That's Sugar, Right?

TIME: 5:22 A.M.

YEAR: 254 After Colossal War (ACW)

ABOUT 6 HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT

I could hear the soft shuffle of footsteps around me, the quiet murmur of voices just beyond my grasp. My body felt sluggish, disconnected. Then, a sensation—a light pressure on my right wrist. Someone was pressing their fingers against my skin, checking my pulse.

"How is he, doctor?"

A woman's voice. Familiar.

I knew that voice—I had heard it before, again and again. But my mind was too clouded to put a name to it.

Doctor?

That meant I was in a hospital.

That meant I was alive.

But how?

A flood of thoughts rushed into my mind, but they were disjointed, unstable—flashing in and out of existence before I could make sense of them. Had it all been a dream? That thing… that alley… the monstrous creature—was it nothing but a terrifying nightmare?

Then why did this voice feel so familiar? Why did I feel like I knew this person? Was I even close to anyone?

My thoughts spiraled, tangling into confusion. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt unbearably heavy, as if they had been glued shut.

"Open your eyes. Everyone here is waiting for you to wake up."

The voice again. This time, the words were clearly meant for me.

I wanted to respond—to tell them I was trying—but my mouth felt just as heavy as my eyelids. My throat was dry, my tongue clumsy. I knew what I wanted to say, but when I tried to speak, only a faint whisper left my lips.

"A… Ai…"

The words barely made a sound, a weak, gibberish murmur.

"He's trying to say something!" another voice—unfamiliar—spoke up.

Then the woman spoke again, her voice thick with emotion.

"You really scared me, Ri… Come on, Brother, you can do it."

Brother?

I forced myself to try again. My body resisted, but I pushed through the weight holding me down. My eyes fluttered open, and a blinding white light stabbed through the darkness. My vision blurred, everything unfocused, shapes merging into indistinct blobs.

I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust. Slowly, things became clearer.

The first thing I saw was a white ceiling.

Then—

A face.

A woman leaned close, staring down at me, her light brown eyes glistening with unshed tears. Her expression wavered between relief and something else—something harder to define.

Was she happy? Or was she sad?

"You really took your time, huh," she said, her voice softer now.

It took a moment—just a few seconds of staring at her face—but then, like a switch flipping, recognition hit me.

Her name. Her voice. Her presence.

My mind finally started piecing things together, memories rushing back, loading into my brain all at once.

A strained whisper escaped my lips.

"You bully… at least let me take a nap."

She let out a soft laugh. "Welcome back. You know… you really had us worried."

Then, as if suddenly remembering something urgent, she straightened.

"Wait! I forgot to call the family about your accident. Let me give them a call—it'll only take a moment."

I hesitated, then whispered, my voice still hoarse, "I don't think they'd be happy to see me."

She paused, her expression unreadable for a brief moment. Then, with a broad smile, she said, "Dad would be," before rushing out of the room.

Not long after she left, the doctors came in, running a series of tests—checking my pulse, my reflexes, asking me questions to ensure I was fully conscious.

TIME: 8:00 A.M. – ABOUT 9 HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT

My sister and I talked—or rather, she talked, and I listened. Calling it a conversation wouldn't be accurate since I barely spoke at all.

First, she expressed how relieved she was to see me awake. Then, she started telling me about the accident, filling in the gaps in my memory.

At first, I remembered nothing. But as she spoke, the details slowly started to return.

The night of the accident, I had gotten into a fight with my brother—Philip.

We never got along, so arguing wasn't anything new. But this time, things had escalated. It wasn't just words; it had turned physical.

After that, I had left the house. It was late—around midnight—and I had been on my way to her apartment.

My sister, Sugar, had moved near the capital city of Liac because of her job.

But I never made it.

A taxi was supposed to take me there.

Instead, it got struck by a carrier truck.

The impact had thrown me out of the vehicle—my head had slammed against the back glass before I was tossed onto the road.

According to my sister, the taxi driver had somehow escaped with only minor injuries. It was he who had called for an ambulance, and he was also the one who used my phone to call the last number I had dialed—hers.

At around 1 A.M., she had gotten the call. When she arrived at the hospital, the doctors were already operating on me. My condition had been critical—pieces of glass had embedded themselves in the back of my head, and my forehead had cracked a little from the impact.

There was barely any chance of survival.

Yet, against all odds, I had made it.

The surgery had been successful, but the doctors expected it to take days, maybe even weeks, before I regained consciousness.

Instead, I woke up just six hours after the accident.

It wasn't normal.

I glanced at Sugar. Her voice was steady, but her fingers were tapping lightly against her knee—a small, restless movement.

"That's… fast, isn't it?" I murmured.

She stopped tapping.

For a brief second, something flickered across her face. A hesitation.

"Yeah. The doctors said the same thing," she admitted, her tone casual—too casual. "But, you know, you're stubborn. Guess that works in your favor sometimes."

I hesitated before asking, "Sis… what time did the accident happen?"

She tilted her head slightly, thinking. "Hm? Around twelve, twelve-thirty. Just after you—"

Before she could finish, I interrupted with another question.

"Where exactly did it happen?"

She blinked at me, confused. "The riverbank, near the bridge that connects the residential area to the capital. Where else would it be if you were heading to my apartment? Wait… you don't remember?"

The riverbank…?

That was the same place where I had…

My mind raced.

But she didn't mention anything about those two. Or the robbery.

As I was lost in thought, Sugar spoke again, concern creeping into her voice.

"Hey, don't push yourself too much. You just woke up a few hours ago."

She was right. I had so many questions, but maybe now wasn't the time.

Still, I needed to confirm one last thing.

"It was the taxi driver who brought me here, right?"

She frowned slightly. "Yes… I think I already told you that."

Her face held a hint of worry now.

I should stop.

I forced a small, tired smile. "Sorry. You're right."

She smiled, relieved, and started talking about her job, her life in the city.

The shift was subtle.

But I noticed.

She wasn't talking about me anymore.

Weren't you trying to cheer me up?