The flowing memories of the forgotten one
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Altair woke up in a place that felt endless — a wilderness so silent it made his heart ache.
He didn't know who he was.
He didn't know how he got there.
All he knew was that something was missing… and the emptiness inside him felt heavier than the cold air around him.
"Ugh… where am I?" he whispered.
He tried to stand, but his body felt weak, unfamiliar. His steps were unsteady, and he nearly fell.
"Huff… I need to slow down."
He looked around.
The trees towered high, their branches swallowing the sky. A thin mist lingered in the air, making the world feel distant and unreal — as if he had stepped into a place forgotten by time itself.
Then, something on the ground caught his eye.
A small card.
He picked it up.
Most of the writing had faded, leaving only a single name still clearly visible.
Altair.
"Altair…" he murmured. "That's… my name."
The sound of it felt strange — yet familiar, as if it belonged to him, even though he couldn't remember anything else.
He closed his eyes, trying to pull something — anything — from the depths of his mind.
Nothing.
"I don't know who I am… and I don't know where I am," he said softly. "But at least… I can still speak."
It was a strange comfort. Though his memories were gone, the words flowed naturally from his lips, as if this language had always been part of him.
The wilderness remained silent, unmoving — as if waiting for his first step.
Altair took a deep breath.
"Huff… I need to find water. Maybe a river."
He began walking.
Time passed without him realizing — an hour, then two, then three. But the scenery never changed. Only trees, mist, and endless silence.
Then suddenly —
"What is that sound…?"
"…Oh."
A small, embarrassed laugh escaped his lips.
"It's just my stomach."
He placed a hand over his rumbling stomach.
"I guess walking for three hours will do that."
His eyes lifted — and there it was.
A tree with fruit hanging from its high branches.
"There," he said quietly. "Food."
He approached the tree and tried to climb it.
But the trunk was slippery.
After only a few steps, his foot slipped —
Bang!
"Ouch…"
He lay on the ground for a moment, staring up at the sky.
"This tree is… way too slippery."
He glanced around, then an idea came to him.
"…What if I throw rocks?"
He picked up a few small stones and began throwing them at the fruit.
Miss.
Miss.
Hit.
After several tries, four out of ten fruits fell to the ground.
"…Yes."
A small smile formed on his face.
"I did it."
In the vast, empty wilderness, this was his first victory — however small — in his fight to survive.
"Huff… I'm exhausted."
He sat beneath the tree, holding one of the fallen fruits.
"I'll rest here… just for a while."
That night, Altair fell asleep under the tree, surrounded by silence — but no longer completely helpless.
The Next Day
"…I really need to find a lake."
Altair stretched, then sniffed himself.
"I don't want to meet anyone smelling like this."
He began walking again, this time heading north.
Along the way, he discovered something unexpected.
A horse-mounted vehicle — broken.
Scattered boxes lay around it.
"…What happened here?"
He approached cautiously.
"There are boxes… maybe there's a map."
He opened one and found a large scroll filled with maps, along with some coins.
He didn't know what currency they were, nor their value — but he took only what felt necessary.
"I'll take these… thank you," he said softly. "And… I'm sorry."
The wilderness was silent once more — but this time, Altair was no longer completely lost.
He unfolded the map.
"Hm… here. This looks like a lake."
He traced the route with his finger.
"It's not too far."
After walking for an hour and a half, he arrived.
"…Finally."
He knelt by the water.
"I'm going to bathe now."
After washing himself, he sat beside the lake, breathing more freely.
"…Oh."
"I still don't know what I look like."
He leaned closer, using the water as a mirror.
For a moment, he simply stared.
"…I'm quite handsome," he said quietly. "Long silver hair… blue eyes."
A strange feeling stirred in his chest — unfamiliar, yet not unpleasant.
"…This is me."
And for the first time since waking up, Altair felt like he was beginning to exist — not just survive.