CHAPTER 9

Ethan sat quietly, the glow of the setting sun painting his skin in soft hues of orange and gold.

The city below was alive with the hum of activity, yet it felt distant, muted, as if he were perched in another world.

His mind churned with the strange vision h had just had. He couldn't understand what that was really.

Was it like his past, had he come here in the past and being here now was bringing back the memories?

Was it like the future.... no that seemed way too ridiculous. 

But as he pondered, the door to the rooftop burst open with a loud bang, the sound echoing sharply in the quiet air.

Ethan's entire body tensed. He turned sharply, his instincts already preparing for flight.

If it was them—whoever they were—he wouldn't hesitate to jump. The edge was a mere jump away, and he could vanish into the labyrinthine streets below.

Though he wasn't sure he could remain intact after falling from such height.

But instead of the shadowy pursuers he feared, his eyes landed on a young girl, probably no older than her late teens.

She was leaning against the open door, her breath coming in quick, uneven gasps like she had just sprinted up every flight of stairs to get there.

One hand gripped the doorframe for balance, while the other rested on her knee.

Ethan's frown deepened as the memory of his vision surfaced. This exact moment… I've already seen it.

The girl standing before him was unmistakably the same one he'd glimpsed in that strange, fleeting vision.

The very vision that was bringing more questions to his already confused life.

Her features were identical—her messy brown hair, the slightly oversized hoodie she wore, and the nervous energy radiating off her.

He had doubted the vision at first, brushing it off as some bizarre trick of his mind since to his lost memory.

But now, as he stood face-to-face with her, the reality of what he'd seen was undeniable.

This could only mean one damn thing.

The girl's wide eyes locked onto his, and the moment she saw him there, she let out a startled squeal, her voice high and sharp in the still air

It broke the tension, but then her reaction seemed to embarrass her immediately. A blush crept across her cheeks, and she quickly straightened, brushing stray strands of hair from her face.

"Uh… sorry," she stammered, her voice softer now. "I didn't think anyone else would be up here. This is… kind of my spot."

Ethan's posture remained rigid, but he let out a measured breath, lowering his guard.

"I'll be gone in a minute," he said flatly, turning back toward the edge.

He sat down again, letting his legs dangle over the side as if the encounter hadn't shaken him. His back was now exposed to her, an unspoken gesture of trust— or perhaps defiance.

The girl hesitated by the door. She seemed unsure, her eyes darting between Ethan and the open expanse of the rooftop.

After a long pause, she stepped forward cautiously, walking toward the edge.

She didn't sit right away. Instead, she stopped a meter or so away from him, the distance a silent acknowledgment of the tension in the air.

Finally, she eased herself down, mirroring his position with her legs dangling over the side.

They sat there in silence, the noise of the city below filling the gap between them.

It wasn't an uncomfortable silence; rather, it felt natural, as if both of them needed the moment to process the situation.

The girl was the first to speak. "I'm Andy by the way," she said, her voice tentative but friendly.

Ethan hesitated. He didn't have a name, not any that he could remember anyway.

The only name he could cling to was the one tied to the address—the name Ethan. It kinda rolled off his tongue instinctively.

"Ethan," he said simply, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

Andy smiled faintly, though there was still a flicker of wariness in her expression. "So… Ethan. What brings you up here? This isn't exactly a hangout spot for most people."

He shrugged, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "Needed some air. Needed to think."

She nodded, seeming to accept the vague answer. "Same here. I usually come here every evening to watch the sunset. It's… peaceful."

Ethan finally turned to look at her. She was staring out at the skyline, her features softened by the warm glow of the setting sun.

"You don't seem old enough to be sitting on the edge of a rooftop like this," he remarked, his voice neutral but edged with curiosity. "One wrong move, and you're done."

Andy laughed, the sound light and genuine. "I'm eighteen," she said, grinning as if to challenge him.

"I'm old enough to make my own decisions. Besides, I've been doing this for years. I know what I'm doing."

Ethan raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "Still risky," he muttered, leaning back slightly.

She shrugged, unfazed by his concern. "Life's risky. You can't live your whole life afraid of falling."

Her words struck a chord in Ethan, after all from the time he had woken up today, his life had been shit.

Though he didn't show it.

Instead, he let the conversation flow naturally, the two of them exchanging light remarks about the view, the city, and the little things they noticed in the streets below.

As the minutes ticked by, their voices softened, and the conversation dwindled. A comfortable silence settled over them once more.

The sun dipped lower, casting a fiery orange glow across the city. The lights of Los Angeles began to twinkle, one by one, like stars on the ground.

Andy broke the silence again, her voice quieter this time. "It's beautiful, isn't it? How the city changes when the sun goes down."

Ethan didn't respond right away. He was watching the horizon, the colors shifting from gold to deep crimson. He nodded slowly, the tension in his body easing slightly.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he allowed himself to simply exist in the moment. And for now, that was enough.