Embers of the Holy War

The Boy With No Memories

Now that the men were down, he saw that there was a door right opposite him. He sat up, only realising that he had been lying on a soft bed this entire time. But he didn't have time to think about that. With the door just a few feet away and the men in white still regaining their wits, he could already taste freedom on his tongue. He just had to run out of that door, and sweet, sweet freedom will be his!

However, just as he opened the door, he ran face-first into something solid so hard it could have caused the second Big Bang. He fell on his bottom, rubbing his head in prickly annoyance. But that prickly annoyance was instantly dampened at the sight of a menacing, towering man. While he was not a man in white and his clothing, a collared t-shirt and pants, were less intimidating, he was still metres taller than him. Behind the menacing, towering man was a human lady dressed in an elegant dress. She, too, was exceptionally, scarily tall.

He gulped. On shaky legs, he backed away. The men in white had regained their wits and were rising up, one by one, and he could only watch powerlessly, quivering fearfully, as he was being cornered again.

"D-don't you dare come near!" he threatened. Although, his voice coming out like a mouse's squeak certainly did not do him justice. Why did he sound like that?!

Thud. He glanced behind him to find his back already against the bed. There was nowhere for him to run. Tears gathered in his eyes. No, no, no, why must he be in this situation? Why can't the humans leave him alone?

At the approaching men in white, he bared his teeth, hissing venomously. He knew it was in vain, but-

"Baby! You're awake! Oh, we were so worried!"

Without warning, the lady had scooped him up in her arms, hugging him closely and tightly. The smell of humans invaded his system, sending him into a panic. He squirmed, trying to push the woman away with all his strength, only to discover he had none. Why were his arms so little and weak?

"Get away from me- who are you?!" he snapped.

The woman lightened her hug on him, and at this distance, he could see how the woman's eyes shimmered with deep sadness. W-what was that look? What was that supposed to mean? At the sudden appearance of the towering, menacing man, his hairs stood on end, but the man only placed his hand on the woman's shoulder and looked at him softly.

"Do you not remember us, Guang? She's your mother, and I'm your father."

Mother...father...? These two humans were his mother and father?

The name his 'father' called him as well. Guang. Was that his name? As far as his memory told him, his mother and father were total strangers. His name, Guang, didn't sound familiar either.

If they weren't his parents and that wasn't his name, though, then who were his real parents and what was his actual name? He tried to recall, but he couldn't think of anything. Not his own name, where he came from, how got here nor the people dear to him. His past, his history, his memory, was utterly, completely, blank. Something told him that it shouldn't be, so why was it blank?

"I'm sorry, Mr and Mrs Long, but Guang still seems to be confused," one of the men in white said. He turned to Guang, and Guang growled in warning. The man in white raised both his hands.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to touch you. I just need you to listen calmly, Guang. Your head has suffered some serious damage, and you may have difficulty remembering things, but don't worry. We've fixed you up, so you should be able to return home the next day. It's a miracle, really, that you've managed to survive. You're a strong little boy, Guang!"

His parents cooed and patted him, showering him in compliments. Guang, however, was still processing what the man in white just said. The words registered in his head and he understood, knowing that it was an occasion to be celebrated. In fact, anyone would have been happy with the news. But Guang - if that was even his name - felt uneasy. Something about all of this, to him, was wrong.