Fifteen minutes later, the soft sound of a car engine came to a halt outside.
Athena stood from the couch in a hurry and peeked through the small window. A red compact car sat in front of the cabin, already dusted with a fresh layer of snow. The driver's door opened and a girl in a thick blue parka stepped out.
She practically jogged to the door, slipping once on a patch of ice, and banged her fist against the wood.
"Athena! Open up before I freeze to death!"
Athena rushed to unlock the door.
Lucy barged in with the wind, stomping her boots against the doormat and brushing snow from her sleeves. Her eyes were wide with excitement and just a little panic.
"Okay, where is he? Is he still alive? Are you sure he's not a serial killer? Or ...wait ... Is he secretly billionaire with amnesia?"
Athena rolled her eyes and motioned toward the couch.
Lucy turned and froze.
The man was still there, seated upright, wrapped in the same pink coat, now looking at the ceiling like it held the answers to the universe. His eyes slowly shifted to her. Calm. Curious.
Lucy stared for a solid ten seconds.
"...Okay. I take it back," she whispered to Athena. "That's not a serial killer. He's like a lost angel or a handsome vampire like Edward Cullen!"
Athena gave her a look. "Lucy."
"I'm serious! He looks like someone who lost his soul or something."
The man blinked and gave a slow nod, as if in greeting.
Lucy stepped forward,
"Hey there. I'm Lucy. Friend of Athena's," she greeted so softly, her smile was seductive.
He didn't answer.
Athena crossed her arms. "He still doesn't remember anything. No name. No hometown. Not even his own language, i think."
Lucy tilted her head. "Wait, really? Has he said anything else?"
"He speaks English. But barely. He seems confused about everything, like he's seeing the world for the first time... Like a baby."
The man looked down at his hands again. He flexed his fingers, then pressed his palm flat against the wooden coffee table in front of him, almost like he was testing if it was real.
Lucy crouched a little, leaning in. "Do you remember anything? A number? A face? Maybe a dream?"
He looked at her. "There was light."
Athena's ears perked. "What kind of light?"
The man hesitated. His brows furrowed, trying to reach into the fog of his mind.
"Bright. Gold. Like… fire. And then… black."
Lucy and Athena exchanged a glance.
"Okay," Lucy said, standing back up. "This is officially weird."
"That's why i need your help," Athena muttered.
Lucy turned to her. "We need to get him checked. A hospital, or at least a local clinic."
Athena nodded. "I tried calling one earlier, but it was closed for the holidays. The closest one that's open is thirty minutes out."
Lucy bit her lip, thinking. "I can drive. But… are you sure he's stable enough to go? What if he freaks out in the car?"
As if hearing that, the man looked up and spoke softly.
"I won't run."
The girls stared.
"You… understood that?" Athena asked.
He nodded.
"You really won't run?" Lucy asked.
Again, a nod.
Athena stepped closer, speaking gently. "Then let's get you checked out, okay? Maybe someone can help you remember who you are."
He said nothing. Just stood, slowly, carefully and followed them without protest.
And yet, as they stepped outside, something strange happened.
The moment his bare feet touched the snow-covered porch, the man didn't shiver, didn't flinch.
Athena stopped in her tracks. "Wait, are you not cold?"
He looked down at the snow under his feet, then up at her.
"I feel… nothing."
Lucy's jaw dropped. "Okay, I'm saying it. He's not normal. He's definitely not normal."
Athena said nothing.
But deep down, she knew Lucy was right, There may have been damage to the man's nerves so that he doesn't remember anything and doesn't even feel the cold.
"Wait!" Lucy blocked the man, looking at his clothes which were adorable because they were too small and even identical to girl's clothes. "Are you sure you want to take him to the hospital dressed like this? What if he's thought to be a sissy?"
"What's a sissy?" The man asked with an innocent look, then turned to Athena who was holding back laughter.
Lucy slapped her forehead. "Oh my God... What dream did I have last night?"
"Come on, let's take him to the hospital, he has no problem with those clothes, besides, they are the only ones that fit him," Athena said, then took the man's arm, leading him out.
Lucy sighed, shaking her head looking at them from behind, especially the man, so strange in his girl's clothes and too small for his big body.
...
Athena sat in the passenger seat while the man, still wrapped in her pink coat, occupied the seat behind her. Lucy drove with one hand on the steering wheel, the other clutching a half-eaten granola bar.
At first, the man sat still, quiet.
But then, his head tilted slightly. His eyes widened as he stared at the dashboard.
The flickering lights. The engine's low rumble. The vents exhaling warm air.
He reached forward slowly, fingertips hovering near the air conditioning dial as if it were some kind of ancient relic. Then he touched it just a light tap before drawing his hand back like it might burn him.
Athena glanced at him through the side mirror. "You okay back there?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he leaned slightly forward, examining the stereo as Lucy changed stations. Music poured out briefly,upbeat pop but he winced, eyes narrowing at the sudden noise like it was a threat.
"What is that?" he murmured.
"Radio," Lucy said casually. "Don't worry, I hate commercials too."
The man shook his head slightly, as if trying to make sense of a word he didn't recognize. He glanced out the window then, and for a long moment, he went completely still.
Athena turned to see what he was looking at.
The town passed by outside, buildings coated with snow, traffic lights blinking red and green, cars lining the streets, wheels crunching through icy slush. Billboards, and bare trees stood like skeletons in the white haze.
The man… looked overwhelmed.
His mouth parted slightly as he took it all in: the sharp edges of skyscrapers in the distance, the flicker of neon lights, the endless movement of machines and people bundled in thick coats.
His reflection in the window stared back at him like a stranger.
He touched the glass softly. "Is this… Earth?"
Athena turned sharply toward him, heart skipping a beat.
"What?"
He looked at her, genuine confusion in his eyes. "Is this the world?"
Lucy raised an eyebrow but kept her eyes on the road. "Uhh… yeah? Do you think this is in the afterlife?"
The man turned his gaze back outside. His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.
"It doesn't feel familiar."
Athena studied him carefully.
His face was impossibly smooth, no scars, no blemishes, not even the faintest shadow of stubble. His skin seemed to glow faintly in the soft light. Not cold, not flushed, just… still.
His lips were pale but full, parted slightly as if breathing through a memory. His brows were perfectly shaped, and his jawline looked like it had been carved with precision. Not even celebrities looked this flawless. And yet, there was no arrogance in his expression.
Athena swallowed hard, realized there was something wrong, or maybe… something extraordinary.
"Hey," she said softly, "do you feel sick? Dizzy? Pain anywhere?"
He shook his head.
"Do you feel anything at all?" she pressed.
He hesitated. Then said, "I feel… watched."
Lucy snorted from the front. "Well, you're in a pink coat that barely fits. Everyone is watching."
But Athena didn't laugh.
She was watching him, closely. And she was starting to wonder if maybe, just maybe… Lucy's wild theories weren't that wild.