>>Hael

I teleported back into my room just as the pale light of early morning crept through the window. The air was crisp as the autumn chill seeped into every corner of the room. The leaves outside had turned amber and gold.

In my hand was a bundle of old, yellowed papers, crinkling slightly with age. They hadn't been shielded by magic, left vulnerable to the passing of time.

King Callon must not have deemed these of any importance and honestly speaking, they might not be.

The corners were frayed, and the ink had begun to fade. I glanced at them as I casually walked inside, flipping through the brittle sheets without paying much attention to my surroundings. Just another set of records, more answers-but I doubt it's going to tell anything useful.

I walked past my bed, barely noticing it, but then something caught in the corner of my eye. A flash of movement where there should have been none.

I froze.

My breath caught in my chest, and my grip on the papers tightened.

I stepped back, slowly, and turned my head toward the bed and blinked slowly at the person sitting there.

...

Sitting there, on my bed, was Amber.

Her eyes brightened when she saw me, as if everything was normal. She smiled, her hand raising in a small wave. "Hi!" she said, her voice light, almost teasing. "Good morning?"

>>Amber

"Orenya?" He was surprised, I could clearly tell with the way his eyes went wide, but he composed himself immediately and came over, "How are you feeling?" He came to the side of the bed, dropping the bundle of papers he had in his hands on the side, "Does anything feel wrong with your body?" He came and sat down right next to me, putting his hand on my forehead.

!???

It was very unlike him.

I blinked at him in confusion, "No," It made my heart act up, "I feel completely fine." He was being really sweet.

"That's good," He withdrew his hand

I stared at him, "What's Orenya?" I asked

He smiled softly, "You told me to call you by something else, so I chose, 'Orenya'"

"What does it mean?" I asked and his smile turned into a smirk

"Why don't you find out?"

!!!

"What?" I frowned, "You're not going to tell me?"

He simply closed his eyes and passed me a smile.

I grabbed his cheeks and pinched them, "Tell me!" He merely chuckled in response.

I froze seeing that.

"Wait," He stood up, "I should get something for you to eat," He walked out of the room and I silently watched him do so.

...

Then he came back with a tray. It had a bowl of soup on it along with a spoon. He came and sat down with me again. Then placed the tray in front of me

"Eat," Then he passed me a smile again.

...

I watched him suspiciously.

Something's weird. Hael looks...different. There's something odd here.

"Hael," I frowned, "Did something happen while I was passed out?"

"Hmm?" He looked at me quietly, "Like what?" He asked

"I don't know," I wasn't sure how to word it, "You seem a little different." There was a whole other vibe coming from him.

"Different how?" He asked as he pointed at the food, "You should eat."

Different how? I picked up the spoon. My frown deepened. I wasn't sure how. But I could tell something was different. I scooped some soup. I'm not saying it's bad, or off putting but Hael has never smiled like this-

Wait

A realization hit me.

Right. He looks relaxed. It's like he's genuinely happy to see me up and his smile. It's not his usual smirk or professional expressions. It's not that he hasn't given me these before but that he seems more natural with it!

"Did you work on your feelings?" I asked, "Like understanding them better?" That was the only thing I could think of.

He looked comfortable and was expressing himself just right. I brought the food to my mouth and ate.

Mmmm! This is good!

His smile softened, "I guess you can say that."

!!!

"Really?" That was a surprise, "How?"

"Someone actually helped me with it, a long time ago."

???

I didn't quite get what that meant.

"If someone helped you with it a long time ago, why did you understand now?" I asked

"Because I just recently recalled everything."

His words were merely confusing me more. "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, "Recall what?"

He paused. His gaze traveled away and it looked like he was contemplating whether to tell me or not.

There was this weird feeling that started swelling up in my chest as I watched him,

He's not the type to hesitate

What is making him contemplate this?

Right

It was an ominous feeling. I glanced down and scooped another spoonful but didn't bring it to my mouth.

This was bothering me.

