Light and Shadow 8: Memory Restored

Light and Shadow 8: Memory Restored

This place truly gives me a sense of belonging, however, neither Mimi nor Nana comes here very frequently. I therefore always accompany them whenever they decide to visit this place, which is why I’m quite familiar with it already.

Mimi carefully maneuvered the car closer to the academy’s entrance and saw someone waiting for us at the main entrance. We stepped out of the car and approached the woman who had been waiting for us. She greeted us with a curtsy, which made me frown.

“Nice to see you again, Headmistress Amethyst, Lady Citrine, and Lady Sapphire,” Miss Jannett, the headmistress’ secretary, said.

I’ve never heard her address to Mimi as ‘headmistress’ before.

“Nice to see you, too, again, Miss Jannett.”

Miss Jannett smiled back and said, “Headmistress Fe is already waiting for you in her office.”

I turned to face Mimi and Nana, who were already looking at me. “It’s alright not to go to Maria Fe’s office, sweetie,” Mimi said softly. “I’ve already informed Maria Fe,” Mimi remarked, and I thanked her.

I don’t need anyone to accompany me because I’ve been here before. So, I excused myself and headed to the academy’s infirmary to look for Azriel. As I strolled, I looked at my surroundings as if it were my first time here.

As always, the interior of the institution never ceases to amaze me. Stanford Academy offers dormitories for its students to stay in. The only time students are permitted to leave the academy is during vacations because this is a boarding school.

Just like Lumina Academy…

They don’t have classes today, however, I couldn’t see any students around, which is confusing. I quickened my pace and searched for Azriel’s office once I was already inside the infirmary. Given that he is one of the campus’ excellent healers, they granted him his own office.

He might not have the ability to fully heal any kind of wound, but given that he can alleviate pain, it still gave him a chance to be one of the academy’s healers. I knocked on his door, and it opened almost immediately.

I came face to face with my boy best friend, who was taken aback to see me standing in front of him, while I was just innocently grinning at him. It was normal to be surprised like that since he wasn’t expecting my arrival.

“Surprise…?” I said cautiously, but he only chuckled.

“Oh, my innocent Sapphire…” he muttered, ruffling my hair.

I pouted, but my pout only fueled his amusement. “Do you really need to ruffle my hair every time we meet?” I asked, still looking grumpy.

He laughed again. “I like it when you whine,” he teased, before finally letting me into his messy office.

“This must be what they call organized chaos,” I remarked while looking around, trying to stifle a laugh.

“You may think you’re being sarcastic, but it’s not working,” he said, his voice laced with disapproval. “Your soft tone is giving you away,” I ignored him, knowing he was just messing with me.

“I wasn’t being sarcastic, though,” I decided to remark which only made him chuckle.

Azriel began to tidy up his office, picking up the scattered papers creating a whirlwind of chaos on the floor. As he moved, a whiteboard on the wall caught my attention, its surface was filled with scribbles and notes, but there was something that caught my attention.

As soon as I said, “Azriel Henritte Vanguard,” I felt a chill run down my spine. I glanced at Azriel, who had frozen in place, his gaze fixed on the whiteboard. “You finally remembered your real name…?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper, yet curious.

Our eyes met, and he nodded. “My memories are gradually returning, and I just so happened to remember my whole name,” he replied, and I couldn’t help but feel happy for him.

I locked my gaze on him, the memory of the day we found him still vivid. The hybris demons had nearly drained him of blood, their thirst for his blood driving them to madness. Their hunger was so insatiable that they had even turned on each other.

I remembered how frail he was when we rescued him. He was barely alive, his body ravaged by the hybris demons’ attacks. We had no clue what had happened to him before that. It was a miracle that he survived even after what happened.

But when he awoke, his memory was a void, except for his name, Azriel. But after he recovered and discovered this fortress, he decided to stay here, hoping that this place could help him piece together his fragmented memories.

A year has passed, and only now are his memories beginning to resurface. When we saved him, a storm of events erupted, and that was just the beginning of our tale. But I’m overjoyed to hear this fantastic news that I had been praying for.

Finally, he won’t feel like a stranger to himself anymore. The past will show him who he is. “I’m relieved. I hope it’s safe for you to return home soon…” I smiled, my eyes filled with so much hope while looking at him.

“I will be eternally grateful to the three of you,” he said, his voice filled with emotion. “I might not be alive today if Aunt Lorraine hadn’t stopped me from searching for my family that day…” he said, chuckling.

Mimi stopped him from searching for his family as soon as he recovered, convinced that it was still too dangerous. She knew he was vulnerable, especially since he couldn’t remember his past at that time. Thankfully, Azriel wasn’t stubborn enough to insist.

“When did your memories start to resurface?” I asked, my eyes fixed on him.

“Yesterday… after witnessing those immortals fight those dozens of hybrid demons on your campus…” he sighed, his expression seemed distressed. “After you left, I saw a woman with a familiar face, her eyes and hair color eerily matching mine,” his gaze was distant. “There was something about her that felt… familiar, like a piece of myself I had long forgotten. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a forgotten memory, a flicker of recognition that sent bolts of emotions inside me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was somehow connected to me, a piece of my past that I had been desperately searching for.”

He uttered those words, his brow furrowed in bewilderment. Now I realize that this might be why he couldn’t visit me last night to tell me what happened. Just looking at him, I noticed the dark circles under his eyes and how distressed he was.

And I can’t help but sympathize with him.

***