the truth(11)

(The infinite void pulses, flickering like a heartbeat. The memory in front of them freezes as Lucas suddenly clutches his head, a sharp pain shooting through his skull.)

Lucas:

"Ah…! What's happening?! I feel like… I'm starting to remember something!"

(The group turns toward him, concern flashing across their faces. Mia steps forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.)

Mia:

"Lucas, are you okay?"

Ava:

"Damn, you're shaking. What's going on?"

(Lucas takes a deep breath, the pain subsiding slightly, but his hands still tremble.)

Lucas:

"I don't know… I just… I feel like something is coming back to me. Like a memory I forgot a long time ago."

(Dakota watches him carefully, his golden eyes sharp and calculating. He crosses his arms, exhaling through his nose.)

Dakota:

"Ah… He's gaining it back."

(A heavy silence settles over them as Lucas straightens, still a bit unsteady but determined.)

Lucas:

"I think I'll be fine. Let's just… keep watching. I need to see this."

(Dakota nods, and with a flick of his hand, the frozen memory resumes.)

(The memory shifts, and suddenly, Michael and his friends find themselves walking down a quiet street bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. Lisa walks ahead, leading them towards a small but cozy-looking house.)

Lisa:

"I think you guys will really like my parents. They love meeting my friends!"

(Michael walks behind the group, his steps slower. His instincts twitch, an uncomfortable sensation settling in his gut. Something about this—this moment—felt significant.)

Michael (thinking):

"Why do I feel like this is a turning point? Like… if I cross this threshold, something irreversible will happen?"

(He shakes off the thought as they arrive at the front door. Lisa opens it, revealing a warmly lit living room where two adults—her parents—stand with welcoming smiles.)

Lisa's Father:

"Ah! You must be Lisa's friends. Come in, come in!"

Lisa's Mother:

"We've heard so much about you all. It's lovely to meet you!"

(The group enters the house. It looks completely normal—family photos on the walls, the smell of home-cooked food lingering in the air. It feels… safe. Comfortable. But to Michael, something feels off. His instincts whisper, but no words form—just a lingering sense of unease.)

(They all sit down, chatting and enjoying the warm hospitality. Lisa's parents laugh, joke, and treat them with kindness. But Michael… he can't shake the feeling.)

Michael (thinking):

"Something's wrong. But why? They seem so… normal. Maybe I'm just overthinking it?"

(The night continues peacefully. That is, until Lisa's father suddenly turns to Michael, his expression curious.)

Lisa's Father:

"Hey, Michael. Lisa tells me you're a genius."

(Michael shifts uncomfortably at the sudden attention.)

Michael:

"Uh… I guess? I don't know if I'd call myself that."

(Lisa's father chuckles, but his eyes hold a strange glint—one Michael doesn't like.)

Lisa's Father:

"Let me ask you something, then. If something bad ever happens to you… will you be able to handle it? Or will you break?"

(The entire room seems to go silent. The question feels… wrong. Not something an adult should ask a middle schooler. Michael furrows his brows, trying to make sense of it.)

Michael:

"Uh… I don't know? I mean, I don't think I'd break that easily, but… if something traumatizing happens, maybe? I just don't know. Sorry."

(Lisa's father waves a hand dismissively, smiling.)

Lisa's Father:

"Oh, no worries, no worries."

(But Michael's instincts flare up violently. It's as if alarms are screaming at him to get out. Now. Immediately.)

Michael (thinking):

"What kind of question was that? That wasn't normal. That wasn't something a normal parent would ask."

(He swallows hard, forcing a smile.)

Michael:

"Well, uh, I think it's about time we leave, guys."

(The group gathers their things, and Lisa walks them to the door, still smiling warmly.)

Lisa:

"I'm really glad you guys came. It was fun!"

(She then turns to Michael, tilting her head slightly.)

Lisa:

"Wow, what nice parents, huh? Wouldn't you agree, Michael?"

(Michael hesitates for a split second, his instincts still screaming at him. But he forces his lips into a thin smile.)

Michael:

"Oh yeah. Definitely nice."

(Lisa grins, waving as they walk away. But as Michael turns back toward the street, his expression darkens, his heart pounding in his chest.)

Michael (thinking):

"These instincts… what are they telling me? What is this feeling I'm getting from them? What's going to happen in the future?"

(The memory pauses again, and the group is pulled back into the void. The tension is thick, the weight of the scene pressing down on them. Dakota looks at the frozen image of Lisa and her parents, his jaw tightening slightly.)

Dakota:

"You were right, Michael. You should have listened to your instincts. I wish I never ignored mine. I wish I listened to them."

(He turns to the others, his golden eyes burning with something unreadable.)

Dakota:

"That's why I always listen to my instincts. Always."

(The group stands in silence, the weight of his words settling in. Lucas stares at Lisa's father in the memory, something inside him twisting uncomfortably. His headache begins to pulse again, but this time, he doesn't clutch his head. Instead, he just… stares, deep in thought.)

Lucas (thinking):

"Something's coming back to me. But what?"

(The void flickers again, the next memory beginning to surface.)

Dakota thinking: ... well Lucas looks like he's suffering while he's gaining back his memories... But the others are not getting back their memories yet, I wonder why? Maybe they have to see some moment that was special to them In their past life in order for it to start. Like Lucas seeing his former girlfriend, well I hope it starts soon... And when they get their memories back... I feel like me and my friends will have a long talk, and so will me and Henry and the others since they're characters in a novel I created... I wonder what they're reaction will be like after they find out? Well I'll guess we'll see, but not now.