"Hael," I softly pinched his sleeve with my other hand and he turned his head to look at me, "What are you thinking about?"

"...." HIs gaze wandered off again but at the same time it made my chest squeeze in anxiety

"What is it?" I grabbed his arm, "What are you thinking about? Is it really something you can't tell me?"

"It's not that," His eyes came back to me, "Hmmm," He watched me, "I guess it is better not to keep it to myself and tell you."

"Okay," I nodded, "Tell me," I felt like I shouldn't know what it is but at the same time I couldn't help myself but ask, "What did you recall?"

His eyelids lowered, making his expressions turned softer, then go blank, "My memories," He said

"Memories?" There was an inkling in the back of my mind.

No..

"My past memories," He said, "The ones from the original timeline."

!!!

And there it was.

My eyes went wide and my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. His eyes stayed locked on me, but I couldn't bear to look at him. So I looked away.

Silence took over.

I could feel my heartbeat in my throat, a pounding reminder of all the ways I had hurt him.

The excitement that had bubbled up in my chest when I first saw him began to drain away, leaving me with a gnawing sense of dread.

"Oh..." My stomach twisted into a knot. A hollow ache opened up in my chest, and I wanted to shrink into myself, to disappear. My hand that was holding his fell limp in my lap, and I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze anymore. The room felt colder now, the autumn chill seeping into my bones, "You must want me to disappear..." The words slipped out before I could stop them, barely louder than a whisper. I wanted to crawl into a hole, to vanish before he had the chance to say it himself. I could feel the weight of my mistakes pressing down on me, suffocating.

My hands began to shake. My pupils began to shake and my heart beat began to rise, to the point it began to pound in my ears.

I felt ashamed. Part of me was happy that he didn't remember anything from the first timeline but now that he does, I don't think I can face him

The anxiety began to take over me. He must hate me now. I was such a cruel person in the past.

I bit my lower lip

He must not even want to see my face

The spoon eventually dropped out of my shaky hand, spilling on the tray.

Shame burned hot in my chest, and I clenched my fists in the blanket beneath me, trying to ground myself as the memories of my cruelty resurfaced.

"No" He said, making me pause, "I do not-" He paused, "No, I will not allow you to disappear on me again." I noticed the subtle anger in his voice

"No?" I wanted to turn and look at him but I hadn't regained the confidence, "What?" It didn't make any sense.

"I don't hold any grudges from the past."

I went completely still. My eyes wide open in shock but the frown between my eyebrows was deep.

I slowly turned my head to look at him, "You don't?"

"No," He answered, "I took a chance with you, when I turned back time, I placed a bet on you."

"What?"

"The person who performs the spell retains his memories, but I chose you to retain yours. I wanted to see what you would do if you were given another chance." His gaze was soft as he looked at me, and no matter how much I tried, I didn't find any contempt in them, "And you proved me right."

"Yes, but it doesn't undo the things I have already done."

"Well, I did kill you for that." He answered calmly, "So we're even."

Something in my heart flipped. Like it was clutched with warmth

"I understand why you left." He said, "And why you wanted to stay away."

"..."

"You're not angry at me?" I asked, "Really?"

He shook his head, "No,"

"Even though I abused you?"

"Well, you're not doing it now. You changed."

"But what I did to you in the name of love was too cruel." I turned my body in his direction and began to flail my arms around in the air, "It was inhumane. I was obsessed with you in the most unhealthiest way possible!"

He grabbed my wrists, "It's fine," He said, "I know you won't do anything to hurt me anymore, well, not like you can." He smirked, "But you should be obsessed with my again, Orenya,"

I froze, "What?"

He pulled me closer, "You should be obsessed with me in the most unhealthiest way possible." He whispered as our faces got close.

I blinked at him, then my heart skipped a beat, "W-what are you saying!? Why are you saying that!?"

"Because," I looked into his beautiful moon-like eyes, "There is another feeling I have for you. That's why."

The second the room was silent, it was filled with the sound of my heart drumming.

I gulped and then asked

"What feeling?"