It's dark and cold. The only sound around me is a jumble of muffled voices.
"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?"
"Maybe he's handsome."
"I just hope it's someone who can help out."
The voices echo from somewhere beyond the pitch-black void. I can't see anything, but it feels like something—or someone—has me boxed in.
Suddenly, I feel a sickening drop and panic floods my chest.
Thud.
The impact knocks me off my feet. My legs tremble as if I'd fallen from a tree. Dazed, I manage to stand, my knees still throbbing. Then—KRRRKK!—light splits the darkness overhead. I blink, finding myself on a stage or platform in front of a crowd of strangers.
They're staring at me like I'm some kind of celebrity.
"Guys, relax! I don't even know where I am!" I shout.
The crowd falls silent. An old man parts the group and steps toward me.
"What's your name, son?" he asks.
There's a pause, then confusion hits me like a wave. What is my name?
"I… I'm not sure," I admit, scratching the back of my head.
"Hmm. Why don't you come with me? We'll get you sorted out," the old man says.
"Sure, I guess," I reply and follow him through the crowd.
We walk a trail through a thick forest.
"Where are we going?" I ask.
"To the village of Goldigo," he says proudly.
The trees part to reveal a wooden bridge stretching toward the gates of a small town. At the entrance, a girl about my age greets us—long brown hair, sun-warmed skin, and light brown eyes full of curiosity.
"Hey, you're the new guy, right?" she says, leaning forward.
"Yeah, that's me," I chuckle.
"What's your name?"
"That's the thing… I don't know."
"You don't know?" She tilts her head.
"Nope. Memory's kind of blank right now."
"Weird," she says, smirking as she walks away. "See you around, mystery boy."
"Wait—what's your name?" I call after her, but a blond guy comes up, throws an arm around her shoulders, and they walk off together.
"Never mind," I mutter.
"Anyway," the old man says, "we'll head to the clinic and have the nurses run some tests. Make sure you're in good shape."
"Yeah, okay," I say and follow him into a massive building plastered with white tiles and silver panels.
"Whoa, this place is huge," I say, looking around.
"Goldigo takes pride in our medical research," he says. "We've even developed medicine that speeds healing—but it still has… side effects."
"Impressive," I say.
"You can wait on that bed until the nurses arrive," he says, heading for the door.
"Wait—what's your name?" I call.
"Alexander. My friends call me Al."
"See you later, Al," I say. He chuckles and leaves.
Time passes before three nurses finally step in. One, with jet-black hair, peeks inside.
"So you're the mystery guy," she says with a grin.
"Haha, that's me," I reply.
They introduce themselves as Caroline, Stacy, and Molly. After checking my height and weight—apparently I'm six-four—they put me through an exhausting round of physical tests.
Hours later, as the sun sets, Stacy unhooks the wires from my body.
"All done. You can head out," she says.
"Right. Uh—where exactly do I go?" I ask, but the door slams shut behind me.
With nowhere else to be, I wander through town until I spot the brown-haired girl again—arguing with the blond guy. When he stalks off, she turns, spotting me in the shadows.
We talk. She laughs. She offers me a place to stay until I figure things out.
That night, her family lets me stay in their guest room. Hours later, I wake to someone shaking me.
"Hey, you awake?" she whispers. We both jump when our heads bump together.
"Jane," she says softly before tiptoeing back to her room.
And just like that, the mystery girl finally has a name.