Chapter 17: Fractured Memories

The snow continued to fall, soft and silent, the petals drifting through the air, their whispers haunting and cold. Jun stood on the Moon Bridge, his heart pounding, his breath visible in the winter air.

His gaze was fixed on the couple before him—the man's shoulders tense, his eyes dark, his jaw tight; the woman's tears falling, her voice trembling, her hands reaching out. They stood together, bound by grief, by guilt, by love.

Bound by the name they kept whispering. Mei.

Jun's chest tightened, his mind spinning, his body cold and rigid. He didn't understand. He didn't know them. He didn't know her. He didn't remember any of this.

But his heart ached. His soul felt heavy, hollow, broken. As if a part of him had been torn away, ripped from his chest, leaving behind an empty space that nothing could fill.

The woman's fingers curled into her husband's coat, her shoulders trembling, her voice breaking. "I can feel her… I can feel her here…" Her eyes were wide, her face pale, her tears falling. "She's close… she's so close…"

The man's jaw clenched, his shoulders tense, his voice low. "Her spirit… it's bound to this bridge…" His eyes were dark, his chest tight. "She… can't leave…"

Jun's blood ran cold, his body rigid, his mind spinning. Spirit…? His gaze shifted to the bridge, the petals drifting through the snow, the shadows swirling beneath the river. The air was cold, the whispers echoing softly, the sorrow lingering, heavy and hollow.

A shiver ran through him, his skin prickling, his breath catching. He could feel it—the presence, the sadness, the longing. The same feeling that haunted him every time he stood on this bridge, every time the petals fell.

The feeling of someone waiting.

His heart pounded, his chest tightening, his body trembling. He turned to the woman, his voice faint, his hands shaking. "Who… was she…?" His breath caught, his eyes wide. "Who… was Mei…?"

The woman's lips quivered, her tears falling, her shoulders shaking. "She was… our daughter… our little girl…" Her voice cracked, her hands trembling. "She was bright, and warm, and full of light… she loved this bridge… she loved the snow… she loved…" Her voice broke, her chest heaving. "She loved you…"

Jun's heart stopped, his body rigid, his mind reeling. "M-Me…?" His voice wavered, his pulse quickening. "But… I… I don't…"

The man's eyes darkened, his jaw tight, his face pale. "You were her friend." His voice was heavy, full of sorrow. "Her everything ."

The world went cold, the air heavy and silent, the snow freezing in midair. Jun's body went rigid, his breath catching, his chest tightening. Her… everything …?

His mind spun, his vision blurring, his heart pounding. No… no, that couldn't be right. He didn't have a friend . He had grown up alone, without any close friend, till now he didn't have any contact with someone other then people from the village . That was the truth. That was his life.

But the ache in his chest… the emptiness… the sorrow…

It felt too real.

The woman stepped closer, her fingers trembling, her voice breaking. "You were so close… you did everything together… you were inseparable…" Her lips quivered, her eyes shining with tears. "She loved you more than anything… and when… when the accident happened…" Her body shook, her hands covering her mouth. "She gave up everything… to save you…"

The snow swirled around them, the petals drifting faster, the shadows watching from beneath the river. The whispers grew louder, haunting and cold. "A promise kept… a spirit bound… a memory erased… a bond to break…"

Jun's head throbbed, his vision spinning, his body cold and hollow. "No… no, that's not…" His voice trembled, his hands shaking. "I… I don't remember… I don't…"

The man's face darkened, his voice low, his shoulders tense. "You don't remember… because she was erased." His eyes were hollow, his jaw tight. "The curse took her… her name, her face, her existence… everything was wiped away…" His voice cracked, his chest tightening. "So you could live… so you could be free…"

Jun's knees buckled, his chest heaving, his body trembling. His mind spun, his heart breaking, his soul aching. Erased…? … the person he had loved the most… the person who had loved him more than anything…

She had been erased… to save him.

The woman's shoulders shook, her tears falling, her voice breaking. "We… we tried to save her… we tried to break the curse… but we were too late… we left… we gave up… we thought…" Her voice wavered, her face pale. "We thought it was better to forget…"

Jun's head spun, his vision blurring, his heart breaking. "No… no, that's not… that's not true…" His voice cracked, his hands trembling. "I don't remember… I don't remember her… I don't…"

The snow continued to fall, the petals drifting through the air, the shadows swirling beneath the river. The whispers grew louder, cold and cruel. "A promise kept… a spirit bound… a memory erased… a bond to break… a love that lingers… a hope that endures… a truth that waits to be remembered…"

Jun's eyes widened, his breath catching, his body trembling. The whispers… they were calling to him. Calling his name. Calling him back.

He looked at the bridge, his chest tightening, his heart pounding. He could feel her presence—soft, warm, full of sorrow. The presence that had always been there, waiting for him.

The presence that he could never touch, never see, never remember.

Until now.

The petals swirled faster, the snow growing colder, the shadows rising from the river, their voices echoing softly. "The debt is paid… the promise is kept… the memory is erased… the bond to break… the past to remember… the love to return…"

"Who..... Who is there " his whole body was tensed he turned around and ran away

Mei's mother was crying," river let him come back but why.....why he takes my daughter away.... Why"

Her father sighed "its fine, he's still a child, he'll be afraid, let's go"

They both looked towards the river one more time, and then left

Jun's home

"Oh, my precious grandson, where have you been, why are you trembling all over"

"Grandmother..... He burst into tears

"Oh my precious baby what happened, does anyone bullied you"

He opened his mouth and closed, he don't know how to explain the things he has experienced, so he lied" I'm grandmother... I.. Just miss my parents "

"Oh... My poor baby "she gently wiped his face

"Go back to your, room and take some rest, I will bring you dinner there"

He slightly nodded, and left

Seeing his back, hwr brows furrowned

After 30 min

"Jun baby granny, is coming inside, she enters his room"

Inside he is sleeping peacefully, seeing his little face, she gently tugged her inside the blanket and then left.

Jun's is having a dream.... In his dream he was laughing and playing with a girl whose face is blurry, the scene is harmonious but suddenly everything changed,

His leg slipped he fall but then a hand grabbed his little hand

"Jun.... In this life.... I'll protect you" by saying that a strange power pulled the girl inside the river but she managed to bring him back to sore.

"No... No don't leave, Mei" he jolted awake

His hands are trembling, he is frightened, the dream felt so real,

He climed down, hurriedly run outside