, bottomless darkness. The hospital room vanished, leaving her completely lost in the void, utterly unable to fight her way back to the light.