Reborn In a Murderer’s Embrace

My head was swimming, a dull ringing in my ears as I sat rigidly on the edge of the bed,

*Phoebe?”

Dexter’s voice was calling out to me, but I was trapped in a dizzy haze. Suddenly, I stood up, and the world spun violently.

“Phoebe?”

Before my memory faded, did I suffer from some sort of psychological disorder? Was that why I specifically forgot everything about the orphanage, specifically forgot Colin? What on earth happened?

“Phoebe, forget it. I don’t blame you, just forget…*

“Phoebe, don’t be scared, I’ll always be by your side.”

“If your current life makes you feel at ease, then forget me…”

“Phoebe Caldwell, what am I to you? Am I just a forgotten relic in your memory?”

“Phoebe Caldwell, don’t die, please. Don’t turn me into your legacy, you know I can’t live alone.”

In the recesses of my mind, a voice was constantly screaming, crying, shouting.

“Phoebe, don’t leave me behind.”

In a moment of blurred consciousness, it felt like I had returned to the moment before my near–death, when I had fled disheveled from Nocturne, only to find myself cornered by vagrants in an alley. A tall, menacing figure, wielding a baseball bat, was smashing it down on those

men.

“Touch her and you’re dead.”

“Don’t be afraid, I’ve always been here.”

“Why forget me? Am I just a part of your painful memories too? Phoebe…“”

“I don’t blame you.

And then, when I had passed out in the alley from hypoglycemia, that same figure covered me with his jacket, letting me rest on his lap as he stayed by my side through the night.

Colin.

It was Colin!

The blurry silhouette slowly came into focus.

Colin stood in the dim light, his back to me. He slowly halted his steps, turning to look at me.

10:37

Tears streaked his face, his hands dripping with blood. His eyes were red as he gazed at me. “Phoebe, this world is disgusting.”

“Colin… Colin.”

As he turned around, a burst of light seemed to bloom before my eyes; he was always my salvation. To others, he might be a madman, a devil, but to me, he was my salvation and mine

alone.

“Colin.” In my memory, I hugged him with joy, placing the gift I had picked out for him on the table. “This is from my mom. I chose the clothes myself. Mom said you’re still growing, so we got a size larger.”

“Colin, if you weren’t a genius, what would you want to do most?”

“Love you…”

Genius or not, I’d love you.

Even if I were a fool, I’d love you.

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“Pregnant?” The doctor came to check on me, instructing the nurse to prepare a glucose solution. “Take extra care, hormones can be unstable during pregnancy and may cause dizziness, but that’s not necessarily the main reason. We’ll keep an eye on it.”

The doctor’s questions pulled me back to reality.

Unbeknownst to me, tears had already soaked my hair.

I was so desperate to remember the past, that just a few fragments related to Colin made my chest hurt to the point where I could hardly breathe.

In the treatment room, I asked quietly, “Doctor, is there any way to recover memories quickly?”

The doctor paused, surprised. “Amnesia? Have you had a serious injury before? You don’t seem to have a history of trauma.”

At the door, Dexter’s hand froze holding a glass of water, then he hurried over and crouched in front of me. “You’re Phoebe, aren’t you?”

My gaze trembled as I clutched my hands until they were numb.

“Mr. Fitzgerald, I heard your mother is having an exorcism done for you. It seems you really have gone mad,” I bit back, pushing Dexter’s hand away. “I’m not Phoebe Caldwell, and even if Phoebe Caldwell were still alive, what makes you think you’re worthy of a second glance from her?”

Dexter’s eyes reddened. “I can make amends, just give me a chance.”

“You don’t deserve it.” Despite the rising anger, I pushed Dexter away, storming out. “You’re nothing but a liar.”