A man was lying in a bed. He seemed tall, with long black hair, and his eyes were closed. The sun's rays fell upon his chest piece through the window, which bore an intricate emblem with an arrow symbol at its centre. From the window, one could see a majestic castle with golden walls standing far towards the north.
Only if one looked closely enough could they see the man's hands and legs twitching as though he were in pain. His eyelids fluttered as though he were having a nightmare.
Indeed, a nightmare.
A dream so horrifying that the person could not move. Perhaps he was bound. Perhaps he had lost the will to move.
It was red all around. Red because the surroundings were engulfed in flames. Red because the ground was covered in blood. Red because the rain itself was blood-red.
The person couldn't move, but he screamed as loudly as he could. Only, his cries fell on deaf ears.
"Ahhh... You..."
The person looked at a beautiful, blood-red figure walking towards him, and he felt something terrifying.
The person screamed, "STOPPP! Please..."
The person roared like a madman as his consciousness began to dwindle. He watched as another familiar figure fell before his eyes.
"No... No... Please, no... WAKE UP!"
.......
Suddenly, the man's eyes opened. He took deep breaths as though he had just escaped with his life.
"Who am I? Where am I?" the man thought after abruptly sitting up. He then clutched his head and tried to remember who he was. But no matter how hard he tried, nothing came to his mind. Subconsciously, he looked around and found that there were many beds, with people sitting nearby and looking at him. It seemed to be some kind of resting house.
So why was he here?
Suddenly, he trembled a little.
From the corner of his eye, he could see an elderly man sitting casually and seemingly stitching something. He looked quite old, with his white beard and a golden tooth that flashed whenever he smiled as he worked on some cloth. As Veer focused on the cloth being woven by the old man, he could make out patterns of stars in it. He shook his head, but suddenly, he felt afraid for some reason. He was trying to look away when the old man looked at him warmly and said, "Are you feeling well, young man? Maybe you can go out and drink some water from the next room."
The young man nodded and tried to get up, but he stepped on something. It seemed to be a curved black sword. He carefully picked it up by the handle and examined it.
"It seems familiar."
Was it his sword? His eyes wandered until they landed on a sheath resting against the chair near his bed—its design matched the sword perfectly. It felt like it belonged to him. Almost instinctively, he reached for it, sliding the blade inside.
From the corner of his eye, he caught the old man giving him the faintest of nods, as if silently approving. Taking it as a sign, he fastened the sword to his armour. Just as he moved towards the decorated door on the other side of the room, it swung open abruptly, and someone barged in.
Before he could process what was happening, a figure crashed into him. A blonde head of hair filled his vision as they stumbled. When she straightened, her eyes met his—and tears spilled instantly, like pearls shining against her pale skin. She wore a flowing dress of purple and blue, and for a moment, he could only stare.
An angel… crying?
Wait, what is an angel?
Before he could give it any further thought, the girl opened her mouth and said, "Veer! What happened to you? Uncle told me that someone found you unconscious near the Puppet Bazaar. You told me you were going to purchase a singing puppet for my sister's birthday! Are you hurt anywhere?"
Various thoughts were racing through Veer's mind. Looking at the delicate figure in front of him, who seemed carved from porcelain and jade, he realized at least one thing—his name was Veer. Somehow, he had lost his memories just by going to the market. Was that even possible?
"But what is my relation to this girl?" he wondered. She seemed so familiar, yet the memories refused to surface.
Her eyes—clear turquoise, like sunlight dancing on shallow ocean water—met his with a mixture of worry and warmth. They seemed too alive, too knowing, as though they could see past the veil of his forgotten self. For a moment, Veer felt that if he stared long enough, the reflection in those eyes might unlock the truth he had lost.
He could vaguely guess who she was based on her surroundings and the quality of her clothes. It seemed he had lost only his memories, not his intelligence. From this, he inferred that she might be a princess—or some other royal—and that he was likely her protector, a bodyguard of sorts.
A shiver ran down his spine. If he admitted that he didn't recognize her, would he be violating some knight's oath? Knight's oath… The concept seemed familiar, though the details eluded him. Or had he only read about it in books? Wait… books he had read.
Looking down, he saw that the girl had stopped crying, and now only a playful smile remained on her face.
What a weird girl.
Before he could ponder further, the girl interrupted him, grabbing his hand and tugging him along.
"Uncle and my brother are waiting outside. Let's go see a doctor to check if there's anything wrong with you."
Veer forgot all about drinking water. His mind was already tangled in a deeper issue. The first person to find him had been that so-called uncle of the blonde girl—and he was also the one insisting on taking him to a doctor. Was this uncle somehow connected to his missing memories? Or was her brother pulling the strings, trying to use his condition for some kind of political manoeuvre against the girl?
Ahh… perhaps too much overthinking was exactly why he had lost his memories. Anyway, he should avoid the doctor for the time being—he felt fine, at least for now. Who knew? What if they tampered with his mind and he lost more than just his memories… what if his very intelligence slipped away?
Just then, the girl ahead of him stopped and glanced back. A playful, knowing smile curved her lips, as if she had read every word of his unspoken doubts. Without saying anything, she tightened her grip on his hand and dashed with him through the corridor.
As he went down the staircase, he could see a well-decorated room meant to serve guests or wanderers. There were intricate hangings made of tiger skin and the hides of other animals. It seemed that being able to hunt predators was a matter of pride here. As they arrived on the ground floor, the girl moved to the left and called out, "Brother! Uncle! He is awake. I was feeling so disturbed after you mentioned what happened to him, but it seems everything is okay now. Then let's not delay any further and prepare for my sister's birthday!"
Wow, it seemed the girl was extraordinary because she could sense his subtle rejection and apprehension. It also seemed that she was genuinely concerned. Did that mean she knew something? Then why had she mentioned that earlier?
Looking ahead, he saw a few people. The most dazzling among them was a blonde man with radiant features befitting a prince. Veer could now confirm that the girl was royalty. There was also a middle-aged man standing alongside the prince. He seemed to be around forty-five years old, and the most notable thing about him, apart from his blonde hair, was the deep black circles under his eyes.
Had he planned things so meticulously that he had to sacrifice several days of sleep?
The few men surrounding the royals wore armour similar to Veer's, though their polished crests gleamed brighter. Each bore the same faint, mocking smile, as if they knew a secret he did not.
Did I do something wrong? Veer thought, unease crawling at the edges of his mind.
The blonde prince turned towards them, his expression calm yet cold.
"Eryssa, we've already wasted enough time. Take your royal guard and see the doctor. Uncle has already arranged it."
The middle-aged uncle, shadows of sleepless nights etched beneath his sharp eyes, glanced at Veer and sneered.
"Young man, sometimes it's wise to rest. Otherwise, you might snap… like a puppet."
Veer returned his gaze without betraying any emotion.
"Thank you for your concern. But I am well enough. Perhaps I'll visit later—after my lady's sister's birthday celebration."
The uncle said nothing more. Instead, he flicked his head slightly, and one of the guards stepped forward carrying a lacquered box.
"Eryssa," the uncle said smoothly, "see if this gift is satisfactory."
A strange heaviness settled in Veer's chest. His instincts screamed at him, but before he could act, the girl—no longer weeping but smiling radiantly—flipped open the lid.
Inside, a delicate puppet began to sway, its joints moving with uncanny grace. A soft, lilting song floated from it, sweet and eerie all at once.
For no reason he could explain, Veer's heart lurched. Cold fear gripped him. The sight of that harmless, dancing puppet filled him with a terror deeper than anything he had ever known.