Fate Line

Chapter 5

A voice echoed from the television, professional and composed.

"Today's feature: an obscure scientist who recently proposed a groundbreaking theory on the existence of other worlds. Tomorrow, Mr. Nael will present his ideas live at City Square. Alongside his theory, there will be numerous speculations—and, of course, what he claims to be undeniable proof."

As the name "Nael" was mentioned, Ellian's face subtly changed. His eyes froze, as if time around him had slowed for a split second. "I... I've heard that name before," he thought. "When I blacked out..."

Kane, sitting nearby, noticed the shift in his expression.

"Ellian? You okay?" he asked, his voice edged with concern.

Everyone turned to look at him. The room suddenly felt quieter, the air a little heavier.

Ellian looked up slowly, his brows furrowed.

"I heard that name… when I blacked out."

Iris tilted her head, leaning slightly forward. "You mean… the time you saw that girl from your dreams?"

He nodded. "Yeah, exactly then."

"That's kind of strange…" she murmured.

Kane leaned forward. "Have you ever heard that name before then?"

Ellian shook his head. "No. Never. Not until that moment."

Linnea crossed her arms. "It's weird, yeah. And now he's talking about other worlds?"

Mila raised an eyebrow. "C'mon, that kind of stuff doesn't just happen…"

Ellian sat up straighter. "Then… should we go tomorrow to City Square? Just to see what he's actually going to do?"

Iris nodded. "That's a really good idea. But to get a good view, we'll need to go a few hours early."

Everyone agreed.

"Then let's be ready by 10 in the morning," Iris concluded.

"Sounds good," Mila chimed in, and the others followed.

The room had a gentle evening hum. The light from the TV cast a soft glow across the couch. The sound of quiet music leaked in from someone's room. A peaceful, almost sleepy vibe settled over the house.

Soon, they all headed to their rooms for the night. On his way, Ellian peeked into Kane's room.

Kane looked up and grinned. "Yo. Come in!"

Ellian stepped inside and was hit by the vibe of a classic gamer's paradise—LED lights glowing blue and purple along the edges of the ceiling, dual monitors lit up with desktop wallpapers, a wall-mounted shelf full of game cases, collectible figures, and a glowing mechanical keyboard on a clean desk.

"Damn… this is cozy," Ellian said.

Kane laughed. "Wanna play something?"

"Sure… weird I even know how these work." Ellian sat down beside him on a bean bag.

As Kane set up the console, Ellian looked at the screen, then asked quietly, "Kane… what kind of guy do you think I was before I lost my memories?"

Kane smirked. "You? Probably some arrogant, selfish idiot… and a huge pain in the ass. Heh."

Ellian chuckled. He knew it was a joke, but something about Kane's tone felt friendly, comfortable. The kind of teasing that meant you were starting to become friends.

They started playing—a competitive fighting game filled with flashy moves and chaotic energy. The room glowed with the colors from the screen, their controllers clicking, banter flowing naturally.

Mid-match, Kane asked, "You feel comfortable here with us?"

Ellian leaned back, eyes still on the screen. "Yeah… I really do. Feels like I got lucky ending up here."

Kane smiled.

Night fell deeper. The sounds of crickets outside, the faint hum of the city in the distance. The glow of the TV was the only light in the room. Eventually, Ellian set down the controller and stretched.

"Thanks for tonight, Kane… I'll head to bed. Gotta wake up early."

"Sure thing. Night."

"Night…"

He returned to his room, dropped onto the bed, and let out a quiet sigh.

"Man… everyone here's so great."

He closed his eyes and drifted off.

Silence. Darkness. A gentle wind brushing past. A glowing white light hovered in the air. And then she appeared—the same girl, in that same flowing dress.

Her beauty was surreal. Her eyes were deep like galaxies, her long silvery hair floated behind her, and her skin shimmered faintly like moonlight on water. She stood with elegance, her gaze fixed on him.

"Ellian," she said, her voice a whisper and a song, "why are you still trying…"

Ellian stepped forward. "What are you talking about? Who are you, please—tell me."

She smiled faintly. "You know me better than you think. There's no need to ask."

"I lost my memory. I don't even know who I am… how would I know you?"

"In that case," she said softly, "that works in your favor, Ellian."

And just like that—she vanished.

Ellian bolted upright, heart pounding. He looked at the clock on his nightstand. 4:30 a.m.

He opened the curtains. The horizon was barely lit. A faint pink and gold glow stretched over the edges of rooftops.

He dressed, went downstairs, put on his shoes, and stepped outside.

The air was cool and fresh. Birds chirped softly from trees. The streets were quiet, wrapped in a peaceful blue morning hue. There was a smell of dew, and the gentle rustling of leaves.

