He looked at her and let out a soft laugh. "Glad you still have a good sense of humor."

But she didn’t laugh back. She sat still, watching him with a calm and confused expression that slowly faded his smile. Her brows were slightly furrowed, her eyes searching his like she wanted to borrow the truth.

"Wait… you’re serious?" Andrew asked, coming closer. "You can’t remember anything at all? Like... nothing at all?"

She shook her head slowly, her eyes watering. "My brain feels blank. Like I woke up new."

Andrew sighed and scratched the back of his head. He had seen a case like this before. One of his patients had slipped while climbing a rocky path and hit his head against a large stone. He couldn't remember his name for weeks. The memory eventually returned, but it was slow.

Looking at the woman in front of him, staring at him with uncertainty and fear, Andrew quietly concluded: amnesia.

"I’ll be back in a moment," he said gently.

He stepped outside the hut into the warm sun and found Clara near the firewood pile, sipping from a green coconut.

"What do you mean she lost her memory?" Clara asked sharply before he even said a word. "If that’s the case, we need to take her to the city. Drop her off at the nearest police station. Her people are probably already looking for her."

She took another sip, shaking her head.

Andrew folded his arms. "No, her life could be in danger. What if it’s not just a case of a missing person? What if someone tried to kill her? What if it’s a murder attempt? She’s safer here. Until she remembers something, I don’t want to take any chances."

Clara didn’t argue, but the way she moved her head and narrowed her eyes said clearly: she didn’t agree.

***********************

The next morning came faster for Erica, and the tiny sewing space she called a shop was filled with scattered fabric. He was bent over her table, cutting a piece of patterned cotton fabric with sharp focus, when she felt something.

Eyes.

She looked up and found Austin sitting in the corner, watching her silently.

"What?" she said. "You’ve been staring at me like I’m a monkey that stole your banana and ran away."

Austin smiled softly.

Her expression was always lively. Her words always hit unexpectedly.

"You don’t talk much, huh?" she said. "Since you arrived, I can count how many words you’ve spoken."

She pulled the chalk from behind her ear and marked the fabric carefully. Then she removed the tape hanging from her neck and faced him fully.

"So what’s your story? You almost jumped off a ledge, and honestly, looking at you, you don’t strike me as someone who can swim. I mean, the ocean would've eaten you up like breakfast."

"And me? I had to drag your huge body off the ledge. I swear, my arm still hurts." She rubbed it dramatically.

"I’m sorry," Austin said.

She grinned and slapped his shoulder lightly. "I was joking. Don’t be so serious."

His face softened. He looked away for a moment, inhaled deeply, and then began to speak.

"I lost my mum and fiancée, just two days before our wedding. I was supposed to take them for a clothes fitting... but I was busy. I sent the driver instead."

He paused, swallowing hard.

"A truck hit them. The car caught fire, and it exploded. They were burnt beyond recognition. Nothing was left, not even a piece of fabric."

Erica’s smile dropped. She watched a tear roll down his cheek.

"Maybe if I had driven myself, maybe I would've taken another route... maybe…"

"Maybe you would’ve died with them," She interrupted gently. "Don’t rule that out."

She moved closer and folded her arms.

"Do you know what I think? I think you’re selfish."

He looked at her, shocked.

"Yeah," she said firmly. "You have people grieving at home. Your dad? Friends? And instead of being there, you wanted to add another funeral. That’s not how to honor their memory."

Austin lowered his gaze. She was right. He hadn’t even thought about his father. He just disappeared.

Suddenly, a wave of memories came crashing in. Amanda’s laugh. Her late-night calls, the surprise visits. The night he proposed, with trembling hands. Ten years of friendship, turned love, now lost in one moment, and now she was gone.

Erica noticed his silence. She made a sound with her teeth and tapped the side of her head.

"Don’t worry. I’ll ask my parents to make them comfortable over there. They’ve stayed long enough."

He chuckled softly. The humor was dark... but it helped.

**********************

Back in the village, the lady stood in front of a small mirror hanging on the wall. She touched her hair, now tied with a soft ribbon Clara gave her. Her fingers brushed the side of her neck where a small scar was healing. Her reflection felt unfamiliar.

She stared at her eyes, her lips, trying to remember something, anything that could help.

Andrew walked in quietly, holding a plate with food.

"You need to eat something," he said gently. "And rest. You’re not fully recovered."

He placed the food on a small stool.

Just as he turned to leave, she spoke.

"Please, wait."

He paused and turned back.

"I don’t know if by any chance… You know my name. I’ve been trying to remember, but... there’s nothing."

Andrew stepped closer.

"Your name is Luna, Luna."

She repeated softly, like tasting it. "Luna."

He gave her a small smile, then turned to leave.

Just outside, Clara grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the door.

"What are you doing? Her name isn’t Luna."

"From now on, that’s her name," Andrew said. "At least until she finds the real one. And please... let it be like that."

****************

In another city, inside a hospital room, the machines hummed quietly. A woman lay on the bed, with a bandage neatly wrapped all over her head.

Then her fingers twitched.

Her eyelids opened.

She slowly tried to sit up.

A firm hand pressed gently against her shoulder.

"Easy," a voice said. "You’re still not stable."