1 Amnesia

In the pitch-black hours of the night, a young boy sat alone on an empty beach. His clothes were worn and ripped. The boy was just fifteen, with stark white hair and shining green eyes. His body was strong but the fatigue displayed in his posture told another story.

He looks up at the sky, assessing the stars.

"Where am I?" He thought, his head throbbing in confusion, "I'm way north from... where exactly... Wait, where am I?" Fear washed over him as reality sunk in, contorting his face with panic. His hands lifted to touch his own face, trying to find familiarity.

"I'm... I'm Milo," he murmured to himself. His eyes flitted around anxiously, seeking anything that would make sense in this place.

A cry escaped his lips as frustration overwhelmed him. He pounded the sand with his fists, the grains scattering with the hit. Tears started flowing down his cheeks. His consciousness slipped away as he fell backward onto the sand, passing out.

-

The sun was high up in the sky when he opened his eyes. He had no recollection of how he arrived on the beach, with the waves gently lapping at his feet. As he sat up, a jolt of pain shot through his head, causing him to wince. He shook his head in an attempt to clear the fog that clouded his mind. The only thing he knew for certain was his name, the only anchor he had in this unfamiliar world.

Despite his amnesia, he moved with fluidity as he scanned the horizon, taking in the vast expanse of the sea. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm the uneasiness that broke him last night.

"I need to make shelter." He monologed. He turned around, and to his surprised there was a massive forest right at the start of the beach.

He gathered sticks and dry leaves at the edge of the forest, making sure to collect enough to last him through the night. As he worked, a strange feeling washed over him - he was being watched. He glanced up at the towering trees, but he couldn't see anything. He shrugged it off and continued with his task. Returning to his original position by the beach, he built a small stick shelter.

As dusk approached, he managed to start a fire and cooked the fish he had caught earlier with his makeshift spear. As he ate, he stared up at the starry sky, lost in thought.

Lying down on the sand below his stick shelter, he felt the warmth of the fire on his skin as he closed his eyes, allowing sleep to take over.

-

He woke up to a fresh pile of clothes next to him, neatly folded. He sat up quickly, his heart was racing as he looked around, still feeling disoriented. He noticed a young elf, about his age, sitting nearby, chewing on his leftover fish.

"Saltwater fish tastes better than freshwater fish!" The elf exclaimed with a broad grin. Milo couldn't help but stare in fascination at the elf's pointed ears.

"Good morning, human! My name is Lok," the elf said, offering a small bow.

"Human?" Milo thought, the word being incredibly recognizable to him, similar to how he knew the boy in front of him was an elf. Milo rubbed his chin whilst staring at Lok.

Lok is an elf with short pointed ears, standing at the same height as Milo. He has striking blue eyes that seem to twinkle with a mischievous light. His dark brown hair falls messily around his face, giving him a wild and carefree appearance.

Milo hesitated for a moment before responding to Lok.

"I'm Milo... I think."

"You think?" Lok asked with a hint of amusement, as he begins to stand up.

Milo felt frustration building inside him.

"I don't remember anything except my name."

Lok squatted to be head-level with Milo, observing his facial expressions with curious glint in his eyes.

"Well, Milo, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Lok exclaimed, jolting to a stand.

"Where am I?" Milo asks, completely ignoring Lok's courtesy. This clearly frustrates Lok.

"Well," Lok begins, "I thought it was obvious. You'll only ever find elves in Elfheim."

"Elfheim..." Milo repeats, lost in thought. Lok looks at Milo, feeling sorry for him.

"Tell you what, we live inside the forest here. Perhaps I can take you? I think my grandparents can help you with your... amnesia." Lok offers.

Milo's heart skipped a beat at the thought of finding answers to his lost past. He considered the offer, but felt unable to answer. He just stared at Lok, lost.

"Is that a no?" Lok asks awkwardly, hoping for a yes.

"It's not a no, but it is not a yes either. I don't know who you are, I don't know why I'm here. I don't know where I am!" Milo lashes out.

"But I just told you that you're in Elfheim." Lok responds with a hint of sarcasm. Milo gives him a deathstare. Feeling the menacing vibe from Milo, Lok chuckles trying to lighten the mood.

"I'll take my leave now." Lok says, feeling slightly unwelcome. "But I'll be back tomorrow in case you change your mind. My offer still stands." He smiles, giving Milo a thumbs up. He then turns and walks towards the forest. Before his body vanished between the woods, he turns once more to look at Milo once more and waved with a friendly grin.

-

On the cusp of nightfall that very day, Milo found himself staked out by a fire, a spear-skewered fish roasting above the hungry flames. The cold threatened to gnaw at him, yet the fresh set of clothes Lok had gifted him provided warmth. His stomach churned.

"At this rate, I'll die from starvation," he thought. The fish hardly seemed capable of satiating the demand of his growing body.

With the taste of the unfulfilling charred fish lingering on his tongue, Milo reclined under his shelter, his gaze on the flickering campfire. His mind wandered, carried adrift on the smoke's trail.

"Why did I refuse his offer?" He bashed himself. "Had I agreed, I wouldn't be stuck here now. How could I have been so stupid?" His hand smacked his own forehead.

"There was something about him, something that made me feel drawn to him. But why? We had just met, and yet, I can't wait to see him again. Do I genuinely want to see him or is this just a survival instinct? It couldn't be. He seemed genuine.

"But there was a playful vibe to him, a mischief that wasn't directed at me. Perhaps it's his curious nature? After all, he didn't have to approach me - a complete stranger - on the beach. I don't know..." Drained by his own introspection, Milo sighed, slowly shutting his eyes.

-

Before Milo knew it, it was dawn. There, in his peripheral vision, was Lok once more. He sat cross-legged, munching on the last few bites of his fish. Milo couldn't help but smile at the thought that perhaps Lok was as eager to reunite as he was.

Milo rose from his shelter, his joints popping. He strolled towards the nearby shore, splashing the cool water on his face. Lok sat quietly, looking up from his meal to watch Milo. His eyes followed Milo as he turned back to face him.

"Let's go." Milo said. Lok's eyes widen alongside his smile.