On a bench nearby, Iris was already sitting, her arms resting on her knees, looking at the sky.

Ellian walked over. "You're out early too?"

She turned to him. "Yeah. Just wanted some air."

He sat beside her. The silence between them was comforting.

The garden trees rustled gently. A distant dog barked once. The sky continued to lighten, colors shifting slowly. The two of them just sat, watching it.

After a while, Iris spoke. "What do you think that scientist will show us today?"

Ellian thought for a second. "No idea… what about you?"

She smiled slightly. "I used to read a fantasy book about other worlds. The main character was named Marius. The author published several volumes. I was obsessed—I collected them all, even made videos about it…"

She looked down at her hands.

"And now… some scientist says other worlds might really exist. You think we'll ever be able to go to one?"

Ellian looked at the sky again. "Guess we'll find out today."

Just then, Silas stepped out from the house—wearing black joggers, a grey hoodie with the sleeves pushed up, and white running shoes. His hair was tied up, and wireless earbuds were in.

Iris called out, "Silas! Can you get me a soda from the vending machine?"

Silas paused, pulled out an earbud. "Sure."

"I'll pay you back later."

"No need. I was gonna treat you anyway." He glanced at Ellian. "You want anything?"

Ellian blinked. "Uh, no, I'm good. Thanks."

Silas nodded and jogged off, the gate clicking as it closed behind him.

Ellian turned to Iris. "He goes for a run every morning?"

"Yeah, trains every day," she replied.

After a few minutes, Iris yawned. "I think I'm sleepy now. Let's head back?"

"Yeah," Ellian nodded.

They entered the house. Iris went upstairs. Ellian returned to his room and dropped onto his bed.

"What does all of this mean…" he whispered. Then he closed his eyes.

Dzn… dzn…

The alarm rang. Ellian opened his eyes and looked at the time—8:20. He washed up, went downstairs, and walked into the kitchen. Mila was at the stove.

"Morning…"

"Morning," Mila replied without turning. "But for you, it's already been morning for four hours."

"You didn't sleep either?"

"Nope. I woke up early to film some content. That's when I saw you two outside."

"You need help?"

"Nope. You'd probably ruin something," she said with a smirk.

Ellian murmured, "Ouch…"

Kane and Krais came down next.

Ellian turned to Krais. "Hey, you okay now?"

"Yeah, just a little dizzy."

Mila glanced over. "Eat, then rest. Got it?"

"Got it."

Silas entered, pulling off his hoodie.

He saw Krais and narrowed his eyes. "Head still hurting?"

"Yeah, a bit."

Silas looked furious. "Kane, is there any update on who hit him?"

Kane shook his head. "No cameras in that part of the building. Gonna be hard."

Silas clenched his jaw. "Krais, if you can describe them, I swear I'll track them down and break their faces."

"I already told you—I didn't see anything."

Just then, Iris and Linnea came downstairs.

"What's going on?" Linnea asked.

"Nothing serious. Let's just eat," Krais said.

The table was nicely set—simple but warm. Plates of eggs, toast, fruit, juice. The chatter was casual, filled with teasing and small laughs.

Mila looked over. "It's great and all… but how did you recover overnight?"

Kane nodded. "Right? You were a mess yesterday."

Krais shrugged. "I don't know. The wound just closed up fast. And Linnea took care of me."

Linnea nodded slowly. "They gave me a two-week care plan. But overnight, he was practically fine."

Silas leaned back. "What the hell… how's that even possible?"

Ellian froze for a moment.

He remembered something—being shot in the stomach.

The flash of pain. The heat. The darkness.

But he didn't speak.

They kept talking as time moved on. At 9:00, they got up to clean the table. Plates stacked, cups carried, silverware rinsed.

Everyone went to get ready.

Mila tied her hair into a bun and put on black streetwear pants and a white oversized hoodie.

Iris wore a cropped jacket with cargo pants, a silver necklace shining from under her collar.

Linnea picked a black puffer jacket over a graphic tee, with flared jeans.

Kane wore a dark bomber jacket, layered over a plain shirt and black sneakers.

Silas had a sleeveless zip hoodie with joggers and shades pushed up on his head.

Ellian came downstairs. They were all waiting by the door.

Linnea turned. "There you are. We're splitting rides—boys in one, girls in the other. Krais is staying home to rest."

Iris added, "Boys, meet us at the location I sent in the group chat. Got it?"

They all walked out. Linnea locked the door.

The girls' taxi arrived first. They hopped in and drove off.

A few minutes later, the boys' taxi pulled up. They got in.

Ellian looked out the window, thoughts swirling.

"How exciting this all is..."